These essays were written about 400 years ago, and are often credited as being the first "essays" ever written. Francis Bacon is often credited with starting off the scientific revolution, sometimes credited for writing Shakespeare's plays, and also of being a secret child of Elizabeth I, and he was involved with the Freemasons, and the Rosicrucians too. What isn't in doubt though is that a lot of his philosophy is still poignant today. My copy is second hand, and the previous owner saw fit to underline a good number of lines of particular interest. The thing is, he could have underlined a lot more, the book is full of wit and the serious alike. You probably wouldn't want to read this book from cover to cover in one go, but it is good to dip into. Some of the essays seem a bit outdated, but many of them are not. Bacon's New Atlantis, a short utopian novel, is a bit more interesting, but if you have any interest in literature from around this time, or philosophy, then you could enjoy reading this. ( )

At times pretentious, at other times very insightful. ( )

Wikipedia: Francis Bacon's essays, published in book form in 1597, 1612, and 1625, were the first works in English that described themselves as essays.

Interesting discussions (approximately 16th century) on a hodgepodge of topics that were of interest to Bacon and relevant to the time. Many of his observations would hold up in present day debates on issues of the day with a philosophical approach. ( )