The library · Non-fiction
Free non-fiction books
189 non-fiction classics · free in PDF & EPUB
Every non-fiction book on this shelf is in the public domain and free to download in PDF or EPUB — or to read online, without registration. Philosophy that still gets quoted daily, the founding texts of economics and psychology, history written by people who were there, and science explained by the ones who discovered it.
Not sure where to start? Meditations is the most downloaded non-fiction book in our library for a reason — a Roman emperor's private notebook that reads like it was written last week. For something with more argument in it, try The Prince or The Republic.
New to non-fiction? Start here
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius never meant anyone to read this. Two thousand years later, it's the most practical book on the shelf.
Browse non-fiction by subject
Every subject links to its own shelf, with a guide on where to begin.
Philosophy
From the agora to your armchair.
54 books →Religion and Spirituality
Scripture, mysticism, and the search for meaning.
45 books →Essays
Minds thinking on paper.
37 books →History
Eyewitness accounts and grand narratives.
23 books →Politics
Power examined — manifestos to memoirs.
21 books →Self Help
A century of advice that stuck.
18 books →Biography
Lives worth a second reading.
15 books →Travel writing
Journeys before the world shrank.
10 books →Psychology
The mind, mapped by its pioneers.
8 books →Science
Discovery in the discoverers' own words.
3 books →Economics
The wealth and worries of nations.
3 books →Art
Ways of seeing, from the source.
2 books →Masters of non-fiction
The authors who built the genre — all their books free in the library.
Most downloaded non-fiction books
The best-loved books across every non-fiction shelf.
Kama Sutra
Meditations
The Art of War
The Art of Public Speaking
The lesser key of Solomon
The Secret Teachings of All Ages
The Game of Life and How to Play It
As a Man Thinketh
The Book of Enoch
Thus Spake Zarathustra
The Prince
Autobiography of a Yogi
A hidden gem from this shelf
The Irish Sketch-Book
Thackeray travels with curiosity and a sly pen, collecting scenes, characters, and contradictions.
The Interpretation of Dreams
Ars Notoria (The Notory Art of Solomon)
Beyond Good and Evil
The Republic
The Power of Concentration
The Origin of Species