Deeply enjoyable book - appears to have originally been published as a school text (the author is identified on the title page as "Deputy Principal Bayswater High School, Victoria" and the essays are followed by a series of discussion questions, also my copy has notes indicating some are to be read in term I, Term II etc).
It is always interesting to see who's dated, who you've heard of and who's vanished into obscurity and I could go on at great length about the opinions of all the essayists. However I'll constrain myself to this - George Orwell NEVER dates, E M Forster seemed to be speaking with Robert Desaix's voice and I LOVE Bertrand Russell! In all it is magic to hear these voices who care about life and culture and are prepared, sometimes preposterously but always passionately to state their convictions! ( )