Cogito, Ergo Sum

West, John Foster, 1919-2008Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 17K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Cogito, Ergo Sum by John Foster WestAuthor: West, John Foster, 1919-2008,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 17, 2009

Editor's review

Cogito, Ergo Sum is a literary work by John Foster West, classified under American and Canadian literature and released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Project Gutenberg, the earliest project offering free ebooks, was founded by Michael Hart in 1971 with the idea of letting books circulate freely in digital form. The book's value lies in its status as a public-domain literary resource, offering readers an entry point to twentieth-century American literary texts; it is of particular documentary significance to those studying West's writing or American regional literature. The digital edition is easy to search, cite, and read across devices, making it suitable for close reading or as supplementary material for literature courses. Note that this is an English-language work, and the Gutenberg edition is a public-domain ebook without a modern introduction or annotations; readers should ideally have some English reading ability and a basic familiarity with the American literary context to grasp the text well. In terms of reading scenarios, it is better suited to digital reading, literary research, or public-domain book collecting than to ordinary leisure reading for plot entertainment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying American literature or the works of John Foster West
Literature students who need a public-domain English ebook for close reading
Readers accustomed to reading original English literary texts on electronic devices

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a Chinese translation or a modern annotated edition
General fiction readers seeking light plot entertainment
Beginners with weak English reading skills who need guided introductions

Reading tips

Learn about West's life and creative background first, then approach the text to better understand its literary style.
Read it alongside an American literary history textbook or course, using the book as primary source material.
Take notes on characters, settings, and narrative threads as you read; the public-domain ebook makes it easy to search and revisit.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

According to Project Gutenberg, the book's language is English and it falls under American and Canadian literature, so it is an English original, not a Chinese translation.

Does the Gutenberg edition have annotations or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain ebooks, usually consisting mainly of the original text; the materials do not indicate that this edition includes a modern introduction or scholarly annotations, so readers needing background information should consult other sources.

Is it suitable for literature course assignments?

It can be used as supplementary primary text for American literature courses, especially for close reading and citation; however, since it lacks annotations, it is best used alongside a textbook or with instructor guidance.

Comments

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About the author

West, John Foster, 1919-2008 Author · American · 1919–2008

John Foster West (1919–2008) was an American writer and professor who lived for many years in Appalachia. He wrote fiction, poetry, and local history, and his work often centers on the people and places of the Appalachian mountains. One of his works is held in this collection, Cogito, Ergo Sum. Public information about his life and writing is limited; the available facts mainly show that he combined literary writing with academic teaching and was known for regional subjects. His writing brings together fiction, poetry, and historical accounts, offering readers a literary perspective on Appalachian local life and cultural traditions and giving him a place in American regional literature and historical writing.