(4) Base Camp

Both essays are written in 18th Century-style English, which might make them look a bit hard to digest.

But, armed with the kind of patience it takes to get through another old block of text (think Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice), you can totally handle it.

They were still written for an average, non-expert audience—and they do a good job at explaining any terms they introduce. The arguments flow neatly from start to finish, and are pretty effective at breaking down issues into easy to understand chunks. If you can get through the initial dryness of the phrasing, it's a pretty straightforward read.