What’s Wrong with the World

First published in 1910, this is Chesterton at his most combative, a sweeping complaint against the drift of modern industrial society. He takes aim at capitalism and socialism alike, at the schools, the reformers, and the bureaucrats he nicknames Hudge and Gudge, arguing that both parties have forgotten the ordinary person they claim to serve. The home, the family, and the dignity of common life stand at the center of his defense, and he insists that fixing the world has to begin with knowing what it is actually for. The prose runs on paradox and provocation, funny and stubborn by turns. Available here as a free PDF and EPUB edition.