The range of writing represented spans nearly 300 years, and the texts are arranged chronologically by date of publication. The excerpts have been carefully chosen to be suitable for use at intermediate to upper-intermediate levels and for their appeal to teenagers and young adults.

The texts are accompanied by:

• A short biography of each author, including their literary characteristics and main achievements
• Comprehension questions on both author and text; discussion questions to encourage free expression
• Language extension exercises covering grammar, vocabulary, word-building, idioms, and phrasal words
• Composition work and role-plays