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1Brief History of English and American Literature

By Henry A. Beers

Henry Augustin Beers, native of Buffalo, NY and professor of English at Yale, with the help of John Fletcher Hurst (1834-1903), Methodist bishop and first Chancellor of American University, has written a sweeping thousand 900 year history of English literature, up to the end of the 19th century. Although at times biased and sometimes misguided (as when he dismisses Mark Twain as a humorist noteworthy in his time but not for the ages), his research is sound and his criticism is interesting and quite often very balanced. In addition, the last chapter of each part is Hurst's synopsis of religious and theological literature in the language. This book is interesting for its point of view, but also useful as a jumping-off point for those interested in reading the classics. (Summary by Kalynda)

2Two Twilights

By Henry A. Beers

This is a volume of poems by American poet Henry Augustin Beers. Born in Buffalo, NY, Beers later became a Professor of English literature at Yale University. The poems of this volume were published late in his life, and are of varied nature, addressing different themes and using different styles. - Summary by Carolin

3Mind That Found Itself: An Autobiography

By Clifford Whittingham Beers

At twenty-four, Clifford Beers, Yale graduate and son of an old New England family, was confined to a mental institution, where he experienced and saw terrible mistreatment of patients. Eight years later, after his time in another institution, he wrote A Mind That Found Itself, exposing the inhumane conditions of these institutions. Beers went on to found an outpatient center for mental health, the Clifford Beers Clinic, in 1913, and is considered the founder of the American Mental Hygiene Movement. - Summary from Wikipedia