Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, translated by Donald M. Frame

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533 – 1592) was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, who popularized the essay as a literary genre and is often thought of as the father of Modern Skepticism. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography — and his massive volume Essays contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written.