Upton Sinclair's searing indictment of fossil fuels that predicts our current warming planet while imagining a greener and more inclusive future A Penguin Classic Perhaps most well-known today as the inspiration for Paul Thomas Anderson’s film There Will Be Blood, Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil! burst into the literary limelight amid soaring petroleum profits and gaping inequalities in 1927. By turns an ardent family saga, scintillating potboiler, and anti-capitalist tirade, Oil! ranks among the most important critiques of fossil energy ever printed; and while anticipating how fossil fuels have shaped the dilemmas of our present, it also looks toward a greener, more inclusive, and altogether more livable world yet to come. This edition features a contextual introduction by Michael Tondre that illuminates the novel’s urgent timeliness in our warming world.

"The Uncle Tom's Cabin of wage slavery." -Jack London. Sinclair's masterpiece is an honest, sometimes brutal, tour de force that opened America's eyes to the struggles and horrors many immigrants endured. Welcome to Chicago during the early 1900s. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle portrays the hardships of the immigrant working class in a way that changed literature and history. The story begins with Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus, who takes a job at Brown's slaughterhouse to try to earn enough money to stay afloat. His life becomes a constant struggle-he, his young wife, Ona, and the rest of his family eventually falling victim to a slew of unfortunate circumstances including exploitation, abuse, and for some even death. From unsanitary and unsafe working conditions to poverty wages, the novel revealed to the American public the struggles immigrants encountered in Chicago's meatpacking industry. Sinclair, a muckraking journalist, penned the bestselling narrative in an attempt to expose the evils of capitalism, and bring to light the extreme adversity these people faced not just in Chicago, but in industrialized cities across the country. By detailing numerous health violations in these workplaces, Sinclair's novel caused public outrage and eventually led to the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. Packaged in handsome, affordable trade editions, Clydesdale Classics is a new series of essential literary works. It features literary phenomena with influence and themes so great that, after their publication, they changed literature forever. From the musings of literary geniuses such as Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, to the striking personal narratives from Harriet Jacobs in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, this new series is a comprehensive collection of our history through the words of the exceptional few.

1906 best-seller shockingly reveals intolerable labor practices and unsanitary working conditions in the Chicago stockyards as it tells the brutally grim story of a Slavic family that emigrates to America full of optimism but soon descends into numbing poverty, moral degradation, and despair. A fiercely realistic American classic that will haunt readers long after they've finished the last page.

Upton Sinclair's dramatic and deeply moving story exposed the brutal conditions in the Chicago stockyards at the turn of the nineteenth century and brought into sharp moral focus the apalling odds against which immigrants and other working people struggled for their share of the American dream. Denounced by the conservative press as an un-American libel on the meatpacking industry, the book was championed by more progressive thinkers, including then president Theodore Roosevelt, and was a major catalyst to the passing of the Pure Food and Meat Inspection act, which has tremendous impact to this day.

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED

BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

Upton Sinclair's unflinching chronicle of crushing poverty and oppression set in Chicago in the early 1900s.

EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

- A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

- A chronology of the author's life and work

- A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

- An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

- Detailed explanatory notes

- Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

- Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

- A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON

Perhaps the most influential and harrowing of Sinclair's writings, this savage novel of the Chicago stockyards established its author as one of the major modern American propaganda novelists.

"When people ask me what has happened in my long lifetime I do not refer them to the newspaper files and to the authorities, but to (Sinclair's) novels." -George Bernard Shaw "Practically alone among the American writers of his generation, Sinclair put to the American public the fundamental questions raised by capitalism in such a way that they could not escape them." -Edmund Wilson Upton Sinclair's 1906 bestseller The Jungle is a startling and powerful novel depicting the plight of Jurgis Rudkus, a Slavic worker who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th Century for a better life. His dream of a finding a job, building a family, and buying a home are initially fulfilled in the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. Work in the meatpacking industry proves to be a harrowing and desperate existence, and his personal life is beset by a succession of hardships and tragedy. As bleak as his journey is, Jurgis finally finds his light in a new-found political ideology. The Jungle is considered profoundly important in its exposure of despair at the margins of working-class life, and the atrocious descriptions of the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking process. The novel led to revolutionary reform of the industrial food industry and workers' rights, and powerfully addresses many of the same issues that we are still grappling with today. With a stunning new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Jungle is both modern and readable.

"There Will Be Blood" wins a 2008 Golden Globes Award. Read about it here.

"There Will Be Blood" wins two 2008 Academy Awards. Read about it here.

Penguin Books is proud to now be the sole publisher of "Oil ," the classic 1927 novel by Upton Sinclair. After writing "The Jungle," his scathing indictment of the meatpacking industry, Sinclair turned his sights on the early days of the California oil industry in a highly entertaining story featuring a cavalcade of characters including senators, oil magnets, Hollywood film starlets, and a crusading evangelist.

This lively and panoramic book, which was recently cited by David Denby in the "New Yorker "as being Sinclair's "most readable" novel, is now the inspiration for the Paramount Vantage major motion picture, "There Will Be Blood." It is the long-awaited film from Paul Thomas Anderson, one of the most admired filmmakers working today whose previous movies, "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" were both multiple Academy Award nominees. The movie stars Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis ("Gangs of New York," "My Left Foot") and Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine").

Paramount Vantage will be releasing the film in New York and Los Angeles on December 26, 2007 and go nationwide in January. This is the same company responsible for "Babel" and "A Mighty Heart" and the current releases, "Into the Wild, Margot at the Wedding," and "The Kite Runner."

As wars rage on in the oil region and as anxiety over natural resources rise, the subject of this book, which celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2007, is more timely than ever.

Upton Sinclair's novel, 100%: The Story of a Patriot, follows young Peter Gudge, a poor and uneducated man living in America during the first World War. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Peter falls victim to false allegations of domestic terrorism. As a result, Peter must abandon his old ignorance to political issues. While becoming involved in politics and the government, Peter is swept into a plot to spy on the Socialist Party, who are suspected of the domestic bombing. Though his world has been flipped upside down, Peter uses his new awareness to become a businessman. As Peter's job exposes poor working conditions, including unsafe business practice, low wages, and unfair expectations, issues of class are apparent. While the upper class exploits the lower-class citizens, Peter's job reveals the struggles of workers without labor laws, invoking an empathetic desire for change. Famous for politically charged novels exposing American society and the ways its institutions harmed the American people, Upton Sinclair's 100%: The Story of a Patriot provides a compelling narrative that advocates for the working class. Through Peter, the prolific author, Upton Sinclair, exposes big business practices-demonstrating the exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged for capital gain. Sinclair lived through World War One and experienced firsthand how it affected Americans. Though fictional, 100%: The Story of a Patriot holds historical significance, as it focuses on the unique perspective of American citizens on the home front of the first World War, rather than the actual battlefield. This thrilling tale highlights the class wars in America as well as the effects the Red Scare had on American people. With a relatable protagonist and gripping prose, 100%: The Story of a Patriot depicts a journey that is very applicable to the political atmosphere of today. This edition of Upton Sinclair's 100%: The Story of a Patriot features a stunning new cover design and is printed in a modern font to appeal to contemporary readers.

Upton Sinclair's The Book of Life is a contains well founded advice and consists of two parts. The first part, Book of the Mind, covers spiritual topics such as faith, morality, and the subconscious. With intense conversations on the definition of each as well as their relationship and codependence on each other, Sinclair answers tough life questions and provides many thought-provoking ideas. While the first part of Sinclair's work concerns the intangibles in life, focusing on matters of the mind, the second part of The Book of Life elects to address physical topics. Book of the Body shares Sinclair's thoughts and research on diets, featuring discussions on how people should consume food, including fasting, and poisonous products. In this section he talks about diseases as well, citing their causes and offering advice on how to avoid them. Book of the Body also contains Sinclair's advice on love, marriage, and sex. With these topics, Sinclair focuses on both the mental and physical attributes of life, advising how to lead the most fulfilling life possible. Though some of his ideas and advice are dated, The Book of Life remains relevant and interesting to a modern audience. First, though philosophy has progressed since Sinclair's time, some human truths have remained evident and ever-present. Furthermore, this historical novel reveals the culture and world Sinclair was writing in, as well as allowing readers an intimate side of the esteemed author's personality. The Book of Life serves as an encouraging work for thought, action, and gives great insights for how Upton Sinclair lived and what he believed. This edition of The Book of Life by Upton Sinclair is now presented in a modern, readable font and features a striking new cover design. With these accommodations, contemporary readers are allowed unparalleled access to Sinclair's insight on love, sex, health, faith, and morality.

When Allan moves to New York City from Mississippi, his brother, Oliver, who had been living in the city for a few years prior, decides to introduce Allan to an exclusive group of wealthy people. Hoping that it will help Allan's law business, Oliver gets Allan invites to parties and meetings, which quickly grant Allan access to the decadence of the rich. With expensive cars, private trains, thousand-dollar clothing, and gluttonous meals made by servants, these rich elites are living at the height of luxury. Meanwhile, the lower-class citizens of the city are stuck in job with poor work conditions, terrible pay, and unsafe environments. Most even struggled to keep their family fed. Allan is unable to turn a blind eye to the suffering. He launches a court case to help lessen the blight of the poor, but soon realizes that the people he is fighting against are the elite citizens he had met before-the most powerful people in New York. As Allan remembers the drama of the elite, including torrid affairs, issues of alcoholism, venomous gossip, and vicious backstabbing, he knows that he must be careful and clever to survive the shallow values and cruel intentions of the wealthy society. Known as a master of detail, Upton Sinclair depicts a story of high drama with meticulous prose and compelling themes. Set in the exciting scene of New York City in 1907, The Metropolis depicts a duality by showing both the glamourous and obscene lifestyle of the rich and the desolate, difficult life of the poor and working class. This contrast describes the cruelty of the rich, often making the poor victims to their greed and selfishness. With a compelling message, plot twists, and backstabbing, The Metropolis is both an entertaining and enthralling read. This edition of The Metropolis by Upton Sinclair features an eye-catching cover design and is printed in a modern and readable font. With these accommodations, contemporary readers are able to enjoy Upton Sinclair's distinguished novel with style and ease.

"When people ask me what has happened in my long lifetime I do not refer them to the newspaper files and to the authorities, but to (Sinclair's) novels." -George Bernard Shaw "Practically alone among the American writers of his generation, Sinclair put to the American public the fundamental questions raised by capitalism in such a way that they could not escape them." -Edmund Wilson Upton Sinclair's 1906 bestseller The Jungle is a startling and powerful novel depicting the plight of Jurgis Rudkus, a Slavic worker who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th Century for a better life. His dream of a finding a job, building a family, and buying a home are initially fulfilled in the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. Work in the meatpacking industry proves to be a harrowing and desperate existence, and his personal life is beset by a succession of hardships and tragedy. As bleak as his journey is, Jurgis finally finds his light in a new-found political ideology. The Jungle is considered profoundly important in its exposure of despair at the margins of working-class life, and the atrocious descriptions of the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking process. The novel led to revolutionary reform of the industrial food industry and workers' rights, and powerfully addresses many of the same issues that we are still grappling with today. With a stunning new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Jungle is both modern and readable.

"When people ask me what has happened in my long lifetime I do not refer them to the newspaper files and to the authorities, but to [Sinclair's] novels." -- George Bernard Shaw

This is the novel that Upton Sinclair used to show horrific practices in the meatpacking industry in the first part of the twentieth century. Like most of Sinclair, the book ultimately becomes a paen to socialism. But the man could write, whatever his politics were, and ewww!, the meatpackers were up to no damn good at all anyway. Highly recommended.