为继承人类精神文明的宝贵财富，培养青年学子的思想境界和道德情操，外教社从2000年起陆续推出“英美文学名著导读详注”系列丛书。该丛书精选西方经典名著30册，由国内知名学者撰写导读文字并加以详细的中文注释，将原著中的各种典故注明出处，且将难于理解的语句加以解释。读者通过导读可以了解作家的生平事迹、创作进程和作品的背景，通过详细的注释可以更好地理解作品，同时从提高英语水平，并从简单的语言习得进入语言与文化两者并重的高层次学习，逐步提高文化素养和文学欣赏水平。
在世界近代史上，托马斯·潘恩的思想和著作对美利坚合众国的诞生曾起了催化和促成的重要作用，他的精神遗产使他永驻美国的史册。“常识”和“理性”是潘恩思想的两个基本观念，它体现了科学的精神，是判断正确与谬误的准绳，是反对迷信与盲从的有效武器，是引导后人追求真理的思维工具，也是这位“世界公民”为我们留下的一份有价值的遗产。他的文章语言精炼、层次分明、结构严密，抒情与说理有机结合，逻辑性很强，是美国文学史上散文著作的经典。

COMMON SENSE
Introduction
Of the Origin and Design of Government in General
Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession
Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs
Of the Present Ability of America
Appendix
THE AGE OF REASON
Part One
ChapterⅠ——The Author s Profession of Faith
ChapterⅡ——Of Missions and Revelations
ChapterⅢ——Concerning the Character of Jesus Christ and His History
ChapterⅣ——Of the Bases of Christianity
ChapterⅤ——Examination in Detail of the Preceding Bases
ChapterⅥ——Of the True Theology
Chapter��——Examination of the Old Testament
ChapterⅧ——Of the New Testament
ChapterⅨ——In What the True Revelation Consists
ChapterⅩ——Concerning God and the Lights Cast on His Existence and Attributers by the Bible
ChapterⅪ——Of the Theology of the Christians and the True Theology
ChapterⅫ——The Effects of Christianism on Education Proposed Reforms
ChapterⅩⅢ——Comparison of Christianism with the Religious Ideas Inspired by Nature
ChapterⅩⅣ——System of the Universe
ChapterⅩⅤ——Advantages of the Existence of Many Worlds in Each Solar System
ChapterⅩⅥ——Applications of the Preceding to the System of the Christians
ChapterⅩⅦ——Of the Means Employed in All Time and Almost Universally to Deceive the Peoples
Recapitulation
Part Two
Preface
ChapterⅠ——The Old Testament
ChapterⅡ——The New Testament
ChapterⅢ——Conclusion