Tag Archives: Abraham Lincoln

“Cut Me One From His Small!”

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Dr. J

Here are some observations on last week’s Great Books readings: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Chapters 55-75: If Ahab’s soliloquy over the dead sperm whale didn’t give you chills, I think there must be something wrong with you. And since … Continue reading →

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A Farewell to Homer (Sort Of)

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Dr. J

Whew! Many apologies for the delay in posting this week’s readings. I lost three days over the weekend by traveling to Arkansas for my 20-year high school reunion (which, by the way, was fantastic). I didn’t finish the Iliad until … Continue reading →

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Hang That Innocent Man from the Nearest Yardarm

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Dr. J

If you’re following this Great Books reading program with me, you’re probably encountering at least one and perhaps several works each week you’ve never dealt with before. In fact, last week I got to read five selections for the first … Continue reading →

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Kill ’em All and Let the Gods Sort Them Out

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday. We’ve completed one quarter of readings and have twenty-seven to go. My only regret in setting up this project is that I didn’t begin it years ago. I begin each week with a sense of anticipation … Continue reading →

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Drinking the Hemlock

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday here at the Western Tradition, and the top hits of Western Civilization just keep on coming. If you have done all the readings since we began in January, you have logged over 1,000 pages by this … Continue reading →

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Some People Need Killin’

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Dr. J

If you’ve followed along with the reading schedule posted here for the last two months, congratulations are in order. You’ve already read over 700 pages of world-class literature and, no doubt, have expanded your horizons by considering questions and problems … Continue reading →

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Throwing Ralph Waldo Emerson into a Volcano

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday; are you ready for the Bard? Here are the reading selections for the coming week: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (GBWW Vol. 24, pp. 199-228) “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of … Continue reading →

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Mobsters, Melting Pots, and Lab Explosions

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Dr. J

If you’re reading the Great Books along with me, are you starting to look at the world in a slightly different way? I think I am, even though I already work with some of these texts as part of my … Continue reading →

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Dung Beetles and a Townful of Liars

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Dr. J

If you aren’t following along with the readings I’m posting each Monday, let me tell you that you are missing out on some great stuff. Here are the selections for the upcoming week: “The Killers” by Ernest Hemingway (Vol. 2, … Continue reading →

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