At ThinkingWest we often discuss books that have stood the test of time. These “classics” arose from the tremendous impact of their ideas, masterful command of the language, and storytelling power – not from their physical appearance. “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” we often hear, but today we are going to do justContinue reading “Codex Gigas: “The Devil’s Bible” and other Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval World”
Category Archives: Great Books
The 12 Book Classical Education
A true classical education is a lifelong pursuit of wisdom and understanding with no demonstrable end. The end of the classical education is played out in real time, in parallel to its pursuit in everyday life. When confronting a claim, one might turn to principles put forth by Aristotle or Bacon to find their veracity;Continue reading “The 12 Book Classical Education”
How I Read the Bible Cover to Cover
A week ago I finished a two year journey of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. The Bible is a long and difficult book; yet, it is the most widely printed book in history. As any book publisher would know, “long and difficult” is rarely a promising description of a book that will receiveContinue reading “How I Read the Bible Cover to Cover”
What is a Classic Book?
There’s no single answer for what a “classic” book is. For anyone who ventures an answer, many others will disagree and propose their own definitions, such as the 14 various definitions offered in a New York Review article – none of which I agree with. I found most of these “definitions” to be tongue-in-cheek andContinue reading “What is a Classic Book?”
Insights from the Lord of Montaigne on Education
Who better to inquire about education than a famed 16th century nobleman who inscribed excerpts of wisdom on the wooden beams of his library? Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (often called simply “Montaigne”) authored the heavily influential Essays, an outpouring of his natural philosophies, and had much to say on education. The first thing he tellsContinue reading “Insights from the Lord of Montaigne on Education”
Christian Themes and Imagery in C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair
I recently revisited my childhood and cracked open C.S Lewis’s The Silver Chair, the sixth book in his acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia series. As a child the book was a personal favorite of mine – I always appreciated its straightforward adventure plot (boy and girl set out to rescue an enchanted prince from an evilContinue reading “Christian Themes and Imagery in C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair”
Learning History, The Right Way
The typical history class goes like this: “The Peloponnesian War was fought by the Delian league, led by Athens, against the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, during the years spanning 341 to 404 BC. The Delian League leveraged the sea might of Athens, while the Spartans assaulted primarily by land. Ultimately the war was wonContinue reading “Learning History, The Right Way”
What Did Socrates Do Wrong?
Socrates, father of western philosophy, was executed by his government, not for murder, assault, or robbery, but because of several non-violent charges brought against him. Here are the three main charges. 1. Teaches Falsehood One accusation brought against Socrates was that he “is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under theContinue reading “What Did Socrates Do Wrong?”
2021 Resolutions: Read the Great Books
The time is here, where we make promises for the new year only to (on average) forget our resolutions within weeks, if not days. I’m proud to have finally completed a New Year’s resolution: one year of reading ‘The Greats’. The Past Year Around December of 2019, I discovered the 1952 Great Books of theContinue reading “2021 Resolutions: Read the Great Books”
Applying Machiavelli to Life
“It is better to be feared than loved” is by far the most famous quote from Machiavelli’s The Prince, but the short book has much more to offer than a pithy statement voided of its true nuance (for Machiavelli importantly added “…if you cannot be both.” Written in 1513 for the new Florentine ruler, aContinue reading “Applying Machiavelli to Life”