Scott and Karl read "The Greeks and Greek Civilization" which sums up the relevant lectures the notable Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt first gave in 1872. Karl says, "I now have a little portable guide to all the Greek literature that I want to read." Scott adds, "Burckhardt explains what might be going on around the world around Socrates that al…

Beyond producing a body of pioneering research in thermodynamics, Faraday left an educational legacy: his great lectures on the “Chemical History of a Candle.” Originally published in 1861, this series of six lectures showcases Faraday's ability to clearly display scientific principles to a general population, landing him the reputation of one of t…

Tune in for Part Two of Scott and Karl's discussion on Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal. Published in 1965, it remains the only book du Berrier ever produced and a crucial resource on the history of Indochina and our government's policies in Vietnam. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com.…

In 1965, the Birch Society's publishing house, Western Islands, printed du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam. While hard to come by, it remains the most authoritative source in English on the crucial history of Indochina up to that point and is indispensable for an understanding of the tragic consequences of our government's …

Scott and Karl read and discuss James S. Taylor's 1998 book, Poetic Knowledge: The Recovery of Education. Taylor describes his work as an “attempt to resuscitate a nearly forgotten mode of knowledge.” This "poetic knowledge" is not the knowledge of poetry. Rather, it is an intuitive, obscure, mysterious way of knowing reality. As Karl points out, "…

Scott and Karl delve into James Howard Kunstler's 2008 end-of-days novel, World Made by Hand. James Howard Kunstler is an American author, social critic, public speaker, and blogger, perhaps best known for his 2005 novel, The Long Emergency. He has an active podcast, KunstlerCast, where you can find more of his honest urban commentary. World Made b…

Scott and Karl finish their discussion of Father Francis Bethel's biography, John Senior and the Restoration of Realism. According to Scott, if you have concerns about yourself, how you interact with the world, and where the world is going— you need to read some John Senior as well as this biography. In his works, John Senior discusses how there ar…

Scott and Karl begin their discussion of Father Francis Bethel's biography that examines the life and thought of "cultural critic, university professor, and sometime cowboy," John Senior. John Senior is the founder of Clear Creek Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. He is the author of both The Death of Christian Culture and The…

To round out 2022, Scott and Karl decided to revisit Shelby Foote's 2,968-page, 1.2 million-word history of the American Civil War. Collectively, Foote's history of the Civil War includes three compelling volumes: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Fredericksburg to Meridian, and Red River to Appomattox. Scott and Karl begin talking about the tenuous natur…

We're back! Scott and Karl explore Helen and Scott Nearing's The Good Life (1954) and Continuing the Good Life (1979) in a new, long-form podcast. In the 20th century, Scott and Helen Nearing became the new models of self-sufficient lifestyles and rural homesteading. Having abandoned their life in New York City in 1932, rural Vermont became the pla…

Scott and Karl are back after a brief hiatus to finish their discussion of Dean Koontz's 2003 thriller, Odd Thomas. While the ending might make you emotional, this book satisfies its genre— it's suspenseful, memorable, and thoroughly entertaining. Still, Scott points out that reading this type of fiction in the present times is getting harder and h…

This week, Scott and Karl begin their discussion of Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas, a best-selling thriller novel published in 2003. Koontz is known for being a masterful storyteller with a talent for creating richly drawn characters. While this novel is definitely a thriller, Scott points out it reads like a noir detective story. If you are looking for …

Scott and Karl finish their discussion of the first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece, Foundation. The novel is set in the future, when the world is barely remembered, and humans have colonized the galaxy. While this series helped to redefine the science-fiction genre, the duo takes issue with the ways this make-believe so…

This week, the duo tackles Karl's pick— the first novel in Isaac Asimov’s classic science-fiction masterpiece. Largely regarded as a launch pad for space-age science fiction, Foundation is a collection of five short stories which were first published together as a book by Gnome Press in 1951. The series tells the story of the Foundation, an institu…

Scott and Karl finish their discussion of Dorothy M. Johnson’s Indian Country, a collection of some of the greatest short stories about the American West. Scott says, "I don't want to talk about the book too much because it's that good. I love the characters, I love the setting, I love Dorothy Johnson, I love the themes, I love the style." While th…

This week, Scott and Karl read Dorothy M. Johnson’s Indian Country, a collection of eleven stories showing a frontier alive with complex struggles. You may be familiar with two of her most famous stories, “A Man Called Horse” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” which are included in this collection. Johnson, a Montana-based author, brings to wes…

This week, Scott and Karl finish their discussion of Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire which follows the Roman Empire over thirteen centuries - its rulers, wars and society, and, of course, the events that led to its collapse. Towards the beginning of the show, Karl asks, "how do lasting emporiums last?" The du…

This week, Scott and Karl tackle a massive narrative of one of the world's greatest civilizations. Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire follows the Roman Empire over thirteen centuries - its rulers, wars and society, and, of course, the events that led to its collapse. Published between 1776 and 1788 in six volume…

Scott and Karl test out an alternative format, and enjoy huge success! Also, enrollment is open, now through this weekend. Visit OnlineGreatBooks.com to learn more.

This week, Scott and Karl are off, so we'll flashback to July 2019, for a very relevant conversation from a very different world. Scott and OGB producer Brett discuss pedagogy and dominant learning theories, as Scott aspires to be a better Starting Strength coach and a more effective interlocutor at Online Great Books. We begin our discussion with …

This week, Scott and Karl finish their discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a heavy fandom collection of mythopoeic stories that form a complete history of Middle Earth. The duo agrees— don't read this unless you’ve read the big trilogy first. Karl adds, “I think it’s very good. If Tolkien is as big of a part of your life as it is in …

This week, Scott and Karl begin their discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a collection of mythopoeic stories that form a complete history of Middle Earth. Until 1977, these manuscripts were unpublished until his son, Christopher Tolkien, edited them posthumously. Producer Brett warns, "If you don't know what The Silmarillion is, you …

This week, Scott and Karl finish their discussion of John Dewey's essay, "Challenge to Liberal Thought." Written in his later life, Dewey expands on his criticisms of the Great Books of Western Civilization enterprise and a liberal arts education. The duo agrees— this is shoddy work to say the least. At the end of their conversation, Scott says, “T…

In the tradition of intellectual fairness, Scott and Karl read from someone they don’t agree with this week. Toted as the 'King of Progressive Philosophers', John Dewey was an educational reformer active throughout the first half of the 20th century. He left a very significant, progressive mark on the public school system. His essay "Challenge to L…