The shear amount of coffee, gallons upon gallons, that it would take to read through this series is astronomical. But… it is good for business! Read on my dear friend and pour another cup of coffee!
I know, right? The sheer amount of reading is overwhelming and then you add the coffee to stay up late to read it all. Haha! Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I’m a big believer in life long learning. It’s great having the structure of the Harvard Classics and the Great Books., but I’m on a personal journey of learning and reading a variety of subjects that are meaningful to me. This includes great literature, history, languages and religion. Life is only so long. Rob, thank you for another inspiring and informative video.
It’s truly inspiring to hear about your journey of learning and reading as well! We are all on a similar path and it the destination seems to be wisdom. Thank you so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!
Wow I feel ignorant to have not been familiar with these volumes. And that $2 kindle deal is incredible! Just snagged that. I feel like that’s the greatest power of the kindle, being able to walk around with hundreds of books in your pocket that you can pick up anytime. Thanks for broadening my horizons!
For anyone watching this thinking about investing time or money into the Great Books, without a background in this type of reading I highly recommend Mortimer Adler’s book (actually transcripts from a video series) called, “The Great Ideas.” Very accessible. This book got me into philosophy and I plan on reading it with my daughter soon.
Yes! I am glad you shared that, definitely a great way to get into philosophy. He has some older videos that were uploaded to UA-cam where he goes through this info as well. I love hearing him speak. Such a wise old sage. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed my friend!
My wife launched my Great Books of the Western World journey by complete chance. She discovered a nearly complete set at a work book exchange. She brought them home and my life was drastically changed. Reading ‘The Great Conversation’ made me believe I could actually self-guide my learning. Wonderful stuff Rob!
That is amazing! What a great wife to gift something like the Great Books! Have you completed them already? Thanks for watching and stay blessed buddy!
That's awesome, congrats on completing that journey! Did you have a daily goal to read so many pages or what? I would love to hear your strategy of tackling that series. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
@The_Cause The university library had a set. I had always wanted to read really great books, classics, etc. So I picked volumes at random, depending on what caught my fancy. I kept a spreadsheet where I tracked my progress. I averaged one volume per month. If I was busy with work or school, I read less. If not, I covered as much material/pages as possible. I loved Plutarch's Lives, and their translation of Virgil's Aeneid. Montaigne was great. Marx was insane and repetitive. Many of the "modern" fiction writers were disappointing. Loved the Syntopicon. FYI, there's a volume/book that isn't a part of the sixty-volume set, that explains the process that Hutchins and Adler went through, the internal politics, of how they decided which works to include.
Solid advice on getting books from FB Marketplace. I scored my Great Books set (1st edition) for $100 + $100 shipping. (Media mail is great for such heavy books.) Also, I personally am amazed at the genius that Adler's Syntopicon is. His depth of knowledge of the great books truly shows when you consider he compiled those two volumes without the aid of computers. I honestly only wanted the Great Book set for the Syntopicon as I find other versions of the great books physically easier to read. But Adler's labor of love is a great guide to the great books. Also, thank you for your wonderful breakdown of these two collections! :)
I'm glad you got such a good deal on the set! I agree the Syntopicon is a great companion to the books and Adler is awesome. I listen to some of his old interviews and I just love how genuinely nice he is. I appreciate you watching and stay blessed!
I have both. GBWW is the best bang for your buck. Includes more works by each author, and fewer abridged versions of texts. Also has texts for five of the seven classical liberal arts, and many from higher philosophy.
I agree. If I had to pick one and to take to another world and start over I would bring the Great Books. It is a great balance of literature, philosophy, science and more. Great deals to if you can wait and find one selling close by online. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I grew up in a home that had both sets. I personally like the Harvard Classics the best. I love the idea behind them, giving the common man a classical liberal education.
Yes indeed! It is a good way to acquire a liberal education if you are dedicated to putting in the time. Very cool you had access to them growing up. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I collected my Great Books set over a period of four years. I started with a bunch of random volumes from a used bookstore and library sales, scooping up 7-8 at a time for just a few dollars per bunch. From there, I started looking on ebay to fill in the missing volumes and was able to get most of them for $10 or less (I think the most I paid was about $18 for one volume). I now have a complete set, and they all appear to be in very good to new condition. And it was fun just to be on the lookout to build and complete the collection.
Thank you for this! We are using The Robinson Curriculum for our reading list, in a slightly modified way, and these sound perfect. So many books and topics on that list are in these collections.
Great to hear! I am going to have to look up that reading list as I have not heard of it yet. These books are honestly a great deal for the amount of works you get. If you had to buy each classic book separately it would cost much more than just finding one of these sets for a good deal. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
Those are amazing, especially the Great Books but I decided at last to create my own custom collection (based mostly on Adler's recommendation from How to Read a Book) of the editions I really enjoy (mostly Everyman, Landmark and Oxford World Classics). In the end the font and the overall feeling of the book matters quite a lot if you're about to spend so much time reading them.
I completely agree with the feel and font. That is one reason I like the Harvard Classic is because of the quality of the paper. It is thick. I have been eyeing the Everyman series but came to the conclusion that I need to finish one at least before I go and add another. lol Truly appreciate you watching and sharing. Stay blessed my friend!
@@The_Cause Sure, I'm trying to limit my purchases too and read probably ~70% of books I buy. I observed that with too many books on my TBR i got overwhelmed and struggle to finish anything, chasing novelty. Thank YOU for sharing, you're one of my main influences that introduced me to those great works of humanity!
If you have one of these sets or both, let me know what your thoughts are on each! I would love to hear your opinions on these two great series. If you need coffee look no further my friends... go here -> cedarotacoffee.com/ I love you all and stay blessed! PICK UP A BOOK!
I have both sets (a first edition of the Harvard Classics, second edition of the Great Books). I couldn't tell which one I Like most. Although they cover the same material to a certain extend, they are complementary; GB have more science, HC focus more on religion. GB have to be read at a desk (or in bed) because of their size, het HC are easier to take along on the train. I love both sets!
I have a set of Great Books that were gifted to me when a library was downsizing. My only complaint about them is the covers. As they were library books, there are stickers everywhere and you can't tear them off without tearing off the cover. But, the contents are great!
Bag designers came back with a bunch of requests for changes. Going to be a few weeks for print production to complete. Shooting for December. Fingers crossed no more issues! Hope all has been well and glad to hear you are enjoying the coffee. Stay blessed brother!
Yes! That is a great option! I forgot to mention local book stores and thrift stores! Thanks so much for the suggestion and I truly appreciate you watching. Stay blessed!
Rob, the message is as inspirational as ever. I would like to own these collections, but strangely, I have been reading them one by one since forever, so I cannot justify the space needed or the cost of the purchase to The Boss. Also, they are two great series, but inevitably there are omitted authors that perhaps should have been included. For me, one omission is Polybius, The Histories (Greek, 2nd century BCE). Another is Horace, Odes and Epodes (Roman, 1st century BC). Polybius is one of the first to recognize the importance of checks and balances in government. I would not be surprised if the Founding Fathers were under his influence since they often had a classical education. Horace brings out the essence of the moment better than almost any other writer that I know of. He is also honest: in one poem he admits that he threw away his shield and ran at the Battle of Phillippi (42 BCE), in which Augustus Caesar (unfortunately, in my view) defeated the senatorial army of Brutus and Cassius. Horace is likewise the guy that said Carpe Diem. When you read Horace, you get the sense that this is a living person, rather than a Dead Poet of long ago. But all this is just my opinion.
Wow! I am actually going to copy and save this comment. I noticed Aristotle is not even in the Harvard Classics as well which I thought was strange. I am going to review these and pick up some copies. This sparked the idea to create a little shelf of other works not included. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share this and I will most certainly ponder on this one. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
@@The_Cause It's the least I could do given your channel. I've been reading all this time and it's inevitable that I've picked up a little trivia along the way. Keep putting out these videos, they're great.
@@greatbooksbigideas GBBI nice to see you again, over on this forum. Lots of good authors are left out, and lots of worthy researchers never win a prize. I personally knew the inventors of Two and Three Stage Least Squares (an advance in statistics) and neither one of them ever won a single award.
Going to check out that Harvards reading list. This was a good video. I don’t own either set because they are too expensive, but hope to one day. I have the syntopicon of the Great Ideas; and own some great books. The introduction to authors is something that seems very useful, and the lecture notes from the Harvard classics seem great. That’s cool you own both sets. Great video, God bless
I have been using individual books from the great works for a while. Because they are separated from sets, I have no qualms about underlining and marginelia. Once I get a full set, it will stay pristine. I think I would prefer the Great Books, but would happily take either I come across in good condition. My home is already in need of more book shelves. May as well exacerbate the situation!
I acquired my set of the Great Books in perhaps an usual way. My local library was selling a set that was around 2/3 complete. I was able to get it for about $20. I have since been buying individual volumes off eBay to complete it. I actually have every volume now but there are a couple that are in rough shape and I'd like to replace them before saying I have a complete set.
Charles Eliot, who developed Harford Classics in 1910 and Mortimer Alder who created Great Books in 1954 were unique individuals, and the collections reflect their idiosyncrasies. It might be a good idea to take a look at some more recent attempts to create a list of great books. These lists will include more books by women and a wider variety of perspectives.
Great points! I actually think the variety of perspectives these books already make up are amazing. The mixing of the Greek and Roman world with the Christian view of morality, formatted in plays, poems, novels, and letters created a diversity in literature that goes beyond anything I have read in modern culture. We often get so focused on the exterior of someones looks to add value that we forget that, within anyone, can be a thought that changes the view of how we see the world. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
I thank you for your videos and for introducing me to these wonderful works. My only regret is that I didn't find them sooner. I am 62 years old now and fear I will not have time to complete either of these since I am currently in remission with cancer. But I will try to purchase them so I can at least pass this knowledge on. Thank you again for everything you do.
You are never too old to learn and it's never too late to start. If you set a goal of reading 21 pages a day for 5 years you would be able to complete the entire 37,000 pages of the great books. All before the age of 67! Hopefully, the cancer stays in remission and I will keep you in my prayers. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I'm about to launch Year 2 of the 10-year reading guide to the Great Books of the Western World program. One thing I found interesting as I made my way through the year 1 materials was finding which works matched up between the Harvard Classics and the GBWW set. Year 1 - Reading 1 in the GBWW was Plato's Apology and Crito, which are both found in Vol. 2 of the Harvard Classics. Year 1 - Reading 2 was Aristophanes' Clouds and Lysistrata, neither of these are found in the Harvard Classics, but HC Vol. 8 does contain The Frogs. Year 1 - Readings 4 and 5 are selections from Aristotle's Ethics and Politics, curiously the Harvard series has nothing from Aristotle at all. There is a good amount of overlap though, by the time I've finished the 10-year reading guide I'll also have made a strong sampling of the Harvard list. I think it's worth nothing too, the Harvard Classics series was created in the early 1900s, and the GBWW series was designed much later, releasing first in 1952, and then later getting an update in the 1990s.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown and analysis! It is great to see the overlap and how the different programs complement each other. I was curious as to why Aristotle is not in the Harvard Classics as well. As you kind of mentioned after I finish the Harvard Classics I plan to start on the Great Books and just read the ones that were not included in the HCs until I complete them. It will be a couple decades down the road I imagine before I cross the finish line on both! haha Thanks so much for sharing and I truly hope you stay blessed!
You know I am not sure. I just looked inside and can’t tell. The Harvard Classics print I have is from the 1950s so I don’t know if that even existed back then. Good question though.
Thanks for the amazing video Rob! You're keeping the Great Books alive and I'm glad to see that. Another friend of mine, Benjamin McEvoy, does the same and you both are my hiding places on UA-cam when I am not reading the books themselves. I have an uncomplete set of the Harvard and Great Books sets which I am hoping to read soon on my own custom syllabus. I was wondering if you have any thoughts on the upcoming books involving fairy tales and sacred works, such as the Qu'ran or Bhavad Gita in the Harvard? Can't wait for your next video and my God bless you. Love and Peace.
I have both and personally the Harvard Classics has more of an interesting variety however the Great Books has some very important canon unabridged and going through it provides a very good view into the evolution of the Western mind. The Great Books is probably more diverse overall but there is some really rare and interesting stuff in the Harvard Classics that is sometimes hard to find elsewhere. What I mean by this is most well-read people are probably familiar with almost all of the titles (or at least authors) in the Great Books, however how many are familiar with say The Journal of John Woolman? I'm happy having both but I do prefer having some of the Great Books titles separate from the series from other publishers where you can get pictures, maps, small pages and bigger fonts, etc. One of my gripes with the Great Books is that the set-up of the pages and having just wall after wall of plain text makes digesting the material more laborious than it should be. I'm not asking for a picture book but the originals of a lot of these works often came with images, maps, etc. to provide more context.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree that the Harvard Classics offers an interesting variety and maps definitely come in handy. That would be a nice addition to the sets a volume with maps and references. Truly appreciate you sharing and thanks for watching. Stay blessed my friend!
@@The_Cause From what I've seen, I have found your channel to be beautiful and thought-provoking and a wonderful contribution to the BookTube community and UA-cam in general. I very much look forward to watching more thank-you and stay blessed as well!
@أفلاكالأفكار As someone who is just starting out and looking for books to read to expand my knowledge, which series would you recommend? I want a collection like this. If it helps to answer the question, I am mainly interested in philosophy and theology, but that is not the only reason I want such a collection.
I'm a firm believer in autodidacting and highly recommend it to everyone. I want both sets. I'll need to budget for them and find them. What's the difference between the red harvard books vs the green harvard books? I think it's just the exterior color, but I have never seen a red one in person. Now, I'm off to go book shopping and see what the sets are going for.
haha yes indeed! It took me a while to find both sets in a good price range. I will say be in the center of the country you may have some better luck than I did with the Gulf of Mexico just south of me. Hope all has been well and I trust you all are enjoying Fall! Stay blessed!
I recommend calling every bookshop you can and you'd be surprised what you can find. Some of these older guys don't bother to advertise online. I called a random one owned by a sole proprietor and my jaw dropped when they said they had the whole Harvard Classics for only $50! (I of course rushed over there)
@@أفلاكالأفكار Thank you. I'll check around . I know I don't have any used bookstores near me, so I'll need to check the major city, but I really appreciate the suggestion. 🤗
I just found your channel, I love what you are doing here! I have a question-what is the benefit of a Christian reading the Great Books? I am in my first year of homeschooling and I’m leaning heavily towards a classical model of education. From what I’ve read, it seems the Great Books are a large component of the high-school years for that model so I’d love to hear opinions from other Christians about the benefits of becoming familiar with some of the greatest minds of the western world, especially when you consider how futile even the greatest minds are. Thank you!
The Great Books will provide you with a vast knowledge of Christianity. The Summa Theologica is in there, Aquinas, Calvin, Luther and many more. Once Christianity enters the scene in volume 16 the remaining volumes will touch on it in some way. The Bible in my opinion is required reading to fully understand the literature that makes up these sets. You will have a philosophy and theology degree by the time you finish. Hope my rambling answers your question. Stay blessed!
Rob, love these videos. Have you ever read "The Roots of American Order" by Russell Kirk? You would love it. Kirk traces the origins of America's civic and moral orders back to four old-world cities: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London. In doing so, Kirk goes through much of the history of all these civilizations from a very easy-to-read, bird's-eye-view. This book should be required reading for all American students. You should also check out Eric Voegelin's 5-volume series "Order and History." Much more difficult to read, but he was an encyclopedic thinker for sure, and someone who anticipated America's present-day struggle with Marxist-gnosticism.
I have not read nor heard of either. I will most definitely add them to my list though. I am very curious about the first one you mentioned (Kirk). I have been looking for a book that covers something like this. I truly appreciate you sharing and thanks so much for watching my friend! Stay blessed!
@@The_Cause Thank you! Kirk's book is a real treat. His other claim to fame (if interested in his politics) is "The Conservative Mind," which is a history of conservatism from Edmund Burke to T.S. Eliot.
I will add it as well! Truly appreciate the help! I checked out your Lord of the Rings helmet video and now I want one in the background of my videos! haha
I try to read when I can. This not only distracts, but also helps to maintain common sense and not to go crazy. I bought books that I plan to read in the future: "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann, "King Lear" and "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, I also bought several books by Ukrainian authors. It may seem silly, because right now I hear explosions, but on the other hand, by buying books and planning to read them, I am thus confirming my faith in the future... The fact is that I live in Ukraine and our city has been shelled by Russian troops almost every day for more than two months, they are killing the civilian population. For example, three Russian drones hit a hospital, and another hit a residential building. As a result, 9 civilians were killed, 21 people were injured, and houses were destroyed. Last night, the Russian army, using ammunition prohibited by the Geneva Convention, set fire to the forest around our city - it is impossible to breathe. So they try to kill peaceful people. Therefore, in order not to lose my mind, I try to read. Thanks for the video and great tips!
I’m so sorry to hear about what you are going through. I hope you and your family stay safe. Thank you for sharing your story; I pray this bloodshed will end soon. Please stay safe, my friend, and find peace where you can. Hopefully decisions next week help solve the issue. We can only pray.
@@The_Cause Thank you for such a meaningful answer. You are right, we must pray. So I really appreciate your prayers. About twenty minutes ago there were two explosions. Russian invaders hit a residential building... I have subscribed to your channel and will try to watch your videos. As you can see, I believe in the future again.
Well, I truly appreciate you subscribing. I do not know how our current administration that was elected will affect you but hopefully, it will be for the better. We have some trying times ahead and hopefully, Ukraine can undergo peace again. Hope all has been well since we chatted last!
haha yes indeed! I constantly have to look up words. I actually started writing the definitions at the top of the page to help remember. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
It's been quiet around here. Well, except for that there police guy had a bit of a fluke. Out driving his SUV in the pouring rain recently when a semi flew by and splashed him with a tsunami-like wave of water that practically washed him off the road and flooded out his engine. I can't even imagine. I mean it totaled his vehicle. The only remaining rental that day was a Dodge. You know, a tiny, no room for children, speedster with its butt in the air and huge horsepower gas guzzling engine. 😅
I think the Great Books series will appeal more to science nerds, whereas the Harvard Classics focuses more on classical literature and the humanities. That's my impression anyway.
I am not sure. Both are already very European centric in my opinion as most of the works prior to 1700s will be from Europe. The first 39 volumes of the Great books alone is basically European. Europe is well represented in both sets. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
You can but it would be costly compared to finding a set of these for a good price. There are over 500 works alone in the great books so if you find a set for $500 it comes out to about a dollar a book. Penguin will put you in the thousands to order them all. But at least you only get the ones you want and are willing to read. I wish Penguin would republish both sets and sell them as a package. Now that would be awesome. Thanks for watching and stay blessed.
That would be amazing. The only one I know that does is Easton Press but it cost a fortune brand new. It would be awesome if Pinguin or some other publishing house put them out at an affordable price. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
@@The_Cause Interesting. I've just picked up both sets in a week, but the Harvard Classics is the registered edition at 20/22 volumes. The GBWW definitely is superior though Pax Christi.
The shear amount of coffee, gallons upon gallons, that it would take to read through this series is astronomical. But… it is good for business! Read on my dear friend and pour another cup of coffee!
I know, right? The sheer amount of reading is overwhelming and then you add the coffee to stay up late to read it all. Haha! Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I’m a big believer in life long learning. It’s great having the structure of the Harvard Classics and the Great Books., but I’m on a personal journey of learning and reading a variety of subjects that are meaningful to me. This includes great literature, history, languages and religion. Life is only so long. Rob, thank you for another inspiring and informative video.
It’s truly inspiring to hear about your journey of learning and reading as well! We are all on a similar path and it the destination seems to be wisdom. Thank you so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I do a similar thing. I like to buy very indepth literature on random topics I'm interested in.
Wow I feel ignorant to have not been familiar with these volumes. And that $2 kindle deal is incredible! Just snagged that. I feel like that’s the greatest power of the kindle, being able to walk around with hundreds of books in your pocket that you can pick up anytime. Thanks for broadening my horizons!
Agreed, mate.
It’s a great resource for sure, and I am glad you found it helpful. You’ll find the Great Books incredibly rewarding. Stay blessed my friend!
For anyone watching this thinking about investing time or money into the Great Books, without a background in this type of reading I highly recommend Mortimer Adler’s book (actually transcripts from a video series) called, “The Great Ideas.” Very accessible. This book got me into philosophy and I plan on reading it with my daughter soon.
Yes! I am glad you shared that, definitely a great way to get into philosophy. He has some older videos that were uploaded to UA-cam where he goes through this info as well. I love hearing him speak. Such a wise old sage. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed my friend!
Both are phenomenal. I’ve read from different volumes of the Great Books.
I agree, they are both great! It is nice to compare the two and understand the differences. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
My wife launched my Great Books of the Western World journey by complete chance. She discovered a nearly complete set at a work book exchange.
She brought them home and my life was drastically changed. Reading ‘The Great Conversation’ made me believe I could actually self-guide my learning.
Wonderful stuff Rob!
That is amazing! What a great wife to gift something like the Great Books! Have you completed them already? Thanks for watching and stay blessed buddy!
I've read all sixty volumes of The Great Books. It took me five years.
That's awesome, congrats on completing that journey! Did you have a daily goal to read so many pages or what? I would love to hear your strategy of tackling that series. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
@The_Cause The university library had a set. I had always wanted to read really great books, classics, etc. So I picked volumes at random, depending on what caught my fancy. I kept a spreadsheet where I tracked my progress. I averaged one volume per month. If I was busy with work or school, I read less. If not, I covered as much material/pages as possible. I loved Plutarch's Lives, and their translation of Virgil's Aeneid. Montaigne was great. Marx was insane and repetitive. Many of the "modern" fiction writers were disappointing. Loved the Syntopicon. FYI, there's a volume/book that isn't a part of the sixty-volume set, that explains the process that Hutchins and Adler went through, the internal politics, of how they decided which works to include.
Solid advice on getting books from FB Marketplace. I scored my Great Books set (1st edition) for $100 + $100 shipping. (Media mail is great for such heavy books.)
Also, I personally am amazed at the genius that Adler's Syntopicon is. His depth of knowledge of the great books truly shows when you consider he compiled those two volumes without the aid of computers. I honestly only wanted the Great Book set for the Syntopicon as I find other versions of the great books physically easier to read. But Adler's labor of love is a great guide to the great books.
Also, thank you for your wonderful breakdown of these two collections! :)
I'm glad you got such a good deal on the set! I agree the Syntopicon is a great companion to the books and Adler is awesome. I listen to some of his old interviews and I just love how genuinely nice he is. I appreciate you watching and stay blessed!
What a great video. I am not familiar with you, sir, but you did a super job introducing these series. Humble, clear, friendly -- excellent!
Well I truly appreciate the kind words and feedback! Truly means a lot. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!
A really accessible and pragmatic approach to these sets of books, Rob! Well done!
Glad you found it helpful! Stay blessed my friend and I truly appreciate you watching!
I have both. GBWW is the best bang for your buck. Includes more works by each author, and fewer abridged versions of texts. Also has texts for five of the seven classical liberal arts, and many from higher philosophy.
I agree. If I had to pick one and to take to another world and start over I would bring the Great Books. It is a great balance of literature, philosophy, science and more. Great deals to if you can wait and find one selling close by online. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I grew up in a home that had both sets. I personally like the Harvard Classics the best. I love the idea behind them, giving the common man a classical liberal education.
Yes indeed! It is a good way to acquire a liberal education if you are dedicated to putting in the time. Very cool you had access to them growing up. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
I collected my Great Books set over a period of four years. I started with a bunch of random volumes from a used bookstore and library sales, scooping up 7-8 at a time for just a few dollars per bunch. From there, I started looking on ebay to fill in the missing volumes and was able to get most of them for $10 or less (I think the most I paid was about $18 for one volume). I now have a complete set, and they all appear to be in very good to new condition. And it was fun just to be on the lookout to build and complete the collection.
Thank you for this!
We are using The Robinson Curriculum for our reading list, in a slightly modified way, and these sound perfect. So many books and topics on that list are in these collections.
Great to hear! I am going to have to look up that reading list as I have not heard of it yet. These books are honestly a great deal for the amount of works you get. If you had to buy each classic book separately it would cost much more than just finding one of these sets for a good deal. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
Those are amazing, especially the Great Books but I decided at last to create my own custom collection (based mostly on Adler's recommendation from How to Read a Book) of the editions I really enjoy (mostly Everyman, Landmark and Oxford World Classics). In the end the font and the overall feeling of the book matters quite a lot if you're about to spend so much time reading them.
I completely agree with the feel and font. That is one reason I like the Harvard Classic is because of the quality of the paper. It is thick. I have been eyeing the Everyman series but came to the conclusion that I need to finish one at least before I go and add another. lol Truly appreciate you watching and sharing. Stay blessed my friend!
@@The_Cause Sure, I'm trying to limit my purchases too and read probably ~70% of books I buy. I observed that with too many books on my TBR i got overwhelmed and struggle to finish anything, chasing novelty. Thank YOU for sharing, you're one of my main influences that introduced me to those great works of humanity!
Well you all inspire me as well! I appreciate that brother!
Both are excellent in physical form or electronic, as long as you USE them 😀 Cheers
Absolutely! The important thing is to read and enjoy them! Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
If you have one of these sets or both, let me know what your thoughts are on each! I would love to hear your opinions on these two great series.
If you need coffee look no further my friends... go here -> cedarotacoffee.com/
I love you all and stay blessed! PICK UP A BOOK!
Both sets pair well with a trough filled with coffee… lots of sipping and lots of reading!
Book shelves full and coffee cup fuller! haha
I have both sets (a first edition of the Harvard Classics, second edition of the Great Books). I couldn't tell which one I Like most. Although they cover the same material to a certain extend, they are complementary; GB have more science, HC focus more on religion. GB have to be read at a desk (or in bed) because of their size, het HC are easier to take along on the train. I love both sets!
Great points!! Thanks for sharing!
I have a set of Great Books that were gifted to me when a library was downsizing. My only complaint about them is the covers. As they were library books, there are stickers everywhere and you can't tear them off without tearing off the cover. But, the contents are great!
This was great!!! Your analysis and explanation of these two sets is incredibly well done.
I am glad you found it helpful and truly appreciate the kind words! Thanks for watching and as always, stay blessed my friend!
This..!! Exactly what I wanted now !! Thanks a lot Rob!!
Glad it helped and thanks for watching! Stay blessed my friend!
Thank you for the most recent coffee shipment. Still delicious!
Any updates on the Plato and the Cave (light&dark) roast release date Sir?
Bag designers came back with a bunch of requests for changes. Going to be a few weeks for print production to complete. Shooting for December. Fingers crossed no more issues! Hope all has been well and glad to hear you are enjoying the coffee. Stay blessed brother!
Very informative. Great job 👏
Thanks so much buddy! I truly appreciate you tuning in and stay blessed!
You can also find some at Used Bookstores such as Half Price Books.
Yes! That is a great option! I forgot to mention local book stores and thrift stores! Thanks so much for the suggestion and I truly appreciate you watching. Stay blessed!
Rob, the message is as inspirational as ever. I would like to own these collections, but strangely, I have been reading them one by one since forever, so I cannot justify the space needed or the cost of the purchase to The Boss. Also, they are two great series, but inevitably there are omitted authors that perhaps should have been included. For me, one omission is Polybius, The Histories (Greek, 2nd century BCE). Another is Horace, Odes and Epodes (Roman, 1st century BC). Polybius is one of the first to recognize the importance of checks and balances in government. I would not be surprised if the Founding Fathers were under his influence since they often had a classical education. Horace brings out the essence of the moment better than almost any other writer that I know of. He is also honest: in one poem he admits that he threw away his shield and ran at the Battle of Phillippi (42 BCE), in which Augustus Caesar (unfortunately, in my view) defeated the senatorial army of Brutus and Cassius. Horace is likewise the guy that said Carpe Diem. When you read Horace, you get the sense that this is a living person, rather than a Dead Poet of long ago. But all this is just my opinion.
Wow! I am actually going to copy and save this comment. I noticed Aristotle is not even in the Harvard Classics as well which I thought was strange. I am going to review these and pick up some copies. This sparked the idea to create a little shelf of other works not included. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share this and I will most certainly ponder on this one. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
@@The_Cause It's the least I could do given your channel. I've been reading all this time and it's inevitable that I've picked up a little trivia along the way. Keep putting out these videos, they're great.
Will do my friend! I enjoy making them to much to quit anytime soon!
The big head scratcher for me is why GBWW left out Ovid. Metamorphoses is foundational and great fun to read!
@@greatbooksbigideas GBBI nice to see you again, over on this forum. Lots of good authors are left out, and lots of worthy researchers never win a prize. I personally knew the inventors of Two and Three Stage Least Squares (an advance in statistics) and neither one of them ever won a single award.
Would still choose the Paradise
Thank you, this was a good overview
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for watching! Stay blessed!
Going to check out that Harvards reading list. This was a good video. I don’t own either set because they are too expensive, but hope to one day. I have the syntopicon of the Great Ideas; and own some great books. The introduction to authors is something that seems very useful, and the lecture notes from the Harvard classics seem great. That’s cool you own both sets. Great video, God bless
I have been using individual books from the great works for a while. Because they are separated from sets, I have no qualms about underlining and marginelia. Once I get a full set, it will stay pristine. I think I would prefer the Great Books, but would happily take either I come across in good condition.
My home is already in need of more book shelves. May as well exacerbate the situation!
Bookshelves always seem to be in short supply! Lol Thanks for sharing and watching my friend. Stay blessed!
But I have been praying for the Great Books since I was in college... ❤
I am sure if you give it some time you can find a set close by for a good price. Good luck!
I got an old complete set of the Great Books just yesterday for $60!
I acquired my set of the Great Books in perhaps an usual way. My local library was selling a set that was around 2/3 complete. I was able to get it for about $20. I have since been buying individual volumes off eBay to complete it. I actually have every volume now but there are a couple that are in rough shape and I'd like to replace them before saying I have a complete set.
Charles Eliot, who developed Harford Classics in 1910 and Mortimer Alder who created Great Books in 1954 were unique individuals, and the collections reflect their idiosyncrasies. It might be a good idea to take a look at some more recent attempts to create a list of great books. These lists will include more books by women and a wider variety of perspectives.
Great points! I actually think the variety of perspectives these books already make up are amazing. The mixing of the Greek and Roman world with the Christian view of morality, formatted in plays, poems, novels, and letters created a diversity in literature that goes beyond anything I have read in modern culture. We often get so focused on the exterior of someones looks to add value that we forget that, within anyone, can be a thought that changes the view of how we see the world. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
I bought my set of the Great Book Of The Western World (54 volume edition) and the Great Ideas Program for $250 on Facebook Market place.
Wow that's a great deal! Much better than pay the retail price! Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
Great video, Rob.
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
Wonderful session.
Glad you enjoyed it, my friend! Stay blessed!
I thank you for your videos and for introducing me to these wonderful works. My only regret is that I didn't find them sooner. I am 62 years old now and fear I will not have time to complete either of these since I am currently in remission with cancer. But I will try to purchase them so I can at least pass this knowledge on. Thank you again for everything you do.
You are never too old to learn and it's never too late to start. If you set a goal of reading 21 pages a day for 5 years you would be able to complete the entire 37,000 pages of the great books. All before the age of 67! Hopefully, the cancer stays in remission and I will keep you in my prayers. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
They compliment each other very well in my opinion
They do indeed! Thanks for watching buddy and stay blessed!
I'm about to launch Year 2 of the 10-year reading guide to the Great Books of the Western World program. One thing I found interesting as I made my way through the year 1 materials was finding which works matched up between the Harvard Classics and the GBWW set. Year 1 - Reading 1 in the GBWW was Plato's Apology and Crito, which are both found in Vol. 2 of the Harvard Classics. Year 1 - Reading 2 was Aristophanes' Clouds and Lysistrata, neither of these are found in the Harvard Classics, but HC Vol. 8 does contain The Frogs. Year 1 - Readings 4 and 5 are selections from Aristotle's Ethics and Politics, curiously the Harvard series has nothing from Aristotle at all. There is a good amount of overlap though, by the time I've finished the 10-year reading guide I'll also have made a strong sampling of the Harvard list. I think it's worth nothing too, the Harvard Classics series was created in the early 1900s, and the GBWW series was designed much later, releasing first in 1952, and then later getting an update in the 1990s.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown and analysis! It is great to see the overlap and how the different programs complement each other. I was curious as to why Aristotle is not in the Harvard Classics as well. As you kind of mentioned after I finish the Harvard Classics I plan to start on the Great Books and just read the ones that were not included in the HCs until I complete them. It will be a couple decades down the road I imagine before I cross the finish line on both! haha Thanks so much for sharing and I truly hope you stay blessed!
Can you share the guide?
I like the Harvard classics more, but I like the diversity of genres in GBotWW
I agree! The Great Books is definitely a more complete set. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
Great video. Is the paper in both versions acid free?
You know I am not sure. I just looked inside and can’t tell. The Harvard Classics print I have is from the 1950s so I don’t know if that even existed back then. Good question though.
Thanks for the amazing video Rob! You're keeping the Great Books alive and I'm glad to see that. Another friend of mine, Benjamin McEvoy, does the same and you both are my hiding places on UA-cam when I am not reading the books themselves. I have an uncomplete set of the Harvard and Great Books sets which I am hoping to read soon on my own custom syllabus.
I was wondering if you have any thoughts on the upcoming books involving fairy tales and sacred works, such as the Qu'ran or Bhavad Gita in the Harvard?
Can't wait for your next video and my God bless you.
Love and Peace.
I have both and personally the Harvard Classics has more of an interesting variety however the Great Books has some very important canon unabridged and going through it provides a very good view into the evolution of the Western mind. The Great Books is probably more diverse overall but there is some really rare and interesting stuff in the Harvard Classics that is sometimes hard to find elsewhere. What I mean by this is most well-read people are probably familiar with almost all of the titles (or at least authors) in the Great Books, however how many are familiar with say The Journal of John Woolman?
I'm happy having both but I do prefer having some of the Great Books titles separate from the series from other publishers where you can get pictures, maps, small pages and bigger fonts, etc.
One of my gripes with the Great Books is that the set-up of the pages and having just wall after wall of plain text makes digesting the material more laborious than it should be. I'm not asking for a picture book but the originals of a lot of these works often came with images, maps, etc. to provide more context.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree that the Harvard Classics offers an interesting variety and maps definitely come in handy. That would be a nice addition to the sets a volume with maps and references. Truly appreciate you sharing and thanks for watching. Stay blessed my friend!
@@The_Cause From what I've seen, I have found your channel to be beautiful and thought-provoking and a wonderful contribution to the BookTube community and UA-cam in general.
I very much look forward to watching more thank-you and stay blessed as well!
@أفلاكالأفكار
As someone who is just starting out and looking for books to read to expand my knowledge, which series would you recommend? I want a collection like this. If it helps to answer the question, I am mainly interested in philosophy and theology, but that is not the only reason I want such a collection.
I'm a firm believer in autodidacting and highly recommend it to everyone. I want both sets. I'll need to budget for them and find them. What's the difference between the red harvard books vs the green harvard books? I think it's just the exterior color, but I have never seen a red one in person. Now, I'm off to go book shopping and see what the sets are going for.
haha yes indeed! It took me a while to find both sets in a good price range. I will say be in the center of the country you may have some better luck than I did with the Gulf of Mexico just south of me. Hope all has been well and I trust you all are enjoying Fall! Stay blessed!
I recommend calling every bookshop you can and you'd be surprised what you can find. Some of these older guys don't bother to advertise online.
I called a random one owned by a sole proprietor and my jaw dropped when they said they had the whole Harvard Classics for only $50! (I of course rushed over there)
@@أفلاكالأفكار Thank you. I'll check around . I know I don't have any used bookstores near me, so I'll need to check the major city, but I really appreciate the suggestion. 🤗
Instant Subscriber 👍
Thanks so much for subscribing. Truly happy to have you here and thanks for watching. Stay blessed!
I just found your channel, I love what you are doing here! I have a question-what is the benefit of a Christian reading the Great Books? I am in my first year of homeschooling and I’m leaning heavily towards a classical model of education. From what I’ve read, it seems the Great Books are a large component of the high-school years for that model so I’d love to hear opinions from other Christians about the benefits of becoming familiar with some of the greatest minds of the western world, especially when you consider how futile even the greatest minds are. Thank you!
The Great Books will provide you with a vast knowledge of Christianity. The Summa Theologica is in there, Aquinas, Calvin, Luther and many more. Once Christianity enters the scene in volume 16 the remaining volumes will touch on it in some way. The Bible in my opinion is required reading to fully understand the literature that makes up these sets. You will have a philosophy and theology degree by the time you finish. Hope my rambling answers your question. Stay blessed!
@ thank you!
The Paradise though... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I agree with "The Great Books"... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes indeed! Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
Rob, love these videos. Have you ever read "The Roots of American Order" by Russell Kirk? You would love it. Kirk traces the origins of America's civic and moral orders back to four old-world cities: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London. In doing so, Kirk goes through much of the history of all these civilizations from a very easy-to-read, bird's-eye-view. This book should be required reading for all American students.
You should also check out Eric Voegelin's 5-volume series "Order and History." Much more difficult to read, but he was an encyclopedic thinker for sure, and someone who anticipated America's present-day struggle with Marxist-gnosticism.
I have not read nor heard of either. I will most definitely add them to my list though. I am very curious about the first one you mentioned (Kirk). I have been looking for a book that covers something like this. I truly appreciate you sharing and thanks so much for watching my friend! Stay blessed!
@@The_Cause Thank you! Kirk's book is a real treat. His other claim to fame (if interested in his politics) is "The Conservative Mind," which is a history of conservatism from Edmund Burke to T.S. Eliot.
I will add it as well! Truly appreciate the help! I checked out your Lord of the Rings helmet video and now I want one in the background of my videos! haha
@@The_Cause Do it, man! Blessings to you and yours also.
I try to read when I can. This not only distracts, but also helps to maintain common sense and not to go crazy. I bought books that I plan to read in the future: "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann, "King Lear" and "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, I also bought several books by Ukrainian authors. It may seem silly, because right now I hear explosions, but on the other hand, by buying books and planning to read them, I am thus confirming my faith in the future...
The fact is that I live in Ukraine and our city has been shelled by Russian troops almost every day for more than two months, they are killing the civilian population. For example, three Russian drones hit a hospital, and another hit a residential building. As a result, 9 civilians were killed, 21 people were injured, and houses were destroyed.
Last night, the Russian army, using ammunition prohibited by the Geneva Convention, set fire to the forest around our city - it is impossible to breathe. So they try to kill peaceful people. Therefore, in order not to lose my mind, I try to read.
Thanks for the video and great tips!
I’m so sorry to hear about what you are going through. I hope you and your family stay safe. Thank you for sharing your story; I pray this bloodshed will end soon. Please stay safe, my friend, and find peace where you can. Hopefully decisions next week help solve the issue. We can only pray.
@@The_Cause Thank you for such a meaningful answer.
You are right, we must pray. So I really appreciate your prayers.
About twenty minutes ago there were two explosions. Russian invaders hit a residential building...
I have subscribed to your channel and will try to watch your videos.
As you can see, I believe in the future again.
@@РоманПаляниця-к5эGod bless you and your Ukranian countrymen, my friend. From the USA.
Well, I truly appreciate you subscribing. I do not know how our current administration that was elected will affect you but hopefully, it will be for the better. We have some trying times ahead and hopefully, Ukraine can undergo peace again. Hope all has been well since we chatted last!
Get a dictionary as well.
I have a pretty decent vocabulary, but I ran across words I never heard before. Great fun!
haha yes indeed! I constantly have to look up words. I actually started writing the definitions at the top of the page to help remember. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
But if I would be given the chance between the Harvard Classics and the Great Books...
I'd choose both... 👌👌
I would too! LOL. It is hard to choose! You can't go wrong with either one.
It's been quiet around here. Well, except for that there police guy had a bit of a fluke. Out driving his SUV in the pouring rain recently when a semi flew by and splashed him with a tsunami-like wave of water that practically washed him off the road and flooded out his engine. I can't even imagine. I mean it totaled his vehicle. The only remaining rental that day was a Dodge. You know, a tiny, no room for children, speedster with its butt in the air and huge horsepower gas guzzling engine. 😅
Thankfully no one was hurt except the SUV. The semi never even slowed down. He was gone, real gone. Probably eats losers for breakfast.
I think the Great Books series will appeal more to science nerds, whereas the Harvard Classics focuses more on classical literature and the humanities. That's my impression anyway.
I would agree with that! The Great Books are dense indeed. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!
@@The_Cause You too, mate. You're doing great work 👍
"...you will then travel through the works of Augusteen, Quenis, and Donté."
Haha yes indeed! Sometimes what comes out is not how you want it to sound. Lol thanks for watching and stay blessed!
I miss the intro music.
I will start adding it back. I have been forgetting to add it. Lol Thanks for reminding me. Stay blessed!
@@The_Cause by His grace
Is there a less America centric equivalent for Europeans ?
I am not sure. Both are already very European centric in my opinion as most of the works prior to 1700s will be from Europe. The first 39 volumes of the Great books alone is basically European. Europe is well represented in both sets. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!
Ok, I am corrected but definitely an older "American made" model with power.
Just buy the penguin penguin 🐧 paperbacks!
You can but it would be costly compared to finding a set of these for a good price. There are over 500 works alone in the great books so if you find a set for $500 it comes out to about a dollar a book. Penguin will put you in the thousands to order them all. But at least you only get the ones you want and are willing to read. I wish Penguin would republish both sets and sell them as a package. Now that would be awesome. Thanks for watching and stay blessed.
Surely we can convince someone to republish both of these sets? There is obviously demand for them.
That would be amazing. The only one I know that does is Easton Press but it cost a fortune brand new. It would be awesome if Pinguin or some other publishing house put them out at an affordable price. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!
@@The_Cause Interesting. I've just picked up both sets in a week, but the Harvard Classics is the registered edition at 20/22 volumes. The GBWW definitely is superior though
Pax Christi.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks for the love!