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

#178- Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle

Sep 29th, 2023 2h 20m

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 abili

#177- Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam Part 2

Sep 14th, 2023 1h 1m

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 po

#176- Hilaire du Berrier's Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam Part 1

Aug 24th, 2023 1h 13m

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

#175- Taylor's Poetic Knowledge: The Recovery of Education

Jul 17th, 2023 3h 12m

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 knowle

#174- Kunstler's World Made by Hand Part 1

May 5th, 2023 1h 34m

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. H

#173- John Senior and the Restoration of Realism Part 2

Mar 27th, 2023 56m 54s

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— yo

#172- John Senior and the Restoration of Realism Part 1

Mar 17th, 2023 1h 8m

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 Bene

#171- Shelby Foote's The Civil War Part 1

Dec 29th, 2022 2h 17m

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, Fre

#170- The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living

Nov 3rd, 2022 2h 20m

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

#169- Koontz's Odd Thomas Part 2

Sep 22nd, 2022 1h 17m

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 entertain

#168- Koontz's Odd Thomas Part 1

Jul 14th, 2022 1h 11m

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 nove

#167- Asimov's Foundation Part 2

Jul 7th, 2022 1h 2m

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 s

#166- Asimov's Foundation Part 1

Jun 30th, 2022 1h 3m

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 pu

#165- Johnson's Indian Country Part 2

Jun 23rd, 2022 54m 3s

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

#164- Johnson's Indian Country Part 1

Jun 16th, 2022 1h

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 S

#163- Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Part 2

Jun 2nd, 2022 1h 8m

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

#162- Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Part 1

May 26th, 2022 1h 6m

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 s

#161- Aquinas's Commentary On The Metaphysics (2 of 2)

May 19th, 2022 1h 11m

#160- Aquinas’s Commentary on the Metaphysics (1 of 2)

May 11th, 2022 1h 3m

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.

#159- Filling the Trough

May 5th, 2022 1h 28m

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 Star

#158- Tolkien's The Silmarillion Part 2

Apr 21st, 2022 1h 17m

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

#157- Tolkien's The Silmarillion Part 1

Apr 14th, 2022 1h 7m

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

#156- Dewey's "Challenge to Liberal Thought" Part 2

Apr 7th, 2022 1h 13m

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 educat

#155- Dewey's "Challenge to Liberal Thought" Part 1

Mar 31st, 2022 1h 4m

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 ce