A Bibliophile's Odyssey: Reading The Great Books

A Bibliophile's Odyssey: Reading The Great Books

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May 2025

Great Books Ep 106. Herodotus - The History - Book 1 (Clio), Part 1. On the Fragility of Success
One can truly assess whether a person was happy or successful only after their death, not by the peaks of their glory.
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 105. Aristophanes - The Plutus. The Enduring Dream of Wealth Distribution
If everyone becomes rich, will people move on towards tackling bigger challenges or just enjoy the wealth and not do anything?
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 104. Aristophanes - The Ecclesiazusae. The Constant Yearning for Utopia
Idealistic systems fail in so many different ways because of the unpredictability of human nature. Still, people yearn for communal systems were…
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Rob, a bibliophile

March 2025

Great Books Ep 103. Aristophanes - The Thesmophoriazusae. Crashing a Women's Festival
With more prosperity, there could be less rigidity regarding what is masculine vs feminine.
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 102. Aristophanes - The Lysistrata. Intimacy in a Dopamine-Driven World
In a world where getting high is easy, is abstinence really a challenge?
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 101. Aristophanes - The Frogs. On the Freedom of Speech
Does the impulse to defend a god through violence reveal underlying insecurities about one's own faith?
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 100. Aristophanes - The Birds. Seeking Freedom and Utopia, Creating Autocracy
Revolutionary movements often end up recreating the very systems they sought to overthrow.
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Rob, a bibliophile

February 2025

Great Books Ep 99. Aristophanes - The Peace. Ordinary Citizens Crave Harmony
Common people - who bear the costs of wars through lost lives, ruined farms, and broken families - ardently desire peace while leaders and war…
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 98. Aristophanes - The Wasps. The Sting of Addiction and the Illusion of Change
About dealing with family members who get addicted to something, and about trying to change someone’s way of life by teaching them.
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Rob, a bibliophile
Great Books Ep 97. Aristophanes - The Clouds. The Commodification of Education
The protagonist goes to school with an intent to learn how to cheat and avoid paying debts rather than intellectual development.
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Rob, a bibliophile

January 2025

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