There are two book collections designed to give the average reader an in-depth liberal education: the Harvard Classics and the Great Books of the Western World.
The volumes in the Great Books (1952) and the Harvard Classics (1909) collections were hand-picked by influential presidents of major universities. During a time when college was strictly for the elite, these collections served as a way to make Western culture and learning available to anyone. Thousands of Americans gave themselves a self-education by working their way through these historic books.
In previous posts, I’ve discussed the benefits of reading great books. Here, I’m going to walk you through the basics of these two major collections and help you decide which is right for you. You can give yourself a classical education without relying on a pre-set reading list. However, when you’re just getting started, it helps to have a bit of guidance.
(Before I get to the good stuff, it’s important to note two issues with these book collections. First, like any book list, these are flawed and will leave out some of the most important works. Second, these were commercial productions published with the intention of generating revenue. Although all of the individual works are now available for free in the public domain, the commercial nature of the collections likely had some influence on book selection). [click to continue…]
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