Mandi, that line stopped me: “no one needs to apologize for where they start, they only need to apologize if they decide to stay there.”
Most of what I read is necessary for my work, technical documentation, incident notes, troubleshooting threads. It’s useful, but it’s also ephemeral: intensely relevant for a moment, and then replaced by the next urgent thing. Your sentence felt like a gentle but firm correction for me. Starting where I am is fine, choosing to remain there is not.
I already have one book on my shelf that I still haven’t opened, Schopenhauer’s The Art of Being Right, and your list is the push I needed to expand beyond my “work-only” reading habits. This year, I want to take the next step and become a better student, not just a more efficient technician.
Thank you for sharing! I’m excited for you to begin reading for growth and not for work. You will be living more classically—learning for it’s own sake!
Thank you for helping me begin to knock off some books on my list this past semester! I needed the renewal as I felt I had gotten bogged down in the minutia of running a school. It’s been a breath of fresh air.
Mandi, I love this list! Poetic Knowledge—in particular—is a masterpiece, though I’d say the Nicomachean Ethics is a prerequisite to it. Thanks for sharing!
That’s what I’d recommend! Although, there’s an argument to be made that Taylor may help the reader see things in the Ethics that they might otherwise not see, but such is the plight of reading excellent texts 🤷🏻♂️
I love your approach Mandi- growth always begins from where we are and it takes true humility to keep growing, which is essential in any classical teacher. I’m blessed to have been one of the ones to grab a burger with you and talk about teaching and coaching. Thank you!
May I humbly suggest that you add Henry IV parts I & II to your list before you tackle Henry V? The character development of Prince Hal into “the mirror of all Christian Kings” is so much more nuanced by the whole story! The Henriad is one of my Shakespeare favorites. Also- check out The Hollow Crown series, which depicts the entire Henriad. It brings the plays to life in a beautiful way! Enjoy!
Thank you for the suggestion! Henry IV part I is the one history play by Shakespeare I have read, and you are right about the character development of Prince Hal! But maybe I should squeeze in Part II before I dive into Henry V. Hoping I get to come to Escondido in the new year and we can grab another burger.
Beautiful. Years ago, my yoga teacher advised, "If your teacher does not have an active teacher, be very wary." The risk, of course, is that such a teacherless teacher is not practicing what they teach because of stagnation, apathy, etc. or worse, because they believe they are the be-all, end-all of their areas of expertise. As Socrates notes in the Apologia, the least wise are often those who regard themselves as the wisest.
Personally, just earlier this week I decided it is time to read at least Wuthering Heights and possibly a selection from each of Emily Bronte's sisters.
And thank you for the reminder about The Brothers Karamazov. One of my most extraordinary teachers, John Scarborough, set me on a lifetime of reading and thinking about Homer's Odyssey. It is one of the two most important books with which I've engaged. Yet, when I was his student (in my late teens), I recall him repeatedly indicating how The Brothers Karamozov was, for him, the pinnacle of literature. I think it's time to explore that as well.
Yes! Exactly! I do not want to become a "teacherless teacher."
Jane Eyre is one of those books I read just about every year. So, I heartily encourage a Bronte sisters deep dive this year. I truly hope you enjoy Wuthering Heights.
Brothers K is like a gatekeeper sort of book for those of us who work in the humanities, an "if you know, you know" sort of thing. And, I am just tired of not knowing! I understand why your extraordinary teacher would have deemed it the pinnacle. What a gift to have had a teacher who implanted such a fervent love for Homer within you.
Thank you for reading my post, leaving a comment, and sharing it with your readers. Much appreciated!
Mandi, that line stopped me: “no one needs to apologize for where they start, they only need to apologize if they decide to stay there.”
Most of what I read is necessary for my work, technical documentation, incident notes, troubleshooting threads. It’s useful, but it’s also ephemeral: intensely relevant for a moment, and then replaced by the next urgent thing. Your sentence felt like a gentle but firm correction for me. Starting where I am is fine, choosing to remain there is not.
I already have one book on my shelf that I still haven’t opened, Schopenhauer’s The Art of Being Right, and your list is the push I needed to expand beyond my “work-only” reading habits. This year, I want to take the next step and become a better student, not just a more efficient technician.
Thank you for sharing! I’m excited for you to begin reading for growth and not for work. You will be living more classically—learning for it’s own sake!
Thank you for helping me begin to knock off some books on my list this past semester! I needed the renewal as I felt I had gotten bogged down in the minutia of running a school. It’s been a breath of fresh air.
You are so welcome. That CCEP 110 Class has a great book list. So glad you were able to join us in class!
Mandi, I love this list! Poetic Knowledge—in particular—is a masterpiece, though I’d say the Nicomachean Ethics is a prerequisite to it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! So tackle Aristotle first, then Taylor?
That’s what I’d recommend! Although, there’s an argument to be made that Taylor may help the reader see things in the Ethics that they might otherwise not see, but such is the plight of reading excellent texts 🤷🏻♂️
Indeed! Thank you for your advice!
I love your approach Mandi- growth always begins from where we are and it takes true humility to keep growing, which is essential in any classical teacher. I’m blessed to have been one of the ones to grab a burger with you and talk about teaching and coaching. Thank you!
May I humbly suggest that you add Henry IV parts I & II to your list before you tackle Henry V? The character development of Prince Hal into “the mirror of all Christian Kings” is so much more nuanced by the whole story! The Henriad is one of my Shakespeare favorites. Also- check out The Hollow Crown series, which depicts the entire Henriad. It brings the plays to life in a beautiful way! Enjoy!
Thank you for the suggestion! Henry IV part I is the one history play by Shakespeare I have read, and you are right about the character development of Prince Hal! But maybe I should squeeze in Part II before I dive into Henry V. Hoping I get to come to Escondido in the new year and we can grab another burger.
Beautiful. Years ago, my yoga teacher advised, "If your teacher does not have an active teacher, be very wary." The risk, of course, is that such a teacherless teacher is not practicing what they teach because of stagnation, apathy, etc. or worse, because they believe they are the be-all, end-all of their areas of expertise. As Socrates notes in the Apologia, the least wise are often those who regard themselves as the wisest.
Personally, just earlier this week I decided it is time to read at least Wuthering Heights and possibly a selection from each of Emily Bronte's sisters.
And thank you for the reminder about The Brothers Karamazov. One of my most extraordinary teachers, John Scarborough, set me on a lifetime of reading and thinking about Homer's Odyssey. It is one of the two most important books with which I've engaged. Yet, when I was his student (in my late teens), I recall him repeatedly indicating how The Brothers Karamozov was, for him, the pinnacle of literature. I think it's time to explore that as well.
Yes! Exactly! I do not want to become a "teacherless teacher."
Jane Eyre is one of those books I read just about every year. So, I heartily encourage a Bronte sisters deep dive this year. I truly hope you enjoy Wuthering Heights.
Brothers K is like a gatekeeper sort of book for those of us who work in the humanities, an "if you know, you know" sort of thing. And, I am just tired of not knowing! I understand why your extraordinary teacher would have deemed it the pinnacle. What a gift to have had a teacher who implanted such a fervent love for Homer within you.
Thank you for reading my post, leaving a comment, and sharing it with your readers. Much appreciated!
The Count of Monte Cristo is so good!
I'm looking forward!