Great Books Academy

This is a compelling article for introducing others to the notion of pursuing the Great Books of Western Civilization.

"The tradition of the West is embodied in the Great Conversation that began in the dawn of history and that continues to the present day. Whatever the merits of other civilizations in other respects, no civilization is like that of the West in this respect. No other civilization can claim that its defining characteristic is a dialogue of this sort. No dialogue in any other civilization can compare with that of the West in the number of great works of the mind that have contributed to this dialogue."

- Robert M. Hutchins

Click here for the article.

Antiquities of the Jews

This quote comes from a book, by Flavius Josephus, entitled Antiquities of the Jews. Josephus was a Jewish historian that today is still held in the highest regard by both Jewish and Christian historians.

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

Guides for Writing About Great Books

This link points to some guidelines for learning to write about Great Books!

These guides are especially useful for teachers of the humanities.

Click here for the guides.

Get connected with Answers in Genesis

This blog entry is for anyone wanting to stay current with Creation Science events. Particularly for those interested in getting a free newsletter subscription from the Answers in Genesis organization.

In addition, you can also sign up to receive notices of monthly specials (sometimes half off the list price!).

Click here for the AiG Newsletter sign-up

U.S. Homeschoolers Beat Oxford Debaters

This article on WorldNetDaily tells the story of a team of homeschoolers who went to Oxford and won a debate tournament.

U.S. Homeschoolers beat Oxford Debaters

A Book on Speaking and Listening

I just bought a book from Amazon titled How to Speak How to Listen by Mortimer Adler. Adler was also the coauthor of the popular classic, How to Read a Book.

How to Speak How to Listen is a relatively short book on the art of speaking, listening, and basic conversation. We are all aware of, or so I hope, books that teach on public speaking. This book does that, but even beyond that. It takes the reader into a realm marked with candor unlike any I have ever seen.

It starts out by defining the different types of communication, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It touches on their similarities and also differences. Then the book covers the idea of speaking and listening found in simple, normal, everyday two-way conversation. We learned in school about reading and writing, and a pinch of public speaking. However, no where did we (in the main) learn how to listen. This book will help anyone who is in the business of communicating with others (including but not limited to parents, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, construction workers, etc...).

At any rate, I stongly recommend this book. It is an essential item to have for any library.

Whole Foods Market Guide to Greens

"Beautiful stacks of fresh chard, bok choy, collards and more easily catch the eye, but just how much do you actually know about these colorful greens?"

"Is arugula's flavor mild or sharp? Do greens provide calcium? What's the best way to wilt greens?"

The Whole Foods Market Guide to Leafy Greens will help you leaf through it all and become a guru of greens in no time.