Review of The Great Books by Anthony O'Hear, Professor of Philosophy

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I have been reading The Great Books: A Journey Through 2500 Years of the West's Classic Literature and Books That Changed the World: The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History because I am looking for books to read to develop my course Readers are Leaders. This post is a review as well as a reflection on the works covered in The Great Books.

Initially I struggled while reading The Great Books by Anthony O'Hear, and thought it was dry and too academic. I decided to take a closer look at my feelings and prejudices toward The Great Books and discovered that I was simply tired of reading about Greek and Roman tragedies, which are the first few books that are covered. I was also tired and wary of all the war imagery and "gods" with larger-than-life egos, behaving very badly. After acknowledging my feelings, I got into The Great Books and started to enjoy the experience.

In The Great Books, Anthony O'Hear provides detailed summaries of the books he covers and I am wondering if he isn't doing a disservice to the reader. With so much solid information given to you, why would you want to read those classics? He goes from chapter to chapter and you are right there with him. You also get a handle on the context of the book, and what was going on in society when it was written. When I was reading about Dante's Divine Comedy, I passed through the Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise, I was right there with him on the journey.

I also noticed with these great works of literature that O'Hear discussed, the authors often built on the works of others, similar to the way innovators and great thinkers who changed the world, built on the works of others. The Aeneid by Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro) is Homer's Odyssey, except he reverses the outcome of the Trojan War. Shakespeare's The Tempest mentions Virgil and Ovid. And some of the characters in Divine Comedy are The Who's Who in the Bible, and it also mentions many of the classics: Ovid's Metamorphoses, The Aeneid, Homer's The OdysseyI. And Virgil is at Dante's side as guide and mentor when he goes into the Inferno (hell). From Divine Comedy you realize that Dante is very knowledgeable and learned about the classics, the Bible and contemporary works back in his time. And this is true for many of the authors whose works are covered in The Great Books. Have all the great works of literature been written already?

Using the works of others raised an interesting issue. Back in those days, there weren't copyright laws, or they weren't as strict as they are today, and that was very instrumental in furthering society, not just in literature, but also in the inventions that we now take for granted. When we use the works of others, what is considered fair use? What about mash-ups, the process where artists pull from the works of others to create something new? Are copyright laws here to protect us, or are they preventing us from leaping forward and innovating and building on what's been done before? What if someone used your work and created something much better, and in the process gave you credit, would you be okay with that? There are really no easy answers to these tough questions, but they are worth thinking about.

The works covered by the author include:

Homer: The Iliad, The OdysseyGreek Tragedy Aeschylus' Sophocles' Theban Plays: AntigoneEuripides: The BacchaePlato and the Death of SocratesVirgil: The AeneidOvid: MetamorphosesSt. Augustine: ConfessionsDante: The Divine Comedy - Inferno, Purgatory, ParadiseChaucer: Canterbury TalesCervantes: Don QuixoteMilton: Paradise LostPascal: Pens?esRacine: Ph?dreGoethe: Faust - Part One, Part Two

I didn't read many of these classics in university because I didn't major in English Literature, so I missed out on the discussions. But, the Great Works is a great substitute because it helps to further your understanding of the book. However there is always a danger when you rely on one source, one person's frame of reference, that's why I have been reading other books of this kind.

Though I thought that The Great Books by Anthony O'Hear was too long, the time was well spent reading it because it furthered my understanding of the great books mentioned. After the fact, I realized that it makes a great reference book. I recommend The Great Books from the Iliad and the Odyssey to Goethe's Faust: A Journey Through 2500 Years of the West's Classic Literature and Books That Changed the World.

Avil Beckford, Chief Invisible Mentor, writer and researcher with over 15 years of experience, is the published author of Tales of People Who Get It and its companion workbook Journey to Getting It. Subscribe to the Invisible Mentor Blog http://theinvisiblementor.com/ for great interviews of successful people, book reviews, how-tos, articles and tips to mentor yourself and ignite your hidden genius. Explore the Resources. Page for free white papers, presentations and an e-book.

Title - The Reason We're Waiting - Author - Pat Clor - Book Review

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Did I read this book or maybe I only dreamed I did? How do I know I'm not still dreaming I'm writing this review? Perhaps the coffee I'm sipping is my reality check that I'm awake and writing this review, because everyone knows how difficult it is to sleep when your drinking coffee.

These are the tools Pat Clor uses for his juxtaposition of dimensional thought, his dancing through ontological realities, the twisting and spinning of cyclical logic. Pat Clor masterfully uses a character, Cindy Stark, a 12 year old girl from an imaginary world to personify his reality check in his extraordinary work of literary genius, "The Reason We're Waiting." Cindy is Clor's "Alice" and Pangaea is where she lives, in "Wonderland." Clor is like Lewis Carroll writing his doctorate thesis in Parmenides' Greek philosophy course. How Pat Clor taps into this amount of mental energy is beyond me, as his writing is so clear and creative I find it massaging my intellect while tickling my imagination. I would never imagine making the comment "The Reason We're Waiting," at over 770 pages, "flew by."

Pat Clor created a character who is a janitor in Walmart to narrate his epic story. That in itself has shock value to the reader as to how a janitor can become so consciously self-actualized. The story is a metaphor of fantasy, with fanciful characters running rampant. But the underlying meaning "peels the onion" on perception, of human existence, social and moral values, and most all aspects of life as we understand it, or rather how we misunderstand it. Just as Albert Einstein would use the analogy of a man on a train, traveling at the speed of light, walking to the front of the train is actually traveling faster than the speed of light, Pat Clor uses Cindy Stark, her family, the world she lives in to represent our misconceived human awareness.

It is impossible for me to adequately describe this book, but let me say that it is brilliant and refreshing. For me, "The Reason We're Waiting" is simply for those who wish to gain a better understanding of themselves and their surroundings. This book, exceptional in its quality, is an excellent choice to get you started on that interminable journey towards the ever so elusive Truth.

Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for the cerebral ride-of-your life because Pat Clor does not hold back any punches. "The Reason We're Waiting" is blatantly crude at times bordering on obscene, as Pat Clor gets down close and personal with his readers as no one is immune from his powerful literary license laced with stormy violent moments, discomforting criticism and upsetting visualizations. If you can't take it, don't read it. If you go through it, it will change you. The choice is yours. I would recommend a disclaimer needing to be signed before reading along with this -- Caution: Serious mental and physical reactions may occur. Read "The Reason We're Waiting" at your own risk.

Reviewed by: Gary R. Sorkin

Gary R. Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at:
http://www.pacificbookreview.com/