Search
Classic Literature
The top priority was to maintain the agenda.
Classic literature reveals how resilience can be both a source of strength in troubled times — and a dangerous ideal.
In this excerpt from The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths shares how George Boole developed a mathematical theory of logic.
A tour of the literary cover-ups, extraterrestrials, and cryptids lurking in the bookish backwoods.
The great books aren’t just classics — they’re cultural Schelling points that give our minds a place to meet up in the world of ideas.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
1hr 18mins
“Everyone's image of [Ancient Rome] is based on modern movies. In some ways, I think those were rather impressive, but they got some things terribly wrong.”
Reading classic books can teach you as much about the present as the past.
Each of these stories rests on a foundation of great ideas that will scare you to death and make you think.
These short books offer insights and meditations on timeless themes, without the time commitment.
From Einstein to Twain, Garson O’Toole investigates the truth behind your favorite — and often misattributed — quotes.
The psychologist, educator, and former NBA player discusses the professional volumes and childhood stories that shaped his life and his approach to it.
Some books are remembered for their lyrical prose or engaging stories. Others are remembered for simply being weird.
Want to study philosophy but skip some of its heavier tomes? These five novels are a great place to start. (Existential despair guaranteed.)
With "Karla's Choice," Nick Harkaway had an impossible mission: maintain his father’s legacy while staying true to his voice.
If you feel like you're missing out on something bigger, you might be feeling saṃvega.
In the tears and laughter of a single life, you find the grief and joy of humanity.
According to Tolkien, fantasy requires a deep imagination known as "sub-creation." And the genre reflects a fundamental truth of being human.
From medieval myths to Shakespeare's plays and modern cinema, British culture kept the Roman Empire alive long after its fall.
The comedian and musician behind the viral hit “BBL Drizzy” shares the books that shaped his thinking and approach to art.
Hugo-winning author Ken Liu explores what early cinema and Chinese poetry can teach us about AI's potential as a new artistic medium.
When you enter someone's home, you learn how life is lived elsewhere.
From acclaimed novels to heretical treatises, sometimes a writer just doesn't want to put their name on the cover.
Self-help often distills philosophical ideas for the modern ear. Sometimes, its better to go back to the source.
For J.R.R. Tolkien, the single most important element of a fairy tale was the dramatic reversal of misfortune in the story's ending.
Many beloved fantasy adventures take place in worlds that bear a striking resemblance to our own.
“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
While weltschmerz — literally "world-pain" — may be unpleasant, it can also spur us to change things for the better.
From Nick Carraway to Charles Marlow, these side characters offered truths their scene-stealing protagonists couldn't.
The fellowship's journey through Middle-earth mirrors the modernization of the English countryside.