From AmazonThe Well-Educated Mind reassures those readers who worry that they read too slowly or with below-average comprehension. If you can understand a daily newspaper, there’s no reason you can’t read and enjoy Shakespeare’s sonnets or Jane Eyre. But no one should attempt to read the “Great Books” without a guide and a plan. Bauer will show you how to allocate time to reading on a regular basis; how to master difficult arguments; how to make personal and literary judgments about what you read; how to appreciate the resonant links among texts within a genre―what does Anna Karenina owe to Madame Bovary?―and also between genres.

From me Blurb is accurate.

Anyone looking to learn how to critically analyse books, or looking to deep-dive into a specific area to become well-versed in the progression of certain topics.

Her inclusion of instruction and resources for remedial readers.

The lists held some bias, as all 'must read' book lists do. I think the concept of the classical method will be off-putting to some readers, as will a few of the recommended books.

Make a book list target for this year. Which I did.

Is also the author of The Well-Trained Mind, a resource for home-schooling children. She is considered one of the authoritative voices on the matter. This book is similar, but adapted for adults.

It's accessible to the majority of readers, provides good material, and is flexible within its framework.

With ‘classical education’ proponents, I used to think they were all snobs, elitists who had the benefit of Montessori-since-birth models, a variety of tutors, Kumon sessions and extraordinarily educated parents. I figured they were ‘all things new are crap’ and if you don’t know the classics, you’re doomed to be little more than a peasant.

Feel free to judge my annoyance of being judged by the people I am judging.

Wrongfully judging in most cases, might I add.

In university, I was fortunate to find one professor who felt that my recall of the reading material was excellent, but lack of instruction marred my ability to form a solid argument. Thanks to him, I learned how to use many of the concepts outlined in Bauer’s book, and I found them neither patronising nor offensive. Sometimes, I found them unrealistic.

The previous paragraph begs the question: if you already knew how to do it, why would you need this book?

University was a long time ago. I only read what I had to to get the papers in and get out. I have read nothing critically in ages. I have subjects I would like to know more about, do not understand where to start, and I like to work with a method to my madness.

The goal of The Well-Educated Mind is to create a more critical understanding of the Great Books, how they relate to one another (hence, chronological order), and how to develop your own informed opinion about each one.
She uses the trivium method:

grammar (no, not that kind) – mechanics, building blocks, foundation of subject
logic – analyse, make connections
rhetoric – form and express an opinion

The part I think most adults will find annoying is Bauer’s suggestion to perform each stage separately, which requires multiple readings, and to be fair, most of us would rather read the next book, and frankly, would like to finish some of these books before we’re dead. I agree with her that a 30-minute reading session is better than no reading session at all, but it leaves out a vast array of real-life scenarios that make it impractical. The book lists alone would bring a reader a great of value without using the trivium method.

Others may take offense to her request for physical note taking – I have always written in the margins of my books when I want to remember something important from the text, and most of my books are dog-eared. I don’t apologise for that. They’re my books, I’ll do what I like. If I enjoy a book enough, and I want a pretty copy, I buy and a pretty copy and it gets special bookmarks, display status on the shelves and may, if it’s lucky, even get dusted occasionally.

Most times (as you get further along) the steps will combine themselves, anyway.

All of that said, she does not leave out the more remedial reader, providing resources on where to begin if you aren’t a reader in the first place. She also does not say you can’t read your favourite genres. She suggests focusing on one area of study at a time, yes. Nowhere does she say I can’t study Robert Frost in the morning and fall asleep reading Stephen King later that night (no offense to uncle Steve. I always finish your books. Sometimes I have to find my place again).

She says outright you are free to omit books you don’t enjoy or find offensive, and that you substitute other books where you’d like to. From that point of view, I don’t see why the reading lists would be offensive. If you don’t like it, or don’t like the idea of it, don’t read it.

If you already understand parts of her philosophy, skip over it. She’s not being a snob, she’s explaining it to people who don’t already know it, so approach it from the level you’re at.

She covers novels, autobiography, history, drama, poetry and science.

Like all book lists, there is a bias and while it is mostly strong, there are books left out I would have liked listed (but guess what? I stuck the titles in the margins!). And while she includes some lesser known and modern works, I had to do a little digging to come up with authors I like or are acclaimed but I’ve not read. The problem with that is that I have no idea if they are ‘classics’ as they’ve not stood any test of time. I don’t care. I still like them.

The book is full of historical background for each subject, and though I doubt I’ll need to read her part of the book again, the reading lists will be an excellent reference and it deserves a spot on the bookshelf.

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Created Jan 04, 2019 at 11:50am • Submit your own review...