The Power of a Story

The Classics Force Us To Think

"First we are caused to think about the characters in the story, then about ourselves, then about people we know and finally about humanity in general...The classics can be hard work, and that is exactly what is needed to learn to think. Thinking is hard; deep thinking is not entertaining or easy...The classics make us struggle, search, ponder, seek, analyze, discover, decide, and reconsider."



A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

The Classics Take Us To The Frontier To Be Conquered

"All generations before this one have had geographical frontiers to conquer. We don't. Without a frontier we cannot become what the Founders, the explorers and the pioneers became in their extremities. Our challenges define us, our reaction to them mold and shape us...Human beings need a frontier in order to progress. Fortunately, we do have one frontier left, and it is in fact the hardest one. It is the frontier within...classics can help."



A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

The Classics Bring Us Face-To-Face With Greatness

"The purpose of studying literature is to become better. As we read we experience despair, heartache, tragedy -- we learn to recognize what causes them and avoid it or cope with it in our own lives. As we study the characters, real or fictional, in the classics, we are inspired by greatness, which is the first step to becoming great ourselves...Who we are changes as we set higher and higher standards of what life is about and what we are here to accomplish."

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

The Classics Teach Us Human Nature

"...the thing which makes a classic great is glaring insight into basic human nature...as you study the classics, you learn about your own personal nature... If we will let them, the classics can teach us lessons without the pain of repeating certain mistakes ourselves. They can show us correct choices which will get us where we want to go."

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

Classic Books

There are many wonderful books out there so to assist in narrowing the selection the type of books this club will focus on are Classics (don't let this deter you, not all classics are necessarily hard to read).

What is a classic? Simply stated a classic is "a work of enduring excellence". A classic can be found not only in books but also in art, math, architecture, etc.

Why read a classic?

1. The classics teach us human nature.

2. The classics bring us face-to-face with greatness.

3. The classics take us to the frontier to be conquered.

4. The classics force us to think.

5. The classics connect us to stories.

6. Our canon becomes our plot.

7. The knowledge and insight learned from reading a classic will help us maintain a free civilization.