A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books

A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books

by Alex Beam

304 pages· 2010· ISBN 9781458758576
Join Readfeed freeFind clubs reading this bookBrowse readable books
About
Today the classics of the western canon, written by the proverbial ''dead white men,'' are cannon fodder in the culture wars. But in the 1950s and 1960s, they were a pop culture phenomenon. The Great Books of Western Civilization, fifty-four volumes chosen by intellectuals at the University of Chicago, began as an educational movement, and evolved into a successful marketing idea. Why did a million American households buy books by Hippocrates and Nicomachus from door-to-door salesmen? And how and why did the great books fall out of fashion? In A Great Idea at the Time Alex Beam explores the Great Books mania, in an entertaining and strangely poignant portrait of American popular culture on the threshold of the television age. Populated with memorable characters, A Great Idea at the Time will leave readers asking themselves: Have I read Lucretius's De Rerum Natura lately? If not, why not?

Discuss A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books with other readers

Join or start a book club for A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books on Readfeed. Live chat, shared reading progress, and AI discussion questions — free to get started.

Sign up freeBrowse book clubs

Frequently asked questions

How do I join a book club for A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books?

Sign up free on Readfeed, then browse public clubs or start your own club with A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books as the current read. Invite friends with a share link and discuss together with live chat and AI discussion questions.

Can I discuss A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books with other readers online?

Yes. Readfeed book clubs let you chat live, share progress, and join discussions about A Great Idea at the Time: The Rise, Fall, and Curious Afterlife of the Great Books with readers worldwide — whether your club is virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

Is Readfeed free?

Yes. Creating an account and joining book clubs is free. Sign up to find readers who love the same books and start discussing today.