FAQ: Five classic books that will change your life
FAQ: Five classic books that will change your life
Plus a new giveaway: a book on LEISURE!
Gracious reader,
Regardless of what level of schooling you’ve achieved in your life, a fact remains: a person’s education is never complete—even if our formal schooling is.
After our formal schooling has concluded, however, a number of questions arise:
How do we keep learning?
How do we make time for it all?
Where do we begin?
I hope to address these first two questions in my next book—which will serve as a case for reading Great Books and having a robust intellectual life, as well as a practical guide to how to actually live it.
As for the last question—where can we begin our life of learning after the end of our formal schooling?—well, that is precisely the reason why I created Civic Renaissance’s first course, Five classic books that will change your life.
16th century philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon once wrote, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” [emphasis added]
Bacon is right: not all books are created equal. Some are more worthy of our time than others; some books have an explosive power to reveal to us new insights into the human condition, and to help us lead better and more meaningful lives.
Life is too short to waste our time on unworthy reading.
That is why, in Five classic books that will change your life, we are focusing exclusively on books that have stood the test of time across time and place, and have nourished hearts and minds for centuries.
I hope you’ll consider investing in yourself and in your own lifelong education and consider joining us for an intellectual adventure like no other.
To anticipate any questions you might have, I’ve included an FAQ below. Don’t see your question? No problem! Email me directly at ah@alexandraohudson.com so that I can help!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
Has the busy and harried nature of modern life corroded your love or time for reading and learning?
Are there Great Books that you wish you’d read but haven’t because they seem to be intimidating?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this course is for you!
This course is for anyone who wants to be immersed in some of the most important works in the human tradition.
It is for anyone who cares about ideas, pursuing the highest things in life, asking big questions—and who would like a bit more beauty, goodness and truth in their life.
This course is premised on the idea that, as author Earl Shorris once said, “The best education for the best is the best education for all.” The books we are exploring in this course have been read by educated elites across history. But these books have important insights to offer everyone, from all walks of life—including you.
This course is for any person of any age—and especially good for the school-age or college students in your life. Feel free to consider gifting this course to someone else, too!
Is the course on a weekly schedule, or is it self-paced?
The answer is both!
We will meet weekly (7-8pm ET every Tuesday in September) to discuss the book, lecture, and discussion questions for that week, but if you can’t make the live conversation, don’t worry! It will be recorded for you to enjoy at your own pace.
The schedule for our weekly meetings—which will take place from 7-8 ET— is as follows:
• Tuesday August 31th –Plato’s Phaedo
• Tuesday, Sept 7th –Confucius’ Analects
• Tuesday, Sept 14th – Cicero’s On Friendship
• Tuesday, Sept 21th – St. Augustine’s Confessions
• Tuesday, Sept 28th –Pascal’s Pensees
The first synchronous meeting will be on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021, from 7-8pm EST.
But again, don’t worry if you cannot make these dates! They will be recorded for you to enjoy at your leisure.
What is the weekly time commitment?
The time commitment is entirely up to you! Depending on how much time you decide to dedicate to each component of the course, the time commitment is approximately 1-2 hours weekly.
This includes the hourlong weekly conversation, if you choose to participate, plus the time it takes you to do the reading, go through the 15-20 minute lecture, and take the quiz. But again, the time you take with each of these items is entirely at your discretion. Some people spend their entire lives reading just ONE of these books in our course!
I want you to be part of this course for the love of the ideas and the work itself—not because anyone is requiring anything of you!
Think of it as all of the best parts of your formal schooling—learning, lectures, conversation with smart people—without any of the downsides—grades, mandates, etc.
Are there any financing options?
Yes! We’ve created payment plan options to make joining as easy and affordable as possible for everyone. Find the link to our payment plan options below!
Are there any discounts available?
Today only, we’re offering $25 off if you tweet about the course or share it on social media! Be sure to tag me so I can see it, and I’ll send you the code :)
What is the refund policy?
Enrollment in Five classic books that will change your life is COMPLETELY RISK FREE!
This is a 100% satisfaction guarantee. I want you to LOVE every second of the course. If you’re unhappy for any reason—even if you’ve taken the entire course!—contact me for a full refund.
What does each of the five modules include?
Each module will focus on a different book, and will include:
Recommended primary source reading
A recorded lecture on the reading
Full transcript of recorded lecture
Discussion questions
A quiz
A LIVE conversation together about the reading
Upon registration, you’ll have access to the full first module!
Access to the next module will be available at the beginning of each week.
Are there scholarships available?
Yes! We have reserved a number of scholarships for students or those in financial hardship. If you or a student in your life is interested in a scholarship to enjoy the course, email me directly at ah@alexandraohudson.com with SCHOLARSHIP in the subject line.
Still have questions? I’d love to hear from you! Please send me a note with your queries. Write to me at ah@alexandraohudson.com
And remember, enrollments CLOSE 9pm EST Monday, August 30th, 2021—or until 200 spots are taken.
I hope you’ll consider joining us! I can’t wait to learn with you over the next several weeks.
A giveaway on leisure!
A recurring theme for us at Civic Renaissance—and the purpose of our newly launched course, Five classic books that will change your life—is the importance of creating more time in our lives for the things that matter most.
We’ve discussed the importance of this concept—leisure—many times and at length.
To celebrate and revive the importance of leisure, I’m giving away TEN copies of a guide to the life and thinking of someone who embodied the importance of leisure: the American Trappist monk, poet, writer, musician, and theologian, Thomas Merton.
I’m giving away EIGHT copies to the next EIGHT people that register for Five classic books that will change your life.
And we’re giving away TWO additional copies to the broader Civic Renaissance community.
To receive a copy, either register for Five classic books that will change your life, or send me a note directly at ah@alexandraohudson.com with the subject line LEISURE :)
Thank you for being here!
Gratefully yours,
Lexi