#97- The Oldest Major Work of French Literature: The Song of Roland This week, Scott and Karl read the classical epic, The Song of Roland, translated by Dorthy Sayers. The Song of Roland is an 11th-century epic poem based on the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. Although the poem was set in [...]

#16- A Guide to Tuning and Temperament This week, Scott, Karl, and Trent dive into a brief introduction of tuning and temperament: The math, the musical history, and the relationship of the theoretical with the practical. The tuning of musical instruments is as ancient as the musical scale. Together, tuning and temperament is the adjustment of [...]

#15 - That High Lonesome Sound: The Evolution of Bluegrass This week Scott, Karl, and Trent examine the evolution of old country, folk, and gospel music into the distinctive, high-energy acoustic genre known as bluegrass.   Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. ENROLLMENT IS OPEN NOW! Don’t miss the limited-time [...]

#96- Mark Twain's "The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut" This week, Scott and Karl read Mark Twain's "The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut." Don't let the long title misguide you, this Twain original is short and wonderfully mischievous. As the story goes, Twain is expecting a visit [...]

#14 - Masters of the Classical Period: The String Quartets of Haydn, Dvorak, and Beethoven Scott, Karl, and Trent explore the string quartets of the Classical period, which lasted from roughly 1730 to 1820, following the Baroque period and preceding the Romantic period.   Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. [...]

#95- Tolstoy's Mini Masterpiece: The Death of Ivan Ilyich This week, Scott and Karl read a novella by Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Published in Russian as Smert Ivana Ilycha in 1886, this short story remains one of Tolstoy's most celebrated pieces of late fiction. As Scott puts it, "This is the smallest chunk of Tolstoy that could [...]

#94- Michener's Tales of the South Pacific This week, Scott and Karl read Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener, one of America’s most beloved storytellers. As the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, the majority of Michener's novels were lengthy family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular [...]

#93- The Father of the Western Novel: Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage has played a significant role in shaping the popular Western genre. First published in 1912, this novel is often referred to as "the most popular western novel of all time." But as Karl points out, "We've made [...]

#92- C. S. Forester's Mr. Midshipman Hornblower This week, Scott and Karl read Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester. Published in 1950, this novel is considered the first episode in the 11 volume set about the career of the young British Naval officer, Horatio Hornblower. Hornblower commences his career in the Royal Navy as [...]

#13- An Introduction to Metal In this episode, the trio is joined by special guest Riley Hambrick to discuss the birth of metal music. Trent says, "Metal, from the beginning, is concerned with matters of the soul. There's substance to it that's just not present in rock music." The group discusses where rock and metal [...]