Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in Online Great Books! Below are answers to some of the most common questions we are asked. However, if you have a question that is not answered below, please do not hesitate to email us at support@onlinegreatbooks.com and we will be happy to assist you.

After your first meeting, we continue on through Homer. You’ll find that the Seminar will give you feedback on your reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and more. You’ll dig into your text with renewed insight and purpose. This will propel you into prep for the next Seminar. We complete that process every month.

Individuals who have shown their dedication to Online Great Books@Home by staying up with the daily reading schedule and attend their seminars are always utterly changed by the ideas and the experience.  The time will pass.  Will you be changed?  Stay with it and be persistent!

Putting together a Great Books discussion group is a challenge, but isn’t as difficult as you may think. We will send you a step by step guide for starting a group. We know from experience that these groups GROW. All you need is one other person to get started. The short version is………

  1. Pick one person to join you.
  2. Have a quick planning phone call with your “Books partner”. Brainstorm a list of others who might be interested in the project.
  3. Set a date and place for your first meeting.
  4. Send our proven invitation to your list of potential guests.
  5. Collect RSVP’s.
  6. If necessary ask for new member leads from your RSVP’s.
  7. Repeat if necessary.It’s our experience that most people know SOMEONE who would love to join the project.  The hurdle is to find that one extra person to help you get started.

These books are great for any age. Young readers may need an older helper to run the meetings. Homeschool and youth church groups love the program.

We do not.  We strive to prove to you instantly that you’ve gotten MORE than your money’s worth. Try us.

Currently, no. But it’s something that we may offer in the future.

You certainly can find a reading list and do it yourself. In fact you could’ve done that at any time in your past. Feel free to do so!  We know that reading these books and discussing with other learners is enriching beyond compare. Sitting in Seminar with other thinkers and discussing the texts brings the insights of many consciousnesses to bear on the problems being discussed. We learn from each other and our intellect is sharpened by our fellow group members.

We also find that people need the accountability that a group offers. It’s harder and harder every day to create reliable meetings in the “meat world.”  We help you create your group. Maybe most importantly, we email your members weekly reading reminders, helpful reader’s guides, and meeting reminders to help keep them on track.

Leading a group is very difficult and is difficult among peers. We provide you with materials that will get you up to speed right away with hosting excellent meetings.  We’ll help your seminar leader bring out the most from a group from the beginning. This alone is worth the fee.

Finally, the membership fee puts some skin in the game. We really want you to do this stuff. When things are free, most people just take it for granted and don’t do anything with it. When you know you’re paying money to be a part of OGB, you’re more likely to actually do the program and not let your money go to waste.

Yes it is!  If you are ready to work in English, we are ready to help you and your group.

Our program always starts with “How to Read a Book” followed by “The Iliad”. We believe that these books do us the most good when read and discussed in Socratic seminars.  Since these books build upon each other, we require everyone to work through them all in our seminars.

Certainly.  We provide you a curriculum of the Greatest of the Great Books, with links to the best modern editions possible. These are all available in hardcopy, audio, and eBook.  We also provide links to the finest in free public domain editions in PDF.

Most months you will read about 200 pages.  You will never be asked to read more than 300 pages in a month.  We try to pace the reading so the average reader can keep up with one hour, three times per week.

For more difficult texts, we slow the reading pace.

You certainly can.  You can manage your meeting times and reading pace in your “Reader’s Lounge” account.

Reading the Great Books is a life-long project. We never want to stop learning or reading the greats!

That being said, our list is going to take a while.

  1. Our reading schedule is built on the idea that busy adults can devote an average of three hours per week to the project.
  2. We are using a VERY thorough reading list.

It’ll take years to read our list.  Our goal here is thoroughness.