History

[close] The Goodreads page for BBC World Book Club - the BBC World's Service podcast where the world's best authors answer your questions. Here you'll get updates about our upcoming authors, suggest books you'd like us to feature, and share your thoughts and questions on the books we'll read together.

[close] "This exclusive group includes only the members of the reading club chosen by the great master. To join, you must apply, and a high-ranked member will interview you across various topics to determine your eligibility. The discussion will focus on your preferred fields of reading; our main interests include history, geography, politics, literature, art, and psychology. While our character remains classic, we embrace modernity, provided it aligns with noble moral values. We wish you a wonderful day." Thank you for reading

[close] Click HERE for the latest group announcements. "It reminded me of ____ but in space." "I read ____ in high school, and actually liked it." "It's like a cross between ____ and ____ with a little Harry Potter thrown in." "YOU'VE NEVER READ ____?!?" You know the drill. Your friends reference it, your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/"sort of thing?" raves about it, even your favorite movies quote it, or it IS your favorite movie but you've never read the book. This group is for those of us for whom one of the following may apply... - we have finally developed a taste for reading and are severely behind on classics; - we kindaaa, sortaaa, but actually slept through English class in high school and used Sparknotes/Hollywood remakes to write our book reports; - we buy a book that everyone is talking about and it sits on our shelf, and sits there... and sits there; - we've heard the hype and are finally getting around to reading the actual book; - we want to expand our horizons beyond the single genre we usually read and want to do so with some time-tested material; - we just plain old want to get everyone off our backs for not having read _____. Every month we'll choose three books to read: 1) a classic (that everyone has probably read but us), 2) a "modern" classic or popular book that everyone is talking about, and 3) a bookshelf catch-up in which we choose a book the group has already read to catch-up with other members.

[close] Study and discussion of the important questions of ethical and political philosophy from Confucius and Socrates to the present. Rules (see also the Rules and Housekeeping topic): Subject to copyright law and these rules, posters may cite, link, or quote any publication, including their own. Posts linking to outside sources must contain a brief explanation of the nature of the linked material and, unless obvious, how it is relevant to the topic being discussed. All posts and linked material must be in English. Posts and any linked material should be polite and not degenerate into ad hominem attacks. The purpose here is to seek light, not heat—rational discourse, not shouting matches. Leave your cable news persona at home and put on your philosopher's mantle when entering this group. Rational argumentation and Socratic questioning are welcome. Hectoring, intimidation, insult, and presumptuous condescension toward other group members are cause for immediate removal from the group. Internet "trolls," advocates of violence, and posters failing to comply with these rules will be removed from membership, as will posters who persist in raising issues that are outside the scope of the subject matter of this group. New members may introduce themselves in the New Member Introductions topic. See posts 4-5 here regarding the creation of new topics. Photo credit: Socrates sculpture at Louvre (CherryX per Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)