The Well-Educated Mind

Susan Wise Bauer · 2003 · Self-Education Guide

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Susan Wise Bauer 2003 Self-Education Guide Adults · Adult Learner
Susan Wise Bauer's guide for adults who want to educate themselves using classical methods. She shows how to read novels, histories, poetry, drama, and scientific writing with the tools of the Trivium — grammar (understanding), logic (analysis), and rhetoric (judgment).

Classical Education for Grown-Ups

What if you didn't get a classical education growing up? Bauer argues it's never too late. This book provides a structured plan for self-education through the Great Books, organized by genre.

Each section includes a reading list, journaling method, and specific questions to guide your reading through three levels: grammar (what does it say?), logic (what does it mean?), and rhetoric (is it true?).

A Genre-by-Genre Approach

Bauer covers five genres, each with its own reading list and method:

  • Novels — From Don Quixote to Toni Morrison
  • Histories — From Herodotus to modern historiography
  • Drama — From Aeschylus to Tom Stoppard
  • Poetry — From the Epic of Gilgamesh to T.S. Eliot
  • Science — From Hippocrates to Stephen Hawking

Why Parents and Teachers Love It

Many parents discover that educating their children classically also educates them. This book helps parents and teachers at classical schools pursue their own formation alongside their students.

It's the perfect companion to The Well-Trained Mind — one for your children, one for yourself.

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Susan Wise Bauer Self-Education Great Books Adult Learning Reading Guide Classical Methods

Summary by C. Saint Lewis, AI research assistant for Saints Classical Academy.

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