From the old pinned comment: **💡Guide for watching and 🔖Timestamps for Last 2 Hours Below: ** **📝The owner of the library featured in this video, Greg of Reddit, is in the comments section as @ClassicalLibraryGuy** 💡Guide for watching: The first hour focuses on a high level overview of Greg's library, plus a focus on some of his most important book sets like the Complete (550+ volume) Loeb Classical Library, the Complete I Tatti Renaissance Library and the Complete Dumbarton Oak Medieval Library. At 1h10m we start the shelf by shelf tour, and you can skip around section by section based on subject matter. The shelf by shelf tour concludes around 7h30m and the last couple hours contain a high level conversation on how Greg uses his library, how he is planning to grow it in the future, and much more. The details on the book giveaway are at the very end of the video. The second part of this bookshelf tour/interview will be released in about a week, so make sure to like and subscribe with notifications turned on to get that videos when it's released. The third part is a live Zoom AMA with Greg which you can attend using the link above, and the recording of that AMA will be uploaded to this channel in about 2 weeks. If you can't attend live, just leave a comment below with your question and I will ask it to Greg during the Zoom call. 🔖Timestamps (continued from video description for last ~2h of video): *** Start of High Level Conversation on Greg's Library, How He Uses It, Future Plans, etc *** 7:34:50 Interesting numbers on the Loeb collection 7:36:40 Interesting numbers on the I Tatti and Dumbarton collections 7:36:58 More interesting numbers on Greg's library *Start of Loeb Focused Section* 7:38:30 Issues with alphabetizing the Loebs 7:40:00 The motivational benefits of having a large library *Start of Focus on Future Plans, How He Uses Library, etc* 7:41:25 Future plans for the library 7:42:50 Airbnb idea 7:44:30 Library and homeowners insurance, wildfire danger 7:45:14 His most expensive book 7:53:30 Growing at a bookshelf a year 8:00:37 What is Greg's daily routine with his library? 8:02:45 Does a large library ever trigger ADD? (too many options) 8:03:30 Husband and Wife chair set in library 8:11:10 How many books does he have in his library? (Comparison to Umberto Ecco) 8:20:45 How should visitors behave when visiting his library? What are the rules? 8:26:00 How his childhood informed how he shelves 8:38:15 Discussion of book storage best practices 8:54:15 How does he balance being a heavy user of Reddit and having a large library and spending a lot of time reading physical books? 9:08:00 What is gained by having a large library (esp for people who are "digital native")? 9:14:24 Book Giveaway details - All books shown 9:15:15 Books Giveaway -- Books shown and described
Just when you think literature's en route to collapsing into the soil, TH-cam finds me an old man with all the books and a young man who absolutely understands why that's awesome.
For those interested, @CaldonianBoar 's username is (I think) a reference to this classical story, from Wikipedia: The Calydonian boar hunt is one of the great heroic adventures in Greek legend.[2] It occurred in the generation prior to that of the Trojan War, and stands alongside the other great heroic adventure of that generation, the voyage of the Argonauts, which preceded it.[3] The purpose of the hunt was to kill the Calydonian boar (also called the Aetolian boar),[4] which had been sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia, because its king Oeneus had failed to honour her in his rites to the gods. The hunters, led by the hero Meleager, included many of the foremost heroes of Greece. In most accounts it is also concluded that a great heroine, Atalanta, won its hide by first wounding it with an arrow. This outraged many of the men, leading to a tragic dispute. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calydonian_boar_hunt
Also underrated is the weight of these shelves. My question is whether he has had a structural engineer/inspector review this setup and whether he has had his house reinforced.
@@bthome123 Actually, we're on a slab foundation, so there's plenty of strength to spare. I don't think I'd want to put a library on a second story, however, without having someone take a look at things.
Thank you for watching and bringing your enthusiasm for books! Would be great to hear more about your library and anything in particular you noticed about Greg’s library!
@@timothykenny My biggest takeaway from Greg's library (I'm still working my way through your interview with him) is that people's library collections are an extension of who they are as individuals; our books are a reflection of our interests, skills, and dreams. As we age, our books can also become a map of our lived experiences and travels. I had to purge beloved collections several times throughout my life due to military service. I have finally settled in one place for the past 10 years but have only a thousand or so books. My collection is spread throughout my home and is grouped by topic, then further arranged alphabetically by author: 1) cookbooks near the kitchen, 2) reference books and encyclopedias in the living room and study, 3) woodworking & craft books in a standalone bookcase, 4) children's books in the spare room, and 5) an extensive collection of fantasy/science fiction books in the remaining bookcases.
@@timothykenny Hmmm... I would say that most of the reference books I keep are ones that would be commonly held by anyone with an interest in the topic they cover. For example, my nature identification guides are all Audubon society, my herbal and garden plant reference volumes are all from Rodale Press. I don't have a library of rare and unique books as I am just now getting into building a collection to pass on to my grandchildren.
I am a librarian and I was a classical studies major in undergrad, so this video is incredibly interesting to me on multiple levels! Thanks so much for this thorough and thoughtful tour.
Glad you enjoyed it. The problem is that my knowledge and interests are very generalized. I don’t have a lot of specific knowledge about any one topic in my titles. I’m super envious of your Classics degree. I’ve thought of going back to school to get a Classics degree, but the language barrier is darned near insurmountable. More than likely, if I were to get another degree, it would be in something like Literature or Folklore.
Just commenting again to say this has got to be one of my favourite original content videos on the entirety of TH-cam. There are not others of original content that spring to my mind right now. And I’m not even a big reader! I’m an extremely casual one but hearing Greg’s fondness and knowledge of so many books, and being able to hear him talk about them for so long, is truly inspiring.
Your words are so sweet, and really help combat the shyness I felt at posting something like this on social media. I’m glad Timothy talked me into it. Let me know if you have any questions! I’m trying to respond to everyone but I find that I miss a bunch of them if I’m not looking as closely as I should.
Thanks for the kind words. As I never cease telling Timothy, I'm just a dude who likes books. It's the authors and books themselves that deserve the praise.
For most this would be considered a case of raging bibliomania......however, for me, this is a most appealing Sanctum Sactorum of cloth and vellum! Absolutely amazing and I, too....own many books, but my occupation, location and available funds won't permit a splendorous library such as this! I own a few of the golden coloured books on OE translations of Boethius and other works. It fills my heart with so much joy to see that someone in this digital era still loves not only these classic works, but the beauty of these little bound portals into the past....Yay, to books and personal libraries. Cheers, for this, fine gentlemen!
You're very kind. I appreciate the warm thoughts. And yes, it is raging bibliomania. I have no qualms about that. Boethius is one of my faves, by the way. Great taste you have!
I had no idea that I've been collecting books wrong my entire life. This gentleman has given me new life goals. So delighted by this popping randomly into my feed. Thank you for the invaluable dedication of making this video for us all. ❤
Glad this video found its way to you. Thanks for watching. Seeing Greg’s library helped me set a new standard for my own library and collecting as well.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuyThank you! That would be nice, meeting a fellow book lover, and we can chat about how impressive this library is. ❤ Hope you have a good evening. 😊
No idea how this ended up in my recommendations but i am happy about it. I skipped straight to the literature/fiction section as that’s what I mostly read. I also collect books but I am more focused on having a library of books I read and enjoyed or that somehow shaped me. I get rid of books I hate or can’t finish. I love buying and collecting books (and reading them). Many people think I am crazy to spend (so much) money on books when you can just borrow them but they are my passion. It’s always nice to come across other people who are passionate about books in one way or another.
The way I look at it is this: If you're not hurting anyone else or doing something illegal, then everyone who questions why you (the universal "you") do a thing can just take a hike. Collecting books, IMO, is one of the best forms of collecting there is. I'm also like you in that I get rid of DNF books or books I don't like. I'm also starting to pare down the genre fiction sections. Unless a title was very meaningful to me (e.g., "The Hobbit", which my mother read to me as a kid), I intend to get rid of it. I could use the shelf space, anyway. Keep reading and collecting, my friend!
For those unfamiliar, some context via ChatGPT 4o: 1. “DNF books”: Stands for “Did Not Finish.” This is a common term in the reading community to refer to books that a reader started but did not finish because they lost interest or disliked the content. 2. “Genre fiction”: Refers to fiction written to fit specific literary genres like mystery, fantasy, science fiction, romance, or horror. The commenter mentions paring down their collection of such books unless a title holds personal significance to them.
I’m from India and live in the US. Saw a copy of Mahabharata in his spectacular collection!!! He really knows what books are worthy of having!! Hats off to this gentleman and also to Timothy for interviewing him! Heartfelt thanks!
Thanks for noticing! I actually started off my journey many years ago with the Bhagavad Gita, which may or may not have been shown in the video. I have a cool illustrated version of it. And I just picked up another copy of the Mahabharata, so I have a lot of reading to do!
@@timothykenny I love reading hearing different renditions of the Mahabharata since it always gives different insights. Especially lot of regional language ones in India. So no particular favorite as such. Thanks for checking 😊🙏🏼
@ it is said that there is nothing that you won’t find in the Mahabharata and if it isn’t in there, it won’t be found anywhere else. It is one of the most profound pieces of literature ever created. And the sublime Bhagawad Gita is also a part of it. Glad you are on the wonderful journey 😊🙏🏼
Thanks, good point on the different translations. For those interested here’s a link for more info on the Mahabharata: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata
In “Confessions,” St. Augustine mentioned that Cicero’s “Hortensius” inspired him to study philosophy. Although this work was highly popular for centuries, “Hortensius” is no longer available. Investing in a personal library can significantly impact future civilization. Not everything has been digitized, and many more books are out of print than those currently printed and digitized. This is a beautiful library. With that in mind, I highly recommend reading "A Canticle for Leibowitz." 😊
For anyone interesting, a couple points: 1. TBR is To Be Read list. We discussed a related term, TBR Cart, at: 5:18:11 and 5:19:45 2. What is a "Canticle"? -- According to ChatGPT 4o "In the context of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr., a "canticle" refers to a hymn or song, often of a liturgical nature, with religious significance. This usage draws on the traditional meaning of "canticle" as a chant or hymn taken from biblical texts but not necessarily from the Book of Psalms, commonly used in religious services. The novel itself is structured as a tripartite work spanning centuries, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz preserve remnants of human knowledge through the "dark ages" following nuclear war. The title emphasizes the religious undertones and themes of preservation, cyclical history, and faith, framing the narrative as an extended "song" or "hymn" to the preservation of knowledge and civilization, as well as the human condition. Each section of the book represents a different "verse" or "phase" in humanity’s efforts to regain and potentially repeat its past mistakes, echoing the liturgical cadence of historical cycles."
@ Over the past two years, I have read “Canticle” twice, and each reading has deepened my appreciation for its profound assertion: that the written word is the vessel through which human knowledge is preserved and transmitted. Reflecting on invaluable works like the Epic of Gilgamesh and other ancient texts that illuminate the distant past, one can only ponder the irretrievable knowledge lost in catastrophic events such as the burning of the Library of Alexandria. I am convinced that safeguarding the writings of our ancestors is essential to navigating our journey through the uncharted waters of the future.
@@shawnbrewer7 Great points! But it's worth adding that preservation is not enough--we need to re-read these texts, to teach them, to learn them. So many problems with society lately could've been solved if people had looked at the conflicts of the past.
Thank you for putting together this fascinating portrait of a library, Timothy. I'm a book person too and live with cca 16000 books in two rooms. Unfortunately space constraints mean quite a few are piled in heaps instead of shelved, but I enjoy digging through them.
Wow 16k is impressive. If you think you’d be interested in giving me a tour of your library please email me at timothy@timothykenny.com. No need to have the perfect setup either. It’s the ideas that count!
This is just the most amazing thing I have ever seen on TH-cam. First, ofc the library is incredible and I am more than jealous. And secondly, the work that Timothy Kenny has done, not only the video, but the answering of questions, the high-resolution photos, everything. It is just amazing. Social media are now completely invaded by fast products like TikTok or shorts, but this project is the best proof of why Social Media is such an amazing thing. The democratization of culture production, the accessibility, the breakdown of TV or film limits. Today, social media is totally demonised for allowing the spread of fake news and for idiotising our youth with stupid videos of a few seconds. But aren't the most watched TV programmes the dumbest, isn't the most read newspaper in the UK The Sun, aren't the best-selling books dumb, inconsequential novels? Let's reclaim social media. They are a vehicle for stupidity, of course, so is the printing press, and we will not condemn Gutenberg for that. Let us reclaim the internet as another step in the expansion of culture and knowledge in human history, probably the most consequential one after the invention of writing. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And excuse my English, I'm just a young Spaniard impressed by your work.
Thank you for the kind words, and I agree completely! Yo no puedo hablar muy bien en Español, pero muchas gracias para las palabras amables. ¡Espero que me entiendas!
Oh, goodness. This would be me if my husband and kids didn’t keep my book collecting somewhat in check. I have to continually downsize the collection to keep it from overtaking the house. It still kind of does. Bless Greg’s family for being supportive of his collection. And thank you both for creating the most satisfying TH-cam video I’ve ever seen! The unabashed curiosity and desire to learn about subjects without the societal necessitation of ‘productivity’ is delightful. I’m also a commercial photographer and have no ‘need’ to study ancient philosophy or theology, but here we are.
What what what?! A fellow shooter in these here parts? Welcome, indeed! And you’re right: The unsung heroes of videos like this one are always the family members who put up with it. All I want is to fill the house with shelves, but it’s like approaching the speed of light-the closer you get, the harder it becomes.
@@asher_oakokay, seriously. Now it’s getting weird. That’s one of my all-time favorite books and is one I’ve been working to shoot as well. I’m starting to sense a collab! And by the way, great work on your site! I love your aesthetic.
Agreed Asher I looked at your website and you have a great aesthetic and use of light. Here is some more info on the relationship and importance of philosophy and theology via ai: 1. “Philosophy is the handmaid of theology” (Philosophia ancilla theologiae) • The phrase is often attributed to Peter Damian, who discussed the relationship between philosophy and theology in his treatise De Divina Omnipotentia (On Divine Omnipotence). In this work, Damian argued that philosophy, while valuable, must remain subordinate to theology because theology is based on divine revelation and concerns eternal truths. The metaphor highlights the medieval view that human reason (philosophy) serves to clarify and support the higher truths revealed by God (theology). Thomas Aquinas later popularized this idea in his Summa Theologiae, where he frequently emphasized the role of philosophy as a preparatory tool for understanding theological concepts, reinforcing the notion that philosophy’s ultimate purpose is to serve theology. 2. “Theology is the queen of the sciences” (Sacra doctrina regina scientiarum) • This idea is articulated in Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae (Part 1, Question 1, Article 5), where he defends theology (sacra doctrina) as the highest and most noble science. Aquinas argues that theology qualifies as a scientia because it is based on divine principles revealed by God, rather than being derived solely from human reason. He states that sacra doctrina holds preeminence because it governs and orders all other sciences, directing them toward their ultimate purpose-knowledge and union with God. This concept reflects the scholastic view of the interconnectedness of knowledge, where theology occupies the highest rank due to its eternal focus on salvation and the ultimate truths about God. The phrase encapsulates the medieval understanding of theology’s central role in the hierarchy of learning.
For those interested in the issue of social pressures towards constant productivity, here is some background via ai: Historically, reading and studying classics, ancient philosophy, and theology were viewed as ends in themselves, integral to cultivating the soul and mind. Philosophers such as Socrates and Aristotle emphasized the intrinsic value of knowledge and contemplation as fundamental to a well-lived life. This perspective resonates with intellectual traditions that see learning as inherently meaningful, not something to be justified through external productivity metrics. The modern commodification of intellectual pursuits contrasts starkly with this older tradition. • Book Recommendation: The Republic by Plato. Through Socratic dialogues, Plato explores justice, education, and the ideal society, emphasizing the philosopher’s role in seeking truth for its own sake. • Book Recommendation: Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. This foundational text examines the nature of virtue and the good life, arguing that contemplation is the highest form of human activity. Modern critiques of the pressure to “justify” intellectual pursuits often highlight how utilitarianism and productivity-focused mindsets distort the value of reading and study. Thinkers such as Alasdair MacIntyre and Hannah Arendt discuss how modernity’s focus on function and output undermines the “vita contemplativa,” or contemplative life. This shift has relegated pursuits like the study of philosophy or theology to being seen as impractical unless tied directly to career advancement or measurable outcomes. These critiques urge a reevaluation of intellectual pursuits as essential for human flourishing, independent of external validation. • Book Recommendation: After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre. This influential work critiques modern moral philosophy, contrasting it with Aristotelian virtue ethics and the idea of practices as inherently meaningful. • Book Recommendation: The Life of the Mind by Hannah Arendt. In this profound exploration of thinking, willing, and judging, Arendt examines the value of contemplation and its marginalization in a world dominated by action and utility. Critics also note how this focus on utility reflects broader trends in capitalist societies, where even leisure and intellectual exploration are commodified. Ivan Illich and Jacques Ellul, among others, critique how technological and economic systems reshape values, turning once intrinsic goods into instrumentalized activities. For many, the joy of engaging with ancient texts, philosophy, or theology is precisely their resistance to this commodification-a space where personal growth and intrinsic value still matter. • Book Recommendation: Tools for Conviviality by Ivan Illich. This work critiques the modern drive to instrumentalize every aspect of human life, arguing for the creation of spaces where individuals can engage in meaningful, self-directed activities, including intellectual pursuits. • Book Recommendation: The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul. Ellul critiques how technological advancement has come to dominate human life, shifting priorities away from values like contemplation and intrinsic meaning. By re-embracing the traditions of the “vita contemplativa,” individuals can resist the societal pressures to commodify their intellectual lives, reconnecting with a deeper sense of purpose and joy in learning.
I'll have to get back to this in snippets but this is just making my heart sing. Sometimes the algorithm gets it right. Greg sounds like a person well worth talking to.
Thanks, feel free to let us know if you have any questions or if anything particular stands out to you in the tour. Part two of the vid will be published in the next week.
wow! such a beautiful collection. I may have cried a little bit because I think its just beautiful. I was watching and getting excited like ooo I have read this. My little book collectors' heart was just in awe.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy well I read a variety of books. I have a list of classics that everyone should read in their lives and I saw some of the philosophy books. I stopped reading for about 13 years. Then in 2023 I started reading again. I started with 25 books in a year and then the next 142 read and this year I have read 176 so far. I read almost all genres. Other than the Bible my favourite book so far is the Republic by Plato. Though many classics and some fantasy come very close. So seeing many of my favourites on his shelves and some of the classics/ philosophy and others on the shelf made me so happy. I definitely didn’t stick to what your question was asking lol 😆
@@kaylag9579Questions are like cliffs off which we jump into the sea of conversation. It doesn’t matter how you ended up in the waves as long as you enjoy the swim. :-) It’s been MANY years since I’ve read Plato's Republic. Might have to crack that one open again. (Can't believe autocorrect gave me "the Republican".) LOL
As a woodworker and bookcase builder, I was wincing so hard listening to y'all talk about the shelving and built-ins. I wanted to shout my two cents at the screen several times. I do have to say that doing the stud installed shelving and then wrapping them in a case is a really fantastic idea. In my book inventory office I use essentially the same setup, but the shelves are not encased the way dude's are. I might have to look into doing that soon. If anyone is thinking about installing shelving like this, I highly recommend doing a full price comparison between materials and finishes, especially if purchasing from a big box store. The pricing often doesn't make a ton of sense when you start comparing your options and it can be startling to know what nicer options you could actually purchase given the budget requirements of some of the "lesser options". That being said, there's no reason to go with solid mahogany shelves when you could use something like mahogany veneered poplar or a veneered composite material. I could go on. If anyone has questions about shelving, materials, or bookcases, ask away.
You nailed it (pun not intended). I spent a lot on lumber that could've been spent on custom shelves. I found a great guy locally who did my built-ins, and he also drew a plan to encase the entire room. But I also need a bigger room! LOL
@@timothykenny It's a difficult thing to answer because it really relies on the tools available on hand. I can buy rough sawn 4/4 poplar (4/4 = 1 inch thick) for about 3 dollars a board foot (board foot equals 1 inch thick by 12 wide by 12 tall) then bring that home to my shop, mill it (edge plane and thickness plane) and if you subtract the time and the tools, I'm only out about $16 for an 8 foot length. Compare that to "F4S" (fished on 4 sides) poplar that you buy from a big box store, and you'll be looking at closer to $10 per linear foot, which is $80 for the same 8 foot board I paid $16. Compare that to the 10k estimate that was given on those red oak built-in and what you're looking at is a mark-up that considers the builder's tools and time. The materials themselves are relatively cheap (rough sawn) even in California. Rough sawn red oak is probably $3 - $4 a board foot rough sawn most places. If I were low balling that built in or just building it for myself, I could probably build it with about $800 and a couple weekends. The mark up definitely pays for the wood worker, not the materials.
Wow. Just WOW. I’m pretty proud of my teeny little 300 book library. Classics Science Fiction and Fantasy. Lol. Have an Excel spreadsheet and everything. 😂 But this is spectacular!! - and gives me so much more hope for the world for some reason. What a beautiful video and as I just found your channel I have to agree with another person who commented on what a unique and phenomenal exercise in utilizing the power of TH-cam to bring the lovers of books together. Thank you so very much! And thank you for sharing your library so thoroughly with us. I can’t wait to do a deep dive into each and every spine on your shelves. 🙏🏻🙌🏼💙 QQ-Just curious if Greg has any idea of how many of his books he’s read? Thank you!
Thanks for watching! We talked about how many books he’s read in the AMA video which will be uploaded fairly soon but he has read most of them to some extend but about half more or less to completion, if I remember correctly. His approach is to move between a lot of books simultaneously instead of going one to the next in a serial fashion so it’s not a simple answer.
Aww! Thank you for the very nice words. I was pretty hesitant at first about recording any of this, in part because I didn’t think many folks would be interested. I’m glad I was wrong (and that Timothy had the vision I lacked). Yeah, this has been a lifetime of hoarding and loving books. But it’s always changing. As I’ve said elsewhere, a personal library is a living, breathing construct. Books come and go, shelves get shuffled, etc. it’s always slightly different than when you last saw it. That’s part of what makes it fun for me, and I think for other collectors, too. I’d love to hear more about your books. And, of course, let me know if you have any more questions about this vid. Oh, speaking of questions: You did ask how many I’ve read. I jump around a lot with my reading, and I tend to acquire books faster than I read them. My current TBR is at least one hundred deep, maybe more. I’ll read up to about ten books at once, sometimes. In hindsight, a little discipline would probably do me some good. LOL
@ First - I’m SO EXCITED to hear back from you! There are so many things you said that are profound to me and resonate innately. The way you and Timothy spoke about books, beliefs, connections, relationships and how amazing books are as bridges to many different experiences we need and/or we have is phenomenal. I’ve always been a reader but I fell off of it as my normal routine until last year. I was back in college in 2022, going for a Data Science degree and fell onto a TH-cam channel (Hardcore Literature Book Club) which led me to Tristan & The Classics. It was a revelation 😂. Idk how the algorithm worked but the YT gods recognized a need in me. Lol. I don’t love reading hardcovers and my intention is more about reading than collecting. So I researched (aka via Reddit;) ) which editions, translations, dimensions of books would be best for me. I started and still love Penguin Black Classics-floppiness(honestly most important to me), annotation, intros, etc included. Love them and the covers. Also Penguin Deluxe, Oxfords, Vintage, Modern Library etc. So War & Peace was the first I tackled and have continued from there. I’ve read 56 books this year with a 2 month hiatus bc of school. And now I have a few hardcover sets (Tolkien (WMorrow), Austin (Harper Muse) and Harry Potter(1st editions/US) and a myriad of paperback publishers that I felt have offered the best editions. I also started getting into Fantasy and Science Fiction. And because I can’t stop reading a series once I start, most of my fantasy is Trade paperback (don’t appreciate Signet’s Les Mis - The Brick!) 😄and are full series. My classics are from Achebe to Woolf. My fantasy series are from Stephen R. Donaldson to Gene Wolfe. I’m driving my husband a bit crazy bc he loves his Kindle. But after spending most of my time on technology I need to feel the paper in my hands. Plus, because I take pleasure in being child free 😂, I have no problem taking entire days to read, so I will keep my library as mainly paperbacks. Still can’t choose my favorite book but in Classic it’s probably Austin’s hardcover collection by Harper Muse. In Sci-Fi it’s the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown, and Fantasy is The Faithful and the Fallen/Blood & Bone series by John Gwynne. Big and Floppy! 😄 The Werewolf by Montegue Summers Hardcover on Amazon $167.
I really loved when Greg mentioned movie nights with his family as a child. I too loved pausing my VHS player and referencing my encyclopedia when I was curious about a person or topic. I love the internet, but, there is something about flipping through the pages of your family encyclopedia or scouring the library for information that I really miss. Fantastic video, thank you both for sharing!
Thanks for sharing that memory and thanks for watching! These days I use ChatGPT for this kind of thing. Their mobile app has a dictation feature so it’s like a talking encyclopedia that can answer almost any question. Still, one of the special things about a physical library is the send of scale you get which is very hard to reproduce with digital.
@@timothykenny I will absolutely be tuning in! I’ve already subscribed and set my notifications to alert me of your next video. Thank you for the ChatGPT recommendation, I will have to try it out. I’ve been hesitant about downloading it.
And thank you for subscribing with notifications. We’ve got some really cool things planned for the next two parts and adding more bc of the high interest.
at 2:53:33, Bach wrote a series of pieces called "the well-tempered clavier" in which it showed off how his tuning system could be played equally well in all key signatures without retuning the instrument.
**💡Guide for watching and 🔖Timestamps for Last 2 Hours Below: ** **📝The owner of the library featured in this video, Greg of Reddit, is in the comments section as @ClassicalLibraryGuy** 💡Guide for watching: The first hour focuses on a high level overview of Greg's library, plus a focus on some of his most important book sets like the Complete (550+ volume) Loeb Classical Library, the Complete I Tatti Renaissance Library and the Complete Dumbarton Oak Medieval Library. At 1h10m we start the shelf by shelf tour, and you can skip around section by section based on subject matter. The shelf by shelf tour concludes around 7h30m and the last couple hours contain a high level conversation on how Greg uses his library, how he is planning to grow it in the future, and much more. The details on the book giveaway are at the very end of the video.
The second part of this bookshelf tour/interview will be released in about a week, so make sure to like and subscribe with notifications turned on to get that videos when it's released. The third part is a live Zoom AMA with Greg which you can attend using the link above, and the recording of that AMA will be uploaded to this channel in about 2 weeks. If you can't attend live, just leave a comment below with your question and I will ask it to Greg during the Zoom call. 🔖Timestamps (continued from video description for last ~2h of video): *** Start of High Level Conversation on Greg's Library, How He Uses It, Future Plans, etc ***
7:34:50 Interesting numbers on the Loeb collection 7:36:40 Interesting numbers on the I Tatti and Dumbarton collections 7:36:58 More interesting numbers on Greg's library
*Start of Loeb Focused Section* 7:38:30 Issues with alphabetizing the Loebs 7:40:00 The motivational benefits of having a large library
*Start of Focus on Future Plans, How He Uses Library, etc* 7:41:25 Future plans for the library 7:42:50 Airbnb idea 7:44:30 Library and homeowners insurance, wildfire danger 7:45:14 His most expensive book 7:53:30 Growing at a bookshelf a year
8:00:37 What is Greg's daily routine with his library? 8:02:45 Does a large library ever trigger ADD? (too many options) 8:03:30 Husband and Wife chair set in library 8:11:10 How many books does he have in his library? (Comparison to Umberto Ecco)
8:20:45 How should visitors behave when visiting his library? What are the rules? 8:26:00 How his childhood informed how he shelves 8:38:15 Discussion of book storage best practices
8:54:15 How does he balance being a heavy user of Reddit and having a large library and spending a lot of time reading physical books?
9:08:00 What is gained by having a large library (esp for people who are "digital native")?
9:14:24 Book Giveaway details - All books shown 9:15:15 Books Giveaway -- Books shown and described
This video was recommended and pushed to me by youtube. I was first a bit hesitant to watch it, because the video is over 9 hours long. But somehow the video sparked my curiosity and I started watching it. The feel and look of the library and passion that this dude has made me watch the video multiple times over again and make notes. I also learned a lot about classical libraries and sorting methods watching this video. And this old dude has inspired me to start my own library in the future.
Thanks for watching! Great to hear that Greg’s library has inspired you. That was one of our main goals in creating this video! Anything specific you took note of?
Yes, looking at Greg's library sparked my interest in folklore and myth. Normally I am mainly interested in reading self-help or psychology books, but I have found that this is quite dry and it is very difficult for me to continue reading it. Lately I've been getting more into fiction and novels, which I'm enjoying a lot more at the moment, but myth and folklore are also interesting topics, which I haven't spent time reading.
Interesting how that has changed. You might like these two articles which I also recommended in a similar comment under this video, copied in full: I bet you will really like Beth Blum's book (she is in the Eng Dept at Harvard): www.thenation.com/article/culture/self-help-compulsion-beth-blum-review/ And this is also good: lithub.com/when-did-self-help-books-become-literary/
Since you're so kind with your words, I'll overlook the "old dude" comment at the end. LOL But seriously, I'm glad you found some value and interest in this. It's a dream I've had since I was a kid, and I love being surrounded by so much knowledge. It's like being in a room with a bunch of people who are smarter than you--it elevates you in ways you might not even realize at first. Maybe one day I'll just start speaking in iambic pentameter!
@@Stefan.Arends Myth and folklore are so wonderful because they're not just a record of a culture's beliefs, but also its fears, and its desires. A lot of such tales are steeped in values a modern society can't embrace, but they still provide great moments of insight. And who doesn't love the tale of Zeus turning into a swan? Or Baba Yaga flying around in her mortar and pestle? Or Paul Bunyan and his giant axe? What sorts of fiction are you reading these days?
Oh dear me! This is amazing. Thanks for showing this. I just need to know how he keeps the dust at bay. Everything looks pristine! We have 6000 books in our library and dust IS a problem.
Dust is a problem, it’s true, but I think to varying degrees. Our place is generally pretty clean, and we try to dust the books and vacuum the rooms once or twice a week. It also helps that I’m almost constantly fussing with the books, and every time I take one down or move a shelf around, I give it a thorough cleaning.
I don't think I asked you about if you use an air purifier or if you've ever tried one. And then also, if you have central air, if that is filtered and how. Will add to the AMA questions list.
I've been watching this in chunks for the last few days. What a great video! I hope this becomes a series - (ultra)longform library tour/interviews/open-ended book discussions. If either of you had a podcast discussing books, I'd tune in. Q: What's your recommended method and/or resource to determine the best translation of a classic?
Thanks for the kind words! No podcast yet for me, but maybe one day. Meanwhile, my answer to your question is, of course, solely my opinion: If I'm reading, let's say, "The Iliad," I'll check several different translations to see which one feels the most natural to me. I ended up falling in love with the Fitzgerald translations of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. I tend to avoid verse translations of verse from another language because it's very rare that the meaning, the meter, and the rhyme can be kept intact across languages. I also like to pick translations that are generally well received. Ultimately, though, if the translation feels dry or forced or purple, I'll avoid it. Just my two cents.
Thanks for watching! Great question. That’s the plan, more ultra long form tours. Greg and I also have some additional convos and videos planned beyond the three announced so far.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy Thanks for the reply - that makes sense. I'd like to read Crime and Punishment but want to feel like I've picked the "best" translation, so I think my strategy will be to visit some large bookstores and take cellphone pictures of the first few pages of as many different options as I can find, and then compare them all before buying one.
This video is fantastic 👏 👌 🙌 Mom of 3 young kids here, spending time I don't have watching this video. I was absolutely sucked in. Great job, gentlemen!
LOL Very much appreciated. I love the visual of you slapping away the kids’ hands cuz you wanna watch a video about books: “But Mooooooooom!” “Quiet! They’re discussing Catcher in the Rye!”
Thanks for your comment. For those unfamiliar, from ChatGPT 4o: An antilibrary is a personal collection of books that an individual owns but has not yet read. The term was coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his 2007 book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Taleb introduced the concept to highlight the value of unread books, suggesting that they serve as a constant reminder of one’s limitations in knowledge and the vastness of what remains to be learned. He was inspired by the Italian writer Umberto Eco, who maintained a vast personal library filled with numerous unread volumes, viewing them as tools for research and symbols of the unknown. This perspective encourages intellectual humility and continuous curiosity.
@@timothykenny Thank you Mr. Kenny, great explanation. Eco and Borges both were obsessed with libraries and they inspired Carlos Zafon to write his successful novel "shadow of the wind". I had a library of hundreds of books that was completely destroyed during the Syrian Civil War. All that I have left of that library is what is in my mind, memories of better days.
@@timothykenny There's a 60 minutes piece on The Da Vinci Code that has Eco going through his famous library, stoping at a big shelf and saying: "this is where I keep the books that expouse fake theories" LOL
Sorry to hear about your library. You mentioned Borges- he actually came up in this recent interview with Gwern, but he of the most well known anonymous writers on the internet. You can find the video here: th-cam.com/video/a42key59cZQ/w-d-xo.html There is an encyclopedic aspect to their writing that is really interesting, though I’m not sure exactly how to conceptualize its significance.
Thanks for the comment. Looking forward to what you do with your channel and great website by the way. I'll be reaching out, would be great to tour your collection. Was just looking at your site, great list here: greatbooksguy.com/great-books-project/ancient-books/
I have this one very large leather bound book that sits on the coffee table and radiates a strong scent. I can smell it as soon as I walk in the room. But then sometimes I crack a book while making bread or cookies and the house is infused with the smells of vanilla or dough. Mmm, yeah!
Thanks for watching/listening! Glad to hear about these therapeutic uses. Another commenter suggested in one of my older videos I should read audio books as a narrator. Still haven’t pursued that yet but maybe I should.
I can recommend a few: The Gettysburg address, Hamlet’s soliloquy, MLK’s “I Have a Dream”. Sorry, just some late-night punchy humor. 😊 Thanks for the kind words. And please jump in with questions if you have any!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I have The Great Books collection. My home library is just about 1000 volumes. I haven't room for more. But My tastes include a couple of large works of India. I missed out on Sacred Books of the East, and the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but have them as ebooks. Much of my current library is in eBook form, and in the public domain. If I still read at my book a day rate, I might finish My list by end of life. I'm a child of the sixties. I was a voracious reader for over 40 years. A good portion of my library was donated to a library in the Philippines, some here, many lost.
Thank you Noam! Glad that you mentioned the Sacred Books of the East. You might like the app ElevenReader for turning your text PDFs into audio books with high quality ai voices. For now it’s free on mobile. Natural Read is another one but voices are lower quality but it’s very solid.
No idea how this came across my feed, but I'm enjoying having it on in the background while I work. The collection and conversation suits my tastes perfectly (so far anyway) so thanks TH-cam! Per the comment at 1:32:50 about seeing like books together, I've often thought that every single book, essay and article ever written, fiction, opinion or nonfiction, should have a bibliography as a way to share that journey of discovery with the author. Going book by book through a curated library is a pretty good substitute!
@@timothykenny The other comment I related to, to paraphrase, "when I was younger I was interested in X, but as I got older I realized that everything is interesting." A blessing and a curse!
Thank you for the kind words. Something about the scents in a room of books really gets me, you know? Maybe it's the leather, maybe it's the dust. Maybe it's all the knowledge.
The entire Migne Payrologia Graeca can be purchased from Greece for about $3-4k last I checked. I purchased the 3vol Menologian for a bit under $200 delivered. They are beautiful hardcovers with sewn bindings. I would love to see that full set in person one day. Love this! Thank you both!
Thanks for the kind words. That set sounds interesting. I Googled it but didn't find much in my cursory search. Can you tell me what it's about and why it moves you?
I found these: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Graeca patristica.net/graeca/ And got this from ChatGPT 4o: The Migne Patrologia Graeca (MPG) and the Pre-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers series in English have similar aims in that they are both large collections of writings by early Christian authors and Church Fathers, but they differ significantly in scope, language, and editorial history. 1. Migne Patrologia Graeca: This collection, compiled by Jacques-Paul Migne in the 19th century, contains writings of the Greek Church Fathers from the earliest Christian centuries up to 1439, covering both Orthodox and some early Eastern Christian texts. It comprises 161 volumes and is a monumental resource primarily in Greek with accompanying Latin translations (where available). MPG’s focus is on texts originally written in Greek, such as the works of early theologians, scholars, and bishops who influenced Eastern Christianity. 2. Pre-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers (PNF/NPNF): This series, edited and translated into English primarily in the 19th century, focuses on key Christian authors and Church Fathers from the 2nd century through the late 5th century (and beyond for Post-Nicene Fathers). The collection is divided into three main series, each covering a different chronological segment: • Ante-Nicene Fathers (Pre-Nicene): Covers works before the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD). • Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (First and Second Series): Covers writings from the time of the Nicene Council through later significant authors, including Augustine, Chrysostom, and others. Key Differences: • Language: MPG is primarily in Greek (with Latin translations), while the PNF/NPNF series is translated into English, making it more accessible to English-speaking readers. • Scope and Focus: MPG is a broader and more comprehensive collection of Greek texts, whereas PNF/NPNF provides a selected set of translations of key writings by Greek and Latin Church Fathers, including Augustine, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and others. • Editorial Approach: MPG has a more encyclopedic and exhaustive editorial approach focused on collecting as much as possible, while PNF/NPNF is curated and more selective in terms of theological importance and relevance for Western Christianity. So, while they both focus on early Christian writings, MPG is a more extensive compilation of Greek works, while the PNF/NPNF series offers a curated English translation set of important early Christian texts spanning Greek and Latin traditions.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I just want you to know that my 12yo son and I are nerding out together watching this right now. I've been teaching him Greek and Latin, and while he persists in reading English when there are so many good Greek books to read, I haven't given up hope on him! The PG series (also the Patrologia Latina and Syrica) were published by a monk named Migne back in the 19th century. Each text had the original language along with a Latin translation. The PG series sought to publish all extant Christian texts to make them available to the clergy. Many of the newer editions still rely on Migne texts because no other critical editions have been published. Of course where a modern edition has been made, it always surpasses Migne, but they are a monument of publishing for the day and age. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Paul_Migne www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-graeca-pg-pdfs/ patrologiagraeca.org/patrologia/en/patrologia-graeca.html
Thanks will check out those links. Would be great also if you could share what method you are using to teach these languages to your son, and any resources you’ve found most useful and effective.
Thanks. My history collection is a bit lacking. I have a lot of Folio Society titles (too many, I sometimes think) but not as many of the good, gritty history books that I know are out there.
I don't know how I found this, but I'm glad I did. Just from the intro, I expected to see more Bibles; one of every translation or one from each manuscript tradition. That's my collection obsession. It's one genre where an amateur can access a reasonably priced, really well-made book. I also look for Michener hard-backs and other series (i.em Jean M Aeul) with sewn bindings and no mold or smoke.
@@timothykenny Not what one would think. 😂 My favorites are my 1984 NIVs. It's my favorite version of my favorite translation and it's out of print. Ithomk I have 7 of them in various forms. 1. Zondervan 1984 NIV, Thinline printed on Netherlands paper. 2. A niche bible: Paperback. Zondervan 1984 NIV Knowing Jesus Study Bible. It's the most Jesus-y! 3. CSB Holy Land Illustrated Study Bible. Not in the leather, but still gorgeous. 4. Oxford Coronation edition KJV (King Charles.) 5. NET Full-notes edition, not premium but is smythe-sewn with great paper 6. The first Bible I read all the way through: 1984 NIV Paperback Student Bible. I have various iterations of 9 different translations, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and several premium study bibles. Soon, I plan on adding: Lion and Lamb NKJV with art gilding, Artscroll edition of the Tanakh, NJV, Allan or some other premium wide margin.
@@timothykenny 1. ESV Study Bible is a beast. The gold standard. Maybe even TMI. 2. NET Full-notes because the notes discuss the greek/hebrew in such a way that you "get it " even if you don't speak greek or hebrew. 3. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. You could cuddle up with it. 4. CSB Study Bible (Decidedly Calvinist and complementarian (I am neither) but still great. OMG the maps! It has paper that you want to pet constantly. Honestly, I think I learn more from interviews/podcasts/lectures of biblical scholars. But, I still use the Study Bibles regularly.
I'm watching this (over several days!) and chatting along as if I'm part of the conversations. This has become my emotional support video hahaha. Makes me want to go book shopping unapologetically!
I love this--thanks for the kind words. If you get to the point where you're picking between ramen noodles and a book, maybe you've gone too far. But anything before that? You could use another book! LOL
@timothykenny I definitely feel more encouraged to buy reference books without worrying about when or how much I will read them. I'm currently reading Welcome to Marwencol, which I requested from my library when it came up in the shelf tour
Just got my first Dumbarton oaks recently-- old English lives of the saints by Aelfric volume 1. May I be so successful as to have such a beautiful library as this one day!
@@ZackSkrip Yes, but can you use Byzantine Greek to order a mocha latte? LOL Seriously, though, that is very cool. No matter how much we age, we can still find opportunities to learn.
Thansk for watching! Yea, we’ve got some additional videos planned beyond the AMA part 3 so make sure to subscribe to get notifications on those. What titles were at the top of your list?
Thank you for watching Miche. That is great to know. Seems like sort of a natural alternative to goo gone. Is there a brand or Amazon/other store link you could provide for you use?
@ it is, and it smells so much better! Any brand works as long as it’s pure essential oil with no base oils mixed in. Health food stores are the best places to find them. Amazon has bigger bottles with glass droppers that are definitely easier to use on books.
I’ve had success with a tiny dab of goo gone on dust jackets with no damage but could have been lick. But would rather use a natural option like you mentioned. Will keep an eye out next time I’m at Whole Foods.
Wilkie Collins was a Victorian write who introduced the crime/police genre. He churned out may books including the Woman and White and Moonstone. He was a contemporary of Dickens.
Much appreciated! I'm glad to see others find value in it. Before Timothy and I recorded this, I wasn't sure we'd find anyone who would enjoy this stuff. To his credit, he kept telling me I was wrong. 🙂
For those not familiar, here’s an explanation via AI: “Shuffled off this mortal coil”: This phrase comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1), where Hamlet speaks of death: “When we have shuffled off this mortal coil…” The “mortal coil” refers to the troubles and burdens of life, and “shuffling it off” means dying. The commenter uses it metaphorically to describe their wallet being “dead,” implying they spent all their money on this project or venture.
Wow. - So my personal collection of around 1400 science fiction/mystery/thrillers from the 1950's to present, my Dad's 4 or 5 thousand Anthropology, Ethnography, classics and modern fiction from the early 1900's onward, don't even signify! - Honestly I am amazed and not a little jealous. Well done sir !
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy He is a retired academic, museum director, University lecturer/director, writer etc.. - A lot of his collection was sold off to make space or generate money for various projects. Still a great collection, I love to wander through it picking up items at random to read. My main passion is classic Sci- Fi, particularly publishing houses like Del Rey, DAW and I was soo lucky around two months ago to find 200 odd at a local charity shop. Two trips to get them all home. Nearly all mint condition. Six months of great reading ahead for me.
@@neilthehermit4655 I'm absolutely in awe of this. Obviously, your dad's love of books has struck you as well. Man, I wish we could all instantly travel to each other's home libraries.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy Oh yes ( I would die happy if I could spend a lifetime in each of the great collections/libraries around the world ). I'm seriously in awe of your collection, and I'm only an hour into the video.
@@neilthehermit4655 Thank you. I appreciate it. But if you're only an hour in, then you've got a long ride in front of you, including Parts Two and Three and the AMAs and whatever is coming next. LOL Be sure to let me know if you have any questions. I tried to cover all the bases, but I have little doubt that I missed a bunch of opportunities to dig deeper.
@ Folio has some great stuff, but I don't have any of those, at least for Tolkien. I did just receive the three volume Lord of the rings with Alan Lee as the artist (my favorite) and I am pretty sure that is from Easton. They also recently released 4 3-volume sets of the history of middle earth that I just received. That should keep me busy!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I would like to get copies of the Dumbarton Oaks Library and the I Tatti Library. I'm also interested in getting East Asian texts but I don't know of any good collections in the same style as Loeb or Harvard. Do you know of any resources by chance?
@@A_White_LightTimothy will definitely have an answer for this. I know there are parts of certain series that will have selections, but in terms of full-on side-by-side translations…hmm.
There aren’t a lot of them in the facing page translation format esp in large collections like HUP. But this is a good ones: www.amazon.com/Analects-English-Chinese-Bilingual-Classics-Chinese-English/dp/B003YO0GL2 Will be reviewing this on the channel soon. Library of Chinese Classics
Fantastic collection of the greek and roman classics. We have a similar collection in Spain called "Biblioteca Clásica Gredos" (422 vol.). Also very expensive to buy new books of it (30€ each)
Thanks for mentioning these. Someone else also mentioned these on one of my other videos. Would be great to find someone with the whole set but will review some volumes soon on the channel.
@@timothykenny There is a YT channel called "Only books" that show the slight cheaper version. The standard version in Spain were dark blue hardcovers with golden letters. In that channel you will b are able to see the almost the complete collection, in slight cheaper version (softcover). I think that cheaper version was sold only in South America. The editorial was the same (is called "Gredos"). Gredos also made reduced collections (with around 150 volumes).
I have no questions - this is simply awesome and it makes me so happy it see. Thank you for sharing it! The Carmina Burana, my favourite music ever and now I know and must look for them.
Here is what I got from ChatGPT 4o: The Carmina Burana is a collection of medieval Latin poems and songs from the 11th to 13th centuries, discovered in 1803 in a Bavarian monastery. Compiled by an anonymous group of scholars, clerics, and traveling students known as Goliards, the texts cover a wide range of topics, including the unpredictability of fortune, the joys and perils of love, satire of the church and nobility, and the pleasures of drinking and gambling. The name Carmina Burana translates to "Songs of Beuern," a reference to the monastery of Benediktbeuern where the manuscript was found. The collection, now housed in the Bavarian State Library, comprises around 254 poems and is considered one of the largest surviving collections of secular poetry from the medieval period. The Carmina Burana gained widespread fame in the 20th century when German composer Carl Orff set 24 of the poems to music in 1936. Orff's composition, also titled Carmina Burana, is a cantata that features grand orchestral arrangements, powerful choral movements, and stirring solos. The most recognizable section is "O Fortuna," which opens and closes the work, capturing themes of fate’s power and capriciousness. Orff's version is known for its dramatic intensity and has become iconic in popular culture, often used in movies, advertisements, and dramatic sequences to evoke awe and intensity. This musical adaptation brought renewed interest to the original medieval texts, highlighting their timeless themes and artistic depth.
Ah, another Orff fan! Welcome, welcome! Be sure to check out the sheet music to Carmina Burana as well. It's amazing. I learned to play some of it years ago, but I'm no musician.
@@timothykenny I am no musician at all - unless you count one year of recorder at school when I was 9 - but the Carmina Burana is exceptional and while I always knew it was based around fragmented poems this video was the first time it ever occurred to me I might be able to get my hands on them and read them.
Very cool! When I was a kid, my parents had several different encyclopedias, novels, atlas, etc. After my parents died, we split the books, but I was unable to take any. At some point my sister mailed the "Great Books" collections to me. Unfortunately, USPS lost my books! I got one box, which was totally destroyed and damaged all the books, and I got another box (not mine!) of somebody's dentures!!!!!! I was really angry. How long have you been collecting books? What are your favorite books in your collection? What books do you still want to get? I noticed a whole empty bookshelf! Do you open you home to neighbors and friends who want to do research or just read? The Loeb books are amazing. Also! The dictionaries... there was a movie about some man who was writing the dictionary. I have never seen a complete dictionary. I think this is amazing. Wow! Wow! Do you have a computer catalogue of your books?
Ooh, okay, thanks for the kind words. I'm so sorry to hear about your lost books. I've had hundreds of books destroyed by improper storage, though, so you're not alone. When I was younger, I didn't understand sun damage. Then I discovered rats. Oh, god. I've since moved from that location and everything is much better now. 1) I've been collecting for more than thirty years. Depending on your definition of "collecting," the bug may have bitten me as early as when I was ten. But it really kicked into high gear in college when my advisor retired and gave me his entire collection. 2) Favorite books include, but are not limited to, "The History of the Crusades" by Joseph Francois Michaud, with illustrations by Gustave Doré; the Kelmscott facsimile of Chaucer's complete works by the Folio Society; a book of poems by Edmund Waller from 1686; a three-volume edition of Edmund Spencer's "The Fairie Queen" in three volumes from 1751; Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" (just cuz I loved the book); Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles" (for the same reason as the Eco book); maybe a few others as well. 3) I'm always looking to collect more mythology and folklore. Especially from under-represented cultures. It's easy to find Greco-Roman or Norse stuff. But it gets harder to find folk tales from a lot of smaller cultures. 4) Yes, the empty bookshelf. It has since been filled after I did a re-org following this video. I'm desperate to free up space. I currently have about twenty feet of empty space, which is not as much as it sounds. I will need a larger house and a couple lottery wins to get the library to a place that matches my dreams. 🙂 Best wishes to you with your collecting!
I think this is the movie you were thinking of: From ChatGPT 4o: One movie that fits this description is “The Professor and the Madman” (2019). It tells the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The film stars Mel Gibson as Professor James Murray, who leads the project to compile the dictionary, and Sean Penn as Dr. William Chester Minor, a contributor who sends in thousands of entries while confined to an asylum. The movie explores their unlikely collaboration and the challenges of compiling such an immense work of scholarship.
Thanks for watching Susan! The Books of Jacob sounds interesting. For those interested here are some more details: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Books_of_Jacob amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/10/the-books-of-jacob-by-olga-tokarczuk-review-a-messiahs-story
@@timothykenny haha im 14 minutes in - give me like 9 more hours pls to answer this 🤣 I just randomly stumbled upon this without any context towrds either your channel or the person who owns this collection - which is mind blowing just through its size alone (as well as the 13hrs of interview/discussion) good stuff!
For those unfamiliar, here’s a set of summaries on the Loebs mentioned via ai: Homer’s Odyssey (Books 1-2) • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 104: Homer: The Odyssey I) The opening books of the Odyssey set the stage for the epic. Book 1 introduces the suitors occupying Odysseus’ home and the gods’ council, with Athena disguising herself to inspire Telemachus to seek news of his father. Book 2 presents Telemachus calling an assembly to confront the suitors, asserting his emerging authority, and preparing to journey to Pylos and Sparta. These books explore themes of generational transition, divine intervention, and the heroic ideal. Plato’s Euthyphro • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo) In Euthyphro, Socrates encounters Euthyphro at the court and challenges him to define piety as Euthyphro claims to prosecute his own father for impiety. The dialogue critiques several proposed definitions of piety, such as what is pleasing to the gods or what aligns with divine commands, revealing their logical inconsistencies. This work explores themes of religious morality, ethical relativism, and the difficulty of achieving philosophical clarity on universal concepts. Plato’s Apology • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo) The Apology records Socrates’ defense during his trial, in which he confronts accusations of corrupting the youth and introducing new gods. Socrates argues that his philosophical mission is a divine duty to challenge ignorance and complacency, emphasizing that an unexamined life is not worth living. He defends his actions as a service to the city, even at the cost of his own life, raising profound questions about justice, individual integrity, and the role of philosophy in society. Plato’s Crito • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo) In Crito, Socrates refuses his friend Crito’s offer to help him escape from prison after being sentenced to death. Socrates argues that escaping would violate his principles, undermine the laws of Athens, and harm the city’s moral order. The dialogue explores themes of justice, the social contract, and the ethical responsibility of citizens to uphold laws, even when they seem unjust. Plato’s Phaedo • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo) The Phaedo recounts Socrates’ final hours before his death by poison, during which he discusses the immortality of the soul. Socrates presents arguments such as the cyclical argument, the theory of recollection, and the affinity argument to support the soul’s eternal nature. The dialogue also reflects on the philosopher’s readiness to face death, emphasizing the soul’s pursuit of truth and liberation from bodily desires. Plato’s Phaedrus • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 166: Phaedrus, Lysis) In Phaedrus, Socrates and Phaedrus discuss love and rhetoric during a walk outside Athens. Socrates’ speeches explore the concept of divine madness as a form of inspiration in love, contrasting it with self-serving relationships. The dialogue transitions to a discussion on the art of rhetoric, critiquing speeches that prioritize persuasion over truth. Socrates concludes by linking rhetoric to the soul’s pursuit of the good, emphasizing ethical communication and self-knowledge. Plato’s Lysis • Loeb Classical Library (LCL 166: Phaedrus, Lysis) The Lysis centers on a discussion about friendship, focusing on what makes a person a true friend. Socrates examines various hypotheses, including friendship based on mutual benefit, shared virtue, or complementary needs, only to reveal their limitations. The dialogue ultimately leaves the nature of friendship unresolved, inviting reflection on human relationships and the tension between self-interest and altruism. This version provides a detailed overview of each work’s content and major themes, with an emphasis on the intellectual and philosophical contributions of the texts. Let me know if you’d like further elaboration on any specific points!
Amazing collection! I’m curious about how much of it you’ve read. I recall reading about Dom Gregory Dix rereading all of the Church Fathers in Latin and Greek, which must have been a monumental undertaking. What percentage of this incredible library have you read so far? What do you intend to read before you die? Which languages do you read in, and what do you hope to achieve with or contribute through this collection?
Great questions. The answers might not be as great. LOL I hope to read all of them, of course. I will love to be three hundred, too. For a while, I had read about sixty percent. Now I’m down to probably thirty percent. I can just barely read a little Latin and if I’m pressed, maybe some Spanish. I have a lot of learning still in front of me. …Stay in school, kids!
There is a pretty famous couple of sets, the Pre-Nicene Fathers and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers that I’m planning on doing a video on at some point. In some ways they are on a parallel track to the Loeb Classical Library but for Christian authors.
You're right that Aurelius is best known for his Green/Greek text, the Meditations. There is also a lesser known 2 Volume Red/Latin Loeb Set of Aurelius in Latin, which are his correspondence with his mentor Marcus Cornelius Fronto, which you can view here: Vol 1 of 2: archive.org/details/correspondenceof01fronuoft Vol 2 of 2: archive.org/details/correspondenceof00fron And here: www.loebclassics.com/view/marcus_cornelius_fronto-correspondence/1919/pb_LCL112.3.xml?result=5&rskey=CLGKAV From Wikipedia: Marcus Cornelius Fronto (c. 100 - late 160s AD), best known as Fronto, was a Roman grammarian, rhetorician, and advocate. Of Berber origin, he was born at Cirta (modern-day Constantine, Algeria) in Numidia. He was suffect consul for the nundinium of July-August 142 with Gaius Laberius Priscus as his colleague.[1] Emperor Antoninus Pius appointed him tutor to his adopted sons, the future emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Some more details (Me w ChatGPT 4o): explain why meditations are in greek but correspondence is in latin ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Meditations was written in Greek because, during Marcus Aurelius's time, Greek was the primary language of philosophy and intellectual discourse in the Roman Empire, especially for Stoic thought. Greek provided a richer vocabulary and tradition for expressing philosophical concepts. Marcus, like many educated Romans of his status, was fluent in Greek and used it for personal writings and philosophical reflection. On the other hand, The Correspondence of Marcus Cornelius Fronto is in Latin because it represents letters exchanged between Marcus Aurelius and his tutor Fronto, a respected orator and rhetorician who specialized in Latin. The use of Latin reflects the educational and administrative language of the Roman elite and their emphasis on rhetoric, literature, and public affairs within the context of the Roman state. Latin was the formal language for Roman correspondence and statecraft, demonstrating the cultural importance placed on Latin as a marker of Roman identity and tradition. You said: so aurelius was fluent in latin and greek ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Yes, Marcus Aurelius was fluent in both Latin and Greek. As a highly educated member of the Roman elite and future emperor, he received an extensive education that emphasized mastery of both languages. Latin was the language of governance, law, and Roman identity, while Greek was considered the language of philosophy, arts, and advanced education. This bilingual fluency allowed him to engage deeply with Roman administrative duties, public speaking, and military leadership while also immersing himself in the rich Greek philosophical traditions that shaped his Stoic worldview. You said: what are aurelius's other works besides these two ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Besides Meditations and his correspondence with Fronto, there are few surviving works attributed directly to Marcus Aurelius. However, the following may be of interest: Speeches and Legal Documents (Lost): Marcus Aurelius would have delivered speeches and issued many edicts and legal documents during his reign as emperor. While these do not survive as standalone texts, fragments and references are preserved in historical sources. Rescripts and Legal Responses: Some responses and legal decisions attributed to Marcus Aurelius can be found scattered in legal texts, reflecting his role as a judge and administrator of the empire. Unfortunately, Marcus Aurelius's written legacy is relatively limited, with Meditations standing as his major surviving philosophical work and the letters with Fronto offering a more personal glimpse into his early life and character. Much of his other writing, such as decrees, speeches, and additional personal reflections, has not been preserved or is only mentioned by secondary sources.
Forgot to mention, the Meditations are Green, LCL 058, is here: archive.org/details/communingswithhi0000marc/ or here: archive.org/details/thecommuningswit00marcuoft The Correspondence with Fronto is Red LCL 112 and LCL 113
Thanks for watching! For those unfamiliar, via ChatGPT 4o: Scipio Africanus (236-183 BCE), also known as Scipio Africanus Major, was a Roman general and statesman best known for his pivotal role in the Second Punic War against Carthage. He earned his title “Africanus” after his decisive victory over Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE, which ended the war and established Rome’s dominance in the Mediterranean. Scipio first gained recognition for his daring and strategic capture of the city of New Carthage (modern Cartagena, Spain) in 209 BCE, showcasing his tactical brilliance and ability to innovate on the battlefield. His strategies often included bold maneuvers and the effective use of Roman infantry and cavalry in combination, reflecting his deep understanding of both Roman and enemy military tactics. In addition to his military successes, Scipio played a significant role in Roman politics. He served as consul twice and was instrumental in shaping Rome’s expansionist policies during the Republic’s rise. Despite his achievements, his later life was marked by political rivalry and accusations of corruption, which led to his voluntary exile. Scipio’s legacy endures as one of Rome’s greatest military commanders, a leader whose vision and tactics set the stage for Rome’s imperial future. His ability to adapt and innovate remains a key study in military history, and his rivalry with Hannibal is often highlighted as one of the great strategic contests of antiquity.
For those interested in learning persuasion via the Classics, these are some suggestions, also from ChatGPT 4o: The Loeb Classical Library is an excellent resource for studying persuasion, particularly in the context of rhetoric, argumentation, and classical thought. Below are some key volumes that focus on persuasion, whether through rhetoric, oratory, or philosophical analysis: 1. Aristotle: Rhetoric • Significance: Aristotle’s Rhetoric is foundational for understanding the principles of persuasion. It introduces the three persuasive appeals: logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion), as well as techniques for constructing effective arguments. • Why Loeb Edition: The Loeb edition offers both the Greek text and an English translation, making it accessible for readers at different levels. It is particularly useful for exploring the precise terminology Aristotle used. 2. Cicero: De Oratore (On the Orator) • Significance: Cicero’s work is a masterclass in rhetorical theory and practical advice for public speaking. He delves into the skills necessary for effective persuasion, blending philosophy, oratory, and politics. • Why Loeb Edition: The Latin-English parallel format is ideal for studying his language while understanding his rhetorical strategies. 3. Cicero: Orations • Key Speeches: Look for volumes with his Philippics, Pro Archia, or In Catilinam. These are examples of persuasion in action, showcasing Cicero’s techniques in courtroom and political settings. • Why Loeb Edition: These volumes provide both historical context and rhetorical finesse, demonstrating Cicero’s skill in real-world applications of persuasion. 4. Quintilian: Institutio Oratoria (The Orator’s Education) • Significance: Quintilian’s Institutio Oratoria is a comprehensive guide to the art of rhetoric, covering the education of an orator, persuasive techniques, and moral considerations in persuasion. • Why Loeb Edition: The detailed commentary and clear translation make it a valuable resource for teachers and students of rhetoric. 5. Demosthenes: Orations • Significance: Demosthenes, one of the greatest orators of ancient Greece, is a key figure for studying persuasive techniques in political and legal contexts. His Philippics and Olynthiacs are particularly notable for their rhetorical power. • Why Loeb Edition: The Greek-English format provides insights into his use of language, style, and argumentation. 6. Plato: Gorgias and Phaedrus • Significance: These dialogues examine rhetoric and persuasion from a philosophical standpoint. In Gorgias, Socrates critiques rhetoric as a tool for manipulation, while in Phaedrus, he explores the ethical use of persuasion. • Why Loeb Edition: Plato’s nuanced discussion on the morality and methodology of persuasion is complemented by the dual-language format. 7. Isocrates: Works • Significance: Isocrates is less known but equally significant for studying persuasion. His focus on ethical rhetoric and education makes his works a complement to more technical treatments by Aristotle and Cicero. • Why Loeb Edition: This edition provides accessible translations of speeches and essays that emphasize the role of rhetoric in shaping society. Recommendation for Teaching To provide a comprehensive introduction to persuasion: • Start with Aristotle’s Rhetoric for theoretical grounding. • Incorporate Cicero’s De Oratore and Orations for practical applications. • Use Plato’s Gorgias to discuss the philosophical and ethical dimensions of persuasion. • Add Quintilian or Demosthenes for advanced studies in persuasive techniques. This selection gives students a mix of theory, practice, and ethical considerations, showcasing the multifaceted nature of persuasion in classical texts.
Just remind her that you could be doing something far worse than collecting knowledge. LOL Or offer to build something for her if she lets you build a shelf or two. Thanks for the kind words, and good luck!
It's called Library Thing. www.librarything.com/ ----------------- From the Website: LibraryThing is completely free. Add books, movies and music from Amazon, the Library of Congress and 4,941 other libraries. Track your reading progress, rate and review. See detailed charts and stats about your library and reading life. Find your new favorite book with personalized recommendations. A warm and welcoming community of nearly three million book lovers. Join groups and talk with other book lovers. Our Early Reviewers program offers over 3,000 free, early-release books every month. Apps for iPhone and Android. Available in over 50 languages. ------------------ The founder Tim Spalding actually gave us a shoutout yesterday on X/Twitter, linking to this video: x.com/librarythingtim/status/1858187694221701137
6.4k+ books. I forgot if we distinguished between books and volumes…volumes may be higher. I will ask him on the AMA. Growing at about 300 books a year if I remember correctly. He is a commercial photographer. We will be showing his camera setup in part 2.
Yea I think maybe we didn’t emphasize that you are a collector, and so you think like a collector and not just a normal library owner. I’ll ask Greg to speak more about this on the AMA. I’m a collector as well but I have more of a focus on rare stuff.
Bibles that I recommend for our friend. Context supplied! 1. The ESV Archeology Study Bible. Handsome, premium binding, the evidence you're looking for. 1a. The ESV Study Bible. The gold standard of scholarship, balance and thoroughness. In text maps! Historical context. 2. The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Study Bible. Gorgeous. Filled with articles and illustrations relating to the ANE, 2nd Temple Period, and Roman contexts. Extremely well-done. 3. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Meaty. Beautiful. 4. The NABRE. A decidedly secular annotated Catholic translation. Go figure. All available in hardback. None of them are particularly expensive but they are well-made.
Thanks, will have to look more into these. Any thoughts on this one? th-cam.com/video/tPZmLRO0DXA/w-d-xo.html He has a pretty epic library tour that helped inspire this one: th-cam.com/video/vxY9dtERNoA/w-d-xo.html
I'm not sure I ever asked him this specifically, but I will make sure to ask him in the AMA. You can attend live if you want in the first link in the description if you have any followup questions, or you can ask them as a comment and I will ask them to Greg on the call. I did ask him at 8:00:52 what his daily routine is and how his library fits into that, so you might like his response there.
Not NEARLY as much as I should. LOL I bounce all over the place, picking between titles and subjects with almost complete randomness. I often start a book, put it down, come back to it three books later, bounce around some more, then decide I don't want to read any more of the first title. But more to your point, I think, is that I collect titles about subjects that are interesting to me, and I often read at least part of the vast majority. Am I spending six hours a day reading? No, definitely not. But I am enjoying reading what and when I can.
Lovely Gustav Stickley Morris chair in the corner of the main room. The discussion about Latin-language works is somewhat sad to me… I went to highschool in the 90’s and took Latin (even won a National Latin Award), but I do not think that my kids will have the opportunity to learn the language and read classic authors like Cicero in their original tongue. It was that experience that propelled me to study philosophy in university and learn many other languages over the years. Times change!
@@timothykenny I learned German, mainly to read Hegel, but then I fell for Hölderlin and other romantic poets. After that I learned Arabic to study Islamic theology and philosophy. I studied French before, during and after Latin, but with no real aim and I struggle to speak it now.
Very cool I’m learning German and Arabic right now for similar reasons and have previously studied French and Latin which I’m now refurbishing. Can you recommend any Arabic texts you liked?
Yeah, I hear you. I wish I'd had the opportunity to learn Latin as a kid. I'm studying it a bit now, but I'm also drawn in so many directions. I would assume that you feel this same way, but there are simply not enough hours in the day to learn all we want to learn. However, I believe there will always be certain schools that teach the classics, and if you aim to raise your family in one of those areas, your kids will indeed be able to learn Latin.
@@timothykenny Ibn Rushd is very accessible if you are familiar with Aristotle. He has commentaries on Aristotle’s works, so you can read them side by side (in translation or otherwise, depending on where you are in your language studies). Ibn Arabi is very conceptual and difficult, but he has really interesting views on ideation and reality. He actually reminds me of late Heidegger (in his Holzwege period) and I've always toyed with writing something on these similarities. Al Ghazali has some short and relatively easy writings against philosophy that are (naturally) quite philosophical. He has a view on causality that foreshadows Hume very strongly. I find those little coincidences are much of the fun of studying authors from diverse traditions and times. Ibn Rushd and Al Ghazali were intellectual rivals of sorts, so a good place to start might be a few of their easier works (perhaps the فصل المقال for Ibn Rushd and the autobiographical منقذ من الضلال for Al Ghazali).
My son has a few Goosebumps books, but not an entire collection. I do, however, have the entire Hardy Boys. But the HBs are kept in a separate room and, as Timothy mentioned, we didn't discuss them. The set is similar to the yellow Nancy Drew collection you can see on the top shelf of the main room. It's acid-washed paper in school-bindings. Not exactly high quality, but at least they're hardcovers.
Seems like maybe we should discuss the books in the separate room. Seems there is in fact some interest in those. Maybe we can get some pics for the AMA. Will talk to Greg about it. Stay tuned!
Good eye! I love that book. You probably saw the Spanish version near it as well. That series did so much for my language understanding. Nowadays, of course, it’s all available on Web.
Seems like a pretty popular series. Been seeing it crop up a lot since I noticed it on Greg’s shelf. Will need to pick one up and see what it’s all about.
@@timothykenny get a good visual dictionary, that has an image of the item along with both the English and German. Certainly helps when it comes to nouns.
Thanks! You will absolutely get there. For me, it's more about the journey. There's something fun about hunting books. It's like antiquing but with more knowledge. 🙂
@@timothykenny I do mostly Christian theology and patristic literature. Hebrew, Latin and Greek texts(personal religious convictions) as well as other religious faiths and their most important texts. Tons of classical literature from writers of the Jews, Romans and Greeks. Tolkiens works and medieval literature from Latin and Greek writers(especially Byzantine) but also video game books like Zelda or Witcher and stuff as such to satiate my gaming hobby.
Yea it's an interesting collection. I'm learning Sanskrit right now so that I can read some of these classics. The Murty Library is similar to Dumbarton Oaks in that it contains multiple languages, although unlike Dumbarton Oaks the Murty books don't have a different colored bookmark ribbon for each language.
Thia is amazing. I thought I had a lot of books (1800+) but this guy blows me away. For me, while I have my own personal preferences towards fiction, I do have a modest collection of history books published anywhere from the last decade to the late 18th century. I find it interesting how history changes, what gets focused on, what fades to the background. Same thing with science books. The best one was an old medical book published around 1940 that proudly stated that it was not the medicine of the 19th century (gee, I hope not!)
That's a great remark about how history can be interpreted differently depending on the time frame from which it's viewed. Fiction is great, too, and is my first love, but as I get older, I'm finding gaps in my education that I like to fill with history, non-fiction, or what-have-you. At the end of the day, if you're inspired by your own books, that's all that really matters, I guess. That said, do you have any favorites from your own fiction shelves?
@ClassicalLibraryGuy hmm... in terms of uniqueness and, in this case, timeliness, there's a novel called "The City Without Jews" by Hugh Bettauer written in 1922. It's a quick read meant to point out the logic (or, rather, the lack thereof) of expelling a generally highly successful group of people from a country. As you know, antisemitism was rising at the time, and the author was responding to that as best he could in a fictionalized setting. However, the whole book is overshadowed by what we know would eventually happen, and there's a certain amount of sadness and horror I felt as I read it because where Bettauer imagined the usual prejudices that could befall Jews, he, like most, could not predict what would ultimately happen, no matter the illogic of it all. It's also interesting to know that Bettauer would eventually be murdered by the Nazis for his outspoken defense of Jews. As for fiction I enjoy reading and rereading, I'm a big Dean Koontz fan, specifically his Odd Thomas series. Great characters, character development over the series, and stories. Makes me laugh and cry each time.
@timothykenny ooh, I'm living out of boxes right now so I'd have to dig through them to get the exact title but it was published about 10 years after Lincoln was assassinated. It was something along the lines of "Notable Events in American History" but it covered everything from important battles and their strategies to unexplained natural phenomena. Most of the items were obviously well known at the time of publication but since then have clearly fallen from memory or general study. Another is "Indian History for Young Folks" published in 1885 and was in fact written at the direction of the US govt. It has an interesting perspective of having positive views of the native people, frequently calling them brave warriors, and if I remember correctly, acknowledged they had not been treated entirely fairly. Not quite the narrative I expected from the government at the time.
@timothykenny, I've only watched about half an hour, but how organized everything is and how inviting his library looks is what stood out to me. I smiled at his use of the Dewy Decimal system because it reminds me of the many happy hours of my childhood spent at the local library. I'm also enjoying listening to your conversations. I plan to listen to the rest of this video in between reading and working on my novel, memoir, and a little book of writing prompts I'm putting together. Now that I'm retired, I have more time to do what I enjoy. Happy TH-cam recommended this video! Too bad they limit each video's length. Thanks for sharing this!
@@keeshlon Aw, that’s so sweet. Yeah, Dewey is fun-I thoroughly enjoyed separating everything. The problem with it, though, is that I need to remember to leave space at the end of each section so I can add books in the future. Good luck with your own writings! It’s wonderful that you’re doing all that.
So a very mundane question: where did you get the brackets for the shelves? Those look both strong and stylish. And, of course, this is iNCREDIBLE! Thank you for sharing with book lovers everywhere!
You probably already watched it, but for anyone else interested, we discussed at the timecode below Greg's process of having a builder come to his house to give an estimate on doing built-in shelves for the whole library, and other stuff related to that project. Please see: 49:35
He has a son, who is mentioned at: 1:08:11 2:59:07 3:50:07 6:53:27 6:53:59 7:17:27 7:18:18 7:30:31 8:00:04 8:02:58 8:06:06 The mention for all above is within 10 seconds after the time code given. We also have a book giveaway at the end of the video if you'd like to "inherit" a book from Greg's library.
Are you kidding?! I do, indeed, have a son, as Timothy has pointed out. He has to listen to my lectures about how the library will be his some day, and it will be up to him to decide what to do with it. The problem is that it's expensive not just to build a library, but also to hold on to it (because one needs a place large enough to house everything). But my son's a good egg; he can appreciate when I tell him how rare it is to have a home library anymore, and how cool some of the texts are. It's not really his thing yet, but I have many years to win him over. LOL
It is long, it’s true, but it definitely didn’t feel that long when we were recording it. Hopefully, there’s some cool content in there that you’ll enjoy. 😊
Thanks for watching. It’s a good point. We worked to balance the pros and cons of both approaches. The part two of this interview, which we actually recorded first chronologically, is coming soon and I asked Greg to pull from his shelves his favorite books to show on camera on video and discuss. Will look forward to hearing your thoughts on that video if you return for Part 2!
Yeah, we wanted to do that, but it's logistically impractical without a camera operator on site. Since it was just two people on Zoom, Timothy and I did the best we could. I'd love to have been able to walk through the library, hold up a book, and flip through it on camera. But if I'm the one operating the camera as well as the book, it's tough.
One benefit of our system of using pics is that we can go for 3h no problem. Standing around for that long would get old pretty fast. So not sure full video will ever be possible for these very long form tours, most of which I think are going to be 5k volumes and up.
I did that for years. It worked great until I started forgetting where I put something. LOL And three walls of books is nothing to sneeze at! Now I wanna hear more about YOUR collection!
Thanks for watching! Would be interested to know what subjects you focus on in your library as well, and if you have any favorites you might recommend.
Thanks. I know it's grating on the ears when you hear someone continually pronounce something incorrectly. If I could go back and fix it, I would. Feel free to scream, "EEE!" every time you hear me say, "aye" in the video. LOL
Just looked it up for more clarification for those interested, got this from ChatGPT 4o: The pronunciation of "I Tatti" as ee TAH-tee reflects its Italian origin. In Italian, the letter "I" is typically pronounced as ee, and "Tatti" would be pronounced with a clear "AH" sound for the "a" and a crisp "tt" sound. Unlike English, Italian pronunciation tends to maintain consistent vowel sounds and emphasizes clear, precise consonant articulation. Harvard University Press (HUP) publications often respect and preserve original language pronunciations, which is why "I Tatti" retains this traditional Italian pronunciation in English-speaking contexts.
We Loeb to see it.
Thank you for everything you do! Would be great to visit some time for a tour!
From the old pinned comment:
**💡Guide for watching and 🔖Timestamps for Last 2 Hours Below: **
**📝The owner of the library featured in this video, Greg of Reddit, is in the comments section as @ClassicalLibraryGuy**
💡Guide for watching:
The first hour focuses on a high level overview of Greg's library, plus a focus on some of his most important book sets like the Complete (550+ volume) Loeb Classical Library, the Complete I Tatti Renaissance Library and the Complete Dumbarton Oak Medieval Library.
At 1h10m we start the shelf by shelf tour, and you can skip around section by section based on subject matter.
The shelf by shelf tour concludes around 7h30m and the last couple hours contain a high level conversation on how Greg uses his library, how he is planning to grow it in the future, and much more.
The details on the book giveaway are at the very end of the video.
The second part of this bookshelf tour/interview will be released in about a week, so make sure to like and subscribe with notifications turned on to get that videos when it's released.
The third part is a live Zoom AMA with Greg which you can attend using the link above, and the recording of that AMA will be uploaded to this channel in about 2 weeks. If you can't attend live, just leave a comment below with your question and I will ask it to Greg during the Zoom call.
🔖Timestamps (continued from video description for last ~2h of video):
*** Start of High Level Conversation on Greg's Library, How He Uses It, Future Plans, etc ***
7:34:50 Interesting numbers on the Loeb collection
7:36:40 Interesting numbers on the I Tatti and Dumbarton collections
7:36:58 More interesting numbers on Greg's library
*Start of Loeb Focused Section*
7:38:30 Issues with alphabetizing the Loebs
7:40:00 The motivational benefits of having a large library
*Start of Focus on Future Plans, How He Uses Library, etc*
7:41:25 Future plans for the library
7:42:50 Airbnb idea
7:44:30 Library and homeowners insurance, wildfire danger
7:45:14 His most expensive book
7:53:30 Growing at a bookshelf a year
8:00:37 What is Greg's daily routine with his library?
8:02:45 Does a large library ever trigger ADD? (too many options)
8:03:30 Husband and Wife chair set in library
8:11:10 How many books does he have in his library? (Comparison to Umberto Ecco)
8:20:45 How should visitors behave when visiting his library? What are the rules?
8:26:00 How his childhood informed how he shelves
8:38:15 Discussion of book storage best practices
8:54:15 How does he balance being a heavy user of Reddit and having a large library and spending a lot of time reading physical books?
9:08:00 What is gained by having a large library (esp for people who are "digital native")?
9:14:24 Book Giveaway details - All books shown
9:15:15 Books Giveaway -- Books shown and described
Adding some class to the classics!
Just when you think literature's en route to collapsing into the soil, TH-cam finds me an old man with all the books and a young man who absolutely understands why that's awesome.
Wait a minute. “Old man?” You better git off mah lawn!
When the student is ready the teacher appears.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy That was my thought too! hahaha I'm the same age as the library owner. Caldonian must be a teenager.
For those interested, @CaldonianBoar 's username is (I think) a reference to this classical story, from Wikipedia:
The Calydonian boar hunt is one of the great heroic adventures in Greek legend.[2] It occurred in the generation prior to that of the Trojan War, and stands alongside the other great heroic adventure of that generation, the voyage of the Argonauts, which preceded it.[3] The purpose of the hunt was to kill the Calydonian boar (also called the Aetolian boar),[4] which had been sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia, because its king Oeneus had failed to honour her in his rites to the gods. The hunters, led by the hero Meleager, included many of the foremost heroes of Greece. In most accounts it is also concluded that a great heroine, Atalanta, won its hide by first wounding it with an arrow. This outraged many of the men, leading to a tragic dispute.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calydonian_boar_hunt
Dudes not that old
I think it's underrated how much a wall of books affects the coziness of a room. This house/library looks like a wonderful place to spend time.
Agreed, thank you for watching! Hoping to do an in person tour at some point as well!
If people bring food and good conversation, we just have ourselves a little sit-in.
Also underrated is the weight of these shelves. My question is whether he has had a structural engineer/inspector review this setup and whether he has had his house reinforced.
@@bthome123 Actually, we're on a slab foundation, so there's plenty of strength to spare. I don't think I'd want to put a library on a second story, however, without having someone take a look at things.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy thanks so much for answering my questions. I left a couple and you responded to both. I do appreciate you.
9.5 hours 😳😳.... i wont watch all today but i will watch 1-2 hours daily. Thankkk Youuu. Very cool.
Thank you Michael, that’s what I originally had in mind, a week of watching an hour or 90m a day. Feel free to ask us any questions in this thread!
I'm so happy to find someone who makes my book hoarding look amateurish. 😂😂😂 Thoroughly enjoyed the tour and I'm thrilled to have found your channel!
Thank you for watching and bringing your enthusiasm for books! Would be great to hear more about your library and anything in particular you noticed about Greg’s library!
@@timothykenny My biggest takeaway from Greg's library (I'm still working my way through your interview with him) is that people's library collections are an extension of who they are as individuals; our books are a reflection of our interests, skills, and dreams. As we age, our books can also become a map of our lived experiences and travels.
I had to purge beloved collections several times throughout my life due to military service. I have finally settled in one place for the past 10 years but have only a thousand or so books. My collection is spread throughout my home and is grouped by topic, then further arranged alphabetically by author: 1) cookbooks near the kitchen, 2) reference books and encyclopedias in the living room and study, 3) woodworking & craft books in a standalone bookcase, 4) children's books in the spare room, and 5) an extensive collection of fantasy/science fiction books in the remaining bookcases.
Nice thanks for sharing that. Any reference books you have that you'd recommend and aren't well known?
@@timothykenny Hmmm... I would say that most of the reference books I keep are ones that would be commonly held by anyone with an interest in the topic they cover. For example, my nature identification guides are all Audubon society, my herbal and garden plant reference volumes are all from Rodale Press. I don't have a library of rare and unique books as I am just now getting into building a collection to pass on to my grandchildren.
Nice I’ll have to check out the Rodale Press stuff.
You might like this video re: bird books:
th-cam.com/video/TBdhm8aQCPw/w-d-xo.html
I am a librarian and I was a classical studies major in undergrad, so this video is incredibly interesting to me on multiple levels! Thanks so much for this thorough and thoughtful tour.
Glad you enjoyed it. The problem is that my knowledge and interests are very generalized. I don’t have a lot of specific knowledge about any one topic in my titles.
I’m super envious of your Classics degree. I’ve thought of going back to school to get a Classics degree, but the language barrier is darned near insurmountable. More than likely, if I were to get another degree, it would be in something like Literature or Folklore.
Thanks for watching and your great questions in your other comment!
Just commenting again to say this has got to be one of my favourite original content videos on the entirety of TH-cam. There are not others of original content that spring to my mind right now. And I’m not even a big reader! I’m an extremely casual one but hearing Greg’s fondness and knowledge of so many books, and being able to hear him talk about them for so long, is truly inspiring.
Your words are so sweet, and really help combat the shyness I felt at posting something like this on social media. I’m glad Timothy talked me into it.
Let me know if you have any questions! I’m trying to respond to everyone but I find that I miss a bunch of them if I’m not looking as closely as I should.
Thank you for your generous words. Great to hear Greg’s library and perspective had an impact on you! Hope you’ll tune in for part 2 and 3!
Preserving knowledge is a goal beyond noble, it's wonderous.
Thank you, appreciate you watching.
Thanks for the kind words. As I never cease telling Timothy, I'm just a dude who likes books. It's the authors and books themselves that deserve the praise.
These books wont be read lol.
@@hhjhj393
Neither will your name good sir.
For most this would be considered a case of raging bibliomania......however, for me, this is a most appealing Sanctum Sactorum of cloth and vellum! Absolutely amazing and I, too....own many books, but my occupation, location and available funds won't permit a splendorous library such as this! I own a few of the golden coloured books on OE translations of Boethius and other works. It fills my heart with so much joy to see that someone in this digital era still loves not only these classic works, but the beauty of these little bound portals into the past....Yay, to books and personal libraries. Cheers, for this, fine gentlemen!
I tell young people that books are kindle's deluxe editions, in paper!!!
Thank you for watching and your comments. For those wondering, sanctum sanctorum means Holy of Holies.
@@timothykenny th-cam.com/video/jIxEPYkXkU8/w-d-xo.html
You're very kind. I appreciate the warm thoughts. And yes, it is raging bibliomania. I have no qualms about that.
Boethius is one of my faves, by the way. Great taste you have!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy th-cam.com/video/66gmYLtJJuc/w-d-xo.html
I had no idea that I've been collecting books wrong my entire life. This gentleman has given me new life goals. So delighted by this popping randomly into my feed. Thank you for the invaluable dedication of making this video for us all. ❤
You can never collect wrong if you're following your heart. Go forth and collect, my friend! Maybe we'll cross paths in a used book store some day.
Glad this video found its way to you. Thanks for watching. Seeing Greg’s library helped me set a new standard for my own library and collecting as well.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuyThank you! That would be nice, meeting a fellow book lover, and we can chat about how impressive this library is. ❤ Hope you have a good evening. 😊
Thanks for subscribing. Great to be able to connect fellow book lovers!
Don't worry, everything will come together! Don't let anxiety take away the fun in the process.
No idea how this ended up in my recommendations but i am happy about it. I skipped straight to the literature/fiction section as that’s what I mostly read. I also collect books but I am more focused on having a library of books I read and enjoyed or that somehow shaped me. I get rid of books I hate or can’t finish. I love buying and collecting books (and reading them). Many people think I am crazy to spend (so much) money on books when you can just borrow them but they are my passion. It’s always nice to come across other people who are passionate about books in one way or another.
Thanks for watching! Could you share any of your favorite sets or genres or authors you have collected?
The way I look at it is this: If you're not hurting anyone else or doing something illegal, then everyone who questions why you (the universal "you") do a thing can just take a hike. Collecting books, IMO, is one of the best forms of collecting there is.
I'm also like you in that I get rid of DNF books or books I don't like. I'm also starting to pare down the genre fiction sections. Unless a title was very meaningful to me (e.g., "The Hobbit", which my mother read to me as a kid), I intend to get rid of it. I could use the shelf space, anyway.
Keep reading and collecting, my friend!
For those unfamiliar, some context via ChatGPT 4o:
1. “DNF books”: Stands for “Did Not Finish.” This is a common term in the reading community to refer to books that a reader started but did not finish because they lost interest or disliked the content.
2. “Genre fiction”: Refers to fiction written to fit specific literary genres like mystery, fantasy, science fiction, romance, or horror. The commenter mentions paring down their collection of such books unless a title holds personal significance to them.
@ good comment! I tend to overlook acronyms and jargon-like terminology until I don’t understand it. LOL
Maybe I should make a jargon video. There’s lots of these things but never seen them collected in a single video
I’m from India and live in the US. Saw a copy of Mahabharata in his spectacular collection!!! He really knows what books are worthy of having!! Hats off to this gentleman and also to Timothy for interviewing him! Heartfelt thanks!
Thanks for watching! Do you have a favorite edition of the Mahabharata?
Thanks for noticing! I actually started off my journey many years ago with the Bhagavad Gita, which may or may not have been shown in the video. I have a cool illustrated version of it. And I just picked up another copy of the Mahabharata, so I have a lot of reading to do!
@@timothykenny I love reading hearing different renditions of the Mahabharata since it always gives different insights. Especially lot of regional language ones in India. So no particular favorite as such. Thanks for checking 😊🙏🏼
@ it is said that there is nothing that you won’t find in the Mahabharata and if it isn’t in there, it won’t be found anywhere else. It is one of the most profound pieces of literature ever created. And the sublime Bhagawad Gita is also a part of it. Glad you are on the wonderful journey 😊🙏🏼
Thanks, good point on the different translations. For those interested here’s a link for more info on the Mahabharata:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata
In “Confessions,” St. Augustine mentioned that Cicero’s “Hortensius” inspired him to study philosophy. Although this work was highly popular for centuries, “Hortensius” is no longer available. Investing in a personal library can significantly impact future civilization. Not everything has been digitized, and many more books are out of print than those currently printed and digitized. This is a beautiful library.
With that in mind, I highly recommend reading "A Canticle for Leibowitz." 😊
Thanks I will check that out.
P.S. OED vid will be coming soon.
Thanks for the kind words. Oh, and I have a copy of "Canticle." It's on my TBR list. Soooo much to read!
For anyone interesting, a couple points:
1. TBR is To Be Read list. We discussed a related term, TBR Cart, at:
5:18:11
and
5:19:45
2. What is a "Canticle"? -- According to ChatGPT 4o
"In the context of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr., a "canticle" refers to a hymn or song, often of a liturgical nature, with religious significance. This usage draws on the traditional meaning of "canticle" as a chant or hymn taken from biblical texts but not necessarily from the Book of Psalms, commonly used in religious services.
The novel itself is structured as a tripartite work spanning centuries, set in a post-apocalyptic world where the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz preserve remnants of human knowledge through the "dark ages" following nuclear war. The title emphasizes the religious undertones and themes of preservation, cyclical history, and faith, framing the narrative as an extended "song" or "hymn" to the preservation of knowledge and civilization, as well as the human condition. Each section of the book represents a different "verse" or "phase" in humanity’s efforts to regain and potentially repeat its past mistakes, echoing the liturgical cadence of historical cycles."
@ Over the past two years, I have read “Canticle” twice, and each reading has deepened my appreciation for its profound assertion: that the written word is the vessel through which human knowledge is preserved and transmitted. Reflecting on invaluable works like the Epic of Gilgamesh and other ancient texts that illuminate the distant past, one can only ponder the irretrievable knowledge lost in catastrophic events such as the burning of the Library of Alexandria. I am convinced that safeguarding the writings of our ancestors is essential to navigating our journey through the uncharted waters of the future.
@@shawnbrewer7 Great points! But it's worth adding that preservation is not enough--we need to re-read these texts, to teach them, to learn them. So many problems with society lately could've been solved if people had looked at the conflicts of the past.
Thank you for putting together this fascinating portrait of a library, Timothy. I'm a book person too and live with cca 16000 books in two rooms. Unfortunately space constraints mean quite a few are piled in heaps instead of shelved, but I enjoy digging through them.
Wow 16k is impressive. If you think you’d be interested in giving me a tour of your library please email me at timothy@timothykenny.com. No need to have the perfect setup either. It’s the ideas that count!
I agree that there is a lot of fun in just diving through piles. That’s one thing I miss with the organization. Sometimes, chaos is fun.
Agreed, always important to leave room for serendipity.
This is just the most amazing thing I have ever seen on TH-cam. First, ofc the library is incredible and I am more than jealous. And secondly, the work that Timothy Kenny has done, not only the video, but the answering of questions, the high-resolution photos, everything. It is just amazing.
Social media are now completely invaded by fast products like TikTok or shorts, but this project is the best proof of why Social Media is such an amazing thing. The democratization of culture production, the accessibility, the breakdown of TV or film limits. Today, social media is totally demonised for allowing the spread of fake news and for idiotising our youth with stupid videos of a few seconds. But aren't the most watched TV programmes the dumbest, isn't the most read newspaper in the UK The Sun, aren't the best-selling books dumb, inconsequential novels? Let's reclaim social media. They are a vehicle for stupidity, of course, so is the printing press, and we will not condemn Gutenberg for that. Let us reclaim the internet as another step in the expansion of culture and knowledge in human history, probably the most consequential one after the invention of writing.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And excuse my English, I'm just a young Spaniard impressed by your work.
Hear hear. You should run for office!
Thank you for the kind words, and I agree completely! Yo no puedo hablar muy bien en Español, pero muchas gracias para las palabras amables. ¡Espero que me entiendas!
Yes. I’m (re) learning Spanish this year in fact. More details here:
th-cam.com/video/2M2jJVqrfT4/w-d-xo.html
@@timothykenny portuguese is just next door! Come to Brazil! :)
Yes would be great to visit some day!
Oh, goodness. This would be me if my husband and kids didn’t keep my book collecting somewhat in check. I have to continually downsize the collection to keep it from overtaking the house. It still kind of does.
Bless Greg’s family for being supportive of his collection. And thank you both for creating the most satisfying TH-cam video I’ve ever seen! The unabashed curiosity and desire to learn about subjects without the societal necessitation of ‘productivity’ is delightful. I’m also a commercial photographer and have no ‘need’ to study ancient philosophy or theology, but here we are.
Ah! At Home With Books is also a favorite of mine. I’d love to photograph an updated version if there were any publishers willing to put it out.
What what what?! A fellow shooter in these here parts? Welcome, indeed!
And you’re right: The unsung heroes of videos like this one are always the family members who put up with it. All I want is to fill the house with shelves, but it’s like approaching the speed of light-the closer you get, the harder it becomes.
@@asher_oakokay, seriously. Now it’s getting weird. That’s one of my all-time favorite books and is one I’ve been working to shoot as well. I’m starting to sense a collab!
And by the way, great work on your site! I love your aesthetic.
Agreed Asher I looked at your website and you have a great aesthetic and use of light.
Here is some more info on the relationship and importance of philosophy and theology via ai:
1. “Philosophy is the handmaid of theology” (Philosophia ancilla theologiae)
• The phrase is often attributed to Peter Damian, who discussed the relationship between philosophy and theology in his treatise De Divina Omnipotentia (On Divine Omnipotence). In this work, Damian argued that philosophy, while valuable, must remain subordinate to theology because theology is based on divine revelation and concerns eternal truths. The metaphor highlights the medieval view that human reason (philosophy) serves to clarify and support the higher truths revealed by God (theology). Thomas Aquinas later popularized this idea in his Summa Theologiae, where he frequently emphasized the role of philosophy as a preparatory tool for understanding theological concepts, reinforcing the notion that philosophy’s ultimate purpose is to serve theology.
2. “Theology is the queen of the sciences” (Sacra doctrina regina scientiarum)
• This idea is articulated in Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae (Part 1, Question 1, Article 5), where he defends theology (sacra doctrina) as the highest and most noble science. Aquinas argues that theology qualifies as a scientia because it is based on divine principles revealed by God, rather than being derived solely from human reason. He states that sacra doctrina holds preeminence because it governs and orders all other sciences, directing them toward their ultimate purpose-knowledge and union with God. This concept reflects the scholastic view of the interconnectedness of knowledge, where theology occupies the highest rank due to its eternal focus on salvation and the ultimate truths about God. The phrase encapsulates the medieval understanding of theology’s central role in the hierarchy of learning.
For those interested in the issue of social pressures towards constant productivity, here is some background via ai:
Historically, reading and studying classics, ancient philosophy, and theology were viewed as ends in themselves, integral to cultivating the soul and mind. Philosophers such as Socrates and Aristotle emphasized the intrinsic value of knowledge and contemplation as fundamental to a well-lived life. This perspective resonates with intellectual traditions that see learning as inherently meaningful, not something to be justified through external productivity metrics. The modern commodification of intellectual pursuits contrasts starkly with this older tradition.
• Book Recommendation: The Republic by Plato. Through Socratic dialogues, Plato explores justice, education, and the ideal society, emphasizing the philosopher’s role in seeking truth for its own sake.
• Book Recommendation: Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. This foundational text examines the nature of virtue and the good life, arguing that contemplation is the highest form of human activity.
Modern critiques of the pressure to “justify” intellectual pursuits often highlight how utilitarianism and productivity-focused mindsets distort the value of reading and study. Thinkers such as Alasdair MacIntyre and Hannah Arendt discuss how modernity’s focus on function and output undermines the “vita contemplativa,” or contemplative life. This shift has relegated pursuits like the study of philosophy or theology to being seen as impractical unless tied directly to career advancement or measurable outcomes. These critiques urge a reevaluation of intellectual pursuits as essential for human flourishing, independent of external validation.
• Book Recommendation: After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre. This influential work critiques modern moral philosophy, contrasting it with Aristotelian virtue ethics and the idea of practices as inherently meaningful.
• Book Recommendation: The Life of the Mind by Hannah Arendt. In this profound exploration of thinking, willing, and judging, Arendt examines the value of contemplation and its marginalization in a world dominated by action and utility.
Critics also note how this focus on utility reflects broader trends in capitalist societies, where even leisure and intellectual exploration are commodified. Ivan Illich and Jacques Ellul, among others, critique how technological and economic systems reshape values, turning once intrinsic goods into instrumentalized activities. For many, the joy of engaging with ancient texts, philosophy, or theology is precisely their resistance to this commodification-a space where personal growth and intrinsic value still matter.
• Book Recommendation: Tools for Conviviality by Ivan Illich. This work critiques the modern drive to instrumentalize every aspect of human life, arguing for the creation of spaces where individuals can engage in meaningful, self-directed activities, including intellectual pursuits.
• Book Recommendation: The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul. Ellul critiques how technological advancement has come to dominate human life, shifting priorities away from values like contemplation and intrinsic meaning.
By re-embracing the traditions of the “vita contemplativa,” individuals can resist the societal pressures to commodify their intellectual lives, reconnecting with a deeper sense of purpose and joy in learning.
Amazing library and interview Timothy. Love this idea for the book tours and looking forward to watching both parts.
Thanks for "tuning in," as it were. Timothy is a good dude.
Thanks Max, appreciate you. Big things to come.
I'll have to get back to this in snippets but this is just making my heart sing. Sometimes the algorithm gets it right. Greg sounds like a person well worth talking to.
Thank you so much. I’m still in shock that this resonated with so many. I hope you have a great day!
Thanks for watching! Agreed, I learned a lot during the tour.
This is a marvelous video. Thank you both for taking the time to thoroughly review this collection. What a treasure!
Thanks for the kind words!
Thanks, feel free to let us know if you have any questions or if anything particular stands out to you in the tour. Part two of the vid will be published in the next week.
wow! such a beautiful collection. I may have cried a little bit because I think its just beautiful. I was watching and getting excited like ooo I have read this. My little book collectors' heart was just in awe.
That’s so sweet! What books caught your eye that you’d like to read?
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy well I read a variety of books. I have a list of classics that everyone should read in their lives and I saw some of the philosophy books. I stopped reading for about 13 years. Then in 2023 I started reading again. I started with 25 books in a year and then the next 142 read and this year I have read 176 so far. I read almost all genres. Other than the Bible my favourite book so far is the Republic by Plato. Though many classics and some fantasy come very close. So seeing many of my favourites on his shelves and some of the classics/ philosophy and others on the shelf made me so happy. I definitely didn’t stick to what your question was asking lol 😆
@@kaylag9579Questions are like cliffs off which we jump into the sea of conversation. It doesn’t matter how you ended up in the waves as long as you enjoy the swim. :-)
It’s been MANY years since I’ve read Plato's Republic. Might have to crack that one open again. (Can't believe autocorrect gave me "the Republican".) LOL
Thanks for watching! Those are some great reading numbers. What’s your favorite book of the Bible?
@@timothykenny I don’t know if I have a favourite. So many gems it’s hard to pick just one. I am greatly enjoying Romans right now though.
As a woodworker and bookcase builder, I was wincing so hard listening to y'all talk about the shelving and built-ins. I wanted to shout my two cents at the screen several times. I do have to say that doing the stud installed shelving and then wrapping them in a case is a really fantastic idea. In my book inventory office I use essentially the same setup, but the shelves are not encased the way dude's are. I might have to look into doing that soon. If anyone is thinking about installing shelving like this, I highly recommend doing a full price comparison between materials and finishes, especially if purchasing from a big box store. The pricing often doesn't make a ton of sense when you start comparing your options and it can be startling to know what nicer options you could actually purchase given the budget requirements of some of the "lesser options". That being said, there's no reason to go with solid mahogany shelves when you could use something like mahogany veneered poplar or a veneered composite material. I could go on. If anyone has questions about shelving, materials, or bookcases, ask away.
Thanks a lot for your comment. Would be glad to hear any of the other specific thoughts you had as we were talking.
Btw just ballpark, what would be roughly the prices for a standard bookshelf with the 3 materials you mentioned?
You nailed it (pun not intended). I spent a lot on lumber that could've been spent on custom shelves. I found a great guy locally who did my built-ins, and he also drew a plan to encase the entire room. But I also need a bigger room! LOL
@@timothykenny It's a difficult thing to answer because it really relies on the tools available on hand. I can buy rough sawn 4/4 poplar (4/4 = 1 inch thick) for about 3 dollars a board foot (board foot equals 1 inch thick by 12 wide by 12 tall) then bring that home to my shop, mill it (edge plane and thickness plane) and if you subtract the time and the tools, I'm only out about $16 for an 8 foot length. Compare that to "F4S" (fished on 4 sides) poplar that you buy from a big box store, and you'll be looking at closer to $10 per linear foot, which is $80 for the same 8 foot board I paid $16. Compare that to the 10k estimate that was given on those red oak built-in and what you're looking at is a mark-up that considers the builder's tools and time. The materials themselves are relatively cheap (rough sawn) even in California. Rough sawn red oak is probably $3 - $4 a board foot rough sawn most places. If I were low balling that built in or just building it for myself, I could probably build it with about $800 and a couple weekends. The mark up definitely pays for the wood worker, not the materials.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy You definitely found a great woodworker. Your library looks incredible!
Mad props to everyone involved for undertaking this amazing exploit.
Thanks for watching!
All thanks go to Timothy for reaching out to me in the first place.
Couldn’t have done it without Greg being so generous with his time!
Wow. Just WOW. I’m pretty proud of my teeny little 300 book library. Classics Science Fiction and Fantasy. Lol. Have an Excel spreadsheet and everything. 😂
But this is spectacular!!
- and gives me so much more hope for the world for some reason. What a beautiful video and as I just found your channel I have to agree with another person who commented on what a unique and phenomenal exercise in utilizing the power of TH-cam to bring the lovers of books together.
Thank you so very much! And thank you for sharing your library so thoroughly with us. I can’t wait to do a deep dive into each and every spine on your shelves. 🙏🏻🙌🏼💙
QQ-Just curious if Greg has any idea of how many of his books he’s read? Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
We talked about how many books he’s read in the AMA video which will be uploaded fairly soon but he has read most of them to some extend but about half more or less to completion, if I remember correctly. His approach is to move between a lot of books simultaneously instead of going one to the next in a serial fashion so it’s not a simple answer.
@ editing now! Thank you!
Thanks, appreciate it!
Aww! Thank you for the very nice words. I was pretty hesitant at first about recording any of this, in part because I didn’t think many folks would be interested. I’m glad I was wrong (and that Timothy had the vision I lacked).
Yeah, this has been a lifetime of hoarding and loving books. But it’s always changing. As I’ve said elsewhere, a personal library is a living, breathing construct. Books come and go, shelves get shuffled, etc. it’s always slightly different than when you last saw it. That’s part of what makes it fun for me, and I think for other collectors, too.
I’d love to hear more about your books. And, of course, let me know if you have any more questions about this vid.
Oh, speaking of questions: You did ask how many I’ve read. I jump around a lot with my reading, and I tend to acquire books faster than I read them. My current TBR is at least one hundred deep, maybe more. I’ll read up to about ten books at once, sometimes. In hindsight, a little discipline would probably do me some good. LOL
@ First - I’m SO EXCITED to hear back from you!
There are so many things you said that are profound to me and resonate innately. The way you and Timothy spoke about books, beliefs, connections, relationships and how amazing books are as bridges to many different experiences we need and/or we have is phenomenal.
I’ve always been a reader but I fell off of it as my normal routine until last year. I was back in college in 2022, going for a Data Science degree and fell onto a TH-cam channel (Hardcore Literature Book Club) which led me to Tristan & The Classics. It was a revelation 😂. Idk how the algorithm worked but the YT gods recognized a need in me. Lol. I don’t love reading hardcovers and my intention is more about reading than collecting. So I researched (aka via Reddit;) ) which editions, translations, dimensions of books would be best for me. I started and still love Penguin Black Classics-floppiness(honestly most important to me), annotation, intros, etc included. Love them and the covers. Also Penguin Deluxe, Oxfords, Vintage, Modern Library etc. So War & Peace was the first I tackled and have continued from there. I’ve read 56 books this year with a 2 month hiatus bc of school. And now I have a few hardcover sets (Tolkien (WMorrow), Austin (Harper Muse) and Harry Potter(1st editions/US) and a myriad of paperback publishers that I felt have offered the best editions. I also started getting into Fantasy and Science Fiction. And because I can’t stop reading a series once I start, most of my fantasy is Trade paperback (don’t appreciate Signet’s Les Mis - The Brick!) 😄and are full series.
My classics are from Achebe to Woolf. My fantasy series are from Stephen R. Donaldson to Gene Wolfe.
I’m driving my husband a bit crazy bc he loves his Kindle. But after spending most of my time on technology I need to feel the paper in my hands. Plus, because I take pleasure in being child free 😂, I have no problem taking entire days to read, so I will keep my library as mainly paperbacks.
Still can’t choose my favorite book but in Classic it’s probably Austin’s hardcover collection by Harper Muse. In Sci-Fi it’s the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown, and Fantasy is The Faithful and the Fallen/Blood & Bone series by John Gwynne. Big and Floppy! 😄
The Werewolf by Montegue Summers Hardcover on Amazon $167.
I really loved when Greg mentioned movie nights with his family as a child. I too loved pausing my VHS player and referencing my encyclopedia when I was curious about a person or topic. I love the internet, but, there is something about flipping through the pages of your family encyclopedia or scouring the library for information that I really miss. Fantastic video, thank you both for sharing!
Thanks for sharing that memory and thanks for watching! These days I use ChatGPT for this kind of thing. Their mobile app has a dictation feature so it’s like a talking encyclopedia that can answer almost any question. Still, one of the special things about a physical library is the send of scale you get which is very hard to reproduce with digital.
Hope you’ll tune in for parts 2 and 3 as well!
@@timothykenny I will absolutely be tuning in! I’ve already subscribed and set my notifications to alert me of your next video. Thank you for the ChatGPT recommendation, I will have to try it out. I’ve been hesitant about downloading it.
It’s a real game changer. And every quarter it gets another step changer better. Can’t live without it now.
And thank you for subscribing with notifications. We’ve got some really cool things planned for the next two parts and adding more bc of the high interest.
at 2:53:33, Bach wrote a series of pieces called "the well-tempered clavier" in which it showed off how his tuning system could be played equally well in all key signatures without retuning the instrument.
Thank you. Please let us know if there are any other music references you pick up along the way that we missed!
I just discovered this video because TH-cam recommended it to me today, this is so good. Please do more videos like this one. I just subscribed.
Welcome aboard! Glad you’re enjoying the content. Be sure to jump in with any questions!
Thanks, will do! Was there anything specific in the video that stood out to you?
**💡Guide for watching and 🔖Timestamps for Last 2 Hours Below: **
**📝The owner of the library featured in this video, Greg of Reddit, is in the comments section as @ClassicalLibraryGuy**
💡Guide for watching:
The first hour focuses on a high level overview of Greg's library, plus a focus on some of his most important book sets like the Complete (550+ volume) Loeb Classical Library, the Complete I Tatti Renaissance Library and the Complete Dumbarton Oak Medieval Library.
At 1h10m we start the shelf by shelf tour, and you can skip around section by section based on subject matter.
The shelf by shelf tour concludes around 7h30m and the last couple hours contain a high level conversation on how Greg uses his library, how he is planning to grow it in the future, and much more.
The details on the book giveaway are at the very end of the video.
The second part of this bookshelf tour/interview will be released in about a week, so make sure to like and subscribe with notifications turned on to get that videos when it's released.
The third part is a live Zoom AMA with Greg which you can attend using the link above, and the recording of that AMA will be uploaded to this channel in about 2 weeks. If you can't attend live, just leave a comment below with your question and I will ask it to Greg during the Zoom call.
🔖Timestamps (continued from video description for last ~2h of video):
*** Start of High Level Conversation on Greg's Library, How He Uses It, Future Plans, etc ***
7:34:50 Interesting numbers on the Loeb collection
7:36:40 Interesting numbers on the I Tatti and Dumbarton collections
7:36:58 More interesting numbers on Greg's library
*Start of Loeb Focused Section*
7:38:30 Issues with alphabetizing the Loebs
7:40:00 The motivational benefits of having a large library
*Start of Focus on Future Plans, How He Uses Library, etc*
7:41:25 Future plans for the library
7:42:50 Airbnb idea
7:44:30 Library and homeowners insurance, wildfire danger
7:45:14 His most expensive book
7:53:30 Growing at a bookshelf a year
8:00:37 What is Greg's daily routine with his library?
8:02:45 Does a large library ever trigger ADD? (too many options)
8:03:30 Husband and Wife chair set in library
8:11:10 How many books does he have in his library? (Comparison to Umberto Ecco)
8:20:45 How should visitors behave when visiting his library? What are the rules?
8:26:00 How his childhood informed how he shelves
8:38:15 Discussion of book storage best practices
8:54:15 How does he balance being a heavy user of Reddit and having a large library and spending a lot of time reading physical books?
9:08:00 What is gained by having a large library (esp for people who are "digital native")?
9:14:24 Book Giveaway details - All books shown
9:15:15 Books Giveaway -- Books shown and described
Incredible. What a treasure trove! This place should be protected at all costs just encase of... ya know... apocalypse or something. lol
Thank you
It won't stave off zombies, but maybe it can stave off zombie-minded people. 🙂
Hope he had a Halon fire-suppression system.
We actually talked about him living in wildfire country in CA, and whether it's on his home owners insurance here:
7:44:25
This video was recommended and pushed to me by youtube.
I was first a bit hesitant to watch it, because the video is over 9 hours long. But somehow the video sparked my curiosity and I started watching it. The feel and look of the library and passion that this dude has made me watch the video multiple times over again and make notes.
I also learned a lot about classical libraries and sorting methods watching this video. And this old dude has inspired me to start my own library in the future.
Thanks for watching! Great to hear that Greg’s library has inspired you. That was one of our main goals in creating this video! Anything specific you took note of?
Yes, looking at Greg's library sparked my interest in folklore and myth.
Normally I am mainly interested in reading self-help or psychology books, but I have found that this is quite dry and it is very difficult for me to continue reading it.
Lately I've been getting more into fiction and novels, which I'm enjoying a lot more at the moment, but myth and folklore are also interesting topics, which I haven't spent time reading.
Interesting how that has changed. You might like these two articles which I also recommended in a similar comment under this video, copied in full:
I bet you will really like Beth Blum's book (she is in the Eng Dept at Harvard): www.thenation.com/article/culture/self-help-compulsion-beth-blum-review/
And this is also good: lithub.com/when-did-self-help-books-become-literary/
Since you're so kind with your words, I'll overlook the "old dude" comment at the end. LOL
But seriously, I'm glad you found some value and interest in this. It's a dream I've had since I was a kid, and I love being surrounded by so much knowledge. It's like being in a room with a bunch of people who are smarter than you--it elevates you in ways you might not even realize at first. Maybe one day I'll just start speaking in iambic pentameter!
@@Stefan.Arends Myth and folklore are so wonderful because they're not just a record of a culture's beliefs, but also its fears, and its desires. A lot of such tales are steeped in values a modern society can't embrace, but they still provide great moments of insight. And who doesn't love the tale of Zeus turning into a swan? Or Baba Yaga flying around in her mortar and pestle? Or Paul Bunyan and his giant axe?
What sorts of fiction are you reading these days?
God, it's fun to be an adult lol.
I'm starting a home library too and having a blast.
Love to see Greg's collection!
Thanks! And good luck to you with your own journey!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy thanks! Congrats on yours and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly. I know I love mine every second it's here.
Thanks for watching! Any particular favorites in your collection?
And did anything stand out to you from Greg’s library that you may implement yourself in your own library?
Oh dear me! This is amazing. Thanks for showing this. I just need to know how he keeps the dust at bay. Everything looks pristine! We have 6000 books in our library and dust IS a problem.
Great question! I will ask him that on the AMA.
Dust is a problem, it’s true, but I think to varying degrees. Our place is generally pretty clean, and we try to dust the books and vacuum the rooms once or twice a week. It also helps that I’m almost constantly fussing with the books, and every time I take one down or move a shelf around, I give it a thorough cleaning.
I don't think I asked you about if you use an air purifier or if you've ever tried one. And then also, if you have central air, if that is filtered and how. Will add to the AMA questions list.
@ I do have central air with a fairly standard filtration unit. But no purifiers or anything.
Probably all you need. But was thinking maybe you had one of those Dyson things.
I've been watching this in chunks for the last few days. What a great video! I hope this becomes a series - (ultra)longform library tour/interviews/open-ended book discussions. If either of you had a podcast discussing books, I'd tune in.
Q: What's your recommended method and/or resource to determine the best translation of a classic?
Thanks for the kind words! No podcast yet for me, but maybe one day. Meanwhile, my answer to your question is, of course, solely my opinion: If I'm reading, let's say, "The Iliad," I'll check several different translations to see which one feels the most natural to me. I ended up falling in love with the Fitzgerald translations of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. I tend to avoid verse translations of verse from another language because it's very rare that the meaning, the meter, and the rhyme can be kept intact across languages. I also like to pick translations that are generally well received. Ultimately, though, if the translation feels dry or forced or purple, I'll avoid it. Just my two cents.
Thanks for watching! Great question. That’s the plan, more ultra long form tours. Greg and I also have some additional convos and videos planned beyond the three announced so far.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy Thanks for the reply - that makes sense. I'd like to read Crime and Punishment but want to feel like I've picked the "best" translation, so I think my strategy will be to visit some large bookstores and take cellphone pictures of the first few pages of as many different options as I can find, and then compare them all before buying one.
If that’s your plan def check out archive.org. You can borrow different versions simultaneously and compare them side by side!
I JUST saw your pictures on Reddit two days ago. Thanks for doing a video. So cool.
Glad you saw them. Thanks for stopping by YT as well. 🙂
You must have seen it on r/bookshelf. Lots of cool stuff there. Thanks for watching!
This video is fantastic 👏 👌 🙌
Mom of 3 young kids here, spending time I don't have watching this video. I was absolutely sucked in. Great job, gentlemen!
LOL Very much appreciated. I love the visual of you slapping away the kids’ hands cuz you wanna watch a video about books:
“But Mooooooooom!”
“Quiet! They’re discussing Catcher in the Rye!”
Thanks for watching! Appreciate the kind words.
That is absolutely amazing!
Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Hope you’ll tune in for Parts 2&3 and beyond!
This is the most majest Anti-Library I have seen in my life!!!
Thanks for your comment.
For those unfamiliar, from ChatGPT 4o:
An antilibrary is a personal collection of books that an individual owns but has not yet read. The term was coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his 2007 book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Taleb introduced the concept to highlight the value of unread books, suggesting that they serve as a constant reminder of one’s limitations in knowledge and the vastness of what remains to be learned. He was inspired by the Italian writer Umberto Eco, who maintained a vast personal library filled with numerous unread volumes, viewing them as tools for research and symbols of the unknown. This perspective encourages intellectual humility and continuous curiosity.
I should also note, Eco is one of Greg’s favorite authors and we discuss him and his books in this video.
@@timothykenny Thank you Mr. Kenny, great explanation. Eco and Borges both were obsessed with libraries and they inspired Carlos Zafon to write his successful novel "shadow of the wind". I had a library of hundreds of books that was completely destroyed during the Syrian Civil War. All that I have left of that library is what is in my mind, memories of better days.
@@timothykenny There's a 60 minutes piece on The Da Vinci Code that has Eco going through his famous library, stoping at a big shelf and saying: "this is where I keep the books that expouse fake theories" LOL
Sorry to hear about your library. You mentioned Borges- he actually came up in this recent interview with Gwern, but he of the most well known anonymous writers on the internet. You can find the video here:
th-cam.com/video/a42key59cZQ/w-d-xo.html
There is an encyclopedic aspect to their writing that is really interesting, though I’m not sure exactly how to conceptualize its significance.
Absolutely incredible collection - thank you for sharing! I am inspired to expand my own collection (which is already colossal).
Thanks for the comment. Looking forward to what you do with your channel and great website by the way. I'll be reaching out, would be great to tour your collection.
Was just looking at your site, great list here:
greatbooksguy.com/great-books-project/ancient-books/
You sound like my new best friend.
This place must just smell amazing!
I have this one very large leather bound book that sits on the coffee table and radiates a strong scent. I can smell it as soon as I walk in the room.
But then sometimes I crack a book while making bread or cookies and the house is infused with the smells of vanilla or dough. Mmm, yeah!
Thanks for watching! I think we will be showing the leather book Greg mentioned in a future video!
This video is surprisingly therapeutic. The video equivalent of bedtime reading.
Thanks for watching/listening! Glad to hear about these therapeutic uses. Another commenter suggested in one of my older videos I should read audio books as a narrator. Still haven’t pursued that yet but maybe I should.
Glad you like it. Maybe Timothy and I should do another video where we count the books one by one! 😂
With full ddc, lcc and isbn-13s.
This is just incredible! I'm speechless!
Thanks for watching! Glad to hear! Did anything especially stand out for you?
I can recommend a few: The Gettysburg address, Hamlet’s soliloquy, MLK’s “I Have a Dream”.
Sorry, just some late-night punchy humor. 😊
Thanks for the kind words. And please jump in with questions if you have any!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I have The Great Books collection. My home library is just about 1000 volumes. I haven't room for more. But My tastes include a couple of large works of India. I missed out on Sacred Books of the East, and the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but have them as ebooks. Much of my current library is in eBook form, and in the public domain. If I still read at my book a day rate, I might finish My list by end of life.
I'm a child of the sixties. I was a voracious reader for over 40 years. A good portion of my library was donated to a library in the Philippines, some here, many lost.
@@timothykenny I'm very happy that I stumbled upon your channel yesterday.
Thank you Noam! Glad that you mentioned the Sacred Books of the East. You might like the app ElevenReader for turning your text PDFs into audio books with high quality ai voices. For now it’s free on mobile. Natural Read is another one but voices are lower quality but it’s very solid.
No idea how this came across my feed, but I'm enjoying having it on in the background while I work. The collection and conversation suits my tastes perfectly (so far anyway) so thanks TH-cam! Per the comment at 1:32:50 about seeing like books together, I've often thought that every single book, essay and article ever written, fiction, opinion or nonfiction, should have a bibliography as a way to share that journey of discovery with the author. Going book by book through a curated library is a pretty good substitute!
Thank you, yes I agree. Nothing like a good annotated bibliography.
Glad you like it. I was feeling a bit shy about posting this, so it’s nice to hear your kind thoughts. Thank you!
@@timothykenny The other comment I related to, to paraphrase, "when I was younger I was interested in X, but as I got older I realized that everything is interesting." A blessing and a curse!
That’s a good one. Agreed.
This is EXACTLY the content I yearn for
GREAT VIDEO- SO GREAT TO SEE SUCH A GREAT LIBRARY
Thank you for commenting and being a subscriber
Thank you for the kind words. Something about the scents in a room of books really gets me, you know? Maybe it's the leather, maybe it's the dust. Maybe it's all the knowledge.
This is a dream!! Congratulations!!
Thanks. It's been a dream of mine, too, and has been decades in the making.
Thanks for watching! Did anything in particular inspire you about Greg’s library?
The entire Migne Payrologia Graeca can be purchased from Greece for about $3-4k last I checked. I purchased the 3vol Menologian for a bit under $200 delivered. They are beautiful hardcovers with sewn bindings. I would love to see that full set in person one day. Love this! Thank you both!
Thanks for the kind words. That set sounds interesting. I Googled it but didn't find much in my cursory search. Can you tell me what it's about and why it moves you?
I found these:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Graeca
patristica.net/graeca/
And got this from ChatGPT 4o:
The Migne Patrologia Graeca (MPG) and the Pre-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers series in English have similar aims in that they are both large collections of writings by early Christian authors and Church Fathers, but they differ significantly in scope, language, and editorial history.
1. Migne Patrologia Graeca: This collection, compiled by Jacques-Paul Migne in the 19th century, contains writings of the Greek Church Fathers from the earliest Christian centuries up to 1439, covering both Orthodox and some early Eastern Christian texts. It comprises 161 volumes and is a monumental resource primarily in Greek with accompanying Latin translations (where available). MPG’s focus is on texts originally written in Greek, such as the works of early theologians, scholars, and bishops who influenced Eastern Christianity.
2. Pre-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers (PNF/NPNF): This series, edited and translated into English primarily in the 19th century, focuses on key Christian authors and Church Fathers from the 2nd century through the late 5th century (and beyond for Post-Nicene Fathers). The collection is divided into three main series, each covering a different chronological segment:
• Ante-Nicene Fathers (Pre-Nicene): Covers works before the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD).
• Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (First and Second Series): Covers writings from the time of the Nicene Council through later significant authors, including Augustine, Chrysostom, and others.
Key Differences:
• Language: MPG is primarily in Greek (with Latin translations), while the PNF/NPNF series is translated into English, making it more accessible to English-speaking readers.
• Scope and Focus: MPG is a broader and more comprehensive collection of Greek texts, whereas PNF/NPNF provides a selected set of translations of key writings by Greek and Latin Church Fathers, including Augustine, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and others.
• Editorial Approach: MPG has a more encyclopedic and exhaustive editorial approach focused on collecting as much as possible, while PNF/NPNF is curated and more selective in terms of theological importance and relevance for Western Christianity.
So, while they both focus on early Christian writings, MPG is a more extensive compilation of Greek works, while the PNF/NPNF series offers a curated English translation set of important early Christian texts spanning Greek and Latin traditions.
Yea I would also be interested in what you like about the MPG?
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I just want you to know that my 12yo son and I are nerding out together watching this right now. I've been teaching him Greek and Latin, and while he persists in reading English when there are so many good Greek books to read, I haven't given up hope on him!
The PG series (also the Patrologia Latina and Syrica) were published by a monk named Migne back in the 19th century. Each text had the original language along with a Latin translation. The PG series sought to publish all extant Christian texts to make them available to the clergy. Many of the newer editions still rely on Migne texts because no other critical editions have been published. Of course where a modern edition has been made, it always surpasses Migne, but they are a monument of publishing for the day and age.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Paul_Migne
www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-graeca-pg-pdfs/
patrologiagraeca.org/patrologia/en/patrologia-graeca.html
Thanks will check out those links. Would be great also if you could share what method you are using to teach these languages to your son, and any resources you’ve found most useful and effective.
Love this home. It looks so cozy.
Bring food, stay for late-night convo.
Thanks for watching!
Ok....I'll be back later to indulge in the history section. Thanks for documenting this amazing collection. ❤
Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
Looking forward to it. Thank you for all your high quality comments!
Thanks. My history collection is a bit lacking. I have a lot of Folio Society titles (too many, I sometimes think) but not as many of the good, gritty history books that I know are out there.
Don’t leave us hanging!
I haven't seen the whole thing yet, but you know it's a gem when you pick random parts of the video and all are interesting
Glad to hear! Thanks for watching!
I don't know how I found this, but I'm glad I did. Just from the intro, I expected to see more Bibles; one of every translation or one from each manuscript tradition. That's my collection obsession. It's one genre where an amateur can access a reasonably priced, really well-made book.
I also look for Michener hard-backs and other series (i.em Jean M Aeul) with sewn bindings and no mold or smoke.
Thansk for watching. What are your favorite Bible editions in your collection?
@@timothykenny Not what one would think. 😂 My favorites are my 1984 NIVs. It's my favorite version of my favorite translation and it's out of print. Ithomk I have 7 of them in various forms.
1. Zondervan 1984 NIV, Thinline printed on Netherlands paper.
2. A niche bible: Paperback. Zondervan 1984 NIV Knowing Jesus Study Bible. It's the most Jesus-y!
3. CSB Holy Land Illustrated Study Bible. Not in the leather, but still gorgeous.
4. Oxford Coronation edition KJV (King Charles.)
5. NET Full-notes edition, not premium but is smythe-sewn with great paper
6. The first Bible I read all the way through: 1984 NIV Paperback Student Bible.
I have various iterations of 9 different translations, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and several premium study bibles. Soon, I plan on adding: Lion and Lamb NKJV with art gilding, Artscroll edition of the Tanakh, NJV, Allan or some other premium wide margin.
Thanks that’s some great info. What are your favorite study bibles?
I have a very humble religion section but not a lot of bibles. It’s cool that you’ve identified what you’re into!
@@timothykenny 1. ESV Study Bible is a beast. The gold standard. Maybe even TMI.
2. NET Full-notes because the notes discuss the greek/hebrew in such a way that you "get it " even if you don't speak greek or hebrew.
3. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. You could cuddle up with it.
4. CSB Study Bible (Decidedly Calvinist and complementarian (I am neither) but still great. OMG the maps! It has paper that you want to pet constantly.
Honestly, I think I learn more from interviews/podcasts/lectures of biblical scholars. But, I still use the Study Bibles regularly.
I'm watching this (over several days!) and chatting along as if I'm part of the conversations. This has become my emotional support video hahaha. Makes me want to go book shopping unapologetically!
That’s great to hear, glad you enjoyed it! What’s at the top of your to buy list from the vid?
I love this--thanks for the kind words. If you get to the point where you're picking between ramen noodles and a book, maybe you've gone too far. But anything before that? You could use another book! LOL
@timothykenny I definitely feel more encouraged to buy reference books without worrying about when or how much I will read them. I'm currently reading Welcome to Marwencol, which I requested from my library when it came up in the shelf tour
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy good guidelines for sure!
@ Marwencol! I love Mark’s work. It’s horrific what happened to him but I’m ecstatic that’s he done so well since.
Just got my first Dumbarton oaks recently-- old English lives of the saints by Aelfric volume 1. May I be so successful as to have such a beautiful library as this one day!
A good one, you may like my review video on the Dumbarton Oaks series here:
th-cam.com/video/L69ei8OFHNQ/w-d-xo.html
I really like the Dumbartons. I think you'll enjoy yours. There are so many good titles from which to choose.
The DOs are some of my favorites. Nothing like reading popular-level Byzantine Greek to feel like you actually learned the Language! 😂
@@ZackSkrip Yes, but can you use Byzantine Greek to order a mocha latte? LOL
Seriously, though, that is very cool. No matter how much we age, we can still find opportunities to learn.
Yea seems like I Tatti and Dumbarton Oaks both have more popular stuff in their collections.
Can't wait for the next part :)
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful.
Thank you! Cheers!
Just finishing up the video, loved it. I wrote down a few titles that I saw to see if I can find a way to read them. Thanks!
That’s amazing. Thank you! Stay tuned for Part Two! Plus the AMA. And so much more. LOL
Thansk for watching! Yea, we’ve got some additional videos planned beyond the AMA part 3 so make sure to subscribe to get notifications on those. What titles were at the top of your list?
Lemon essential oil removes stickers from dust jackets with no damage. Awesome library!
Thank you for watching Miche. That is great to know. Seems like sort of a natural alternative to goo gone. Is there a brand or Amazon/other store link you could provide for you use?
@ it is, and it smells so much better! Any brand works as long as it’s pure essential oil with no base oils mixed in. Health food stores are the best places to find them. Amazon has bigger bottles with glass droppers that are definitely easier to use on books.
Great tip. Yeah, I'm not crazy about the commercial goo removers. I'll look into this. Thank you!
I’ve had success with a tiny dab of goo gone on dust jackets with no damage but could have been lick. But would rather use a natural option like you mentioned. Will keep an eye out next time I’m at Whole Foods.
Thank you for this content. I am going to look up some of the books being mentioned- so many topics that I want to explore!
That’s awesome! You’re in for an adventure. Let me know if I can answer any questions.
Happy reading!
Thanks for watching! Glad you got some inspiration from Greg’s library. Any in particular you’re planning to buy/borrow first?
Wilkie Collins was a Victorian write who introduced the crime/police genre. He churned out may books including the Woman and White and Moonstone. He was a contemporary of Dickens.
Thanks for your comment. Was this in reference to something in particular Greg said?
WOW, thats all I can say right now! Amazing library, Greg!
Agreed, thanks for watching!
Much appreciated! I'm glad to see others find value in it. Before Timothy and I recorded this, I wasn't sure we'd find anyone who would enjoy this stuff. To his credit, he kept telling me I was wrong. 🙂
And to Greg’s credit, he was willing to go along with this idea when few others would have even given it a shot. A true Angel Investor!
@@timothykenny LOL I'm an angel investor in that my wallet has shuffled off this mortal coil.
For those not familiar, here’s an explanation via AI:
“Shuffled off this mortal coil”: This phrase comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1), where Hamlet speaks of death: “When we have shuffled off this mortal coil…” The “mortal coil” refers to the troubles and burdens of life, and “shuffling it off” means dying. The commenter uses it metaphorically to describe their wallet being “dead,” implying they spent all their money on this project or venture.
I can't live without books!
Then you, my friend, are in the right place. Welcome!
Agreed! Thanks for watching and glad you found us here!
Wow. - So my personal collection of around 1400 science fiction/mystery/thrillers from the 1950's to present, my Dad's 4 or 5 thousand Anthropology, Ethnography, classics and modern fiction from the early 1900's onward, don't even signify! - Honestly I am amazed and not a little jealous. Well done sir !
Dude, don't even--your library sounds amazing! Did your dad teach those subjects or was he just into reading about them?
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy He is a retired academic, museum director, University lecturer/director, writer etc.. - A lot of his collection was sold off to make space or generate money for various projects. Still a great collection, I love to wander through it picking up items at random to read. My main passion is classic Sci- Fi, particularly publishing houses like Del Rey, DAW and I was soo lucky around two months ago to find 200 odd at a local charity shop. Two trips to get them all home. Nearly all mint condition. Six months of great reading ahead for me.
@@neilthehermit4655 I'm absolutely in awe of this. Obviously, your dad's love of books has struck you as well. Man, I wish we could all instantly travel to each other's home libraries.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy Oh yes ( I would die happy if I could spend a lifetime in each of the great collections/libraries around the world ). I'm seriously in awe of your collection, and I'm only an hour into the video.
@@neilthehermit4655 Thank you. I appreciate it. But if you're only an hour in, then you've got a long ride in front of you, including Parts Two and Three and the AMAs and whatever is coming next. LOL
Be sure to let me know if you have any questions. I tried to cover all the bases, but I have little doubt that I missed a bunch of opportunities to dig deeper.
I happen to be collecting them all as well 😄. Slowly but surely!
Great to hear. Do you collect anything else besides the Loebs?
@@timothykenny books by Tolkien.
Oh cool. I’m guessing Easton Press or Folio Society?
@ Folio has some great stuff, but I don't have any of those, at least for Tolkien. I did just receive the three volume Lord of the rings with Alan Lee as the artist (my favorite) and I am pretty sure that is from Easton.
They also recently released 4 3-volume sets of the history of middle earth that I just received. That should keep me busy!
Then you have great taste. Enjoy, my friend!
This library is basically my ideal one. I have owned or would own many of the books this guy has :)
Nice! Sounds like you have great taste. LOL
Any particular favorites you saw or that you have but that aren’t here?
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy I would like to get copies of the Dumbarton Oaks Library and the I Tatti Library. I'm also interested in getting East Asian texts but I don't know of any good collections in the same style as Loeb or Harvard. Do you know of any resources by chance?
@@A_White_LightTimothy will definitely have an answer for this. I know there are parts of certain series that will have selections, but in terms of full-on side-by-side translations…hmm.
There aren’t a lot of them in the facing page translation format esp in large collections like HUP. But this is a good ones: www.amazon.com/Analects-English-Chinese-Bilingual-Classics-Chinese-English/dp/B003YO0GL2
Will be reviewing this on the channel soon.
Library of Chinese Classics
There are some more less well known ones in the spreadsheet in the first link in the description above.
Fantastic collection of the greek and roman classics. We have a similar collection in Spain called "Biblioteca Clásica Gredos" (422 vol.). Also very expensive to buy new books of it (30€ each)
Thanks for mentioning these. Someone else also mentioned these on one of my other videos. Would be great to find someone with the whole set but will review some volumes soon on the channel.
@@timothykenny There is a YT channel called "Only books" that show the slight cheaper version. The standard version in Spain were dark blue hardcovers with golden letters. In that channel you will b are able to see the almost the complete collection, in slight cheaper version (softcover). I think that cheaper version was sold only in South America. The editorial was the same (is called "Gredos"). Gredos also made reduced collections (with around 150 volumes).
Thank you, found the vid for anyone interested:
th-cam.com/video/KsmW7M4Iajs/w-d-xo.html
Plus he shows some hardcovers of Plato here:
th-cam.com/video/swP45eeVL4Q/w-d-xo.html
@@timothykenny Yes, exactly
I have no questions - this is simply awesome and it makes me so happy it see. Thank you for sharing it!
The Carmina Burana, my favourite music ever and now I know and must look for them.
Thanks for watching! I will make sure to ask Greg if he has any thoughts to share on Carmina Burana on the AMA.
@@timothykenny I think I will have to google what stories inspired it, since I now know they exist.
Here is what I got from ChatGPT 4o:
The Carmina Burana is a collection of medieval Latin poems and songs from the 11th to 13th centuries, discovered in 1803 in a Bavarian monastery. Compiled by an anonymous group of scholars, clerics, and traveling students known as Goliards, the texts cover a wide range of topics, including the unpredictability of fortune, the joys and perils of love, satire of the church and nobility, and the pleasures of drinking and gambling. The name Carmina Burana translates to "Songs of Beuern," a reference to the monastery of Benediktbeuern where the manuscript was found. The collection, now housed in the Bavarian State Library, comprises around 254 poems and is considered one of the largest surviving collections of secular poetry from the medieval period.
The Carmina Burana gained widespread fame in the 20th century when German composer Carl Orff set 24 of the poems to music in 1936. Orff's composition, also titled Carmina Burana, is a cantata that features grand orchestral arrangements, powerful choral movements, and stirring solos. The most recognizable section is "O Fortuna," which opens and closes the work, capturing themes of fate’s power and capriciousness. Orff's version is known for its dramatic intensity and has become iconic in popular culture, often used in movies, advertisements, and dramatic sequences to evoke awe and intensity. This musical adaptation brought renewed interest to the original medieval texts, highlighting their timeless themes and artistic depth.
Ah, another Orff fan! Welcome, welcome! Be sure to check out the sheet music to Carmina Burana as well. It's amazing. I learned to play some of it years ago, but I'm no musician.
@@timothykenny I am no musician at all - unless you count one year of recorder at school when I was 9 - but the Carmina Burana is exceptional and while I always knew it was based around fragmented poems this video was the first time it ever occurred to me I might be able to get my hands on them and read them.
Very cool! When I was a kid, my parents had several different encyclopedias, novels, atlas, etc. After my parents died, we split the books, but I was unable to take any. At some point my sister mailed the "Great Books" collections to me. Unfortunately, USPS lost my books! I got one box, which was totally destroyed and damaged all the books, and I got another box (not mine!) of somebody's dentures!!!!!! I was really angry. How long have you been collecting books? What are your favorite books in your collection? What books do you still want to get? I noticed a whole empty bookshelf! Do you open you home to neighbors and friends who want to do research or just read? The Loeb books are amazing. Also! The dictionaries... there was a movie about some man who was writing the dictionary. I have never seen a complete dictionary. I think this is amazing. Wow! Wow! Do you have a computer catalogue of your books?
Thanks for your questions. I’ll make sure to ask Greg all of these on the AMA.
Ooh, okay, thanks for the kind words. I'm so sorry to hear about your lost books. I've had hundreds of books destroyed by improper storage, though, so you're not alone. When I was younger, I didn't understand sun damage. Then I discovered rats. Oh, god. I've since moved from that location and everything is much better now.
1) I've been collecting for more than thirty years. Depending on your definition of "collecting," the bug may have bitten me as early as when I was ten. But it really kicked into high gear in college when my advisor retired and gave me his entire collection.
2) Favorite books include, but are not limited to, "The History of the Crusades" by Joseph Francois Michaud, with illustrations by Gustave Doré; the Kelmscott facsimile of Chaucer's complete works by the Folio Society; a book of poems by Edmund Waller from 1686; a three-volume edition of Edmund Spencer's "The Fairie Queen" in three volumes from 1751; Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" (just cuz I loved the book); Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles" (for the same reason as the Eco book); maybe a few others as well.
3) I'm always looking to collect more mythology and folklore. Especially from under-represented cultures. It's easy to find Greco-Roman or Norse stuff. But it gets harder to find folk tales from a lot of smaller cultures.
4) Yes, the empty bookshelf. It has since been filled after I did a re-org following this video. I'm desperate to free up space. I currently have about twenty feet of empty space, which is not as much as it sounds. I will need a larger house and a couple lottery wins to get the library to a place that matches my dreams. 🙂
Best wishes to you with your collecting!
I think this is the movie you were thinking of:
From ChatGPT 4o:
One movie that fits this description is “The Professor and the Madman” (2019). It tells the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The film stars Mel Gibson as Professor James Murray, who leads the project to compile the dictionary, and Sean Penn as Dr. William Chester Minor, a contributor who sends in thousands of entries while confined to an asylum. The movie explores their unlikely collaboration and the challenges of compiling such an immense work of scholarship.
Wow! So glad I found this video. 1:15:13 It makes me want to go to one those BIG Book Sales. I’m reading The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk.
Book fairs are a lot of fun, but some people take their hoarding very seriously. Prepare to throw some elbows. LOL
Thanks for watching Susan! The Books of Jacob sounds interesting. For those interested here are some more details:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Books_of_Jacob
amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/10/the-books-of-jacob-by-olga-tokarczuk-review-a-messiahs-story
If anyone just heard a loud bang in the background and wondered what that was - that was my mind being blown...
Lol good stuff. Thanks for watching. Anything in particular you noticed?
@@timothykenny haha im 14 minutes in - give me like 9 more hours pls to answer this 🤣
I just randomly stumbled upon this without any context towrds either your channel or the person who owns this collection - which is mind blowing just through its size alone (as well as the 13hrs of interview/discussion) good stuff!
Well, bring over some barbecue, and we'll have a nice evening chatting. In all honesty, home libraries need visitors.
Thanks Frank, great to hear!
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy sounds great 😅
Wow!!! What a great book collection !!! I’ve only got four Loeb classics and I feel lucky.
Nice. Thanks for watching! Which ones do you have?
@ I take it back-. Not three. Homer odyssey one and two and Plato, Euthphro to phaedras
You're on the right track! And thanks for the kind words.
For those unfamiliar, here’s a set of summaries on the Loebs mentioned via ai:
Homer’s Odyssey (Books 1-2)
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 104: Homer: The Odyssey I)
The opening books of the Odyssey set the stage for the epic. Book 1 introduces the suitors occupying Odysseus’ home and the gods’ council, with Athena disguising herself to inspire Telemachus to seek news of his father. Book 2 presents Telemachus calling an assembly to confront the suitors, asserting his emerging authority, and preparing to journey to Pylos and Sparta. These books explore themes of generational transition, divine intervention, and the heroic ideal.
Plato’s Euthyphro
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo)
In Euthyphro, Socrates encounters Euthyphro at the court and challenges him to define piety as Euthyphro claims to prosecute his own father for impiety. The dialogue critiques several proposed definitions of piety, such as what is pleasing to the gods or what aligns with divine commands, revealing their logical inconsistencies. This work explores themes of religious morality, ethical relativism, and the difficulty of achieving philosophical clarity on universal concepts.
Plato’s Apology
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo)
The Apology records Socrates’ defense during his trial, in which he confronts accusations of corrupting the youth and introducing new gods. Socrates argues that his philosophical mission is a divine duty to challenge ignorance and complacency, emphasizing that an unexamined life is not worth living. He defends his actions as a service to the city, even at the cost of his own life, raising profound questions about justice, individual integrity, and the role of philosophy in society.
Plato’s Crito
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo)
In Crito, Socrates refuses his friend Crito’s offer to help him escape from prison after being sentenced to death. Socrates argues that escaping would violate his principles, undermine the laws of Athens, and harm the city’s moral order. The dialogue explores themes of justice, the social contract, and the ethical responsibility of citizens to uphold laws, even when they seem unjust.
Plato’s Phaedo
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 36: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo)
The Phaedo recounts Socrates’ final hours before his death by poison, during which he discusses the immortality of the soul. Socrates presents arguments such as the cyclical argument, the theory of recollection, and the affinity argument to support the soul’s eternal nature. The dialogue also reflects on the philosopher’s readiness to face death, emphasizing the soul’s pursuit of truth and liberation from bodily desires.
Plato’s Phaedrus
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 166: Phaedrus, Lysis)
In Phaedrus, Socrates and Phaedrus discuss love and rhetoric during a walk outside Athens. Socrates’ speeches explore the concept of divine madness as a form of inspiration in love, contrasting it with self-serving relationships. The dialogue transitions to a discussion on the art of rhetoric, critiquing speeches that prioritize persuasion over truth. Socrates concludes by linking rhetoric to the soul’s pursuit of the good, emphasizing ethical communication and self-knowledge.
Plato’s Lysis
• Loeb Classical Library (LCL 166: Phaedrus, Lysis)
The Lysis centers on a discussion about friendship, focusing on what makes a person a true friend. Socrates examines various hypotheses, including friendship based on mutual benefit, shared virtue, or complementary needs, only to reveal their limitations. The dialogue ultimately leaves the nature of friendship unresolved, inviting reflection on human relationships and the tension between self-interest and altruism.
This version provides a detailed overview of each work’s content and major themes, with an emphasis on the intellectual and philosophical contributions of the texts. Let me know if you’d like further elaboration on any specific points!
beautiful 🙏🏻 it remembers me to "La biblioteca idela" of the youtuber Jose Maria Bellido Morillas.
Thanks yea there is a great 2h vid on his channel touring the royal library. Rare to see all those kind of bookshelves w the doors and windows.
Great tip about Morillas. I'll check him out. Thank you!
Here’s the 2h video I mentioned earlier:
th-cam.com/video/KqyLJJpQZA0/w-d-xo.html
So nice!
@@e.l.2734 Thank you!
Amazing library. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the tour!
Glad you enjoyed it. I had more fun talking about it than I realized.
Always helps to have the gift of gab!
Amazing. I wish I could afford it. Both the space and the books. They are out of my grasp monetarily. Luckily I have my city and university library
If you had the space and funds, what would be some of the major books or book sets you would want to have in your collection?
I spent years and years and years in libraries. They are amazing. Nothing like finding a comfy chair in a corner, preferably with a window.
Agreed. Time in libraries is especially important to be able to fully appreciate the usefulness of organization systems like DDS and LCC.
Wow. Stunning. Astonishing!!
Thanks for watching. Anything in particular stand out to you?
Timothy Kenny the Accelerated Learning GOATTT
Thank you Mohammed
This is so cool! Makes my library look so small.
If you love your own library, that’s all that matters.
Thanks for the compliment. Hope you’ll tune in for parts two and three as well!
Amazing collection! I’m curious about how much of it you’ve read. I recall reading about Dom Gregory Dix rereading all of the Church Fathers in Latin and Greek, which must have been a monumental undertaking. What percentage of this incredible library have you read so far? What do you intend to read before you die? Which languages do you read in, and what do you hope to achieve with or contribute through this collection?
Great questions. The answers might not be as great. LOL
I hope to read all of them, of course. I will love to be three hundred, too.
For a while, I had read about sixty percent. Now I’m down to probably thirty percent.
I can just barely read a little Latin and if I’m pressed, maybe some Spanish. I have a lot of learning still in front of me. …Stay in school, kids!
There is a pretty famous couple of sets, the Pre-Nicene Fathers and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers that I’m planning on doing a video on at some point. In some ways they are on a parallel track to the Loeb Classical Library but for Christian authors.
This is an incredible collection of books.
Thank you Angela, and thanks for watching! Did any in particular stand out to you?
Thank you kindly.
8:02 The Marcus Aurelius texts are written in Greek (Green books in the Loeb Series)
@@bart-v I thought the same thing.👍🏻
You're right that Aurelius is best known for his Green/Greek text, the Meditations.
There is also a lesser known 2 Volume Red/Latin Loeb Set of Aurelius in Latin, which are his correspondence with his mentor Marcus Cornelius Fronto, which you can view here:
Vol 1 of 2:
archive.org/details/correspondenceof01fronuoft
Vol 2 of 2:
archive.org/details/correspondenceof00fron
And here:
www.loebclassics.com/view/marcus_cornelius_fronto-correspondence/1919/pb_LCL112.3.xml?result=5&rskey=CLGKAV
From Wikipedia:
Marcus Cornelius Fronto (c. 100 - late 160s AD), best known as Fronto, was a Roman grammarian, rhetorician, and advocate. Of Berber origin, he was born at Cirta (modern-day Constantine, Algeria) in Numidia. He was suffect consul for the nundinium of July-August 142 with Gaius Laberius Priscus as his colleague.[1] Emperor Antoninus Pius appointed him tutor to his adopted sons, the future emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
Some more details (Me w ChatGPT 4o):
explain why meditations are in greek but correspondence is in latin
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Meditations was written in Greek because, during Marcus Aurelius's time, Greek was the primary language of philosophy and intellectual discourse in the Roman Empire, especially for Stoic thought. Greek provided a richer vocabulary and tradition for expressing philosophical concepts. Marcus, like many educated Romans of his status, was fluent in Greek and used it for personal writings and philosophical reflection.
On the other hand, The Correspondence of Marcus Cornelius Fronto is in Latin because it represents letters exchanged between Marcus Aurelius and his tutor Fronto, a respected orator and rhetorician who specialized in Latin. The use of Latin reflects the educational and administrative language of the Roman elite and their emphasis on rhetoric, literature, and public affairs within the context of the Roman state. Latin was the formal language for Roman correspondence and statecraft, demonstrating the cultural importance placed on Latin as a marker of Roman identity and tradition.
You said:
so aurelius was fluent in latin and greek
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Yes, Marcus Aurelius was fluent in both Latin and Greek. As a highly educated member of the Roman elite and future emperor, he received an extensive education that emphasized mastery of both languages. Latin was the language of governance, law, and Roman identity, while Greek was considered the language of philosophy, arts, and advanced education. This bilingual fluency allowed him to engage deeply with Roman administrative duties, public speaking, and military leadership while also immersing himself in the rich Greek philosophical traditions that shaped his Stoic worldview.
You said:
what are aurelius's other works besides these two
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Besides Meditations and his correspondence with Fronto, there are few surviving works attributed directly to Marcus Aurelius. However, the following may be of interest:
Speeches and Legal Documents (Lost): Marcus Aurelius would have delivered speeches and issued many edicts and legal documents during his reign as emperor. While these do not survive as standalone texts, fragments and references are preserved in historical sources.
Rescripts and Legal Responses: Some responses and legal decisions attributed to Marcus Aurelius can be found scattered in legal texts, reflecting his role as a judge and administrator of the empire.
Unfortunately, Marcus Aurelius's written legacy is relatively limited, with Meditations standing as his major surviving philosophical work and the letters with Fronto offering a more personal glimpse into his early life and character. Much of his other writing, such as decrees, speeches, and additional personal reflections, has not been preserved or is only mentioned by secondary sources.
Forgot to mention, the Meditations are Green, LCL 058, is here:
archive.org/details/communingswithhi0000marc/
or here:
archive.org/details/thecommuningswit00marcuoft
The Correspondence with Fronto is Red LCL 112 and LCL 113
Plutarch too.
Could you clarify what you mean here about Plutarch?
Amazing! Cool video. Dream library. Need more shelves in my house but always gotta talk wife into expansion haha
Thanks for watching!
For those unfamiliar, via ChatGPT 4o:
Scipio Africanus (236-183 BCE), also known as Scipio Africanus Major, was a Roman general and statesman best known for his pivotal role in the Second Punic War against Carthage. He earned his title “Africanus” after his decisive victory over Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE, which ended the war and established Rome’s dominance in the Mediterranean. Scipio first gained recognition for his daring and strategic capture of the city of New Carthage (modern Cartagena, Spain) in 209 BCE, showcasing his tactical brilliance and ability to innovate on the battlefield. His strategies often included bold maneuvers and the effective use of Roman infantry and cavalry in combination, reflecting his deep understanding of both Roman and enemy military tactics.
In addition to his military successes, Scipio played a significant role in Roman politics. He served as consul twice and was instrumental in shaping Rome’s expansionist policies during the Republic’s rise. Despite his achievements, his later life was marked by political rivalry and accusations of corruption, which led to his voluntary exile. Scipio’s legacy endures as one of Rome’s greatest military commanders, a leader whose vision and tactics set the stage for Rome’s imperial future. His ability to adapt and innovate remains a key study in military history, and his rivalry with Hannibal is often highlighted as one of the great strategic contests of antiquity.
For those interested in learning persuasion via the Classics, these are some suggestions, also from ChatGPT 4o:
The Loeb Classical Library is an excellent resource for studying persuasion, particularly in the context of rhetoric, argumentation, and classical thought. Below are some key volumes that focus on persuasion, whether through rhetoric, oratory, or philosophical analysis:
1. Aristotle: Rhetoric
• Significance: Aristotle’s Rhetoric is foundational for understanding the principles of persuasion. It introduces the three persuasive appeals: logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion), as well as techniques for constructing effective arguments.
• Why Loeb Edition: The Loeb edition offers both the Greek text and an English translation, making it accessible for readers at different levels. It is particularly useful for exploring the precise terminology Aristotle used.
2. Cicero: De Oratore (On the Orator)
• Significance: Cicero’s work is a masterclass in rhetorical theory and practical advice for public speaking. He delves into the skills necessary for effective persuasion, blending philosophy, oratory, and politics.
• Why Loeb Edition: The Latin-English parallel format is ideal for studying his language while understanding his rhetorical strategies.
3. Cicero: Orations
• Key Speeches: Look for volumes with his Philippics, Pro Archia, or In Catilinam. These are examples of persuasion in action, showcasing Cicero’s techniques in courtroom and political settings.
• Why Loeb Edition: These volumes provide both historical context and rhetorical finesse, demonstrating Cicero’s skill in real-world applications of persuasion.
4. Quintilian: Institutio Oratoria (The Orator’s Education)
• Significance: Quintilian’s Institutio Oratoria is a comprehensive guide to the art of rhetoric, covering the education of an orator, persuasive techniques, and moral considerations in persuasion.
• Why Loeb Edition: The detailed commentary and clear translation make it a valuable resource for teachers and students of rhetoric.
5. Demosthenes: Orations
• Significance: Demosthenes, one of the greatest orators of ancient Greece, is a key figure for studying persuasive techniques in political and legal contexts. His Philippics and Olynthiacs are particularly notable for their rhetorical power.
• Why Loeb Edition: The Greek-English format provides insights into his use of language, style, and argumentation.
6. Plato: Gorgias and Phaedrus
• Significance: These dialogues examine rhetoric and persuasion from a philosophical standpoint. In Gorgias, Socrates critiques rhetoric as a tool for manipulation, while in Phaedrus, he explores the ethical use of persuasion.
• Why Loeb Edition: Plato’s nuanced discussion on the morality and methodology of persuasion is complemented by the dual-language format.
7. Isocrates: Works
• Significance: Isocrates is less known but equally significant for studying persuasion. His focus on ethical rhetoric and education makes his works a complement to more technical treatments by Aristotle and Cicero.
• Why Loeb Edition: This edition provides accessible translations of speeches and essays that emphasize the role of rhetoric in shaping society.
Recommendation for Teaching
To provide a comprehensive introduction to persuasion:
• Start with Aristotle’s Rhetoric for theoretical grounding.
• Incorporate Cicero’s De Oratore and Orations for practical applications.
• Use Plato’s Gorgias to discuss the philosophical and ethical dimensions of persuasion.
• Add Quintilian or Demosthenes for advanced studies in persuasive techniques.
This selection gives students a mix of theory, practice, and ethical considerations, showcasing the multifaceted nature of persuasion in classical texts.
Just remind her that you could be doing something far worse than collecting knowledge. LOL Or offer to build something for her if she lets you build a shelf or two.
Thanks for the kind words, and good luck!
What was the software he said he used for tracking his books?
It's called Library Thing.
www.librarything.com/
-----------------
From the Website:
LibraryThing is completely free.
Add books, movies and music from Amazon, the Library of Congress and 4,941 other libraries.
Track your reading progress, rate and review.
See detailed charts and stats about your library and reading life.
Find your new favorite book with personalized recommendations.
A warm and welcoming community of nearly three million book lovers.
Join groups and talk with other book lovers.
Our Early Reviewers program offers over 3,000 free, early-release books every month.
Apps for iPhone and Android.
Available in over 50 languages.
------------------
The founder Tim Spalding actually gave us a shoutout yesterday on X/Twitter, linking to this video:
x.com/librarythingtim/status/1858187694221701137
I did not know Reddit had actual physical libraries; learn something new every day!
Thanks for watching! Best place to hang is here: www.reddit.com/r/bookshelf/
You have to be top-tier to be given the keys. Same with the executive washroom. 🙂
For those unfamiliar, the initial comment was likely referencing this subreddit:
www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/
Sorry, just started: how many books approximately are there? And what does Greg do for living?
6.4k+ books. I forgot if we distinguished between books and volumes…volumes may be higher. I will ask him on the AMA. Growing at about 300 books a year if I remember correctly. He is a commercial photographer. We will be showing his camera setup in part 2.
@@timothykenny Thanks, Timothy. That's accurate. But collecting can become...a bit nutty when you do it for multiple decades.
Yea I think maybe we didn’t emphasize that you are a collector, and so you think like a collector and not just a normal library owner. I’ll ask Greg to speak more about this on the AMA. I’m a collector as well but I have more of a focus on rare stuff.
Bibles that I recommend for our friend. Context supplied!
1. The ESV Archeology Study Bible. Handsome, premium binding, the evidence you're looking for.
1a. The ESV Study Bible. The gold standard of scholarship, balance and thoroughness. In text maps! Historical context.
2. The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Study Bible. Gorgeous. Filled with articles and illustrations relating to the ANE, 2nd Temple Period, and Roman contexts. Extremely well-done.
3. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Meaty. Beautiful.
4. The NABRE. A decidedly secular annotated Catholic translation. Go figure.
All available in hardback. None of them are particularly expensive but they are well-made.
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, will have to look more into these. Any thoughts on this one? th-cam.com/video/tPZmLRO0DXA/w-d-xo.html
He has a pretty epic library tour that helped inspire this one:
th-cam.com/video/vxY9dtERNoA/w-d-xo.html
I love this.
Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Did anything in particular stand out to you?
@@timothykenny
The comprehensive and in depth selections on all the classics..This is an example of talent as an archivist.
Thanks, good point.
For those unfamiliar:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivist
Cool collection, but how much does he read?
I'm not sure I ever asked him this specifically, but I will make sure to ask him in the AMA. You can attend live if you want in the first link in the description if you have any followup questions, or you can ask them as a comment and I will ask them to Greg on the call.
I did ask him at 8:00:52 what his daily routine is and how his library fits into that, so you might like his response there.
Not NEARLY as much as I should. LOL
I bounce all over the place, picking between titles and subjects with almost complete randomness. I often start a book, put it down, come back to it three books later, bounce around some more, then decide I don't want to read any more of the first title.
But more to your point, I think, is that I collect titles about subjects that are interesting to me, and I often read at least part of the vast majority. Am I spending six hours a day reading? No, definitely not. But I am enjoying reading what and when I can.
I’m similar. There’s a lot of books, especially classics, that you have to be in the right mood to really get into and appreciate.
Beautiful!
Thanks for watching! Did anything in particular catch your eye?
Thank you!
Lovely Gustav Stickley Morris chair in the corner of the main room. The discussion about Latin-language works is somewhat sad to me… I went to highschool in the 90’s and took Latin (even won a National Latin Award), but I do not think that my kids will have the opportunity to learn the language and read classic authors like Cicero in their original tongue. It was that experience that propelled me to study philosophy in university and learn many other languages over the years. Times change!
I'm curious, what other languages have you learned over the years and why?
@@timothykenny I learned German, mainly to read Hegel, but then I fell for Hölderlin and other romantic poets. After that I learned Arabic to study Islamic theology and philosophy. I studied French before, during and after Latin, but with no real aim and I struggle to speak it now.
Very cool I’m learning German and Arabic right now for similar reasons and have previously studied French and Latin which I’m now refurbishing. Can you recommend any Arabic texts you liked?
Yeah, I hear you. I wish I'd had the opportunity to learn Latin as a kid. I'm studying it a bit now, but I'm also drawn in so many directions. I would assume that you feel this same way, but there are simply not enough hours in the day to learn all we want to learn.
However, I believe there will always be certain schools that teach the classics, and if you aim to raise your family in one of those areas, your kids will indeed be able to learn Latin.
@@timothykenny Ibn Rushd is very accessible if you are familiar with Aristotle. He has commentaries on Aristotle’s works, so you can read them side by side (in translation or otherwise, depending on where you are in your language studies). Ibn Arabi is very conceptual and difficult, but he has really interesting views on ideation and reality. He actually reminds me of late Heidegger (in his Holzwege period) and I've always toyed with writing something on these similarities. Al Ghazali has some short and relatively easy writings against philosophy that are (naturally) quite philosophical. He has a view on causality that foreshadows Hume very strongly. I find those little coincidences are much of the fun of studying authors from diverse traditions and times. Ibn Rushd and Al Ghazali were intellectual rivals of sorts, so a good place to start might be a few of their easier works (perhaps the فصل المقال for Ibn Rushd and the autobiographical منقذ من الضلال for Al Ghazali).
Incredible.
Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Did you notice anything in particular?
Does anyone have the timestamp for the Goosebumps and/or Hardy Boys collection reviews?
I don't remember discussing these much or at all, but I will make sure to ask Greg about both of these on the AMA.
My son has a few Goosebumps books, but not an entire collection. I do, however, have the entire Hardy Boys. But the HBs are kept in a separate room and, as Timothy mentioned, we didn't discuss them. The set is similar to the yellow Nancy Drew collection you can see on the top shelf of the main room. It's acid-washed paper in school-bindings. Not exactly high quality, but at least they're hardcovers.
Seems like maybe we should discuss the books in the separate room. Seems there is in fact some interest in those. Maybe we can get some pics for the AMA. Will talk to Greg about it. Stay tuned!
55:02 I spy a book that I've got in my collection... 501 German Verbs. 🙂
Having a large library is certainly on my long-term to-do list! 😁
Good eye! I love that book. You probably saw the Spanish version near it as well. That series did so much for my language understanding. Nowadays, of course, it’s all available on Web.
Seems like a pretty popular series. Been seeing it crop up a lot since I noticed it on Greg’s shelf. Will need to pick one up and see what it’s all about.
@@timothykenny it certainly helps when learning verbs. I've had my copy for well over a decade now. 🙂
Good stuff. Got any other books for learning German you’d recommend?
@@timothykenny get a good visual dictionary, that has an image of the item along with both the English and German. Certainly helps when it comes to nouns.
My goal is 1000 books. Half way there. Neat vids. Love book and library tours
Thanks. What kind of books? Any focus in particular in your collection?
Thanks! You will absolutely get there. For me, it's more about the journey. There's something fun about hunting books. It's like antiquing but with more knowledge. 🙂
@@timothykenny I do mostly Christian theology and patristic literature. Hebrew, Latin and Greek texts(personal religious convictions) as well as other religious faiths and their most important texts. Tons of classical literature from writers of the Jews, Romans and Greeks. Tolkiens works and medieval literature from Latin and Greek writers(especially Byzantine) but also video game books like Zelda or Witcher and stuff as such to satiate my gaming hobby.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuyI agree too it’s all about the journey.
Btw SVS Press is having one of their biggest sales of the year right now where all their books are 30% off. Hundreds of titles
This is brilliant. THANK YOU.
Thanks Katie!
I appreciate the kind words.
He's only missing Clay Sanksrit Library.
You might be interested in my video on the Murty Classical Library of India which is the spiritual successor of the Clay Sanskrit Library.
Link:
Review of the Murty Classical Library of India (Classical Libraries Series)
th-cam.com/video/hrWidLwkfuc/w-d-xo.html
@@timothykenny Wow, I had not heard of this, thank you very much!
Yea it's an interesting collection. I'm learning Sanskrit right now so that I can read some of these classics. The Murty Library is similar to Dumbarton Oaks in that it contains multiple languages, although unlike Dumbarton Oaks the Murty books don't have a different colored bookmark ribbon for each language.
You people with your suggestions are really not helping my addiction here! LOL
Thia is amazing. I thought I had a lot of books (1800+) but this guy blows me away. For me, while I have my own personal preferences towards fiction, I do have a modest collection of history books published anywhere from the last decade to the late 18th century. I find it interesting how history changes, what gets focused on, what fades to the background. Same thing with science books. The best one was an old medical book published around 1940 that proudly stated that it was not the medicine of the 19th century (gee, I hope not!)
That's a great remark about how history can be interpreted differently depending on the time frame from which it's viewed.
Fiction is great, too, and is my first love, but as I get older, I'm finding gaps in my education that I like to fill with history, non-fiction, or what-have-you. At the end of the day, if you're inspired by your own books, that's all that really matters, I guess.
That said, do you have any favorites from your own fiction shelves?
@ClassicalLibraryGuy hmm... in terms of uniqueness and, in this case, timeliness, there's a novel called "The City Without Jews" by Hugh Bettauer written in 1922. It's a quick read meant to point out the logic (or, rather, the lack thereof) of expelling a generally highly successful group of people from a country. As you know, antisemitism was rising at the time, and the author was responding to that as best he could in a fictionalized setting. However, the whole book is overshadowed by what we know would eventually happen, and there's a certain amount of sadness and horror I felt as I read it because where Bettauer imagined the usual prejudices that could befall Jews, he, like most, could not predict what would ultimately happen, no matter the illogic of it all. It's also interesting to know that Bettauer would eventually be murdered by the Nazis for his outspoken defense of Jews.
As for fiction I enjoy reading and rereading, I'm a big Dean Koontz fan, specifically his Odd Thomas series. Great characters, character development over the series, and stories. Makes me laugh and cry each time.
Thanks for watching and for your book recommendation above. Are there a few favorites in your history collection you could share?
@timothykenny ooh, I'm living out of boxes right now so I'd have to dig through them to get the exact title but it was published about 10 years after Lincoln was assassinated. It was something along the lines of "Notable Events in American History" but it covered everything from important battles and their strategies to unexplained natural phenomena. Most of the items were obviously well known at the time of publication but since then have clearly fallen from memory or general study.
Another is "Indian History for Young Folks" published in 1885 and was in fact written at the direction of the US govt. It has an interesting perspective of having positive views of the native people, frequently calling them brave warriors, and if I remember correctly, acknowledged they had not been treated entirely fairly. Not quite the narrative I expected from the government at the time.
Thank you, and if you are able to find the title of the first book I’d be interested in knowing that as well.
😍📚👀
Thanks for watching! Anything stand out to you in particular?
@timothykenny, I've only watched about half an hour, but how organized everything is and how inviting his library looks is what stood out to me. I smiled at his use of the Dewy Decimal system because it reminds me of the many happy hours of my childhood spent at the local library. I'm also enjoying listening to your conversations. I plan to listen to the rest of this video in between reading and working on my novel, memoir, and a little book of writing prompts I'm putting together. Now that I'm retired, I have more time to do what I enjoy. Happy TH-cam recommended this video! Too bad they limit each video's length. Thanks for sharing this!
@@keeshlon Aw, that’s so sweet. Yeah, Dewey is fun-I thoroughly enjoyed separating everything. The problem with it, though, is that I need to remember to leave space at the end of each section so I can add books in the future.
Good luck with your own writings! It’s wonderful that you’re doing all that.
So a very mundane question: where did you get the brackets for the shelves? Those look both strong and stylish. And, of course, this is iNCREDIBLE! Thank you for sharing with book lovers everywhere!
Good question, I’ll ask Greg about this and other details of construction on the AMA call. Thanks for watching.
I got the brackets on Amazon. I had some others that failed, so I wanted some that had a cross brace. These are great.
@@ClassicalLibraryGuy Thanks! I'll check them out.
You probably already watched it, but for anyone else interested, we discussed at the timecode below Greg's process of having a builder come to his house to give an estimate on doing built-in shelves for the whole library, and other stuff related to that project.
Please see:
49:35
I hope this person has kids. Please if there is a God, he is the kind of person that should have kids
No time to have kids If you're going to read a fraction of those books
He has a son, who is mentioned at:
1:08:11
2:59:07
3:50:07
6:53:27
6:53:59
7:17:27
7:18:18
7:30:31
8:00:04
8:02:58
8:06:06
The mention for all above is within 10 seconds after the time code given.
We also have a book giveaway at the end of the video if you'd like to "inherit" a book from Greg's library.
Are you kidding?! I do, indeed, have a son, as Timothy has pointed out. He has to listen to my lectures about how the library will be his some day, and it will be up to him to decide what to do with it. The problem is that it's expensive not just to build a library, but also to hold on to it (because one needs a place large enough to house everything).
But my son's a good egg; he can appreciate when I tell him how rare it is to have a home library anymore, and how cool some of the texts are. It's not really his thing yet, but I have many years to win him over. LOL
There was actually a guy on a Reddit post about this video that requested to be adopted lol
Both the video and the comments are gold... :D thank you guys! :)
I didn’t notice until you mentioned the hours that it was 9 hour video. This is impressive
It is long, it’s true, but it definitely didn’t feel that long when we were recording it. Hopefully, there’s some cool content in there that you’ll enjoy. 😊
Thanks for watching! Glad Greg was so generous to spend the time to go through his whole library!
Great video, but would be much better to actually showcase some of the books rather than looking into pictures.
Thanks for watching. It’s a good point. We worked to balance the pros and cons of both approaches. The part two of this interview, which we actually recorded first chronologically, is coming soon and I asked Greg to pull from his shelves his favorite books to show on camera on video and discuss. Will look forward to hearing your thoughts on that video if you return for Part 2!
@@timothykenny Wow, thank you for such a response!
No problem. I’m hoping at some point to be able to travel to visit future libraries in person.
Yeah, we wanted to do that, but it's logistically impractical without a camera operator on site. Since it was just two people on Zoom, Timothy and I did the best we could. I'd love to have been able to walk through the library, hold up a book, and flip through it on camera. But if I'm the one operating the camera as well as the book, it's tough.
One benefit of our system of using pics is that we can go for 3h no problem. Standing around for that long would get old pretty fast. So not sure full video will ever be possible for these very long form tours, most of which I think are going to be 5k volumes and up.
I have a home library too. I just categorize by broad topic, but then again, I only have 3 walls of books.
I did that for years. It worked great until I started forgetting where I put something. LOL
And three walls of books is nothing to sneeze at! Now I wanna hear more about YOUR collection!
Thanks for watching! Would be interested to know what subjects you focus on in your library as well, and if you have any favorites you might recommend.
The "I" in "I Tatti" is pronounced "ee" not "aye."
Thanks. I know it's grating on the ears when you hear someone continually pronounce something incorrectly. If I could go back and fix it, I would. Feel free to scream, "EEE!" every time you hear me say, "aye" in the video. LOL
Good to know, thanks for the correction.
Just looked it up for more clarification for those interested, got this from ChatGPT 4o:
The pronunciation of "I Tatti" as ee TAH-tee reflects its Italian origin. In Italian, the letter "I" is typically pronounced as ee, and "Tatti" would be pronounced with a clear "AH" sound for the "a" and a crisp "tt" sound. Unlike English, Italian pronunciation tends to maintain consistent vowel sounds and emphasizes clear, precise consonant articulation. Harvard University Press (HUP) publications often respect and preserve original language pronunciations, which is why "I Tatti" retains this traditional Italian pronunciation in English-speaking contexts.