About the Great Books Project

This site is a personal reading project focused on the books and ideas that have shaped philosophy, literature, science, politics, and theology across the Western intellectual tradition.

At its center is Appendix A of the revised 1972 edition of How to Read a Book, in which Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren present 137 numbered recommendations. Because many entries group an author with several works, the list should not be understood as exactly 137 individual books.

I use the project as a long-term reading tracker, recording my progress, difficulty ratings, editions or translations, purchase links, and personal notes as I work through the list.

Read more about the Great Books Project, or explore the complete Mortimer Adler reading list.