Books Of Titans podcast

Player FM - Internet Radio Done Right

108 subscribers

Vor sieben Jahren hinzugefügt

Inhalt bereitgestellt von Erik Rostad. Alle Podcast-Inhalte, einschließlich Episoden, Grafiken und Podcast-Beschreibungen, werden direkt von Erik Rostad oder seinem Podcast-Plattformpartner hochgeladen und bereitgestellt. Wenn Sie glauben, dass jemand Ihr urheberrechtlich geschütztes Werk ohne Ihre Erlaubnis nutzt, können Sie dem hier beschriebenen Verfahren folgen https://de.player.fm/legal.

Squid Game: The Official Podcast

1
Keys and Knives - S3 Ep 1 26:28

vor 19 Tagen26:28

Später Spielen

Listen

Gefällt mir

Geliked

26:28

Squid Game is back—and this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hun’s descent into vengeance, Guard 011’s daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends… or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of “Hot Sweet Potato.” SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…

Books of Titans Podcast

Serie-Home•Feed

Welcome to the Books of Titans Podcast where I (Erik Rostad) seek truth & beauty in the Immortal Books. My goal is to read the Great Books written by 200 authors over the next 15 years and share what I’m learning. I’ll talk a bit about each book, tie ideas together from a variety of genres, and share the one thing I always hope to remember from each of the Immortal Books.
www.booksoftitans.com

303 Episoden

#Storytelling #Books and Writing #Books #Arts #Self-Improvement #Erik Rostad #Podcasting Education

Books of Titans Podcast

108 subscribers

updated vor 5 Tagen

Serie-Home•Feed

303 Episoden

#Storytelling #Books and Writing #Books #Arts #Self-Improvement #Erik Rostad #Podcasting Education

Alle Folgen

Books of Titans Podcast

1
2025 Mid-Year Reading Review 32:18

vor 5 Tagen32:18

32:18

I find it helpful to take a step back from day to day reading to consider overall themes that show up over spans of reading time. That’s what I do in this episode. I look at the first half of reading for 2025 and talk about the 19 books I’ve read so far. I then talk about my favorite books, things I enjoy about Greek Literature, and share the one idea so far this year that has had the biggest impact. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#254 - The Education of Cyrus by Xenophon 39:37

vor 12 Tagen39:37

39:37

Last week, I discussed Anabasis by Xenophon, which covers the failed attempt of Cyrus the Younger to rule the Persian Empire with the help of 10,000+ Greek Mercenaries. The Education of Cyrus covers a different Cyrus, Cyrus the Great (600 - 530BC). This is the Cyrus in the Bible. The Cyrus of the British Museum’s Cyrus Cylinder. The Cyrus who conquered the Babylonians. The Education of Cyrus differs from Xenophon’s Hellenika and Anabasis in that it is largely a fictionalized account of Cyrus’ life. It allows Xenophon to share his moral philosophy and teachings through a famous person. It’s exciting and informative but also quite weird in that Cyrus repeatedly prays and sacrifices to Zeus and Hera, something Cyrus would not have done. It’s a mix of fact and fiction. Some have found it helpful to think of this book as a novel. Others as a moral treatise. It influenced Machiavelli’s The Prince and Thomas Jefferson was said to be fond of it. I felt like I was gaining secret knowledge in parts of it. Other parts moved slowly along before moving into the brilliant strategic move to take down the Babylonian empire. In this episode, I provide an overview of the book, discuss the fact or fiction debate, highlight wise leadership by Cyrus, and share the one thing I can’t get out of my head. Show Notes: * Version of The Education of Cyrus that I read This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#253 - Anabasis by Xenophon 40:39

vor 19 Tagen40:39

40:39

The Persian Cyrus the Younger recruits Greek mercenaries (12,900 to be exact, although Ten Thousand has a nicer ring to it) to help him try to claim the throne of Persia. The battle doesn’t go well, Cyrus loses a hand and a head, and the Greeks are forced to retreat to their country of origin. These events, take place between 401 - 399BC. Anabasis means a movement upwards, but can also refer both to an advance and a retreat. Both occur in this work, with Xenophon not only authoring the work but being a main character in the history. Xenophon was both a friend and a student of the philosopher Socrates. He was also a leader of these soldiers and he used what he learned from Socrates to try to persuade his men. This is an action-packed thriller of a tale. The Greeks meet unique people groups with wild customs, eat some mad honey, and party with clowns. All the while, they are longing to return home, a place many of them will never see again. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
Should You Re-Read Books From Your Past or Focus on New Books? 19:53

vor 26 Tagen19:53

19:53

I love experiencing a book for the first time. There’s the rush of discovering a new story, an intoxicating idea, or a memorable character. By the time I’ve finished the book, I’m ready to get that hit again with a new book. I actually fear the high won’t be as good if I go back and read a book for a second time, even if it’s a book I really enjoyed. But that’s not how books work. Re-reading a book creates a new experience, not a recreation of the first reading. I’ve changed during readings. Life experience clues me into things I missed the first time around. I’m reminded of people, places, and things that stuck out the first time that made an indelible mark on my life. Many experiences in life can deteriorate with continued exposure. Reading a great book multiple times over the years is not one of those experiences. What I hope to do in this podcast episode is to encourage you begin re-reading certain books as part of your reading life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#252 - The Frogs by Aristophanes 29:20

vor 5 weeks29:20

29:20

It took me 5 comedy plays by Aristophanes to begin to enjoy them. This was the 5th. It wasn’t as crude or banal as the first four I read ( Clouds , Birds , Lysistrata , Women of the Assembly ). I really enjoyed this one. Dionysus journeys to Hades to meet Euripides. A verbal contest ensues between the great tragedians Aeschylus and Euripides to determine who is the Best Tragic Poet. On the way to Hades, Dionysus hears the song of the Frogs, the title for this play. The Frogs was first performed at the City Dionysus festival in 405BC. It won first prize. This was one year after the death of Euripides and 51 years after the death of Aeschylus. In this episode, I talk about The Frogs , discuss aspects of comedy that had bothered me just a week ago, and share the one thing the stuck out the most. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#251 - The Clouds by Aristophanes 33:45

vor 6 weeks33:45

33:45

A father seeks to get out of debt, not in the traditional way of paying it off, but in the new way of winning an argument over his creditors. It doesn’t matter whether the argument is true or not, only if it gets him out of debt. This quest drives the father, Strepsiades, into the school of Socrates (likely in attendance at the play in 423BC) to learn the “wrong argument.” What ensues is a hilarious series of scenes masking some serious commentary on truth, justice, and persuasion. Arguments in the form of Right vs Wrong are even personified by actors, with the fourth wall between the audience regularly broken. I’m new to comedies, but what I’ve seen so far is a mix of Saturday Night Live and a roast. SNL for the cultural commentary and a roast for the tremendous abuse inflicted in person against notable people in the community. It’s funny, but it borders on cringe. I’m amazed that this was allowed in Ancient Greece, but I also wonder if this play set a path that led to the death of Socrates 24 years later. In this podcast episode, I highlight some key themes, give an overview of the story, and share the one thing that delighted me the most. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#250 - Reading the Greek Tragedies 52:17

vor 7 weeks52:17

52:17

I just finished reading all of the Greek Tragedies that survive from Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. That was not the plan, I only expected to read 2 or 3 by each playwright, but I got hooked. In this episode, I share about my experience, cover the major themes throughout those plays, and talk about my favorites. These stories will be with me for the rest of my life. They cover ideas we hear daily in politics, news, and conversation. The plays are utterly thrilling and breathtaking. And we only get to read them. The lucky audience 2,500 years ago got to experience an all-encompassing extravaganza of dance, song, music, and acting. It must have been astonishing. When the time machine is invented, I’m typing in the 400s BC in Athens. Show Notes: * Suggested Greek Tragedy Reading Order This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#249 - Bacchae by Euripides 26:17

vor 8 weeks26:17

26:17

Homer (Simpson, not the epic poet) once said that alcohol is the “cause of... and solution to... all of life's problems.” I think of that quote when I think of the god Dionysus (also known as Bacchus). Dionysus is the god of joy and celebration, but also madness and violence. The god of inspiration and intoxication. He’s the god the indwells through wine, which can both bring happiness and cause drunkenness. The women who follow Dionysus are called Maenads or Bacchants. They worship outside of the city (Thebes in this tragedy play) and partake in rituals that are at first described as orderly. In fact, Tiresias, the blind seer, says that “Even in a Bacchic revel, a woman who is really virtuous will not be corrupted.” We see quite quickly that the rituals are far from orderly. The revels quickly descend into chaos, with the Maenads attacking a nearby town, stealing children, and ripping animals apart. Pentheus, the king of Thebes tries to stop this madness by battling Dionysus himself, who has taken on human form. Dionysus’ goal is to show that he is indeed a god. He convinces the king to explore his curiosity and witness one of the dances by the women. This is forbidden and so Pentheus must don women’s clothing. Perched upon a tree, the women see him, get him down, and promptly rip him to shreds. His mother leads the charge, unaware that she is killing her own son. The recognition scene of all recognition scenes has Pentheus’ mother slowly realize she is not carrying the head of a lion but rather the head of her son. Dionysus has not only destroyed an enemy in Pentheus but has destroyed a devoted worshipper, Pentheus’ mother. Dionysus leaves destruction in his wake, but all those involved do end up realizing he is a god. There’s a lot going on in this play. I had to read it twice to understand it. The lines of the chorus were beautiful. The verbal battles between Pentheus and Dionysus were fascinating. The tragedy at the end, brutal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#248 - Helen by Euripides 29:49

vor 9 weeks29:49

29:49

What if everything you knew of Helen of Troy wasn’t true? That she didn’t go with Paris to Troy. That instead, she was whisked away to Egypt while the Greeks and Trojans battled it out over her phantom. That’s the storyline of Helen by Euripides. It brings into question perception vs reality. It provides Helen a way to redeem her name. And it makes for an absolutely brilliant and entertaining tragedy play about the most famous woman in Greek literature. In this episode, I cover the storyline, main themes, and the one thing that struck me most about this tragedy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#247 - Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides 40:29

vor 10 weeks40:29

40:29

Homer doesn’t mention her but she permeates the Iliad . Without her, Aeschylus’ Oresteia doesn’t pack the same punch. Her story is so tragic that Euripides doesn’t let this play end as it should. He has her whisked away so she is not sacrificed. Her name is Iphigenia. She’s the daughter of Agamemnon, the King of the Greeks. This play takes place before the Iliad , before the Trojan War. The Greeks with their 1000 ships are headed to Troy to reclaim Helen. But Agamemnon has messed up. He hunted one of Artemis’ sacred deer. The winds have stopped. The winds that are required for the Greeks to sail to Troy. They are stuck in Aulis. There’s only one way to fix this. Artemis demands a sacrifice. Not your typical sacrifice. This one will hurt. And it will hurt Agamemnon. Artemis demands the human sacrifice of Iphigenia in order for the winds to pick back up and lead the army to Troy. I’ve seen this story referenced often in Greek literature. I’ve wondered how it actually happened. How did Agamemnon justify this? Did Clytemnestra his wife know what was about to happen? Did she try to stop him? What did Achilles think of all this? His name was used as a pretext to lure Iphigenia to Aulis in hopes of a wedding. This is tragedy at its finest. An impossible situation. Damned if you do; damned if you don’t. Necessity brought by the gods. This is my favorite tragedy play by Euripides of his surviving 19. This helps in understanding the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles in the Iliad and between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in The Oresteia . In this episode, I give a brief outline of the tragedy, share themes and things I learned, and talk about the one thing that stuck out the most. Show Notes: I read the Penguin Classics version of this play translated by John Davie with intro/notes by Dr. Richard Rutherford This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#246 - Orestes by Euripides 19:18

vor 11 weeks19:18

19:18

That’s such a brutal painting. Orestes has stabbed his own mother and the furies are immediately there to torment him. The story of Orestes was explored by each of the three main Greek tragedy playwrights, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Aeschylus set the standard with The Oresteia , Sophocles approached it through Electra , and Euripides through both Orestes & Electra . Orestes if a fascinating character study. He kills his mother Clytemnestra in vengeance of her killing her husband, Orestes’ father, Agamemnon. Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia. Orestes thinks he is just. Clytemnestra thinks she is just. Agamemnon thinks he had to do what he had to do. Who is just? How is that determined? Can justice be meted out eye for an eye? What about in the case of a death? The wronged party cannot seek justice. Someone must do it on their behalf. How does that cycle end? These are the questions that come up in Orestes. It caused me to think about ways in which these cycles of violence could end. I share this ideas in this episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#245 - Free Speech by Jacob Mchangama 29:29

vor 13 weeks29:29

29:29

“In fact, free speech may well be the most powerful engine of equality ever devised by human kind.” Free Speech by Jacob Mchangama presents a thorough and fascinating look at the history of free speech through the ages. What’s amazing is that free speech is a rather recent phenomenon, is quite fragile, and most of the people I consider to be the bulwarks of free speech were not as principled as I thought. I got to meet Jacob last week and hear more about this book at an event at Landmark Booksellers. I talk a bit about that and the question I asked him as well as cover some key themes from his book. If you’d like to watch the event at Landmark, you can do so here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
How Can I Teach Myself to Read Better as an Adult? 25:35

vor 14 weeks25:35

25:35

A few years ago, I read a book about a coffee entrepreneur. It was really good. I immediately thought about a new friend of mine who worked at a coffee shop. I bought the book for him and met up a few weeks later to hear what he thought. His comments shocked me. He thanked me for the book and said it was the first full book he had read since college. This was a man in his early 30s, which means he hadn’t read a book in nearly 10 years. I think that’s where a lot of adults find themselves. Life gets busy. Work becomes the focus. Family, kids, activities, yard work. And now, all of those minutes in the margins are consumed with scrolling. It’s an addiction few of us can break. So how can we get into reading and then become better at it as adults? That’s the focus of this podcast episode. I hope you enjoy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#244 - Phoenician Women by Euripides 24:55

vor 15 weeks24:55

24:55

Euripides’ Phoenician Women mimics the Aeschylus tragedy Seven Against Thebes with some key differences. One of those is the composition of the members of the chorus. Aeschylus chose Theban women as the members of his chorus but Euripides selected foreign slave women from Tyre en route to Delphi. They don’t have skin in the game like the Theban women do as they watch their royal line destroy themselves before their eyes. I think Euripides’ choice is so interesting. Not only did he select the Phoenician Women as the members of the chorus but they also occupy the title of the play as well. The play could just have easily been named Jocasta, a character who ties all the others together and who starts the entire play recalling the recent family history. I love reading these retellings of the myths. I love seeing these slight changes and trying to figure out the reason by behind the choices. I love the themes that keep popping up and the ways these ideas are discussed amongst characters in the worst of circumstances. These and other topics encompass episode 244 of the podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Books of Titans Podcast

1
#243 - The Authentic Confucius by Annping Chin 31:36

vor 16 weeks31:36

31:36

Most of the sayings of Confucius consist of three parts: * The Saying * The Person * The Time/Location If you just read The Analects , you get all of the sayings and if you’re very diligent (or use a commentary), you can get to know the people Confucius addresses in his responses. What’s difficult to gather from The Analects is the historical context (time/location) in which each statement was made. That’s where Annping Chin’s book comes in, The Authentic Confucius . Organized along the path of Confucius’ life, Annping takes us through the various political situations, locations, and career points that align with many of the sayings of Confucius. This book provides a very helpful analysis of that third part of each saying, while also being an interesting look at the life of this great teacher. I was surprised to learn that Confucius was not a religious teacher (he was a philosopher), that he would deeply ponder a question before answering instead of spouting off an answer based upon a set worldview, and that he was very politically minded. In this podcast episode, I talk about these things that surprised me, some things I learned about Confucius, and cover The One Thing, my key takeaway from The Authentic Confucius . Here’s my episode about The Analects: As well as an article about something Confucius said that I’m thinking about a lot: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe…

Willkommen auf Player FM!

Player FM scannt gerade das Web nach Podcasts mit hoher Qualität, die du genießen kannst. Es ist die beste Podcast-App und funktioniert auf Android, iPhone und im Web. Melde dich an, um Abos geräteübergreifend zu synchronisieren.