The title of the book, Racing Odysseus, caught my eye before I even knew what it was about. I think I ordered it from the library without ever knowing the topic. It wasn't until I got into the car from going to the library and had a chance to read the inside cover that I realized that I had picked up a book about a liberal arts education. One can hope with a title like this one but, these days, that doesn't mean anything.
The premise of this book is intriguing. Racing Odysseus is the memoir of a 61 year old college president, Roger Martin. after a victorious struggle with cancer, he decides to go back to college as a freshman. This book journals his experiences.
Martin decides to enroll at the Annapolis campus of St. John's College. St. John's is a liberal arts college. Their teaching of every subject is based on the Great Books. The method of teaching is based on the Socratic Method. There is very little lecturing but much discussion. The facilitators ask a question to start off the class and then the discussion may go in any direction. There are few rules to these classes. The main one, though, is that everyone must participate in the class discussions. If you don't, then you face failing that class. The facilitators are there to make sure that everyone gets a chance to talk and that the discussions do not get side railed on to a non-related subject. Liberal Arts people do not like rabbit trails.
Martin's book talks a lot about the Great Books that he is assigned to read for class. As is common, Martin finds many analogies in the Great Books that coincide with his life. We are given a glimpse of Martin's early life via the Great Books.
We are also shown that liberal arts' colleges are still needed and important in this day and age. Liberal arts colleges provides an excellent foundation for anyone that wants to pursue any kind of education. St. John's has turned out to be the first educational stop for many students who want to go on to be doctors, businessmen, and lawyers. The Great Books education teaches them perseverance and how to learn through hard work. It also teaches them how to think and express themselves. Martin had doubts about this kind of education but his experience proved to him that a liberal arts education is a good foundation for any kind of line of work or vocation a person may decided to follow.
I found this book to be an exhilarating read. Another vote was cast for the side of a liberal arts education. It was nice to see this vote being pledged by someone like Roger Martin.
Julia lives on the Canadian Prairies with her husband, homeschooling their 3 children (10,8,6) and is attempting to give them a Classical Education. You can read more at her blog.
