Best Erik Rostad Podcasts (2025)

1
#269 - Plato of Athens by Robin Waterfield 37:23

Play Pause

4d ago37:23

37:23

“The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” ~ Alfred North Whitehead I’ve been enjoying my Plato Project where I’ve decided to read through the Complete Works of Plato. I’ve read 9 dialogues so far and realized I needed to take a step back and learn more about …

1
#268 - The Idea Machine by Joel J. Miller 16:09

11d ago16:09

16:09

I’m making the wild assumption that you like books. Perhaps that’s because you like what’s inside of books - the stories, ideas, information, history. But do you ever just stop and think about the book itself? The physical book that you hold in your hand? Joel J Miller has a book coming out this Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 called The Idea Machine:…

1
#267 - Sophist by Plato 28:42

18d ago28:42

28:42

The goal of this dialogue is to define the Sophist. We’ve seen the Sophist pop up in Greek Tragedy and Comedy and it’s never a pretty picture. They are often contrasted with the Philosopher, the true lover of wisdom, and are denigrated as those who have the appearance of wisdom. They are known for charging money to teach their students how to argue…

1
#266 - Statesman by Plato 30:22

25d ago30:22

30:22

The goal of this dialogue is the definition of a statesman. Can Plato show us the essence or nature of the statesman? This dialogue is a sequel to Sophist. In each dialogue, an attempt at a definition is sought through the method of division. For example, Statesman begins with Knowledge, which is divided into practical and theoretical knowledge. Th…

1
#265 - Man's Search for Meaning (Revisited) 39:37

1M ago39:37

39:37

I finished reading Man’s Search for Meaning as the fireworks announced the start of 2018. I was closing out my first year of this reading project with my final book of the year and was trying to finish it before the clock struck 12. I didn’t make it, but I was close. That book ended up being my favorite for many years. Here was a man claiming that …

1
#264 - Theaetetus by Plato 23:40

1M ago23:40

23:40

How do we know what we know? That’s the question Socrates presents to Theaetetus in this dialogue by Plato. I was actually intrigued with the some of the side discussions about learning and memory and how that connects to knowledge. In this podcast episode, I share the general outline of the arguments and highlight the parts about memory that might…

1
#263 - Cratylus by Plato 27:51

2M ago27:51

27:51

So far, this is my favorite dialogue by Plato. I’ve only read 5 of them, so I have a ways to go, but this one covers the origin of language and the correctness of names. It answers this question - is there a reason behind the name of a thing or is it just by chance? Cratylus believes there is a correct name for each thing, one that belongs to it by…

1
#262 - Phaedo by Plato 29:23

2M ago29:23

29:23

Were you there? It’s the opening question of this dialogue. Echecrates is asking Phaedo if he was there when Socrates drank the hemlock and died in prison. He was there. This is Phaedo’s account of the final day of Socrates. I wonder what I would do knowing I had a few hours to live. Would I be frantic? Would I conduct a dialogue about the soul as …

1
#261 - Crito by Plato 22:41

2M ago22:41

22:41

Socrates is nearing the end. He’s been sentenced to death and the time has come where he will be forced to drink hemlock. Crito, his old friend, comes to persuade him to escape this death. He tries to convince Socrates that in this grave injustice, the just thing would be to escape. But Socrates says “we must examine whether we should act in this w…

1
Allen Levi In Conversation: Part II 55:18

2M ago55:18

55:18

Here’s Part II of a conversation with author Allen Levi that took place on Saturday, September 6th in Franklin, Tennessee, at the historic Franklin Theatre. Part I released last week and is the discussion from the 3pm event. Part II releases this week and is the discussion from the 7pm event. Each event was sold out and questions were different for…

1
Allen Levi In Conversation: Part I 58:39

2M ago58:39

58:39

SPOILER ALERT: This conversation contains book spoilers. Listener beware. Here’s Part I of a conversation with author Allen Levi that took place on Saturday, September 6th in Franklin, Tennessee, at the historic Franklin Theatre. Part I releases this week and is the discussion from the 3pm event. Part II releases next week and will be the discussio…

1
#260 - Apology by Plato 49:54

3M ago49:54

49:54

Last week, Socrates was on his way to his trial in the Euthyphro dialogue. In Apology, Socrates is giving his defense against three charges: * Not recognizing the gods recognized by the State * Manufacturing new gods * Corrupting the youth If you are expecting any contrition on the part of Socrates, you’ve come to the wrong place. Here, apology mea…

1
#259 - Euthyphro by Plato 29:06

3M ago29:06

29:06

I have decided to read through the complete works of Plato. Euthyphro is my first dialogue in this Plato Project. I ended up reading it 4 times within 4 different translations. In this episode, I give a brief overview of the dialogue, talk about piety and if/when this word shows up in Homer, the Greek Tragedies, and elsewhere, and cover each of the…

1
Frameworks for Reading 7:50

3M ago7:50

7:50

Do you find yourself struggling to remember what you read? This has been a continual difficulty for me and is a main reason that I started this reading project. I wanted to read more books, but more importantly, I wanted to experiment with different ways to help me remember what I read. One of the most powerful ways I’ve found to remember what I re…

1
The Plato Project 14:53

3M ago14:53

14:53

I’m currently making my way through The Immortal Books by 200 different authors. I expect the project to take 15 years. I’m currently in year 3 and Plato is author 18 out of 200. I had initially planned to read 9 of his works (Apology, The Republic, Laches, Symposium, Philebus, Crito, Phaedo, Theatetus, Meno), but when people on Twitter suggested I…

1
#258 - The Last Sweet Mile by Allen Levi 17:31

3M ago17:31

17:31

A life well-lived. Looking back, what would make you say that about your own life? What would constitute that well-lived life? Would it contain grand gestures seen by many or small, sacred acts seen by few? The Last Sweet Mile is a long letter written by Allen Levi to his family that covers the last year of his brother Gary’s life. They had a speci…

1
The DIY Great Books Approach 35:20

4M ago35:20

35:20

This episode is for anyone who wants to tackle the Great Books independently—whether you’re years out of college or just looking for a self-guided approach. Not sure where to begin? In this episode, I share ideas on how to prepare, start, and continue on your very own Great Books journey. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with…

1
#257 - An Odyssey by Daniel Mendelsohn 28:36

4M ago28:36

28:36

I book the author events at Landmark Booksellers in Franklin, TN, and earlier this year, I saw that Dr. Mendelsohn was coming out with a brand new translation of The Odyssey for the University of Chicago Press. I reached out to Dr. Mendelsohn to see if he would be near Franklin any time soon, and to my delight, he was able to do an author event. It…

1
#256 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 37:33

4M ago37:33

37:33

This book is seared into my memory. I first read it in August of 2002 and just re-read it for the second time in my life. My memory of the work from my first reading was near exact, something that almost never happens to me. It struck such a cord in my 20s that I thought about it often over the subsequent 20+ years. It is one of the most important …

1
#255 - The Library of Ancient Wisdom by Selena Wisnom 51:24

4M ago51:24

51:24

Ashurbanipal was king of Assyria from 669 to 631BC. He was a warrior poet, a scholar who carried a pen in his belt while decimating foes with cruel and unusual punishments. In a miraculous twist of history, the fire that destroyed his famous library is the very thing that ensured its survival. The fire solidified his 30,000+ clay tablets. Those cla…

1
2025 Mid-Year Reading Review 32:18

5M ago32:18

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 i…

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

5M ago39:37

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 conqu…

1
#253 - Anabasis by Xenophon 40:39

5M ago40:39

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 …

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

5M ago19:53

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 enjoye…

1
#252 - The Frogs by Aristophanes 29:20

5M ago29:20

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 determin…

1
#251 - The Clouds by Aristophanes 33:45

6M ago33:45

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 le…

1
#250 - Reading the Greek Tragedies 52:17

6M ago52:17

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 …

1
#249 - Bacchae by Euripides 26:17

6M ago26:17

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 throug…

1
#248 - Helen by Euripides 29:49

6M ago29:49

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…

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

7M ago40:29

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 bef…

1
#246 - Orestes by Euripides 19:18

7M ago19:18

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 throug…

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

7M ago29:29

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 bu…

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

8M ago25:35

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 colleg…

1
#244 - Phoenician Women by Euripides 24:55

8M ago24:55

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 wom…

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

8M ago31:36

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 contex…

1
#242 - The Analects by Confucius 43:39

8M ago43:39

43:39

The life of Confucius (551 - 479 BC) overlaps the life of Greek playwright Aeschylus (525 - 455 BC). Confucius makes it clear that he is a transmitter, not an originator. He’s transmitting wisdom from the past, specifically from an ancient era of perfect rulers. The Analects is a set of collected sayings of Confucius compiled by his disciples. I wa…

1
#241 - God's Secretaries by Adam Nicolson 32:28

9M ago32:28

32:28

I started off 2025 reading straight through the King James Version of the Bible. As I was doing so, I kept wondering how that translation came about. It’s now over 400 years old. What English translation will people be reading 400 years from now? And I had other questions. Did people really speak like this? Is this the first English translation? Wh…

1
#240 - The Bible | King James Version 56:33

9M ago56:33

56:33

I start each year reading straight through a different version of the Bible during January & February. This year, I selected the King James Version designed & illustrated by Barry Moser. This version contains 232 beautiful illustrations. This was my first time reading the full King James Version. I liked it very much. I divide this podcast episode …

1
Comparing LBJ & Robert Moses 49:53

9M ago49:53

49:53

In 2021, I dedicated my reading year to series of books. I read through Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, all books by Russ Roberts, and the Narnia series. I also read every single book written by Robert Caro. His The Years of Lyndon B. Johnson four-book set are some of the best books I’ve ever read and I think about them often. I also read The …

1
The Gulag Archipelago 32:18

9M ago32:18

32:18

I’m digging into the podcast vault and taking us back to December 2019 when I first released this episode. In the past 5 years, I’ve thought about The Gulag Archipelago often. I’ve seen it referenced in other books and think its ideas can heal our current divides. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get…

1
The Beginning of Knowledge 45:15

10M ago45:15

45:15

I’m digging into the podcast vault to share this episode from exactly 5 years ago (really, Feb 7, 2020 to today, Feb 7, 2025)! This episode covers The Book of Proverbs attributed to King Solomon. I had an epiphany of sorts about a key idea in this wisdom literature - The Fear of the Lord. I had always been baffled by that statement. Is that a tremb…

1
Top Ideas from the World of Books 56:48

10M ago56:48

56:48

I’m digging into the podcast vault to share this episode from two years ago about some of the most important ideas I’ve come across from this reading project. 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…

1
On Direction 5:14

10M ago5:14

5:14

And so he did not resist in the small ways that a man might, and in time the accumulation of such daily choices of acquiescence hardened into a kind of moral muscle memory, such that resistance was no longer even a possible option. For almost nine years the man had been rehearsing his surrender. ~ The Places Beyond the Maps, Douglas McKelvey If I w…

1
How Has This Reading Project Changed Me? 28:06

10M ago28:06

28:06

I received this set of questions from Brenda Slomka late in 2024. I couldn’t immediately answer them on Twitter X, so I decided to ponder them a bit and give a thoughtful response in this podcast episode. I’m glad I did it as it gave me a chance to take a step back and look at how the past 8 years of this reading project have impacted me. Here are …

1
2025: The Reading Year Ahead 33:52

10M ago33:52

33:52

READING YEAR THEME: GREEK TRAGEDIES, COMEDIES, HISTORY, AND PHILOSOPHY 2025 is the year I shift from the Greek playwrights into the philosophers. It’s year 3 of my 15-year Immortal Books reading project, where I read the greatest books ever written in chronological order. In this episode, I share my plan for the year, give a brief history of this r…

1
The Intellectual Life by A.G. Sertillanges 28:38

11M ago28:38

28:38

Love the eternal books that express eternal truths. ~ A.G. Sertillanges Have you found yourself lost in mid-life? Not sure what direction to take? No focus or purpose? This is a book about continuing intellectual curiosity throughout life, of lifelong learning. It’s a book with practical advice on how to pursue the life of the mind. I wish I had re…

1
2024 Reading Year Recap 55:37

11M ago55:37

55:37

Each year, I stack all of the books from the previous year’s reading list next to me and reminisce over the reading year. It’s one of my favorite yearly podcast episodes and it’s a great way for you to hear about some books to add to your reading list. 2024 was My Big Fat Greek Reading List. I’m reading through The Great Books The Immortal Books in…

1
Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart by Russ Ramsey 23:56

11M ago23:56

23:56

I used to think that great art had to have come from a great-souled artist with an honorable life. How else would you be able to forge David out of a slab of marble or compose an entire opera in your head? A minimum of a pure mind combined with superhuman abilities must have been required, right? Actually, art is oftentimes forged through intense s…

1
The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet 31:21

11M ago31:21

31:21

This book was suggested by a friend of mine named William Leachman. He’s a bonafide teacher, as in he has students and teaches them in a building that says school on the outside of it. He told me I should read this book and he told me that I’m a teacher. I bristled at that. I’m not a professional. I don’t teach eager students at the local high scho…

1
Hellenika by Xenophon 33:00

12M ago33:00

33:00

“And after this, not many days later…” Xenophon begins his history with these words. The “after this…” refers to the writings of Thucydides, which abruptly end in the midst of the Peloponnesian War in 411BC. Xenophon takes up the mantle and takes us first to the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404BC and then on to 362BC. Xenophon’s work takes us th…