"The book has been man’s greatest triumph. Seated in my library. I live in a time machine. In an instant I can be transmitted to any era, any part of the world, even to outer space. I have lived in every period of history. I have listened to Buddha speak, marched with Alexander, sailed with the Vikings, ridden in canoes with the Polynesians. I have been at the courts of Queen Elizabeth and Louis XIV; I have been a friend to Captain Nemo and have sailed with Captain Bligh on the Bounty. I have walked in the agora with Socrates and Plato, and listened to Jesus deliver the Sermon on the Mount. Best of all, I can do it all again, at any moment. The books are there. I have only to reach up to the shelves and take them down to relive the moments I have loved." Louis L’Armour
Same here. I don't take into consideration much of what the "stereotypical" Christians have to say about books considering that they don't even read their own Bibles, if they did and actually followed what the Scriptures themselves say, then they would be much different people, but they would rather sit in a church and follow the words of a "pastor" who take each verse out of context in order to push their own agendas. Most of the time, these 'opposing views' aren't even opposing, their pastors say that they are therefore that's what they blindly follow. שָׁלוֹם
Very good video. Literature videos on youtube are mostly YA fiction and fantasy novels which don't really interest me, but this video is the kind of thing i've been looking for. Keep up the good work. Subscribed.
@@rogermaxson2512 Sir, I have some best recommendations for You * Bhagavad gita, ( it's better to read with explanation) it's a recommendation of father of Nuclear Bomb, Oppenheimar * An autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda * Death, by Sadhguru *Mahabharat 📚
Not sure why this ended up on my recommended videos, but I appreciate your library and extensive spread of learning. I ordered 4 more books based on what I saw. Thank you and God Bless.
This video is one that came across my RU-vid search for at-home libraries and I am far from disappointed. Your library contains a great deal of balance on several subjects, which I appreciate 🙏.
I am no longer a Christian, but when I was, I would have loved that library of yours. I believe everyone should have some theological understanding, it has tremendous historical value and gives one insight into the context of Western civilization and thought. You have a very broad mind and taken together this library is simply wonderful. I have great respect for your eclectic and intellectual tastes.
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video, and for the kind words. I agree that, even if Christianity is not true, it has certainly had tremendous influence on Western Civ. Nietzsche knew this. I almost left the Christian Faith myself. Perhaps you'd be interested in reading some thoughts: faithrefocused.squarespace.com/the-almost-atheist/ Either way, take care, Claude.
I love reading books but I don't have a money to buy as much as I want. I know that books are now easily accessible through internet pdf's or ebooks. but the thing is I get tired whenever I read books through computer screens. It completely ruined my interest. A physical book is always a lot greater than those on digital ones.
I really appreciate his work as he is into theriotical physics then theology and then then he approaches scholars like marx amd descartes finally I found someone like me I have read about 250 books and I am just 15
Most writers and bibliophiles here drool overtly over the aesthetics of the editions they own, rather than sharing with us the cerebral impulse that had compelled them to purchase those titles in the first place and the cerebral impetus those titles equipped them in turn with. Your tour of your library was reverse of what we have come to expect of people on the internet in general. I felt while watching this video that anyone who wishes to have a rationale to base every aspect of their thoughts and actions upon will find this fascinating, thanks to your thorough understanding of your tastes, your articulation of it and your respect both for every phase and discipline of human thought.
Thanks for the tour. At the start I thought it was going to be an all Christian Library but good to see the diversity of reading and thought. I have a few of those you mention.
Excellent video. Thank you for allowing us into your home and showing your amazing collection. You are very well read indeed. I am an avid book collector and also have Aristotle and Homer on display. Over time as you grow your collection I am sure you will build your bookcases upwards to eventually cover the entire wall. Good luck on your amazing journey.
I am an atheist, but this video does make me want to understand the evolution of Christian thought and how it relates to other intellectual and secular topics. I loved the video. It was enlightening to see the different connections between thinkers highlighted, which is something that I've never seen done in a library/bookshelf tour.
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video, Nathan. McGrath's Introduction to Christian Theology is a good place to start, I think. If you're interested, I posted another video surveying a recommended reading list. I make a few connections in the video, but certainly not all that should be made. Take care, Nathan.
One of these days I might have the time and space to create my own home library, however my older sister has a good start. She has a single large book case that is probably about 6 ft 2 tall and maybe about a foot deep. We differ quite a bit in the genres we enjoy but we both agree on Agatha Christie style murder mysteries. She also has a collection of dvds of a tv show called midsummer murders which I borrow pretty often. I really admire it and I call it her mini library. I really liked your video and I’m glad you brought up c.s Lewis. I am a Lewis fan and I am also a great fan of fantasy. I love how he incorporates Christianity into his stories. I also enjoy listening to some old radio broadcasts of his on utube. Thanks again for the video
Great video...and very inspiring. Wonderful to see younger people using their minds and reading. Look forward to more videos if you have time to create them.
While not a believer myself, I really enjoyed this video. There is certainly an effort on your part, Roger, to take in wildly differnt viewpiints, and that is admirable. Thank you for showing us your library.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, Friend. I'll check out your channel. I once considered Atheism myself. You might be interested in this discussion about the time I very nearly left the Christian Faith. I wish you well, and thank you for your time. faithrefocused.squarespace.com/the-almost-atheist/
It does make you wonder. Apparently, Marlon Brando had a personal library of over 4000 books. He was a voracious reader and studied almost every aspect of life. I would usually disregard this as nonsense, though watching him articulate himself in interviews does provide evidence that he was a very deep thinker, very reflective and well-read. Books are amazing.
It is nice to hear how reading has shaped your perspective and continues to expand upon your learning. Books are certainly a wonderful addition to ones life.
Hello Roger fantastic video. I have just begun my journey into 'meaningful' literature starting with Dostoevsky. I would love to see more videos from you, inspiring stuff.
Thanks, Ryan. I'm happy to see that you're reading the great books! I've found the journey to be one of the greatest investments of time and energy I've ever made. Happy Reading!
If people would take the time to learn about the cultures, traditions, religions and even politics of of others(both sides of each argument etc...) then the world would be a lot better off(in my opinion). So good on you for being open minded and willing to learn both sides.
I am in awe at the sheer amount of history on your shelves. While I may not agree with some of the ideas contained in a large part of your collection, I must admit it is a thing of beauty and wisdom. I hope to have a library similar in theme to this one day.
Hi James. That's a very difficult question! I find the New Testament, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, G.K. Chesterton, Alister McGrath, and Roger Scruton very valuable. For fun...Jurassic Park, Tolkien, etc. What do you enjoy reading?
I was so amazed at how you manage your time to read such a great number of book collections . The subjects of the books you collected are also so serious.
I really admire that you have a section for atheist writings in addition to your (very impressive!) theology section. Most people would prefer to pretend that the other side (whatever it may be) would not be worth reading.
i loooove your collection!!! thank you. can't wait to start reading some that i don't have yet! now my list just got longer. this made me so happpyyy!!!
Awesome video. Coming from a brother in Christ I respect your humbleness to express the truth. Something random, I was at a used book store yesterday and saw a book by William James. Pretty big book called in the maelstrom of modern modernism. I had no idea who he was but I bought it for a dollar and the only reason I even mentioning it is because you talked about him in this video I had to look it up to see if it was the same guy. Pretty cool and no coincidence.
Wow. Great collection there. I'm moving into a more suburban area and I now have a room that I can use to expand my meager library. Hopefully I can make something like this.
Really appreciated you taking a significant portion of your time in showing and explaining your books both in this video and your Recommended Reading video; I've purchased God knows how many of these and similar books since first watching your videos last winter and am quite glad I did. Also consider purchasing "The Men Who Lost America" by Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy for a good understanding of the British failures in America, politically and militarily
Hello just coming across your video, i just came from books a million. I decided i wanted to expand myself more. You have put into words what i could not but wanted to for personal thought. Just wanted to say thank you!😇
Love this video! Incredible and inspiring library full of wonderful works. Please do more videos about your books, and also do some vids about theology/apologetics and politics! I would love to see your "comic book collection" too!
Rosa, Thanks for the kind words! There is another video up discussing my recommended reading list. In the future, I would like to do more videos on Christian apologetics and philosophy. Take Care!
Nice library! We have many overlapping tastes. I am a big reader of anything history, philosophy, theology, and of course Tolkien. I also have one of those Target bookshelves. I found it a pain to put together. As Americans we do need to know John Locke, and also Montesquieu. a few of my personal favorite modern-thinkers; Russell Kirk, Christopher H. Dawson, William F. Buckley Jr., Roger Scruton as well.
Amazing library! I truly appreciated the time you took to speak on the different genres and their importance to you. However, I can't help but bring up the lack of Diogenes and the philosophy of cynicism. I would really like to hear your thoughts on him as well as an essay by Thomas Ligotti titled "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race". Thank you for your time!
Eventough i am an atheist I appreciate your way of questioning things. Yes you have tons of biblical books but also you have darwin, dawkins, harris. So it shows that you are a christian because you want it to. So that's the thing I respect. But i have to say that today's religions are tomorrow's mythologys. So your grand grand kids will put christianity books where you put greek mythology. Cheers
Joe, I once thought as you do. Men, since Jefferson's time, have thought traditional Christianity would, within their lifetimes, be all but extinct. Of course, we're still waiting. Yet, whether or not the masses consider it to be mere mythology or not, it would be wise to consider whether or not it is true. I share some of my thoughts about why I was "Almost an Atheist" in my blog, if you'd be interested. I wish you well, Joe. faithrefocused.squarespace.com/the-almost-atheist/
@@rogermaxson2512 you are incredibly articulate and so polite. I hope you upload some more content, I find you quite interesting. I'm going to subscribe in case you upload again. Have a great day.🙌🔸️
That's a whole world for me. It's been a year that I have started reading. I am going to take your advise seriously. Thank you so much for this video. I have already subscribed :). God bless you.
I'm glad to learn that you are reading these great books! It's a rewarding journey. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment, Suraj. God bless
Impressive! One suggestion - I did not see this book on your shelve but I would highly recommend Dr. Mortimer J Adler's classic, "How To Read A Book." He updated a later edition with Charles Van Doren. I wouldn't read that first. Instead, read his previous edition subtitled, "The Art Of Getting A Liberal Education." You can find it almost anywhere at a used book store online. Thank you for a most entertaining tour.
An excellent suggestion! I read that book, unfortunately, years after beginning this journey. I wish someone had told me about Adler sooner. But I thank you for bringing him up here.
+drafting savant - he's just pointing out a fact...it is heavy in the areas he mentions ( Roger doesn't seem much interested in music/film/popular culture or fiction for example) n it does seem quite formal in its construction...to each his own/follow yr obsessions etc there's some good stuff there but im kinda delighted when quirks n oddities arise in peoples books when you've got the likes of stephen king rubbing spines with soren kierkegaard or danielle steel nestling up beside jean paul sartre etc... the best i saw stacked in someones hall was being and time by Heidegger alongside Lee Child n John Grisham haha
Those are the areas I've found most worth spending time and energy on, but I am working to increase my knowledge of literature. Thanks for watching, Ahmed.
This is the kind of library that I deem necessary and authentic. Not a library where the bookshelves are filled to the brim with fictional novels. I think fiction can be a waste of space, because it doesn't provide you with anything useful. My shelves are donned with old lexicons (Merriam-Webster Unabridged 1864, Merriam-Webster Unabridged 1934, The Century Dictionary 1914) , encyclopedias, handbooks, textbooks.
Thanks for watching! I agree that much fiction is not worth spending much time on. Some books are mostly for entertainment. I'd stick with the classics
I'm very much considering buying the great books of the western world set. It seems like an "easy" way to get a bulk of great works, organized/indexed. I've heard some complaints about the readability of the work, but in a way it seems less daunting to purchase that set versus purchasing each book individually.
Loved your collection. I truly loved Orthodoxy and have read it multiple times. Also, I liked the variety of your reading choices. A very encouraging video and well worth your time sharing.
I am like that football I cant take to it, but to me books are like escapeing this nagativity of this world you become the person in that book, I started tor ead when I was 9years old I whent into a reading slump when I started school right to 2017 the back into a min reading slump and now im 41 starting since 2020 because of this pandemic I started being a reader again, classics and history like you said never bothered me but now it all depends on how I feel, maybe some day when I am older ill be into classics or phylosophy I just cant grasp the idear of that, I started to like first of all Stephen Kings books, then mysterys like ones that you have to puzzle and solve, I allways like to learn new things, and also its historical fiction I like, Fantasy and sci fi is ok but I have really got to like it im picky with them, but sometimes I like a mixture of genres it keeps me out of a slump, My parents were avid readers when I was growing up, my mum liked paranormal and romance books and buy alot of them till, I came along and with my minor learning disabilty long story she had to give it up to look after me, and my dad was an avid reader when I was growing up hed by practicaly the bookshop where ever we went lol, and my mum said I was a nightmare to sleep at night being at the age as a tot being read to, I wouldnt sleep untill I had the whole book read to me, thats plb explains why I love reading and now I have 346+ books and I would read anything othere than textbooks or texbook form because there no need to, it has to be in reading book form, mostly physical books, I even gave up tv and gaming and the internet and phones I am not much of a socializer or an outdoorsy person, nor am I shy or rich but im dedicated to reading and I am happier that way, well my phone the internet as im on the now and etc I still have them and use them if important stuff or if I have to put me I prefer, Just me my books and doing daily life stuff, no hassle no tied down you can go and see and say and do what one wants.
Have you read the great books of the western world? A set of Mortimer Adler considered to be essencial to us. I can see that some of them you already have!
That was so inspiring! Now I‘ve got a few new books on my to-buy list. The «1776» by McCullough, is it good? I’ve seen it on recommended lists. I’m looking for good books on American history.
