GREAT BOOKS OF THE WESTERN WORLD - 60 VOLUMES

60 VOLUMES, COMPLETE, GREAT BOOKS OF THE WESTERN WORLD, ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA PUBLISHED WITH THE EDITORIAL ADVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, SECOND EDITION, 1990. CONDITION: AS NEW.

The project for the Great Books of the Western World began at the University of Chicago with the purpose of filling the gaps in liberal education and to render the reader an intellectually rounded man or woman familiar with the Great Books of the Western canon and knowledgeable of the Great Ideas visited in the "Great Conversation" over the course of three millennia. The volumes had to be relevant to contemporary matters,  not only important in its historical context;  but rewarding to re-read repeatedly with respect to liberal education; and must be a part of "the great conversation about the great ideas".

                                                   This second edition was published in 1990, in 60 volumes with updated translations and additions, in six new volumes.

This monumental collection compiles history's greatest written works, from the ancient classics to more recent masterpieces and encapsulating works from 130 of the most renowned minds throughout history. 

Volumes 1 and 2 comprise the Syntopicon®, a unique guide that enables you to investigate a particular idea and compare the perspectives of different authors. The Syntopicon organizes thirty centuries of thought into 102 Great Ideas, subsequently divided into topics and subtopics to effectively explore the different viewpoints over time. 

 "This is more than a set of books, and more than a liberal education. Great Books of the Western World is an act of piety. Here are the sources of our being. Here is our heritage. This is the West. This is its meaning for mankind."

                                      The first two sets of books were given to the Queen of the United Kingdom, and to the president of the United States.