RAR #163: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind, Alan Jacobs

A tranquil mind. Any chance you want one of those? I know I do. Today on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, we’re talking about how readers can give themselves the gift of a tranquil mind by reading old books.

Wait, did I just say “by reading old books?”

I did. 

And I have a feeling this episode will challenge and expand your expectation for what reading old books can do for us in the here and now. 

I like to describe Alan Jacobs as one of my favorite thinkers…

…and if you listen in to this episode, you’ll know why. 

He’s an accomplished author and a Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Baylor University, and in this episode he’s talking about why we can benefit from reading old books right now more than ever. 

His reasons might just surprise and delight you — especially if you’re feeling a little frayed by everything in the world demanding your attention.

I’m not gonna lie, folks, a conversation with Alan Jacobs is always, always worth the time. I think you’re going to love this one! 

In this episode:

• our own tranquility vs our own twitchiness
• how to read books that contain troublesome and problematic ideas (because old books tend to do that… a lot!)
• what it means to read with generosity

I also answer a listener question about whether we should let our kids do their own independent reading instead of listening to the group read-aloud.

Find the rest of the show notes at https://readaloudrevival.com/163/.