It may seem more and more difficult to get a good classical, liberal education these days. The demands of professional training force many of us to skimp on our understanding of major artistic achievements. So, this class is for those people who should have read some of the best books around, but havent managed to yetbooks you should have read by now. Kurt Vonneguts character Kilgore Trout sings the praises of Dostoevskis The Brothers Karamazov, pointing out that it contains everything you need to know about life. He then ruefully adds that unfortunately thats not enough any more. It may not be enough, but it might be a place to start. Each book will be considered in itself for whatever it might offer by way of understanding the world, then and now. Each one can be seen as a useful foundation point for understanding an important period of history (Machiavelli and the Renaissance, for example). Finally we shall use the idea that literature is equipment for living as a way of understanding and evaluating our experiences.