--- product_id: 8310628 title: "The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003" brand: "susan wise bauer" price: "£25.56" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8310628-the-well-educated-mind-a-guide-to-the-classical-education store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003 **Brand:** susan wise bauer **Price:** £25.56 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003 by susan wise bauer - **How much does it cost?** £25.56 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8310628-the-well-educated-mind-a-guide-to-the-classical-education) ## Best For - susan wise bauer enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted susan wise bauer brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bBwwdmxsL.jpg) ![The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003 - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519fjVhgZ7L.jpg) ![The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had Hardcover – August 1, 2003 - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Eq65-sG3L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars When you gather data, you become informed. When you read, you develop wisdom. *by P***M on Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2015* With "The Well-Educated Mind," Susan Wise Bauer gracefully takes up the torch long held by Mortimer J. Adler, and becomes the modern advocate for purposeful reading.She gives us her own interpretation of what it means to “read well” and, thankfully, holds our hand a little more than Adler does in "How to Read a Book." You can think of their two works as a pair of college textbooks--Adler’s is for general instruction while Bauer’s contains the detailed steps and procedures use for lab work.Her book begins with a general overview of the “whats, whys, and hows” of classical education and then subsequent chapters dive into medium-specific analysis--novels, autobiographies, history, drama, and poetry. It’s obviously not an end-all-be-all list of classical education material, but enough to cover the literary bases (as Bauer states, “List making is a dangerous occupation.”)Within each of those chapters is an outline of questions we should ask ourselves, specific to that medium. Then we’re given a list of recommended books at the end of each section, each book having its own synopsis.The one notion I disagree with Bauer on is sticking to one medium at a time in order to grasp the chronological flow of work. In my opinion, many of these classics reference stories outside of their own medium, so I personally feel a wider breadth of reading is more beneficial. For example, if you don’t familiarize yourself with the poetic and historical books of the Bible, you’re going to miss references in all sorts of novels and plays.But I do agree with the overall message put out by Bauer (and Adler): You get out what you put in. It’s slow going at first, sometimes mind-numbingly so, but like anything worth doing, it takes practice. And like anything you practice, the more you work at it, the faster and more natural it becomes (the fact that I’m typing up my notes more regularly is a good example. :) )Though both Bauer and Adler admit that not all books require the same level of thought, only by working through the various stages of what classical education calls the trivium--grammar, logic, rhetoric--can the reader be sure they’re getting the most out of books that do matter. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Great refresher on how to think *by K***1 on Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2012* This book is ideal for anyone interested in reading and truly understanding great works of literature. It is perfect for anyone who is hard wired for a regimented system. I managed to do quite well getting through college without really ever reading and understanding the texts I was required to read, as an adult I wanted to try to read these texts and actually appreciate them. I concluded that perhaps though my comprehension was fine, my critical approach needed revising. I picked this book up because I was not quite ready to read the rather large "how to read a book" by Adler. I have since read both books and this one in my opinion, is a little easier to read. I. Recommend reading this first, then Adler's book after.I like "well educated mind" because it provides a system, and part of that is that she provides questions you should be answering on your various reads specific to each genre. This is immediately helpful in making sure you are doing more than just reading but actually engaging the text. She provides a system of journal writing that I have found quite helpful and now use for every book I read. Too many times I plowed through a great work and afterward had literarily no idea or appreciation for what I just read, this book was perfect to get me to truly understand great works. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars An easy guide to serious reading *by M***Z on Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2007* Many, many years out of college I felt my mind atrophying and decided to start a "serious" reading program, similar to the old "summer reading" that used to be done by high-school and college students. I picked up this book to use as a I guide.Yes, many of the techniques Susan Wise Bauer talks about in the opening chapters are ones that many readers will have picked up along the way. But even experienced readers may find her suggestions of keeping a "commonplace book" or reading journal helpful and brief background explanations of the various literary genres helpful.The very structured approach to notekeeping and journaling will probably not sit well with every reader. (I don't plan to follow all of her suggestions myself.) And many people will surely debate about the choices included on the reading lists. But Bauer is very firm about taking a book and making it your own, so disregard suggestions that don't work for you. And as she admits, no one reading list will be considered canonical by everyone. In fact, Bauer encourages the reader to use her lists as a "jumping off" point.All in all, I think any reader who is serious about reading the great "classics" can find something in this book to help with that process. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8310628-the-well-educated-mind-a-guide-to-the-classical-education](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/8310628-the-well-educated-mind-a-guide-to-the-classical-education) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-26*