Reliance College

📚 𝟱 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 📚

The Great Books of Western Civilization have shaped our world and deepened our understanding of reason, freedom, and human nature. Here are five must-reads that challenge the mind and enrich the soul:

1️⃣ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰

What is justice? What makes a society just? Plato's masterpiece invites us into a dialogue on power, morality, and the nature of truth.

2️⃣ 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗲 – 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀

Happiness isn’t just a feeling—it’s a way of living. Aristotle explores virtue, character, and the habits that lead to a flourishing life.

3️⃣ 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲 – 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Freedom, rights, and the foundations of democracy—Locke’s work is a cornerstone of modern political thought and individual liberty.

4️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 – 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮

Written nearly 200 years ago, Tocqueville’s observations about America’s strengths and dangers still ring true today. Essential for understanding liberty in practice.

5️⃣ 𝗙𝘆𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗲𝘃𝘀𝗸𝘆 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝘃

A deep exploration of faith, free will, and morality—Dostoevsky’s novel forces us to wrestle with life’s biggest questions.

At 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, we believe in the power of great books to ignite great conversations.

✨ We still have a few openings for the 2026 Great Connections Seminar: Reason and Love. Apply today at www.reliancecollege.org/seminar

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱.

Legendary investor Jim Rogers learned early in his career that simply reading an annual report put him ahead of 98% of Wall Street.

Reading the footnotes? That put him ahead of 100%.

Most people don’t bother to do the basic homework—whether in business, investing, or life.
But those who go deeper, who read widely and think critically, gain an edge that others can’t match.

At Reliance College, we believe that real education isn’t about passive learning—it’s about active discovery.

By engaging with the Great Books, history’s best thinkers, and primary sources, our students develop the intellectual discipline to analyze deeply, question assumptions, and make decisions others can’t see.

In a world where surface-level thinking dominates, deep reading is a superpower.

What’s a book or resource that has given you an edge?

💬 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘦?

Plenty.

In 𝘙𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤, Aristotle breaks down the art of persuasion into three pillars:

🔹 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗼𝘀 – the logic of your argument
🔹 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀 – your credibility
🔹 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀 – your emotional connection with the audience

Sound familiar?

Every sales call, pitch deck, or client meeting succeeds (or fails) based on how well you apply these same principles.

📊 A killer offer with no trust (ethos)? No deal.
🎭 All emotion (pathos) with no substance (logos)? Still no deal.
👔 Tons of credibility but zero human connection? Again—no.

Aristotle didn’t just write for philosophers. He wrote for 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 trying to change minds and inspire action.

That’s why the Great Books still matter—especially in sales.

At Reliance College, we use collaborative Socratic seminars and classic texts like Aristotle’s 𝘙𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 to help young people become persuasive communicators who think independently and lead with integrity.

💡 Because the best closers aren’t manipulative—they’re 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. They know how to listen, build trust, and speak with purpose.