American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

What happens to insurance companies when a scientist can predict the moment of your death? Should corporations be able to stop the spread of knowledge that benefits humanity? Heinlein takes on these questions in his first published story, "Life-Line". I talk about these themes in this episode.

This episode is part three of my coverage of LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. With Twain we explore how the South and the nation changed in the years after the American Civil War, for better or for worse. He grabbed my attention again with his writing on New Orleans.

In this episode, I finish my look at FOR US, THE LIVING by Robert A. Heinlein. There is a lot of historical and economic details that I scan over here, but I strongly encourage you to look at this utopia work.

This episode is a little more on LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain. It is also an episode where I have a personal breakdown and realization.

I start my exploration of Robert A. Heinlein's works with my thoughts on FOR US, THE LIVING, a fascinating study of the "social credit" economy.

The early chapters of the massive THE LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI explores the natural and human history of the river before getting into the personal history of young Samuel Clemens as a trainee steamboat pilot. For much of the first half, it is a celebration of the knowledge of the working class.

The second half of my review of THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain. Here I discuss adulthood, the preservation of freedom (or not) and the horrors of maturation.

I begin my series on the works of Mark Twain with THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. I hope I have a little bit to say about this well-known novel.

Finally, I reach the end of my series on the American Civil War. Next up, we will look at the works of Mark Twain.

Among other things I explore Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the passage of the 13th Amendment, and the later battles of the Civil War. This series nears its end.