Books of Titans Podcast

Here’s episode 3 covering my 2026 read-through of the Bible. I talk about the ideas that have stuck out to me while reading the books of Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. I also highlight some overarching themes so far from this reading.Show Notes:Purchase The Intertextual Tanakh from Landmark Booksellers.Dr. Jason Staples’ Suggested Bible Reading Order (start at the 1hr 16 minute mark) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

Explore the rich themes from Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and Samuel, as insights on free will and human choice are discussed. Learn about the symbolic meanings of heart, milk, and honey, and how ancient civilizations influenced biblical texts. Discover intriguing parallels between David and Goliath and Homeric tales. Erik shares a personal journey reflecting on faith and challenges while emphasizing the connection between different tribes and cultural histories through the Intertextual Tanakh commentary.

Over the next two months, I’m going to present quick podcast check-ins as I make my way through the Bible. I start each year reading a different translation of the Bible during the months of January and February. This year, I’m starting off with the Intertextual Tanakh, which covers The Five Books of Moses and The Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings).In this episode, I share a few ideas that have stuck out so far as well as a theme that is developing that I plan to track as I make my way through the rest of the Bible.Show Notes:Dr. Jason Staples’ Suggested Bible Reading Order (start at the 1hr 16 minute mark)Also, here’s a way to crush your 2026 Bible reading plan! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

Get ready for a deep dive into Greek philosophy in 2026! The focus will be on the works of Plato and Aristotle, along with preparatory readings of earlier philosophers. Erik plans an entire month dedicated to the epic of Gilgamesh in July, exploring its rich history. He shares his unique reading schedule, divided into semesters with breaks, and even establishes a winter theme centered on trees. Join in as he discusses his reading group plans and shares personal highlights and anxieties for the year ahead!

Dive into a year of transformative reading across Greek tragedies, comedies, and philosophy. Discover the unexpected thrill of Aristophanes and the challenges of tackling Plato’s dialogues. Erik shares insights on the King James Bible, emphasizing its poignant language. Hear about the enriching experience of reading Confucius and how it tightened memories into a single thread. The conversation spans memorable author events and the impact of community reading groups, culminating in Erik's top picks of the year.

The Braveheart film has had an outsized impact on my life. It first sparked a deep interest in the country of Scotland, that try as I might, I cannot shake. It inspired me to purchase a set of bagpipes and then learn how to play them. But it also had deeper implications in the areas of faith and living.In this book, the author of both the novel Braveheart as well as the screenplay that became the famous film, Randall Wallace, provides an autobiography that shows a close connection between his life and the Braveheart story. It’s an exploration of fatherhood, faith, and truth. And I loved it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

The two pillars of this reading project are to read more books and to remember what I read. To that end, I’ve experimented with a variety of practices to attempt to assist with memory. I’m always on the hunt for new ideas.That’s how I came across Rhetorica Ad Herennium by [Cicero]. Cicero is in brackets because it’s not certain that he is the author. So, author unknown, but content exceptional. This is the oldest surviving work we have about ways to remember what you hear and learn.This was written around 90BC and the techniques are still used today. The main idea is to place an intermediary background between your memory and the thing you are trying to remember. I always just go right to the thing. If I want to memorize a poem, I brute force my way into my memory bank by reading it over and over again. I never thought to place that poem against a background to enhance the likelihood of remembrance.In this episode, I cover a very short 10-page section of this larger work that deals with memory. I share how Cicero or not-Cicero suggests creating a background or room in which to place images that relate to words or subject matter. The more striking and odd the image, the more likely it will be remembered.This practice is not natural to me and it actually seems counterintuitive. But, if it’s worked for 2,000+ years, there’s something to it. I’m going to give it a try.Book Version - Loeb Classical Library book 403 - Rhetorica Ad Herennium This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

I started reading through the complete dialogues of Plato this year. I came to a point where I realized that Plato was referencing philosophers who came before him and I didn’t know anything about them or their ideas. I took a break from Plato to consider these philosophers who gave the seeds to Plato’s philosophy.These philosophers are called the Presocratics and the Sophists. They are Pre-Socrates in that their ideas precede Socrates, not necessarily that they preceded him historically. The Presocratic philosophers discussed in this podcast episode lived between 600 - 400BC. Socrates lived between 469 - 399BC.I read The First Philosophers with a translation and introduction by Robin Waterfield. In the introduction, Waterfield says “Presocratic thought was holistic : it was an attempt to give a systematic account of the whole known universe and all its major features.” They cover ideas such as the soul, happiness, and the makeup of things. You can see not only their intellectual method but also their ideas in the dialogues of Plato.In this episode, I cover four of my favorite Presocratic philosophers (Heraclitus, Parmenides, Pythagoras, and Empedocles) and some of their ideas. I also share the one thing that stuck out to me the most about these fathers of philosophy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

An introduction to this reading project for anyone new to Books of Titans. I started this in 2017 as an attempt to read more books and experiment with ways to help me remember what I read. It’s morphed into a lifelong reading project that I now expect to last until I die as I slowly make my way through The Immortal Books. Give this episode a listen to learn more and then give my wife Stephanie’s music a listen as well! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

Discover the intriguing life of Plato, from his wealthy upbringing to his distrust of democracy influenced by Socrates. Learn how his friendships and practical experiences shaped his philosophical ideas. Explore the significance of the Academy he founded, which inspired debate for over a thousand years. Delve into the dramatic nature of his dialogues, where even Plato critiques his own theories. The discussion also touches on the importance of applying knowledge for true happiness, making philosophy accessible and engaging.