Dead White Guys: A Father, His Daughter and the Great Books of the Western World by Matt Burriesci

Matt Burriesci takes the “great books of the Western World,” everything from Plutarch and Aristotle to Shakespeare, John Locke and Karl Marx, and distills them down into short lessons for his daughter. Each chapter focuses on a different lesson and Burriesci connects these classic works to modern times through what amounts to a literary lecture and usually contains some anecdote from Burriesci’s life. The book, meant for his daughter to read when she turns eighteen, succeeds in making the “dead white guys” feel relevant to today’s society, but I felt there was something lacking. I appreciated the laid back tone of a father writing to his daughter but I wanted more analysis or discussion of the literature.