Wachs Great Books Summer Institute at Colby College Waterville, Maine              August 3 - 9, 2008

             The Morality of Self
                              The Readings will be:
                                               Spinoza                   The Ethics - Part IV
                                               George Eliot           Middlemarch
                                               Henry James          The Art of Fiction
                                               Strachey                  Eminent Victorians
                                                                                (Nightingale & General Gordon)
                                               Robert Browning    Andrea del Sarto & Fra Lippo Lippi

Join us in our annual reading, discussion and friendship week at Colby College. In a Great Books Discussion

a group of readers share their understanding of a thought-provoking book in a well-conducted forum.  We
work to find a level of insight rarely achieved by reading by oneself.  It is a time for readers who love to think
and talk about the world’s great works, and who enjoy spending time with others who share that joy.

The Registration Fee of $525 covers your accommodations in a dormitory room (single or double), meals,

discussions and books, as well as swimming, tennis, a film, group social activities, and a real Maine lobster
bake.  The cost for commuters (people who participate in group activities but live off-campus) is $250, and
includes lunches and the lobster bake. Scholarships are available on a need basis. 
Registration deadline is July 1. 

This year we will also offer an optional bus trip (bus fee $25) where you have dinner on your own. The bus
leaves at noon to return to Colby at 8 pm.

Application and Refunds:  A deposit of $250 per person is required with application, $125 of which is refundable
for cancellations before July 1.  The balance is due at registration on August 5.  We do not accept credit cards, so
be prepared with a check or cash.  We will send books and additional information upon receipt of your deposit. 
To register, complete the form below and send with your deposit of $250 per person to:

            Great Books Summer Institute at Colby
824 Thomas Road
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-1107

Direct any questions to Tom Beam at 215-836-2380, or FAX 215-836-7158, or
           email agreatbook@aol.com.

APPLICATION        (Make checks payable to Great Books Summer Institute)

Name (s)________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

               __________________________________    Zip_________________

Phone (         )____________________  E-mail _________________________

<>
[     ] Rooming in Dorm          or      [     ] Commuting

Rooming with_________________________________________________________

Rooming near (if possible)_______________________________________________

    [     ] We have included $25 per person for the bus trip

    [     ] Need Handicapped Access

    [     ] Need Bedboard

    [     ] Prefer Self Directed Leaderless Group

    [     ] Have previous Great Books experience

See other side to reserve space on bus for trip.

                                                 What is it like to spend a week at the

Wachs Great Books Institute?

     Have you ever closed a book after reading the last page and wished you had someone to discuss it with? Every

<>summer, readers gather for one week at Colby College to discuss a set of works  –  some long, some short,
sometimes including plays and poetry – and to enjoy the company of others who have at least these readings
in common.

Participants live in the Colby dormitories, eat together in a dining room, and are assigned to discussion groups
for the week.  Formal discussions take place in the mornings, and follow the rules of the Great Books shared
inquiry method.  No outside sources are allowed so that all participants are on an equal basis and the emphasis
is truly on the reader and the text.  We mail books to participants soon after registration, and people are
expected to have read the texts completely when they get to Colby.  Most discussion groups have assigned
leaders, who move from group to group during the week.  A few experienced participants opt for a
“leaderless” group.

There are a wide variety of activities during the week, from an opening night orientation to a talent show (strictly

voluntary), a lobster bake, a movie and impromptu sing-alongs.  The Great Books Institute takes over a social
gathering place each night for the “Wachs Works”, our version of a friendly pub, named after our founder, Is
Wachs.  Here people socialize, play cards and just relax.

The food at Colby is good and plentiful.  Living arrangements are plain but comfortable.  Fans, phones, reading
lights and bed boards are available.  It is dormitory living, however, with no frills and no air conditioning.  (Our
Maine location means this usually is not a problem.)  We have private bedrooms with shared bath facilities.  All
buildings are smoke-free.  The school provides towels and bed linens. Arrangements can sometimes be made
for people with special needs.  The college has a great library, a fine art museum, a bookstore, tennis courts and
first-class athletic facilities, as well as waterfront property at a nearby lake.  For those without cars, rides with
other participants are generally available.

Participants make their own travel arrangements.  Many arrive by car, but there is air service to Portland and
Bangor, with rental cars, buses and limousine service available from there.  There is also a Greyhound bus
terminal in Waterville.

People attending the Institute come from all walks of life.  Many of them have come to Colby for decades, but
there are also many newcomers every year.  Everyone is welcome.  The goal is shared inquiry, shared laughter,
and shared experience.  The results are often friendship, fun and sometimes even glimpses of the truth.

Want additional flyers or information on some other Great Books events? 

                          Go to www.greatbooksdiscussionprograms.org.

Bus Trip   Wednesday   August 6th

Please reserve a seat / seats on the bus for $25 per person (enclosed)

Name (s) ____________________________________________________________________

The Bus trip will include box lunches, available at colby as you
board the bus at noon. After visiting mt. battie, the bus will take
you to camden, maine, where you can visit the town and have
                                                    dinner on your own.
the return bus trip will board promptly at 8pm.