Books Brothers

Author: booksbrothers

Two brothers talk through the BEST non-fiction books about science, evolution, culture, history, complexity science, nature, cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence.
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Language: en

Genres: Arts, Books, Science

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The Odyssey: The Cultural Programming of Ancient Man
Episode 23
Monday, 6 July, 2026

Homer's The Odyssey, broken down book by book, and why Christopher Nolan calls it the "ur-text" of everything he's ever filmed. We get into the cultural programming of ancient man: guest friendship, homecoming, hubris, rank versus virtue, and what it actually meant to "be a man" in Dark Age Greece. Plus the Cyclops, the Sirens, the underworld, Achilles' brutal reversal on glory, the contest of the bow, and the slaughter of the suitors, with a running argument about how Nolan (and Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and company) will pull it off. If you're new to Books Brothers, we read the big books so you don't have to, and break them down chapter by chapter.