CSS Breakdown: Book by Book

This episode of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book dives into the thought-provoking chapter "On Politics" from Will Durant's Fallen Leaves, specifically Season 04, Episode 17. Listeners will explore Will Durant's remarkable intellectual journey, beginning with his youthful, scathing critique of American democracy, which he once considered a "failure" due to its dependence on m...

Join us on CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, Season 04, Episode 16, as we delve into the profound chapter 'On Vietnam' from Will Durant's 'Fallen Leaves'. In this powerful discussion, we explore Durant's piercing critique of the increasing frequency and destructiveness of war and the US presidency's evolving role in military interventions. The episode dissects how America, b...

In this episode of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, Season 04, Episode 15, we tackle the profound and often grim reality of conflict as explored in the 'On War' chapter of Will Durant's Fallen Leaves. Join us as we dissect the historical panorama of warfare, from ancient battles with primitive tools to modern global conflicts. We'll delve into Durant's exploration of war's fund...

Why are we so profoundly drawn to the opposite sex, and what does it reveal about our nature and our civilization? Join us on CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, Season 04, Episode 14, as we explore the profound insights from the "On Sex" chapter of Will Durant's 'Fallen Leaves'. This episode unravels Durant's reflections on the enduring power of sexual infatuation, questioning...

Join us on CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, Season 04, Episode 13, as we explore the deeply reflective chapter "On Women" from Will Durant's 'Fallen Leaves'. In this episode, we unpack Durant's passionate 'hymn in praise of women,' delving into his unique perspective on beauty, which he claims often transcends physical desire. We'll discuss how Durant acknowledges...

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4, where we explore the timeless wisdom of Will Durant’s Fallen Leaves. In Episode 12, we uncover Durant’s inspiring firsthand account of the civil rights era and his bold vision for a more united humanity — rooted in harmony, education, and mutual respect. In this powerful episode of CSS Breakdown, we dive into Will Durant’s reflections on civil rig...

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. In this episode, we continue exploring Will Durant’s timeless reflections from Fallen Leaves . Today, we turn to Durant’s generational lens on morality — where he weighs youthful rebellion, evolving social norms, and the timeless values that continue to shape a healthy society." In Episode 11 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book , we explore Will D...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. We’re diving into the reflections of Will Durant in his posthumously published masterpiece, Fallen Leaves. In Episode 10, we examine Durant’s powerful insights into the evolving relationship between morality, religion, and modern society — a journey through belief, upheaval, and renewal." In this episode of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, w...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. In today’s episode, we explore a bold and hopeful chapter of Will Durant’s   Fallen Leaves  —  a vision for a reawakened Christianity, built not on doctrine, but on compassion and shared human values. In  Episode 9 , Will Durant examines the spiritual and moral vacuum left in the wake of modern skepticism and philosophical upheaval — from Nie...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. In this episode, we walk with Will Durant through one of the most personal chapters of   Fallen Leaves  —  his lifelong reflection on faith, Catholicism, and the tension between belief and reason." In  Episode 8 , we join  Will Durant  on a  deeply personal journey  through the complexities of  faith, doubt, and philosophy . Reflecting o...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4, where we’re reflecting on   Fallen Leaves   by Will Durant. In this episode, we explore Durant’s personal theology — a heartfelt, skeptical, yet reverent meditation on belief, doubt, and the sacredness of life itself." In  Episode 7 , Will Durant takes us to the crossroads of  faith and reason , sharing his  deeply personal reflections o...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. In this episode, we dive into one of the most profound meditations in Will Durant’s   Fallen Leaves  —  an exploration of what it means to exist, to be conscious, and to wonder about the soul." In  Episode 6 , we turn our focus inward — toward the  nature of the soul, the mind, and reality itself  — as reflected in  Fallen Leaves , Will...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4, where we’re unpacking Will Durant’s timeless reflections in   Fallen Leaves .  In Episode 5, we explore one of Durant’s most hopeful and poetic ideas — that life, not death, is the ultimate victor. In this deeply moving episode, we explore  Durant’s reflection on death — not as an ending, but as part of life’s larger, enduring rhythm . In a w...

"Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. In Episode 4, we walk with Will Durant through the quiet corridors of old age — a chapter rich with insight, memory, and sometimes, melancholy — drawn from his final reflections in  ‘Fallen Leaves.’"* In this episode, we explore one of the most poignant reflections from  Fallen Leaves  — Will Durant’s candid, poetic meditation on  old a...

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4. We’re continuing our journey through Will Durant’s   ‘Fallen Leaves’   with Episode 3 — where we step out of youth and into the more grounded, reflective terrain of middle age." In this episode, we explore Durant’s thoughts on  middle age , a phase often overlooked in philosophical reflections but rich in meaning, purpose, and quiet tran...

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 4, where we’re delving into the reflective and timeless wisdom of Will Durant’s   ‘Fallen Leaves.’   In Episode 2, we explore Durant’s take on one of life’s most potent and poetic phases — youth. A period of promise, passion, rebellion, and self-discovery. In this episode, we dive into Will Durant’s contemplations on  youth  — a chapter of life he ce...

Welcome to  Season 4  of  CSS Breakdown: Book by Book . In this season, we explore the timeless wisdom of  Fallen Leaves , the final and previously unpublished work of renowned philosopher and historian  Will Durant . In this first episode, we introduce the background of  Fallen Leaves  — a deeply personal and philosophical collection of Durant’s reflections on life, love, death, war, peace, art,...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 15 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book . This special episode offers a comprehensive summary of Michael Kimmel’s The Gendered Society —a deep dive into how gender is socially constructed, institutionally enforced, and critically important to understanding power and equality in our world. In this capstone episode, we bring together the key insights from all fourteen chapters...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 14 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this final chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we turn our attention to the future—one where gender no longer limits what it means to be fully human. Chapter 14 envisions a world beyond rigid gender binaries—not by erasing gender, but by undoing the inequality that gives it such force. Kimmel argues that m...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 13 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we confront a deeply uncomfortable truth: violence is overwhelmingly gendered, and the roots of aggression are tangled in our cultural expectations of masculinity. Chapter 13 dives into the sobering reality that violence is not gender-neutral. Kimmel explores how ma...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 12 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we examine how gender lives in and on our bodies—shaping how we look, feel, desire, and care for ourselves and others. Chapter 12 investigates the physical embodiment of gender—from beauty standards to sexual behavior and health. Kimmel explores how societal pressur...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 11 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we turn to the private sphere—friendships, love, and sexuality—to explore how gender shapes our most intimate connections, not by nature, but through nurture, culture, and expectation. Chapter 11 challenges the long-standing idea that men and women are from differen...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 10 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we dive into the world of media—where gender isn’t just portrayed, but actively constructed, commodified, and reinforced through everything from magazines to video games. Chapter 10 investigates how media both mirrors and manufactures gender norms, shaping the cultu...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 9 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we explore the gendered landscape of the workplace—where inequality persists not just in paychecks, but in expectations, advancement, and the very structure of labor itself. Chapter 9, “Separate and Unequal,” traces the gendered dynamics of work from historical divis...

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 8 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this chapter of Michael Kimmel’s "The Gendered Society," we turn our focus to religion—an institution that has both reflected and reinforced gender inequality across centuries, while also becoming a site for feminist resistance and reinterpretation. In Chapter 8 of The Gendered Society, Kimmel examines the historical entan...