About Jacob Bair’s Substack and Podcast
Jacob Bair recently ran for office in Oklahoma. That is how we met. Then I found out that we also share a love of good books and seeking wisdom. He has both a substack and a podcast and is a wealth of information! I asked him if he had an index to his work and he said no but that he would create one and that he did. Here it is (shared with permission); the links at the end of each listing go to the article or episode in his substack:
A List of Previous References Used by Jacob Bair
This list will be updated every few months. If you have recommendations, or you enjoyed reading a book or watching a film or tv series you heard about on this show, please send me a message at: wisdominbestbooks@gmail.com
This AI generated catalog covers all 103 podcast episodes, from the Introduction on 2024-11-03 to episode 101 on 2026-10-04. Every episode reference links to the episode page.
Usage labels: read in full means the whole work was read aloud. quoted means passages were quoted or excerpted. discussed means the work was talked about or mentioned without being quoted.
Contents
1. Novels and books quoted
2. Short stories, poems, essays, and other short works read in full
3. All works by genre
4. Scripture quoted directly
5. Bible referenced or paraphrased
6. Some more scripture references for my LDS friends
Novels and books quoted
Full-length novels, novellas, nonfiction books, book-length poems, and treatises quoted or excerpted on the show (45 works), alphabetical by title.
• Academ’s Fury, by Jim Butcher (novel). Episodes: 20. Concern and Influence (Codex Alera, book 2)
• At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald (novel). Episodes: 3. Seeing Good
• Bleak House, by Charles Dickens (novel). Episodes: 88. Allowing Grace
• A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens (novella). Episodes: 83. Laughing with Dickens: Finding Wisdom and Growth Through Humor in Hard Times
• Christmas Karol, by Faith Moore (novel). Episodes: 58. Time Well Spent
• The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (novel). Episodes: 10. Compression and Growth
• David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens (novel). Episodes: 84. Choose Your Love, Love Your Choice
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing (nonfiction book). Episodes: 45. Coincidence or Miracle?
• An Essay on Man (Epistle II), by Alexander Pope (book-length poem). Episodes: 29. The Dangers of Artful Vice
• Evelina, by Frances Burney (novel). Episodes: 29. The Dangers of Artful Vice
• The Faith of a Scientist, by Henry Eyring (nonfiction book). Episodes: 74. Discussing the Intersection of Science and Faith with Dr. Taylor Sparks; 77. The Spirit: More than just a Burning in the Bosom
• Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (novel). Episodes: 49. When Grief Changes from Necessity to Indulgence
• The Furies of Calderon, by Jim Butcher (novel). Episodes: 23. Live Worthy of Your Dreams (Codex Alera, book 1)
• Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens (novel). Episodes: 92. The Nobility Money Can’t Buy
• The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (nonfiction book). Episodes: 42. A Sober and Fearful Gratitude
• The Hand of Chaos, by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (novel). Episodes: 99. The Face of Evil (The Death Gate Cycle, book 5)
• How Do I Know If I Know?, by John Bytheway (nonfiction book). Episodes: 77. The Spirit: More than just a Burning in the Bosom
• Into the Labyrinth, by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (novel). Episodes: 101. Creatures to Act (The Death Gate Cycle, book 6)
• Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina, by Galileo Galilei (letter, treatise-length). Episodes: 78. Galileo’s Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina
• The Light of All That Falls, by James Islington (novel). Episodes: 40. Is There a Gray Area? (The Licanius Trilogy, book 3)
• Light of the Mind, Light of the World, by Spencer Klavan (nonfiction book). Episodes: 81. Absolute Truth
• Lilith, by George MacDonald (novel). Episodes: 1. Making Nowhere into Somewhere
• Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens (novel). Episodes: 86. Steady Loving Patience
• Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (novel). Episodes: 17. Ch. 38 of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, “On the Shelf” (ch. 38, ‘On the Shelf’)
• The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien (novel). Episodes: 44-b. Bonus Episode- Christ’s Grace Ever Lifts Us
• Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis (nonfiction book). Episodes: 36. Love Thy Neighbor
• Merlin, by Stephen R. Lawhead (novel). Episodes: 68. A Name Given, A Name Won (The Pendragon Cycle, book 2); 70. Children: Wealth and Responsibility; 72. Forgive Yourself
• The Monster in the Hollows, by Andrew Peterson (novel). Episodes: 25. Giving Up Weakness (The Wingfeather Saga, book 3)
• Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, by C. S. Forester (novel). Episodes: 55. The Worth of a Promise
• On the Trinity, by Augustine of Hippo (treatise). Episodes: 60. The Right Thing for the Wrong Reasons
• Phantastes, by George MacDonald (novel). Episodes: 27. Theory Vs. Reality
• A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, by Edmund Burke (treatise). Episodes: 98. A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
• Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (novel). Episodes: 33. Interpreting with Charity
• Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier (novel). Episodes: 51. Just One Step Forward
• Reflections on the Revolution in France, by Edmund Burke (nonfiction book). Episodes: 47. Deliberate Methodical Change
• Return of the God Hypothesis, by Stephen C. Meyer (nonfiction book). Episodes: 79. A Little Science Leads to Doubt; Deeper Science Restores Faith
• The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis (epistolary novel). Episodes: 101. Creatures to Act
• Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (novel). Episodes: 31. Unselfish Misery
• Serpent Mage, by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (novel). Episodes: 97. The Flicker of Faith’s Candle (The Death Gate Cycle, book 4)
• Sir Gibbie, by George MacDonald (novel). Episodes: 18. Chasing Shadows
• Sojourn, by R. A. Salvatore (novel). Episodes: 12. The Gift of Guilt (The Dark Elf Trilogy, book 3)
• Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson (novella). Episodes: 42. A Sober and Fearful Gratitude
• The Sword in the Stone, by T. H. White (novel). Episodes: 65. Lessons from a Badger in “The Sword and the Stone” by T.H. White
• Taliesin, by Stephen R. Lawhead (novel). Episodes: 62. A Fine Lad (The Pendragon Cycle, book 1); 64. Save Who You Can; 66. All Truth has One Source
• That Hideous Strength, by C. S. Lewis (novel). Episodes: 38. Choose This Day
Short stories, poems, essays, and other short works read in full
Works read aloud in full (51 works), alphabetical by title. This includes speeches, letters, lectures, and talks, and self-contained stories taken from longer books.
• Apology, by Plato (philosophical dialogue). 13. Apology by Plato (Jowett translation)
• The Bagman’s Story, by Charles Dickens (short story). 87. The Bagman’s Story (from The Pickwick Papers)
• The Beggar Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree, by Fyodor Dostoevsky (short story). 6. The Beggar Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Blue Cross, by G. K. Chesterton (short story). 39. The Blue Cross (the first Father Brown story)
• Bunker Hill Monument Oration (June 17, 1825), by Daniel Webster (speech). 41. Daniel Webster Speech at Bunker Hill Monument Cornerstone event. June 17, 1825
• The Catholic Culture and the Positive Sciences, by Georges Lemaître (lecture). 76. The Catholic Culture and the Positive Sciences
• The Chapel Perilous, by Sir James Knowles (short story, legend). 63. The Chapel Perilous(from The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights)
• Christ’s Grace Ever Lifts Us, by Jake Bair (talk). 44-b. Bonus Episode- Christ’s Grace Ever Lifts Us
• Christmas, by Washington Irving (essay). 59. Christmas by Washington Irving (from The Sketch Book)
• Compensation, by Ralph Waldo Emerson (essay). 21. Compensation by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• A Conversation with Daniel Webster, by Jake Bair (poem). 35. Magna Carta and Thoughts from Daniel Webster
• The Courage to Face Ingratitude, by William George Jordan (essay). 28. The Courage to Face Ingratitude
• The Devil and Daniel Webster, by Stephen Vincent Benét (short story). 34. The Devil and Daniel Webster
• The Devoted Friend, by Oscar Wilde (fairy tale). 48. The Devoted Friend
• The Dignity of Self-Reliance, by William George Jordan (essay). 54. The Dignity of Self-Reliance (from The Majesty of Calmness)
• Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare, by Edna St. Vincent Millay (poem). 74. Discussing the Intersection of Science and Faith with Dr. Taylor Sparks
• The Fantastic Imagination, by George MacDonald (essay). 2. The Fantastic Imagination
• Father Martin (Le Père Martin), by Ruben Saillens (short story). 61. Father Martin
• Fifty Years Hence, by Winston Churchill (essay). 26. Fifty Years Hence
• Gareth and Lynette, by Mary MacGregor (short story, legend). 67. Gareth and Lynette
• General Scholium, by Isaac Newton (essay, appendix to the Principia). 80. General Scholium by Isaac Newton
• George Silverman’s Explanation, by Charles Dickens (novella / long short story). 82. George Silverman’s Explanation
• The Gifts of the Child Christ, by George MacDonald (short story). 8. The Gifts of the Child Christ
• The Glory of the Garden, by Rudyard Kipling (poem). 19. Two Poems by Rudyard Kipling
• The Gods of the Copybook Headings, by Rudyard Kipling (poem). 19. Two Poems by Rudyard Kipling
• Guest article on Magna Carta, by Brad Baker (article). 35. Magna Carta and Thoughts from Daniel Webster
• Horatius, by Thomas Babington Macaulay (poem). 32. Horatius at the Bridge by Thomas Babington (from Lays of Ancient Rome)
• How the Camel Got His Hump, by Rudyard Kipling (fairy tale). 46. How the Camel got his Hump (from Just So Stories)
• Keep Your Eye on the Hero, by Dan Bair (talk). 44. Keep Your Eye on the Hero
• The Last Rhyme of True Thomas, by Rudyard Kipling (poem). 71. The Last Rhyme of True Thomas
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving (short story). 52. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Letter #246, by J. R. R. Tolkien (letter). 43. J.R.R. Tolkien Letter #246
• Little Daylight, by George MacDonald (fairy tale). 4. Little Daylight by George MacDonald (from At the Back of the North Wind)
• Mr. Minns and His Cousin, by Charles Dickens (short story, sketch). 85. Mr. Minns and His Cousin (from Sketches by Boz)
• The Old Scarecrow, by Baroness Orczy (short story). 73. The Old Scarecrow (from The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel)
• An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, by Louisa May Alcott (short story). 56. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving
• The Oval Portrait, by Edgar Allan Poe (short story). 50. The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe
• A Piece of Chalk, by G. K. Chesterton (essay). 37. A Piece of Chalk
• The Power of Truth, by William George Jordan (essay). 24. The Power of Truth by William George Jordan
• Renascence, by Edna St. Vincent Millay (poem). 11. Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay
• A Return to Integrity, by Jake Bair (op-ed). 53. A Return to Integrity (Tulsa World)
• She Was a Phantom of Delight, by William Wordsworth (poem). 15. Two Poems for Valentine’s Day
• Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell (essay). 100. Shooting An Elephant
• Shops and Their Tenants, by Charles Dickens (sketch). 93. Shops and Their Tenants (from Sketches by Boz)
• The Signal-Man, by Charles Dickens (short story). 95. The Signal-man
• The Story of Cosmo von Wehrstahl, by George MacDonald (short story). 30. The story of Cosmo Von Wehrstahl (from Phantastes)
• The Trial for Murder, by Charles Dickens (short story). 89. The Trial For Murder
• The Tuggses at Ramsgate, by Charles Dickens (short story, sketch). 91. The Tuggses at Ramsgate (from Sketches by Boz)
• The Ultimate Thrill, by Jake Bair (poem). 15. Two Poems for Valentine’s Day
• Vivien Bewitches Merlin, by Howard Pyle (short story, legend). 69. Vivien Bewitches Merlin (from The Story of King Arthur and His Knights)
• When the Lines Are Down, by Dan Bair (talk). 9. When the Lines Are Down
All works by genre
All 162 works mentioned on the show, grouped by genre. Each work appears once, followed by every episode that used it and how it was used. Films and TV are listed together at the end.
Editor’s note: The master list that will be updated is on Jake’s substack and that is where the listings by genre live as well. You will not be disappointed if you go exploring!
Substack: https://wisdominbestbooks.substack.com/p/a-list-of-previous-references-used
Jacob Bair’s Bio: I am a Mechanical Engineering professor at Oklahoma State University. I have a wife and 5 children, and when I am not busy wrangling kids I enjoy reading and learning how to be a better person.
Shared via CLC Library
