Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia For Greek & Latin by Tracy Lee Simmons

Recounts the history of Greek and Latin education and makes the case that "studying the old, hard languages produces habits of mind that facilitate learning other subjects; fosters mutual understanding and appreciation among the students; helps students later to negotiate other complicated systems, such as institutions; and increases personal satisfaction.

Tracy Lee Simmons is one of those fortunate people who actually received a classical education. Simmons discusses the history of classical education and then tells of its unfortunate fate in modern times. But, more importantly, he makes one of the most convincing cases ever made for the study of Greek and Latin authors in their own language. Climbing Parnassus is a book about classical education from someone who really knows it.