Omnibus 2: Preparing for fall

Personally I find the idea of Omnibus and teaching the great books both exciting and a little intimidating.  This is going to be new ground for me.  I've read excerpts from a few of the books, but there are several that I haven't read and a few I've never even heard of.  Given my lack of knowledge and experience (and the demanding requirements of the course itself), I've decided I'd better get a head start on Jessie over the summer.  My plan is to post a summary of each author as I read the background material from the text as well as weekly updates on my reading and what I'm learning.  So...  ready or not here I go...