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                                                                EXHIBIT 10.8 (B)

                            The Aristotle Corporation
                                  27 Elm Street
                          New Haven, Connecticut 06510

                                                                   June 17, 2002
Mr. Paul M. McDonald
21 Pent Road
Weston, CT  06883

Dear Paul:

Reference is made to that certain employment agreement, dated as of February 1,
2001, between you and The Aristotle Corporation ("Aristotle"), pursuant to which
you serve as Aristotle's Chief Financial Officer (the "Employment Agreement").

As you know, the Board of Directors of Aristotle has declared a contingent stock
dividend (the "Dividend") whereby, contingent upon the completion of the merger
(the "Merger") of Aristotle and Nasco International, Inc. ("Nasco"), each holder
of Aristotle common stock on the record date of June 10, 2002 will receive, on
the closing date of the Merger, one share of Aristotle Series I $6.00
Convertible Voting Cumulative 11% Preferred Stock for each share of common stock
owned on such record date.

In consideration of your continuing to serve as Aristotle's Chief Financial
Officer and in recognition of the fact that the Dividend has the effect of
transferring equity value of $6.00 per share from common to preferred equity,
Aristotle agrees that the Employment Agreement shall be amended, effective upon
the payment of the Dividend, so that all references in Section IV(B) of the
Employment Agreement to "$7.00" shall be deleted and replaced by "$1.00."

Except as specifically provided in this letter, no other amendments, revisions
or changes are made to the Employment Agreement. All other terms and conditions
of the Employment Agreement remain in full force and effect.

Please acknowledge your acceptance of the foregoing in the space provided below.

                                       THE ARISTOTLE CORPORATION

                                       By:  /s/ John J. Crawford
                                            ----------------------
                                            John J. Crawford
                                       Its: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Accepted by:

s/s  Paul M. McDonald
---------------------
Paul McDonald<PAGE>

                                                                EXHIBIT 10.9 (B)
                            The Aristotle Corporation
                                  27 Elm Street
                          New Haven, Connecticut 06510

                                                                   June 17, 2002
Mr. John Crawford
70 Indian Road
Guilford, Connecticut  06437

Dear John:

Reference is made to that certain employment agreement, dated as of February 1,
2001, between you and The Aristotle Corporation ("Aristotle"), pursuant to which
you serve as Aristotle's President and Chief Executive Officer (the "Employment
Agreement").

As you know, the Board of Directors of Aristotle has declared a contingent stock
dividend (the "Dividend") whereby, contingent upon the completion of the merger
(the "Merger") of Aristotle and Nasco International, Inc. ("Nasco"), each holder
of Aristotle common stock on the record date of June 10, 2002 will receive, on
the closing date of the Merger, one share of Aristotle Series I $6.00
Convertible Voting Cumulative 11% Preferred Stock for each share of common stock
owned on such record date.

In consideration of your continuing to serve as Aristotle's Chief Executive
Officer and in recognition of the fact that the Dividend has the effect of
transferring equity value of $6.00 per share from common to preferred equity,
Aristotle agrees that the Employment Agreement shall be amended, effective upon
the payment of the Dividend, so that all references in Section IV(B) of the
Employment Agreement to "$7.00" shall be deleted and replaced by "$1.00."

Except as specifically provided in this letter, no other amendments, revisions
or changes are made to the Employment Agreement. All other terms and conditions
of the Employment Agreement remain in full force and effect.

Please acknowledge your acceptance of the foregoing in the space provided below.

                                            THE ARISTOTLE CORPORATION

                                            By:  s/s Sharon Oster
                                            ------------------------
                                                 Sharon Oster
                                            Its: Compensation/Option Committee
                                                 Chairperson
Accepted by:
s/s: John J. Crawford
     -----------------------
John J. Crawford<PAGE>

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.11

May 24, 2002

Mr. Paul McDonald
21 Pent Road
Weston, CT  06883

     Re:  Stock Options

Dear Stock Option Holder:

We are writing to you in your capacity as a holder of an option or options
("Option") to purchase shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of The
Aristotle Corporation (the "Company") granted under the Company's 1997 Employee
and Director Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). As you may already know, the
Company has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November
27, 2001, with Nasco International, Inc. ("Nasco"), Nasco Holdings, Inc. and
Geneve Corporation, whereby Nasco will merge with and into the Company (the
"Merger"). Information regarding the Merger and Nasco is set forth in the Proxy
Statement - Prospectus prepared by the Company in connection with annual meeting
of the Company's stockholders on June 17, 2002, at which stockholders will be
asked to approve the Merger. A copy of the Proxy Statement-Prospectus is
enclosed for your review.

One of the conditions to the closing of the Merger is that holders of Options
agree not to exercise their Options until fifteen months after the closing of
the Merger. Therefore, I am writing to ask you to agree that you will not,
without the prior written consent of the Company (which consent may be withheld
at the Company's sole discretion), exercise any of your Options for a period
commencing on the first day after the Merger and continuing until the date
fifteen months after the Merger (the "Expiration Date").

If your service as an employee terminates prior to the "expiration date", in
consideration of the foregoing, the exercise period of your Incentive Stock
Options (ISO) expires ninety days after the expiration date.

Please indicate your agreement with the foregoing by signing where indicated
below. Your agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on you and your
respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns.

If you have any questions about this letter agreement or the Merger, please feel
free to contact me.

<PAGE>

                                            Sincerely,

                                            THE ARISTOTLE CORPORATION

                                            /s/: John J. Crawford
                                            ---------------------
                                            By:  John J. Crawford, its
                                            Chief Executive Officer & President

Dated:                        , 2002
      ------------------------

Paul M. McDonald
----------------------------------------------------
Printed Name of Holder

By: /s/: Paul M. McDonald
   -------------------------------------------------
       Signature

                                       2<PAGE>

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.12

May 24, 2002

John J. Crawford
70 Indian Road
Guilford, CT  06437

     Re:  Stock Options

Dear Stock Option Holder:

We are writing to you in your capacity as a holder of an option or options
("Option") to purchase shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of The
Aristotle Corporation (the "Company") granted under the Company's 1997 Employee
and Director Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). As you may already know, the
Company has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November
27, 2001, with Nasco International, Inc. ("Nasco"), Nasco Holdings, Inc. and
Geneve Corporation, whereby Nasco will merge with and into the Company (the
"Merger"). Information regarding the Merger and Nasco is set forth in the Proxy
Statement - Prospectus prepared by the Company in connection with annual meeting
of the Company's stockholders on June 17, 2002, at which stockholders will be
asked to approve the Merger. A copy of the Proxy Statement-Prospectus is
enclosed for your review.

One of the conditions to the closing of the Merger is that holders of Options
agree not to exercise their Options until fifteen months after the closing of
the Merger. Therefore, I am writing to ask you to agree that you will not,
without the prior written consent of the Company (which consent may be withheld
at the Company's sole discretion), exercise any of your Options for a period
commencing on the first day after the Merger and continuing until the date
fifteen months after the Merger (the "Expiration Date").

If your service as an employee terminates prior to the "expiration date", in
consideration of the foregoing, the exercise period of your option expires
ninety days after the expiration date.

Please indicate your agreement with the foregoing by signing where indicated
below. Your agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on you and your
respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns.

If you have any questions about this letter agreement or the Merger, please feel
free to contact me.

<PAGE>

                                               Sincerely,

                                               THE ARISTOTLE CORPORATION

                                               /s/: Paul McDonald
                                               ------------------
                                               By:  Paul McDonald, its
                                               Chief Financial Officer

Dated:                     , 2002
      ---------------------

John J. Crawford
---------------------------
Printed Name of Holder

By: /s/: John J. Crawford
   ------------------------
       Signature

                                       2

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