Others, such as E. D. Hirsch, Jr., claim the Great Books of the Western World project was inherently unnecessary, saying that an understanding of shared cultural items within books is more important than reading them.
E. D. Hirsch mengklaim bahwa proyek Great Books of the Western World pada dasarnya tidak perlu, mengatakan bahwa suatu pemahaman tentang nilai-nilai kultural bersama lebih penting daripada membacanya.