Henry Oliver
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Research FellowEmerging Scholar
Henry Oliver is a Research Fellow and Emerging Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, a writer, and literary critic working on a new book about how classic literature cultivates the liberal values of human flourishing. He is the author of Second Act (2024) and writes the literary Substack The Common Reader, which has been quoted in The Atlantic and featured in outlets such as The New York Times, GQ, and The Free Press.
Latest Work
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Driving like a video game | The Common Reader
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Literature, politics, and the future of the humanities | The Common Reader
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- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Get Britain Driving Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism
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An economist asks: What is the value of reading great literature like Eliot and Tolstoy? | The Common Reader (Substack)
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Ten reasons to read great literature in 2026 | The Common Reader (Substack)
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What do we owe each other once we become different sorts of people? | The Common Reader (Substack)
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High performers are late bloomers | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
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The books I enjoyed most this year, 2025. | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Make Britain Liberal Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Kiran Desai: catching a glimpse in the forest | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Driving like a video game | The Common Reader
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Literature, politics, and the future of the humanities | The Common Reader
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Get Britain Driving Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
An economist asks: What is the value of reading great literature like Eliot and Tolstoy? | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ten reasons to read great literature in 2026 | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
What do we owe each other once we become different sorts of people? | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
High performers are late bloomers | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The books I enjoyed most this year, 2025. | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Make Britain Liberal Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Kiran Desai: catching a glimpse in the forest | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Literature, politics, and the future of the humanities | The Common Reader
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Driving like a video game | The Common Reader
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Get Britain Driving Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
An economist asks: What is the value of reading great literature like Eliot and Tolstoy? | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ten reasons to read great literature in 2026 | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
What do we owe each other once we become different sorts of people? | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
High performers are late bloomers | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The books I enjoyed most this year, 2025. | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Make Britain Liberal Again | The Pursuit of Liberalism (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Kiran Desai: catching a glimpse in the forest | The Common Reader (Substack)
- | Emerging Scholars Program Emerging Scholars Program
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary