Standing Down: From Warrior to Civilian was created forTalking Service, the Great Books Foundation's initiative to develop reading and discussion programs for veterans, as well as their families, friends, service providers, and caregivers. Standing Down includes forty-four selections, from Homer's Iliad to personal accounts of members of the service who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and memoirs that speak to past experiences, concerns, and aspirations of those who have served in the military and made the often-difficult transition back into civilian life.