I've read several books by Dr. Peter Kreeft (Professor of Philosophy at Boston College), two of which are among my favorite books ever. I've had the privilege of hearing him in person on two occasions, at C.S. Lewis Conferences in Austin in 2002 and 2004. The theme of the 2002 Conference was "Rediscovering Evil". Here, Dr. Kreeft presented "10 Insights into Evil from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'". I had not read the books at the time and had only seen the first movie. Years later, having seen all 3 movies and read the books as a family, I unearthed my audiotape of Dr. Kreeft's lecture.
Happily, I found a recording of the lecture online. This is the same lecture given by Dr. Kreeft at a different venue. If you care anything about philosophy, history, morality, ethic, etc. (in other words - the whole world), you will enjoy this lecture. Recall the lecture (and movies about the book) debuted shortly after the 9/11/2001 terror attacks. So the theme of "evil" was on everyone's minds. Perhaps the pain of 2001 has begun to dissipate, yet evil remains as real as ever. Enjoy Dr. Kreeft's insights. If your family has read the books or seen the movies, listen to it together - 45 minutes of listening that will provoke days of discussion.
All his books are helpful, but these two are absolutely brilliant. Though Dr. Kreeft is Roman Catholic and I am not, I have enjoyed his work and learned so much. These works have a significant role in shaping me. Just be mindful of his Catholicism and look past his (rare) mentions of purgatory. He is not hostile to Protestants and is a delight to wondering minds.
Book: Christianity for Modern Pagans
Book: Three Philosophies of Life
