The Offer Expires at Midnight
I wouldn't ordinarily pass along an ad that popped up in my inbox, but lately I've taken to working out while listening to lectures I've downloaded from The Teaching Company--just now I'm about two-thirds of the way through "World of Byzantium," a really wonderful series of lectures by Prof. Kenneth Harl of Tulane. (Claire, if you'd like a primer on what Istanbul was like when it was still called Constantinople, you could do a lot worse than to listen in during your kick-boxing workouts.)
Today only, the Teaching Company is offering 70 percent off all audio downloads, and, since we here at Ricochet have been talking a lot lately about constitutional first principles, I thought I'd pass the offer along--and recommend a couple of courses in particular. (I'm not sure I agree with quite every word the instructors utter, but they strive for fairness, completeness, and accessibility, and that's saying a lot.) If you're at all interested, take a look at The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution, and American Ideals: Founding a Republic of Virtues
- Comment (21)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Jul '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I still have a substantial backlog of Ricochet podcasts to get through during my workouts and hikes.
I've gotten used to strangers casting sideways glances and shying away when I burst out into guffaws.
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Kenneth asserts the correct priorities: Look over the Teaching Company's offerings only if you've made your way through Ricochet first. Thanks, Kenneth. Now turn off your computer, go for a hike--and get to work on that backlog.
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I've got a couple on my iPod, too, Peter. One is a set of physics lectures (with a DVD along for the ride) which I keep promising myself to dig into, and the other, which I've just finished (I often listen to them when driving up north to Ricochet meetings!) was a set of lectures on Buddhism.
But the truth is, what it really reveals is that education is wasted on young people. Now, finally, in my 40s, I'm ready to learn.
Oct '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I'm a huge fan of the TC. I enjoyed their lectures on Economics, which seemed very balanced. The American Economy in the 20th Century, Economics (I think I had the second edition, not the recent third), and Thinking about Capitalism are excellent.
The series on Tocqueville is also excellent (though the one on Machiavelli, by the same teacher, I returned because it was so repetitive.)
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Man, am I happy to hear you say that! I feel exactly the same way. Exactly. Three decades ago, college was just something I had to get through. Now I can't figure out what was wrong with me. Four years, during which I had no responsibilities but learning? How do I get that back? I can't, of course. But I can listen to fascinating lectures on my iPod as I hobble along during what I now flatter myself by calling workouts.
Sep '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
At 69 one is even more desirous of learning and with more available time. But alas, old neurons! Do it now whippersnappers!
Sep '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I'm on my 103rd Teaching Company course, Peter. If you would like something fascinating try Harl's Pelo War (36 lectures) along with the Landmark Thucydides and then ask VDH some questions on issues where he differs explicitly with VDH.
Sep '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
And I listened to Tom Pangle's course about 2 years ago. It was so good, my 15 year old asked to listen to it!
Sep '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
You may also want to try the 48 lecture American Identity by Emory's Patrick Allit. Robinson's 12 lecture course on American Ideals is good, but idiosyncratic, particularly if you don't have quite the high regard for Thomas Reid that Daniel Robinson does.
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Ken Harl and I were in graduate school together. He has done a host of courses for the Teaching Company.
Oct '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
The Teaching Company is not lost on all youth. With my graduate school classes consisting mostly of bulimic learning (where one gorges on information, hopes to retain enough information to regurgitate in the standardized test format, and gains little to no mental weight), the Teaching Company offers a unique opportunity for me to approach interests outside of my studies with the similar academic focus without the student loan debt.
Any feedback on the Argumentation, American Mind, and Masterpieces: Greek Literature courses? They are next on the docket after Ricochet podcasts and Uncommon Knowledge, of course.
Oct '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I'm going through their "Story of Human Language" by Dr. John McWhorter.
May '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
My favorite Teaching Company course is History of the English Language with Seth Lerer. Have always fascinated by etymology and linguistics, and enjoy this course enough that I cue it back up each summer when hiking in the NC mountains. Nothing more satisfying than stretching the legs and neural pathways at the same time... And besides, I've got to do something while waiting for the next Ricochet podcast fix each week!
Jul '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
I've enjoyed TC too.
"Change and Motion: Calculus Made Clear" was simply superb.
I tried "History of the English Language" for the commute in the car. It's hard to concentrate while whizzing through traffic as fast as possible, road raging, and screaming profanities at other drivers. I don't know how people listen to this kind of stuff in the car.
Sep '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Casey Way: The Teaching Company
Any feedback on the Argumentation, American Mind, and Masterpieces: Greek Literature courses? They are next on the docket after Ricochet podcasts and Uncommon Knowledge, of course. · Oct 24 at 3:38pm
I have Argumentation and Masterpieces, though its been at least 2 years since I listened to them - Argumentation is good, though a little elementary and slanted toward modern theories of argumentation rather than classical rhetoric. You will enjoy his series on Lincoln if you are a fan of Lincoln's argumentation style. Masterpieces is a survey course that is an overview that will whet your appetite for later courses (even though this one was a late addition to the course catalogue). I liked it, but its less intense than Vandiver's lectures on individual greek works.
Oct '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Diane, you would love McWhorter's lectures, then.
Jul '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
TC courses are great, I own two, but I like putting notes in the margins of books. That said, I'm keen to purchase John McWhorter's course.
Oct '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
True. Regrettably, "What are the Chances? Probability Made Clear," although sharing Dr. Starbird's obvious enthusiasm and pedagogical skill, is completely stock frequentist stuff, and as always with frequentist probability, is of no help at all in applying probability theory to any of the real-world cases one would like to apply it to. For that, as I've written in another thread, you really need Jaynes' "Probability Theory: The Logic of Science."
Jul '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
Thank you, Snively. I'll check out Jaynes' "Probability Theory: The Logic of Science."
May '10
Re: The Offer Expires at Midnight
TC is my secret vice. MP3 is the greatest innovation in technology since electricity.