The Great Courses (Firm)
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Explore the ancient foundations of Hinduism, which emerged from a diverse community of people who identified themselves with the Vedas. By studying these sacred poems and hymns, you’ll discover much about this civilization’s culture and cosmology. You’ll also trace the origins and development of the Indo-European language in this fascinating lecture.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
The expansion of the Islamic civilization between the 8th and 10th centuries played a major role in the history of Afro-Eurasian states and cultures. Survey the story of Islam from the life of Mohammed to the Sunni-Shia split to the Islamic Golden Age. Review the pillars of the faith and the culture's impact on the world.
23) Anonymity
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
With the pervasiveness of government and corporate surveillance, some people feel the urge to go off the grid. This lecture explores the benefits and challenges of anonymity for individuals and for society, delving into issues such as the freedom of political speech and the privacy of personal searches and communication. Take a look at two tools people use in pursuit of Internet anonymity: TOR networks and Bitcoin currency.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
What's going on in your cognitive machinery as you manufacture your decision? Delve into the two-system model of decision making: System 1 is your automatic and intuitive processor, your earlier system from an evolutionary perspective; and System 2 is the flexible, powerful serial processor that you think of as "you."
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
How much do you know about the Etruscans? Many people, even those who are fascinated by ancient history, are less familiar with this intriguing culture than with the history of Greece and Rome - but the story of the Etruscans is equally captivating and far more important than you may have known. This ancient civilization prospered in the region of modern-day Tuscany, maintaining extensive trade networks, building impressive fortified cities, making...
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Begin your fascinating historical adventure by developing a solid framework for your exploration of Jesus’s Jewish influences. What was it like to be a Jew in the ancient world? What do we mean when we talk about Jewish temples? And how similar was ancient Judaism to other ancient religions..
28) The Grand Finale
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
1999.
Language
English
Description
This last lecture crowns the course by briefly summarizing 3,000 years of Egyptian history; outlining Egypt's legacy to us; surveying images of Egypt in film and literature; and listing ways you can pursue your interest in this remarkable civilization. Your learning needn't stop here!
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
In Hinduism, death is part of a grander cycle of rebirth and suffering—with the ultimate goal of liberation (moksha). Here, ponder the concept of the Atman (one’s immutable soul); meet the Hindu gods who personify death and, relatedly, time; and learn what rituals can prevent a spirit from becoming stuck between worlds.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
[Genesis 25–50] According to Professor Koester, the biblical stories of Jacob and Joseph are rooted in perennial themes of familial conflict and reconciliation. In this lecture, ponder the significance of disguises and dreams: how they propel the narrative forward and how they reflect the underlying mystery of God’s will.
31) Poetic Justice
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Often a staple in mysteries, poetic justice is frequently used to help the reader feel a sense of satisfaction in the ending, especially in a genre where many mystery and suspense tales are simply uninterested in legal proceedings and aftermath. Professor Schmid defines poetic justice, discusses why there is so much of it in the genre, and outlines the many reasons why we find it satisfying.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Spend some time focusing on the modern forms of true crime, which Professor Schmid notes are integrally related to mystery and suspense fiction as the genre draws upon both fiction and nonfiction techniques to achieve its effects. He also demonstrates how true crime stories were disparaged as trivial and damaging yet overcame unscrupulous reputations to become mainstream successes.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
After discussing the importance of presenting a reasonable essay, Professor Cognard-Black explores the world of unreasonable essays, often written for the sake of humor or irony, or to be provocative, such as Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” You’ll explore an example of an essay that showcases conflicting views yet remains reasonable, and then look at examples where unreasonable writers use pure demagoguery to play on readers’ emotions....
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
As a social institution, caste changed markedly under British colonial rule. First, examine how the British encountered caste and tried to understand it. Then see how caste became significantly linked with the colonial tax revenue system. Take account of the ways in which caste distinctions became more prominent, codified, and pervasive under colonialism.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Can utopian literature have real-world impact? This question is integral to understanding the significance of Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy. Witness the ways Bellamy's socialist vision of the future had genuine influence on the social activists of Gilded Age America. Professor Bedore also introduces the idea of "euchronia."
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Begin your study of musical rhythm by distinguishing periodic from non-periodic rhythmic patterns. Periodicity can be thought of as beat; non-periodicity involves expressive techniques such as timing variations and phrasing. Close by asking whether composers write music in the rhythmic patterns of their native language..
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Add the last movements of the form: shoot the tiger, sealing and closing, cross hands, and closing form. Go through the entire 40-movement form, feeling the flow. Ponder the significance of your journey to tai chi mastery, and consider the next steps on your path-because studying the art of tai chi chuan yields rewards for a lifetime.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Investigate a puzzle that defied some of the most brilliant minds in mathematics: the Monty Hall problem, named after the host of Let's Make a Deal! Hall would let contestants change their guess about the location of a hidden prize after revealing new information about where it was not.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
In the early 13th century, Mongol horsemen swept out of their homeland in the steppes to conquer the known world, and they would go on to create the largest contiguous empire the world has ever seen. Enter Mongol culture and look at the violent conquests that led to a little-known Pax Mongolia before the Mongols returned to obscurity.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
Study how trauma affects the mind, and how the tendency to suppress traumatic experiences leads to painful symptoms and unhealthy behavior. Grasp the ways in which mindfulness techniques can be highly effective for processing and integrating avoided feelings, and learn four practical steps for working with traumatic material.