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The Skeptic's Guide to the Great Books
- Narrated by: Grant L. Voth
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
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Publisher's summary
Daunted by the "great big books" of the Western canon? Looking for the same pleasures, satisfactions, and insights from books that are shorter, more accessible, and less dependent on classical references and difficult language than tomes such as Moby-Dick and Ulysses?
The truth is that there are so many works that are just as engaging, just as enjoyable, and - most important - just as insightful about great human themes and ideas as anything you'd encounter on a college-level reading list. These 12 highly rewarding lectures offer you an introduction to 12 works that redefine what great literature is and how it can reveal startling truths about life-all without being such a chore to read. Here you'll discover alternatives to the traditional "great books" - Dead Souls as an alternative to War and Peace, and The Master and Margarita as an alternative to Faust. You'll also encounter books from genres that traditionally fall outside the purview of the Western canon. For example, you'll learn how John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold transforms the spy novel into serious literature, and how Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons injects the comic-book format with a startling level of realism.
Professor Voth excels at both unpacking the significance of a literary work and instilling excitement for it, be it a novella, a collection of short stories, or a play. If you're new to these works, he will have you running to your nearest bookstore or library to discover what you've been missing. And if you've already encountered some of these books, you'll be eager to revisit them and explore what you may have missed on your first reading.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Sit down with renowned professional filmmaker, author, and award-winning professor Eric R. Williams to unpack the elements of more than 250 “great” movies to gain insights and secrets that will change the way you view films. You’ll discover how from the moment you sit down, great filmmakers control every sensation the movie experience evokes: tremors or tears, goosebumps or giggles, and why it is that we invite them to do this.
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very informative
- By Greg Bensch on 01-18-21
By: Eric Williams, and others
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Rise of the Novel
- Exploring History’s Greatest Early Works
- By: Leo Damrosch, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Leo Damrosch
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
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Thousands of novels are published around the world every year. There are so many readily available, it would take multiple lifetimes for a single person to even read a fraction of them. But it hasn’t always been that way. While humans have always been storytellers, the novel as we recognize it today is a relatively new art form in the timeline of human culture. Of all the ways we tell stories, why has the novel become such a perennial favorite? How did the novel go from a narrative experiment with a low-brow reputation to a cultural touchstone and focal point of modern literature?
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the more I read the further behind I get
- By Bruce on 02-08-22
By: Leo Damrosch, and others
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Augustine: Philosopher and Saint
- By: Phillip Cary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Phillip Cary
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
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These 12 illuminating lectures paint a rich and detailed portrait of the life, works, and ideas of this remarkable figure, whose own search for God has profoundly shaped all of Western Christianity. You'll learn what Augustine taught and why he taught it – and how those teachings and doctrines helped shape the Roman Catholic Church. These lectures are rewarding even if you have no background at all in classical philosophy or Christian theology.
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Good, but problematic in parts.
- By Adam on 02-28-16
By: Phillip Cary, and others
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Zoology: Understanding the Animal World
- By: Donald E. Moore, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Donald E. Moore III
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
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In these 24 lectures, The Great Courses teams up with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, to take you behind the scenes of the animal world. Dr. Moore has crafted a wonderful introduction to zoology that brings you up close and personal with a breathtaking variety of animal species through the eyes of a trained zoologist.
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America Centric
- By Joe van Rensburg on 04-28-20
By: Donald E. Moore, and others
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The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy
- By: Edward J. Larson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edward J. Larson
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
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Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.
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Little mistakes here and there
- By Daniel on 06-21-16
By: Edward J. Larson, and others
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Writing Creative Nonfiction
- By: Tilar J J. Mazzeo, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Tilar J J. Mazzeo
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
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Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world. It's a cutting-edge genre that's reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.
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Not what I expected but useful
- By Nancy on 04-14-14
By: Tilar J J. Mazzeo, and others
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The Nature of Matter: Understanding the Physical World
- By: David W. Ball, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David W. Ball
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
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In the 24 engaging lectures of The Nature of Matter, no scientific background is needed to appreciate such miracles of everyday life as a bouncing rubber ball or water's astonishing power to dissolve. Moreover, the study of matter has led directly to such inventions as semiconductor circuits for computers, new fabrics for clothes, and powerful adhesives for medicine and industry.
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High School or Lower Level
- By User on 11-03-15
By: David W. Ball, and others
What listeners say about The Skeptic's Guide to the Great Books
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Gerry Seymour
- 11-16-15
Like "this not that" for serious readers
Want to be a serious reader, but don't have the time or energy to deal with all of the classics? This course gives a passionate and entertaining overview of alternatives to some of the hard-to-digest classics, and some great advice on getting more out of any reading.
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16 people found this helpful
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- libbromus
- 06-18-17
Thoroughly enjoyable!
Professor Voth really loves literature of all descriptions. He's no snob for the classics. I have added several of the books mentioned (I should say analyzed in depth) here to my reading list; books I would never have normally sought out. For the books he included that I've already read, his critical insights have deepened my understanding of the works. I'm so grateful to have listened to this course!
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8 people found this helpful
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- JohnS
- 09-23-18
A very good course
The presentation of an alternate set of books to the canon is a worthwhile task. I enjoyed listening to the choices that Professor Voth presented. Some of the works presented were unfamiliar to me; I had heard of them, but had not read them, which triggered my curiosity and will try to read. For example, I have been meaning to read Joan Didion and this course provided the impetus for me to do so. The same with Gogol, and graphic novels. I will also revisit P. D. James and Le Carré.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-25-19
His lecture is enlightening
I listened to two courses by this professor, both of which I repeated twice. A great guide to the books you always want to read or will never have a chance to read. You will get the book essence in his lectures.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lawrence T. Pickard
- 12-23-23
Any Book is Great
This course is amazing in its ability to succinctly describe, compare and laud those works that can lead us to the same heights as the weighty tomes that are “required.” I specifically enjoyed hearing his take and analysis of two books I have read and enjoyed (Life of Pi and the graphic novel Watchmen). This course also has introduced me to three books, which I now look forward to reading.
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- Uriel Dana
- 06-20-23
Inspiring and Enlightening
Excellent book for writers wanting to learn from the masters. Non writers,that love reading, will find the information inspiring and enlightening. I’ve listened twice.
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