The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
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The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Grim
About this listen
Thinking is at the heart of our everyday lives, yet our thinking can go wrong in any number of ways. Bad arguments, fallacious reasoning, misleading language, and built-in cognitive biases are all traps that keep us from rational decision making. What can we do to avoid these traps and think better? Is it possible to think faster, more efficiently, and more systematically?
The Philosopher’s Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room, taught by award-winning Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, arms you against the perils of bad thinking and supplies you with an arsenal of strategies to help you be more creative, logical, inventive, realistic, and rational in all aspects of your daily life.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2013 The Great Courses (P)2013 The Teaching Company, LLC
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Story4 out of 5 stars 209
Join three literary scholars and award-winning professors as they introduce you to dozens of short masterpieces that you can finish - and engage with - in a day or less. Perfect for people with busy lives who still want to discover-or rediscover-just how transformative an act of reading can be, these 36 lectures range from short stories of fewer than 10 pages to novellas and novels of around 200 pages. Despite their short length, these works are powerful examinations of the same subjects and themes that longer "great books" discuss.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Stories not included, only discussed
- By Julie Newman on 01-15-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
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Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills
- By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Steven Novella
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,308
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,295
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,181
No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Same Material Different Title
- By rkeinc on 09-21-14
By: Steven Novella, and others
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,316
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,985
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,945
What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 237
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 238
While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Reads like a bad high school essay.
- By Matthew Dennis on 10-29-18
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
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Understanding the Mysteries of Human Behavior
- By: Mark Leary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark Leary
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,352
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,916
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,883
Every day of your life is spent surrounded by mysteries that involve what appear to be rather ordinary human behaviors. What makes you happy? Where did your personality come from? Why do you have trouble controlling certain behaviors? Why do you behave differently as an adult than you did as an adolescent?Since the start of recorded history, and probably even before, people have been interested in answering questions about why we behave the way we do.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I wanted to like this course
- By Diane Tincher on 08-06-18
By: Mark Leary, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,687
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,448
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,433
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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The Learning Brain
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Thad A. Polk PhD Carnegie Mellon University
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,291
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,131
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,115
One of the most complicated and advanced computers on Earth can't be purchased in any store. This astonishing device, responsible for storing and retrieving vast quantities of information that can be accessed at a moment's notice, is the human brain. How does such a dynamic and powerful machine make memories, learn a language, and remember how to drive a car? What habits can we adopt in order to learn more effectively throughout our lives? The answers to these questions are merely the tip of the iceberg in The Learning Brain.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Slow, useful, unconvincing
- By Tintin on 03-02-19
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The Evidence for Modern Physics
- How We Know What We Know
- By: Professor Don Lincoln, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Don Lincoln
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 457
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 387
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Story5 out of 5 stars 383
In this 24-lesson course aimed at non-scientists, noted particle physicist Dr. Don Lincoln of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory covers more than a century of progress in physics, describing exactly how scientists reach the conclusions they do. He starts with the atom, which was long hypothesized but wasn’t definitively proven until a paper by Albert Einstein in 1905. That was just the beginning, as researchers probed ever deeper into the atom’s complex structure, leading to the weird findings of quantum mechanics.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Strongly Recommend for Everyone
- By Liam A on 05-23-21
By: Professor Don Lincoln, and others
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Mind-Body Philosophy
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 333
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 291
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 288
How is it that our brain creates all the subjective experiences of our lives every single day - the experiences we call reality? That is the mind-body problem. In Mind-Body Philosophy, Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook leads an intellectually exhilarating tour through millennia of philosophy and science addressing one of life's greatest conundrums. But you won't just be a spectator as Dr. Grim engages and encourages each of us to come to our own conclusions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another Great Courses Homerun!
- By Mike on 01-24-17
By: Patrick Grim, and others
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Chemistry and Our Universe
- How It All Works
- By: Ron B. Davis, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ron B. Davis
- Length: 30 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 529
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 419
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 415
Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great Professor, Hard to Follow.
- By Jen on 05-14-19
By: Ron B. Davis, and others
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The Story of Human Language
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,014
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,057
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,947
Language defines us as a species, placing humans head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators. But it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries, allowing us to ponder why different languages emerged, why there isn't simply a single language, how languages change over time and whether that's good or bad, and how languages die out and become extinct.
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5 out of 5 stars
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You'll Never Look at Languages the Same Way Again
- By SAMA on 03-11-14
By: John McWhorter, and others
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The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,379
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,191
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,181
In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, and others
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The Enlightenment
- The Pursuit of Happiness, 1680-1790
- By: Ritchie Robertson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 40 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 281
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 228
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 228
This magisterial history - sure to become the definitive work on the subject - recasts the Enlightenment as a period not solely consumed with rationale and reason, but rather as a pursuit of practical means to achieve greater human happiness.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The quickest 40 hour audio book I’ve listen to
- By Joey Caster on 04-02-21
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 4,630
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,103
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4,078
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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A Brief History of Earth
- Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
- By: Andrew H. Knoll
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 266
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 220
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 220
Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing 21st-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very chilling and well thought out
- By Colin Bump on 05-21-21
By: Andrew H. Knoll
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Books That Matter: Meditations
- By: Massimo Pigliucci, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Massimo Pigliucci
- Length: 6 hrs
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1
What is it about Stoicism that Marcus found so important then, and that millions find relevant today? In the 12 fascinating lectures of Books That Matter: Meditations, professor Massimo Pigliucci explores the questions Marcus believed were crucial to address in a life of value, the answers he proposed, and the many ways in which you can use Stoic philosophy. While Meditations was originally written for an audience of just one, what Marcus wanted to examine certainly still applies to us today. What exactly should we be mindful of in this life?
By: Massimo Pigliucci, and others
What listeners say about The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 06-27-22
Good content, but it needs video for full benefit.
Good course, but it references a lot of charts which impairs the audio-only version. I recommend you get the video version of the course directly from The Great Courses when it is on sale.
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pen Name
- 01-18-23
Great refresher in philosophical basics
Didn’t like that I couldn’t see some of the visuals the author was using to illustrate a couple points. Otherwise I thought it was easy to follow and practical for everyday conversation and relational problem solving.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- SheilaT
- 08-16-21
Deep thought
A very good overview of how logic should be used to make since of our lives less stressful.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Basil J. Gilger
- 10-11-19
Pleasantries Thought Provoking
This is a nice overview of thinking logically. It inspired several ideas for further study.
Being audio only, I had to imagine the illustrations used by Dr. Grim as he explained some concepts.
Well worth the price I paid.
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21 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ametrine
- 01-19-23
Lots of techniques for seeing things a different way
I went into this course thinking it would go a particular way: intros to many of the great philosophers and a bit about their theories and techniques. Its NOT about that at all.
Instead, it uses examples and ideas from many great thinkers (not just philosophers) to show you how to apply those ideas to different situations we encounter in life. It’s super interesting and informative, plus the lecturer is fun to listen to.
Caveat: this course does use visual examples in some cases, but most examples are perfectly fine for just audio.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- RYAN M OMAN
- 02-07-23
Not a good fit for audio consumption
I love the concept but it only took me two lectures to figure out that I would appreciate this course much more on video.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mosaed
- 08-12-20
I t was a great course
I think the choice of materials of this course snd I believe they were very helpful for people like me who are on a beginner level of the subject matter of the course. I am always intrigued by philosophy and this course was one of the best ways to learn about it in a more professional and academic way. The tools presented in this course are essential to our day-to-day lives.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicholas Rankin
- 01-28-21
One of the best courses
I have an armchair philosophy background thanks to my liberal arts education. I have been wanting to brush up on it for a couple years.
This lecture series was AWESOME. Professor Grim actually behaves like a classical philosopher and weaves in many disciplines to help you learn how to be the most rational person in the room.
This course is useful to everyone, but will most benefit businesspeople and entrepreneurs as it helps you make rational choices off of visual data.
I was so sad for this course to end - Professor Grim did an EXCELLENT job.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael W. Rickard II
- 01-15-22
World's greatest thinkers
An engaging survey of some of history's most brilliant thinkers. The professor explained complex subjects well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-10-19
Didn't get good until chapter 9
If you need a basic introduction to logic, the first 8 chapters will be useful. Otherwise skip to the latter chapters (chapter 9 and later) which really shine.
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118 people found this helpful