Showing results by author "Stanford University)"

Linguistics, the study of language, has a reputation for being complex and inaccessible. But here's a secret: There's a lot that's quirky and intriguing about how human language works-and much of it is downright fun to learn about. But with so many potential avenues of exploration, it can often seem daunting to try to understand it. Where does one even start?

The history of the U.S. economy in the 20th century is far too interesting-and far too important to our future-to be dismissed with just a few stock explanations. These 10 fast-paced lectures introduce you to vital economic lessons learned in the last century to provide invaluable guidance for understanding the current economy. Each lecture focuses exclusively on one decade to provide you with a clear understanding of economic developments and outside influences on the U.S. economy.

Why are we choosing to have fewer children, even as we put more time into raising each one? Why are we so often willing to follow the herd and the opinions of strangers when making important decisions, even when those decisions are deeply personal? Most surprising: Why are questions like these increasingly attracting the attention of economists?

Professor Michael Ray uses the four tools of faith, absence of judgment, observation, and questions to describe how to release creativity in your personal environment.

Both Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath rose above severe mental disorders to create bold new directions...

How do you get a handle on Hamlet's complex character? What makes for great performances of the play?...

In the process of creating some of the most famous children in literature, Charles Dickens revolutionized the storytelling technique by making children the focus of many of his novels. Until Dickens, most novelists featured adult characters who served as role models to the reader. Professor Polhemus shows how Dickens broke tradition by using children as a way of candidly reflecting the dynamics of society. In his discussion, Professor Polhemus, an expert on the 19th-century British novel, explains his theories by assuming the voices and interpreting the thoughts of Dickens characters such as Oliver Twist, Little Nell, and David Copperfield.