The Great Courses

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About The Great Courses

It all began with just a few videotapes--and a brilliant inspiration.

Tom Rollins, the founder of The Great Courses, was a law student at Harvard University and was facing an important exam on the U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence--an exam for which he wasn't prepared.

Dreading the notoriously boring subject but knowing his success depended on understanding the material, Rollins obtained videotapes of 10 lectures by a noted authority on the subject, Professor Irving Younger. Rollins planted himself in front of his television late at night and put the first tape into his VCR. What he discovered changed his life.

The tapes were unlike anything Rollins had experienced in his Harvard lecture halls. Professor Younger's lectures were outrageously insightful, impressively thorough, and engagingly witty. Most important: They hammered home the concepts in a way that made the subject both accessible and interesting. They made learning not a chore to be accomplished but an adventure to be experienced.

Rollins played all 10 hours of those lectures nearly nonstop. A few days later he passed his exam and went on to make an "A" in the course.

He never forgot the unique power of recorded lectures by a great teacher--the way that a bright mind could ignite a passion for lifelong learning. And years later, in 1990, Rollins founded The Great Courses to share that unforgettable experience with the rest of the world.

Richard Bell

Jeremy McInerney

Bart D. Ehrman

Brian M. Fagan

Ken Albala

Carl Sagan

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Books By The Great Courses

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Forensic History: Crimes, Frauds, and Scandals Jul 26, 2019

by Professor Elizabeth A. Murray

( 5 )

$5.00

This course is a journey through time and place from the perspective of forensic science and criminal history. It examines technological advancements and political and legal issues and demonstrates how
science and society relate to each other, especially with regard to criminal
investigations. The lectures use a case-based approach—including some of
Dr. Murray’s own forensic casework—to focus on historic forensic issues
and show how new evidence or more advanced technology can sometimes
be used to develp alternative conclusion or finally solve cold cases. At
times, we consider how historic crimes would have different outcomes if
they occurred today

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation Apr 24, 2018

by The Great Courses , Professor Mark W. Muesse Ph.D. Harvard University , Mark W. Muesse

( 50 )

$8.99

Meditation - the technique of mental focusing for enhanced awareness and self-mastery - offers deep and lasting benefits for mental functioning and emotional health, as well as for physical health and well-being.

This practice is closely related to "mindfulness," which Professor Muesse defines as "a deliberate way of paying attention to what is occurring within oneself as it is happening. It is the process of attentively observing your experience as it unfolds, without judgment or evaluation."

"Meditation," he adds, "refers to certain exercises that can be used to enlarge and refine mindfulness." Meditation cultivates mindfulness by training you to develop deep attention to the present moment, allowing the mind to become settled and centered. These 24 detailed lectures teach you the principles and techniques of sitting meditation, the related practice of walking meditation, and the highly beneficial use of meditative awareness in many important activities, including eating and driving. You will also learn how to use the skills of meditation in working with thoughts and emotional states, in deepening sensory awareness of the body, and in becoming deeply attentive to the operation of your mind.

You'll come away with a solid basis for your own meditation practice and for bringing meditation's remarkable and empowering benefits to every aspect of your life.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback , Audio CD

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