There’s a lot of free, high qualÂiÂty eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals floatÂing around the ether. It’s just a quesÂtion of knowÂing where to find them, and what’s wheat and what’s chaff. On the left hand side of this page, you will find careÂfulÂly-selectÂed colÂlecÂtions of free uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts, free online coursÂes and media, and free eduÂcaÂtionÂal web resources. These pages will stay under active develÂopÂment. So bookÂmark them, watch them grow, and profÂit well from them.
The Pynchon Reviews Roll Out
And it’s not lookÂing too pretÂty. The New York Times review begins:
Thomas Pynchon’s new novÂel, “Against the Day,” reads like the sort of imiÂtaÂtion of a Thomas PynÂchon novÂel that a dogged but ungainÂly fan of this author’s might have writÂten on quaaludes. It is a humonÂgous, bloatÂed jigÂsaw puzÂzle of a stoÂry, preÂtenÂtious withÂout being provocaÂtive, ellipÂtiÂcal withÂout being illuÂmiÂnatÂing, comÂpliÂcatÂed withÂout being rewardÂingÂly comÂplex.
You can read the rest here.
Also see the New YorkÂer review.
Milton Friedman Remembered
MilÂton FriedÂman, a Nobel Prize winÂner, archiÂtect and leadÂing advoÂcate of free marÂkets, and one of the most imporÂtant econÂoÂmists of the 20th cenÂtuÂry, died this past week at 94.
The UniÂverÂsiÂty of ChicaÂgo, where FriedÂman taught since 1946, has colÂlectÂed a series of artiÂcles reviewÂing his life and accomÂplishÂments. Along simÂiÂlar lines, StanÂford’s Hoover InstiÂtuÂtion, with which FriedÂman was affilÂiÂatÂed from 1977 until his death, has postÂed a page that includes links to videos feaÂturÂing the econÂoÂmist. (Look for the videos under the area called “PubÂliÂcaÂtions.”)
FinalÂly, from the Youtube archives, you can see a short clip from 1980, where we find a younger MilÂton FriedÂman and Don RumsÂfeld in conÂverÂsaÂtion.
Yale Takes the Podcast Plunge
Image by PradipÂta Mitra, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
Yale announced yesÂterÂday that it’s joinÂing the podÂcast revÂoÂluÂtion, and they’re doing it with a litÂtle bit of ooomph. (Click here to enter Yale’s colÂlecÂtion.) What you’ll find on Yale iTunes are free lecÂtures by Yale’s big hitÂters. You’ll find VinÂcent SculÂly talkÂing about Philip JohnÂson’s archiÂtecÂture, John GadÂdis givÂing us his spiel on the future of the Bush AdminÂisÂtraÂtion, MadeÂline Albright praisÂing the virtues of pubÂlic serÂvice, and Tian Xu givÂing us the lowÂdown on the state of the human genome. As a partÂing thought, I guess this means that HarÂvard should be launchÂing someÂthing some time soon. Days? weeks? months? It’s only a matÂter of time. We’ll keep an eye on it. In the meanÂtime, load Yale’s finest on to your iPod and prosÂper.
Google Presents the Classics (for Free)
There’s more to Google Book Search than a good lawÂsuit. These days, they’re servÂing up the clasÂsics — all in the pubÂlic domain– for free. LitÂerÂary folks can now read and search the comÂplete colÂlecÂtion of ShakeÂspeare’s works. And, in some casÂes, you can even downÂload PDF verÂsions to your comÂputÂer. Beyond the Bard, you can also get The IliÂad and The Odyssey, from the origÂiÂnal bard, Homer. A litÂtle DanÂte’s InferÂno in ItalÂian, plus MachiÂavelÂli’s The Prince in transÂlaÂtion. And Jane Austen’s Pride and PrejÂuÂdice. I think you get the picÂture. If it’s old and clasÂsic, you can nab it at Google Book Search.
Resources:
- OthÂer Major eText ColÂlecÂtions: check out this Open CulÂture page.
- Google’s Scary StoÂries — For HalÂloween, Google put togethÂer a nice page where you can read or downÂload some spooky clasÂsics on the cheap. Here, you’ll find Bram StokÂer’s DracÂuÂla, HenÂry Jame’s Turn of the Screw, Robert Louis StevenÂson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, and more. For more info, see Google’s Blog entry.
- RelatÂed Google Blog Entries
- DownÂload the ClasÂsics
- PreÂservÂing PubÂlic Domain Books
- A New Way to Browse Books — On Google’s Blog, they menÂtion that, with the help of Ajax, they just improved the usabilÂiÂty of Book Search. It’s worth readÂing how you can now get the most out of the prodÂuct.
- See our colÂlecÂtion of Free eBooks
Stanford on Your iPod: The Literature of Crisis
Day after day, on camÂpusÂes across the counÂtry, proÂfesÂsors impart invaluÂable knowlÂedge to stuÂdents. And, someÂwhat unforÂtuÂnateÂly, this knowlÂedge has been traÂdiÂtionÂalÂly disÂsemÂiÂnatÂed only so far — which is to say not beyond the classÂroom walls.
We’re perÂhaps at the earÂly stages of seeÂing this change. StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty has recentÂly teamed up with Apple to pilot iTunes U — a variÂaÂtion on the iTunes softÂware packÂage that explodÂed into conÂsumer conÂsciousÂness with the iPod revÂoÂluÂtion.
Until recentÂly, StanÂford has used iTunes U to make availÂable a series of one-off lecÂtures, many of them extremeÂly worthÂwhile. (If you have iTunes, click here to enter StanÂford iTunes. If you don’t, you can downÂload it from Apple for free.) But what’s new is the uniÂverÂsiÂty’s deciÂsion to make full-fledged coursÂes availÂable to the pubÂlic. This quarÂter we’re startÂing to see that deciÂsion bear some fruit. In iTunes, you’ll now find weekÂly installÂments of a course called The LitÂerÂaÂture of CriÂsis. Taught by Marsh McCall and MarÂtin Evans, two senior facÂulÂty memÂbers, the course explores how criÂsis — draÂmatÂic perÂsonÂal criÂsis and largÂer sociÂetal criÂsis — have shaped the lives and writÂings of major intelÂlecÂtuÂals, from PlaÂto, to ShakeÂspeare, to Voltaire. Whether you live in Palo Alto, New York, or BanÂgaÂlore, you can subÂscribe to this course as a podÂcast by clickÂing here, and, each week your iPod should autoÂmatÂiÂcalÂly downÂload the latÂest installÂment. (If you don’t have an iPod, you can simÂply lisÂten to the course on your comÂputÂer.)
Click to access:
The Quick Start Guide to StanÂford on iTunes
If you want to subÂscribe to the indiÂvidÂual RSS feeds rolling into StanÂford on iTunes, just click here.
Countdown to Pynchon
Thomas PynÂchon has made a career milkÂing eluÂsiveÂness for all its worth. His writÂing is notoÂriÂousÂly hard to pin down. PubÂlishÂers nevÂer know when to expect someÂthing new. (He has only put out 6 books since 1963.) And, physÂiÂcalÂly, PynÂchon is nowhere, ever, to be found.
But this much we know right now. Against the Day, his next novÂel and the first since 1997, is set to be pubÂlished on NovemÂber 21, 2006.
This big book (1120 pages) is a big deal withÂin PynÂchon cirÂcles, so much so that PynÂchon’s pubÂlishÂer, PenÂguin, hasÂn’t bothÂered proÂmotÂing the book, othÂer than casuÂalÂly listÂing it on AmaÂzon. Admist the hoopla, one of the coolÂer things to emerge is the Against the Day Wiki. Using the same softÂware as Wikipedia, the PynÂchon wiki will let PynÂchon enthuÂsiÂasts develÂop entries that tease out the novÂelÂ’s charÂacÂters and events. Oh, can’t you taste the minÂuÂtaie?!
Dave Eggers’ Real and Imagined Sudan
Dave Eggers entered the litÂerÂary world with a big bang. His first book, A HeartÂbreakÂing Work of StagÂgerÂing Genius (2000), came out of nowhere and sat on the bestÂseller list for 14 weeks. It also made Eggers a Pulitzer Prize finalÂist and almost the recipÂiÂent of a rich movie deal — had he not turned it down.
This wunÂderkind’s earÂly sucÂcess natÂuÂralÂly creÂatÂed high expecÂtaÂtions, and his next efforts, a novÂel in 2002 and a colÂlecÂtion of short stoÂries in 2004, nevÂer quite capÂtured readÂers’ imagÂiÂnaÂtion in the same way. Now, with What Is the What, we see Eggers comÂing back home to non-ficÂtion, albeit a very difÂferÂent form of non-ficÂtion than the one we disÂcovÂered in AHWOSG. Here, the post-modÂern devices drop out of sight, and what we get is more the imagÂiÂnary jourÂnalÂism that we’ve preÂviÂousÂly encounÂtered in the works of TruÂman Capote and NorÂman MailÂer.
The What is the What recounts the long jourÂney of ValentiÂno Achak Deng, one of the 20,000 “Lost Boys,” who fled the Sudanese CivÂil War (1983–2005) and, though mostÂly younger than than 10, travÂeled alone to Ethiopia, Kenya and, in some casÂes, the UnitÂed States. (About 4,000 endÂed up in the US in 2001.) Because ValentiÂno began his odyssey as a mere six year-old, the whole quesÂtion of memÂoÂry get raised. How much does a child rememÂber? Broad outÂlines maybe. But how many facts, details and conÂverÂsaÂtions fade away? As Eggers explains in a recent interÂview , the creÂative eleÂments added to this othÂerÂwise facÂtuÂal account serve to fill in these gaps in recÂolÂlecÂtion, and the eleÂments, themÂselves, are based on hisÂtorÂiÂcal records and ValentiÂno’s genÂerÂal sense of things. It is here that Eggers’ notion of imagÂiÂnaÂtive jourÂnalÂism sets itself apart from many othÂer attempts at new jourÂnalÂism. The point of imagÂiÂnaÂtion for Eggers isn’t so much to dress up dry facts and driÂve the narÂraÂtive along, but to make the hisÂtorÂiÂcal record more comÂplete and, in a genÂuine way, give a fuller account of a perÂsonÂal expeÂriÂence. PerÂhaps this comes off as a meanÂingÂless shade of difÂferÂence. But, when you get down to it, it’s more subÂstanÂtive than not.
ArtiÂcles and Reviews:
This hour-long radio interÂview with Eggers and ValentiÂno is defÂiÂniteÂly worth a lisÂten.
NPR Fact Page: DedÂiÂcatÂed to Eggers’ new book, this page includes links to a recent NPR interÂview, excerpts from the new book, and hisÂtorÂiÂcal inforÂmaÂtion about the Lost Boys.
You can get more conÂtexÂtuÂal inforÂmaÂtion from the PBS site, which accomÂpaÂnies its film, Lost Boys of Sudan.
Plus check out the reviews in New York MagÂaÂzine and The New York Times.
50 Film Classics in a Box: Truffaut, Kurosawa and more
Janus Films has spent the last 50 years bringÂing clasÂsic forÂeign films to AmerÂiÂcan audiÂences, exposÂing them to the works of IngÂmar Bergman, FedÂeriÂco FelliÂni, Jean-Luc Godard, AkiÂra KuroÂsawa, and François TrufÂfaut, among othÂers. To celÂeÂbrate its half-cenÂtuÂry anniverÂsary, the film disÂtriÂbÂuÂtion comÂpaÂny has done someÂthing pretÂty remarkÂable. It has released on DVD a colÂlecÂtion of 50 clasÂsic films, which include Black Orpheus (Camus), M (Fritz Lang), The 400 Blows (TrufÂfaut), Grand IlluÂsion (Renoir), SevÂen SamuÂrai (KuroÂsawa), The SevÂenth Seal (Bergman), La StraÂda (FelliÂni), and The 39 Steps (HitchÂcock). You’ll love the EssenÂtial Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films if you’re a diehard film buff, but not if you’re light in the walÂlet. Even when bought at a disÂcount of $650, the colÂlecÂtion still runs a hefty hunk of change. But it’s nothÂing that a home equiÂty loan can’t fix.
A Democrat Congress: Where Barack Obama & Richard Rorty’s Thinking Might Take Us
When we wake up tomorÂrow mornÂing, a new politÂiÂcal era will have begun. The DemocÂrats will have takÂen conÂtrol of the House of RepÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives and perÂhaps amazÂingÂly the SenÂate, sudÂdenÂly findÂing themÂselves politÂiÂcalÂly relÂeÂvant for the first time in six very long years. And they’ll have the unusuÂal luxÂuÂry of decidÂing how they will exerÂcise politÂiÂcal powÂer. The PresÂiÂdent, on the othÂer hand, will now find himÂself operÂatÂing in a difÂfiÂcult politÂiÂcal enviÂronÂment. At best, he can no longer expect ConÂgress to rubÂber stamp his poliÂcies. At worst, by WednesÂday afterÂnoon, after his post-elecÂtion news conÂferÂence, he might find himÂself a full-blown lame duck.
How the PresÂiÂdent and the DemocÂrats move forÂward is a theÂoÂretÂiÂcalÂly open quesÂtion. HowÂevÂer, in pracÂtice, the quesÂtion of what the DemocÂrats will do is a far more interÂestÂing one, partÂly because Bush will realÂisÂtiÂcalÂly be conÂstrained by a difÂfiÂcult war and his genÂerÂal inabilÂiÂty to adapt, and partÂly because the DemoÂcÂrat slate is clean, and the posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties for definÂing their direcÂtion are very real.
MovÂing into powÂer, the DemocÂrats will have three choicÂes before them. ObstructÂing reflexÂiveÂly (a very real posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty); accomÂmoÂdatÂing (a very unlikeÂly posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty); and develÂopÂing a well reaÂsoned, defined and posÂiÂtive posiÂtion someÂwhere in between obstrucÂtion and accomÂmoÂdaÂtion (a smart but not necÂesÂsarÂiÂly inevitable posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty). ObstrucÂtion seems most likeÂly because it’s the easÂiÂest thing to do, and because the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion’s style of rulÂing invites thoughts of revenge. But it’s not the best way to go. The DemocÂrats came back to relÂeÂvance not on the strength of their ideas, but on the weakÂness of their oppoÂnents. And if they hope to conÂvince AmerÂiÂca that they genÂuineÂly deserve this powÂer, they’ll need to develÂop a subÂstanÂtive platÂform and a smart approach to govÂerÂnance in genÂerÂal, and the Iraq war in parÂticÂuÂlar.
Barack ObaÂma is emergÂing as a very realÂisÂtic canÂdiÂdate for the presÂiÂdenÂcy because, unlike so many of othÂers, he’s develÂopÂing a conÂvincÂing arguÂment that our nation should come before polÂiÂtics, and ideas before parÂty. Right now, his new book, The AudacÂiÂty of Hope: Thoughts on ReclaimÂing the AmerÂiÂcan Dream, is #5 on the AmaÂzon top sellÂer list, when most politiÂcians’ books come and go with very litÂtle notice. (The New York Times actuÂalÂly just ran a stoÂry on this.) And what makes ObaÂma stand out, beyond his charisÂma, is his willÂingÂness to find a thinkÂing cenÂter. When asked “How do you make peoÂple pasÂsionÂate about modÂerÂate and comÂplex ideas?” ObaÂma answers:
I think the counÂtry recÂogÂnizes that the chalÂlenges we face aren’t amenable to sound-bite soluÂtions. PeoÂple are lookÂing for seriÂous soluÂtions to comÂplex probÂlems. I don’t think we need more modÂerÂaÂtion per se… We just need to underÂstand that actuÂalÂly solvÂing these probÂlems won’t be easy, and that whatÂevÂer soluÂtions we come up with will require conÂsenÂsus among groups with diverÂgent interÂests. That means everyÂbody has to lisÂten, and everyÂbody has to give a litÂtle. That’s not easy to do.
That kind of modÂerÂate, pragÂmatÂic, and not reflexÂiveÂly ideÂoÂlogÂiÂcal approach is more of what the DemocÂrats need. They need more subÂstance and, even more than that, some more magÂnaÂnimÂiÂty. It gets back, I think, to how Richard Rorty, one of AmerÂiÂca’s leadÂing philosoÂphers, starts out his short book, AchievÂing Our CounÂtry. There, he talks about how “nationÂal pride,” an “emoÂtionÂal involveÂment with one’s counÂtry,” is “necÂesÂsary if politÂiÂcal delibÂerÂaÂtion is to be imagÂiÂnaÂtive and proÂducÂtive.” At this point, the DemocÂrats badÂly need to put the counÂtry before parÂtiÂsanÂship and genÂuineÂly deal with the imporÂtant issues that face it. That’s the only way that they will take this opporÂtuÂniÂty — one that is perÂhaps undeÂserved — and do someÂthing with it that will build a susÂtainÂable future for the parÂty and our nation.
LisÂten here to New YorkÂer ediÂtor, David RemÂnick, recentÂly interÂviewÂing Barak ObaÂma
Google, Copyright and the Courts
The Google Book Search project ran into anothÂer roadÂblock last week when a group repÂreÂsentÂing 400 French pubÂlishÂers joined anothÂer lawÂsuit brought earÂliÂer this year in French courts. The upshot of the lawÂsuit is essenÂtialÂly the same as the suit brought by a conÂsorÂtium of AmerÂiÂcan pubÂlishÂers last year: They’re lookÂing to put a quick end to Google’s bid to make the book uniÂverse as searchÂable as it has made the worldÂwide web. ActuÂalÂly, to be clear, it’s not the project itself that’s makÂing pubÂlishÂers run to the courts. Rather, it’s Google’s assumpÂtion that it can scan and index milÂlions of copyÂrightÂed books — just as it has cached bilÂlions of web pages — withÂout first getÂting perÂmisÂsion. That,
the lawÂsuit claims, is clear copyÂright infringeÂment.
Google’s defense raisÂes a series of fasÂciÂnatÂing (and comÂpliÂcatÂed) legal quesÂtions about copyÂright in the digÂiÂtal age. The comÂpaÂny’s first line of defense is to argue that the proÂgram falls under the fair use docÂtrine. Here’s the basic logÂic: Although Google Book Search must index comÂplete copies of books to make the print uniÂverse searchÂable, users only get small snipÂpets of copyÂrightÂed text in their search results, which fall under “fair use.” The key assumpÂtion here is that there’s a critÂiÂcal disÂtincÂtion between what hapÂpens on the back end and the front end. It doesÂn’t matÂter that Google has indexed full digiÂtial copies of text on its servers. The only thing that counts is what users see, and if users only see small snipÂpets, fair use applies and no pubÂlishÂer perÂmisÂsion is required. But, just to be safe, Google will honÂor explicÂit pubÂlishÂer requests not to include conÂtent in the book search proÂgram.
AlongÂside the fair use defense, Google has also put forÂward a largÂer arguÂment that gets to issues we disÂcussed in the Lawrence Lessig piece. After being hit with the first major lawÂsuit, Google took the PR offenÂsive, and Eric Schmidt, the comÂpaÂny’s CEO, wrote an Op-Ed in the Wall Street JourÂnal, which conÂcludÂed with this:
“ImagÂine the culÂturÂal impact of putting tens of milÂlions of preÂviÂousÂly
inacÂcesÂsiÂble volÂumes into one vast index, every word of which is
searchÂable by anyÂone, rich and poor, urban and rurÂal, First World and
Third, en toute langue — and all, of course, entireÂly for free. … This egalÂiÂtarÂiÂanÂism
of inforÂmaÂtion disÂperÂsal is preÂciseÂly what the Web is best at;
… preÂciseÂly what copyÂright law is ultiÂmateÂly intendÂed to
supÂport.”
Here, Schmidt offers the reminder that copyÂright law exists for the benÂeÂfit of sociÂety first and foreÂmost. Yes, copyÂright law proÂtects the rights
of authors and pubÂlishÂers. But only as a means to anothÂer end — that is, proÂmotÂing culÂturÂal develÂopÂment and the growth of the creÂative
comÂmons. Schmidt’s pasÂsage gives some insight into the very large benÂeÂfits that Google Book Search can delivÂer. But, there is obviÂousÂly
much more to it, and I’d highÂly recÂomÂmend readÂing this lengthy feaÂture stoÂry — Scan This Book! — that appeared earÂliÂer this year in the New York Times MagÂaÂzine.
SomeÂwhere in the legal process, it seems, a judge will need to look at how things net out. Does it matÂter that Google makes full digÂiÂtal
copies withÂout perÂmisÂsion if it shows only snipÂpets to users? (In othÂer words, does the traÂdiÂtionÂal taboo against makÂing full copies of texts get overÂridÂden by the pracÂtiÂcal fact that full copies won’t be givÂen away to users?) And does this unconÂvenÂtionÂal move get trumped by the fact that Google’s project offers so much social promise? The judge will take a look at this, but someÂwhere along the way, I susÂpect, he might focus on this one issue: AmaÂzon already has a simÂiÂlar proÂgram under way. It indexÂes book conÂtent to allow cusÂtomers to review books
before makÂing a purÂchase deciÂson. The only difÂferÂence is that it gets pubÂlishÂer perÂmisÂsion first. GivÂen that AmaÂzon has rolled out its
“Search Inside” proÂgram fairÂly sucÂcessÂfulÂly, the obviÂous quesÂtion gets raised: Why can’t Google also get perÂmisÂsion first and simÂply avoid putting a judge in a posiÂtion to make a rulÂing that risks fulÂly openÂing up PanÂdoÂra’s box? One of Google’s secÂondary arguÂments for its proÂgram
is that, with its huge marÂket share, Google Book Search will bring attenÂtion to pubÂlishÂers’ books and help them genÂerÂate new sales. If
that’s true (and it almost sureÂly is), it seems no less true that pubÂlishÂers will have every incenÂtive to conÂtribute their works to Book
Search and get on board with the project. MeanÂwhile, Google Book Search will gradÂuÂalÂly fulÂfill most of its promise. Under this sceÂnario,
pubÂlishÂers and authors win, as does Google and sociÂety. It seems like a comÂproÂmise posiÂtion that makes a lot of sense.
Resources:
CopyÂright’s HighÂway: From GutenÂberg to the CelesÂtial JukeÂbox — ExcelÂlent book on the hisÂtoÂry of copyÂright law and its evoÂluÂtion with new techÂnoloÂgies.
StanÂford CopyÂright and Fair Use — AnothÂer thorÂough resource for underÂstandÂing copyÂright and fair use.
The Google Print ConÂtroÂverÂsy: A BibÂliÂogÂraÂphy — You can get a range of imporÂtant texts and opinÂions on this subÂject here.
More Google interÂnal views on Book Search:
- Why We Believe in Google Print
- MakÂing Books EasÂiÂer to Find
- Buzz About Google Print and the LawÂsuit
FinalÂly, I would defÂiÂniteÂly check out Lawrence Lessig’s 30-minute preÂsenÂtaÂtion on the Google Book Search conÂtroÂverÂsy. This will get you more than up to speed.
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