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The Leonard Lopate Show (iTunes — feed — web site), comÂing out of New York City, has recentÂly aired a good series of interÂviews with authors of new, imporÂtant books. Lopate knows how to give a good interÂview. Give a lisÂten.
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Author Talks on Podcasts
A Whole Lotta Chomsky
We recentÂly stumÂbled upon a big trove of politÂiÂcal disÂsent. This colÂlecÂtion feaÂtures over 200 talks — some in audio, some in video — givÂen by MIT’s Noam ChomÂsky. The talks, which focus on polÂiÂtics (and not his work on linÂguisÂtics) range from the 1970s to today. For an archive of his politÂiÂcal writÂings, which includes many comÂplete online texts, click here.
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We’re Talking University Podcasts
A quick fyi: We recentÂly did an interÂview with The ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion where we talked about uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts and relatÂed trends. You can catch the interÂview here (iTunes — mp3), and I would also encourÂage you to explore their othÂer podÂcastÂed interÂviews.
You can look through our genÂerÂal colÂlecÂtion of uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts here. Our othÂer podÂcast colÂlecÂtions include: Arts & CulÂture — Audio Books — ForÂeign LanÂguage Lessons — News & InforÂmaÂtion — SciÂence — TechÂnolÂoÂgy — UniÂverÂsiÂty (Law School) — PodÂcast Primer
Books That Writers Recommend
The New York Times surÂveyed a series of well-known writÂers and asked them what books they’ve read and enjoyed lateÂly. Here is what they had to recÂomÂmend. For the record, the list of writÂers includes, among othÂers, Nora Ephron, Dave Eggers, UrsuÂla K. Le Guin, Jonathan Safran Foer, Colm ToibÂin, and JefÂfrey Eugenides.
Among the titles you’ll find recÂomÂmendÂed are The OmniÂvore’s DilemÂma (Michael PolÂlan), The Cave (Jose SaraÂmÂaÂgo), KalooÂki Nights (Howard JacobÂson), Natasha’s Dance: A CulÂturÂal HisÂtoÂry of RusÂsia (OrlanÂdo Figes), Lincoln’s Sword (DouÂglas WilÂson), The Lay of the Land (Richard Ford), One Big Self (C. D. Wright), and Rembrandt’s Nose: Of Flesh and SpirÂit in the Master’s PorÂtraits (Michael TayÂlor).
A History of the West: 52 Free Videos
The WestÂern TraÂdiÂtion is a free series of videos that traces the arc of westÂern civÂiÂlizaÂtion. StartÂing in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the surÂvey proÂceeds to covÂer the ByzanÂtine Empire and Medieval Europe, then the RenaisÂsance, EnlightÂenÂment, and IndusÂtriÂal RevÂoÂluÂtion, and finalÂly ends up in 20th cenÂtuÂry Europe and AmerÂiÂca. PreÂsentÂed by UCLA proÂfesÂsor Eugen Weber, an impresÂsive EuroÂpean hisÂtoÂriÂan, the video series includes over 2,700 images from the MetÂroÂpolÂiÂtan MuseÂum of Art that illusÂtrate some of the West’s great culÂturÂal achieveÂments. Each of the 52 videos runs about 30 minÂutes. So you’re getÂting an amazÂing 26 hours of conÂtent for free.
You can stream all of the videos from this page.
You can find The WestÂern TraÂdiÂtion listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion, 1,700 Free Online CoursÂes from Top UniÂverÂsiÂties.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Best of Open Culture — May
The Cannes Film Festival Re-Cap
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The Cannes Film FesÂtiÂval just wrapped up in France, and it turned out to be a very good one, the best in recent memÂoÂry.
In this interÂview, John PowÂers, NPR’s film critÂic-at-large, gives a good, spirÂitÂed debrief (iTunes — Stream) on a fesÂtiÂval that feaÂtured, among othÂer things, sevÂerÂal highÂly-acclaimed AmerÂiÂcan films, includÂing ones by the Coen BrothÂers (No CounÂtry for Old Men), Gus Van Sant (ParaÂnoid Park), and Michael Moore (Sicko). Also, PowÂers touchÂes on the RomanÂian film that took top honÂors at the fesÂtiÂval (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) as well as Quentin TaranÂtiÂno’s splenÂdid disÂapÂpointÂment (Death Proof). You can find the full list of 2007 prize winÂners here. For an anothÂer point of view, you can check out the New York Times podÂcast from Cannes (iTunes — mp3). Here you get A.O. ScotÂt’s and Manohla DarÂgis’ final thoughts on the fesÂtiÂval, plus their othÂer podÂcasts from the RivÂiera. And while you’re at it, you can review a colÂlecÂtion of their print covÂerÂage. LastÂly, here’s a French perÂspecÂtive on the fesÂtiÂval that comes from Europe 1. (Yes, it is in French.) RelatÂed TopÂic: Check out our colÂlecÂtion of 100 Top CulÂture Blogs, which includes many film blogs, and |
iTunes U & What It Means For You
Here’s a logÂiÂcal folÂlow up to our last post — 10 Free UniÂverÂsiÂty CoursÂes on iTunes.
It turns out that yesÂterÂday Apple niceÂly inteÂgratÂed iTunes U into iTunes. Now, you’ll probÂaÂbly ask what is iTunes U, and why should I care about this inteÂgraÂtion? So here is the simÂple answer:
iTunes U is essenÂtialÂly a non-comÂmerÂcial verÂsion of iTunes that sevÂerÂal uniÂverÂsiÂties startÂed to use over the past year. And, in fact, some of the best uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcast colÂlecÂtions (nameÂly, BerkeÂley’s and StanÂford’s) were launched on this platÂform. The probÂlem was that you couldÂn’t access these podÂcasts from the iTunes store that everyÂone’s accusÂtomed to using. So, if you opened iTunes and searched for StanÂford podÂcasts, you got bubkis.
The disÂtincÂtion between iTunes and iTunes U was largeÂly artiÂfiÂcial, and so it made perÂfect sense to mesh togethÂer the two platÂforms. (Read the press release here.) What doesÂn’t parÂticÂuÂlarÂly make sense is the way in which the two platÂforms now fit togethÂer — or actuÂalÂly kind of don’t. If you do a search for “MIT,” for examÂple, you’ll see that some MIT podÂcasts come up in a search results buckÂet called “PodÂcasts” (these are from MIT’s busiÂness school) and othÂers come up in a buckÂet called “iTunes U.” So, put simÂply, the MIT podÂcasts aren’t grouped togethÂer in one colÂlecÂtion. (Try it out and you will see what I mean.)
But why comÂplain, the new inteÂgraÂtion is no doubt a good step in the right direcÂtion.
10 Free University Courses on iTunes
We haven’t talked about the uniÂverse of uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts in some time. So let’s get back to it.Below, we have highÂlightÂed ten full-fledged coursÂes from top flight uniÂverÂsiÂties. All of these coursÂes can be downÂloaded to your iPod for free. That’s a price that you can’t beat. (You can see our comÂplete colÂlecÂtion of free online coursÂes here.)
1. EuroÂpean HisÂtoÂry from the RenaisÂsance to the Present (UC BerkeÂley)
“This course is an introÂducÂtion to EuroÂpean hisÂtoÂry from around 1500 to the present. The cenÂtral quesÂtions that it addressÂes are how and why Europe–a small, relÂaÂtiveÂly poor, and politÂiÂcalÂly fragÂmentÂed place–became the motor of globÂalÂizaÂtion and a world civÂiÂlizaÂtion in its own right.”
–Thomas LaqueÂur, ProÂfesÂsor of HisÂtoÂry
2. GeogÂraÂphy of World CulÂtures (StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty)
Even in a globÂalÂized world, peoÂple conÂtinÂue to be joined togethÂer and dividÂed asunÂder by the lanÂguages they speak, the reliÂgions they folÂlow, and the ethÂnic idenÂtiÂties to which they belong. This map-intenÂsive course examÂines every world region, seekÂing to underÂstand how places vary from each othÂer with regard to the culÂturÂal attribÂutÂes of their inhabÂiÂtants. (Note: This course is being rolled out in weekÂly installÂments.)
–MarÂtin Lewis, LecÂturÂer in HisÂtoÂry, InterÂim DirecÂtor, ProÂgram in InterÂnaÂtionÂal RelaÂtions
3. Old EngÂlish in ConÂtext (Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty)
A four lecÂture mini-course on how EngÂlish became EngÂlish durÂing the medieval periÂod.
–Dr StuÂart Lee, OUCS
4. Physics for Future PresÂiÂdents (UC BerkeÂley)
This course gives you the physics you need to know to be a presÂiÂdent, Supreme Court jusÂtice, diploÂmat, busiÂnessÂman, lawyer, footÂball coach, or othÂer world leader.
–Richard Muller, ProÂfesÂsor of Physics.
NOTE: Tthe same course hapÂpens also to appear on Google Video. SimÂply go to Google Video and perÂform a search with the folÂlowÂing keyÂwords: physics 10 berkeÂley.
5. QuanÂtum MechanÂics (UC Davis)
If Physics for Future PresÂiÂdents is too basic for you, you can get into some more heavy duty sciÂence right here.
–John TernÂing, AssoÂciate ProÂfesÂsor of Physics
6. The HisÂtorÂiÂcal Jesus (StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty)
Who was the hisÂtorÂiÂcal Jesus of Nazareth? What did he actuÂalÂly say? In short, what are the difÂferÂences — and simÂiÂlarÂiÂties — between the Jesus who lived and died in hisÂtoÂry and the Christ who lives on in believÂers’ faith?
–Thomas SheeÂhan, ProÂfesÂsor of ReliÂgious StudÂies and ProÂfesÂsor EmerÂiÂtus of PhiÂlosÂoÂphy
7. UnderÂstandÂing ComÂputÂers and the InterÂnet (HarÂvard UniÂverÂsiÂty)
This course demysÂtiÂfies comÂputÂers and the InterÂnet (along with their jarÂgon) so that stuÂdents underÂstand not only what they can do with each, but also how each works and why.
–David Malan, InstrucÂtor
8. EntreÂpreÂneurÂship and BusiÂness PlanÂning (Carnegie MelÂlon)
This class parÂalÂlels a course being offered at Carnegie MelÂlon. It covÂers the ins-and-outs of startÂing a new venÂture, lookÂing at how to develÂop ideas for new comÂpaÂnies, write busiÂness plans, creÂate teams. It also looks at typÂiÂcal b‑school topÂics: marÂketÂing, comÂpetÂiÂtive stratÂeÂgy, sales, pricÂing, fundÂing and finance.
–Mark Juliano, Adjunct ProÂfesÂsor
9. The LitÂerÂaÂture of CriÂsis (StanÂford UniÂverÂsiÂty)
In lookÂing at great works by PlaÂto, SophoÂcles, ShakeÂspeare, Vergil, and Voltaire, this course explores crises that change the course of indiÂvidÂuÂals and largÂer culÂtures.
–Marsh McCall, ProÂfesÂsor of ClasÂsics
–MarÂtin Evans, ProÂfesÂsor in EngÂlish
10. ExisÂtenÂtialÂism in LitÂerÂaÂture & Film (UC BerkeÂley)
The course looks at efforts “to reinÂterÂpret the Judeo/Christian God, and to deterÂmine in what sense God is still a livÂing God.” Along the way it looks at “Dostoyevsky’s and Kierkegaard’s attempts to preÂserve a non-theÂoÂlogÂiÂcal verÂsion of the God of ChrisÂtianÂiÂty, as well as Nietzsche’s attempt to save us from belief in any verÂsion of God offered by our traÂdiÂtion.” Films also get disÂcussed here.
–Hubert DreyÂfus, ProÂfesÂsor of PhiÂlosÂoÂphy
If you know of othÂer good coursÂes availÂable via podÂcast, please **@******re.com/” target=“_blank”>email us and let us know.
Who Didn’t See This One Coming?
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
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Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
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