Thousands of novels are published around the world every year. There are so many readily available, it would take multiple lifetimes for a single person to even read a fraction of them. But it hasn't always been that way. While humans have always been storytellers, the novel as we recognize it today is a relatively new art form in the timeline of human culture. Of all the ways we tell stories, why has the novel become such a perennial favorite? How...

As the 19th century drew to a close, the age-old quest to understand the physical world appeared to be complete, except for a few minor details. In fact, Albert Michelson, the first American to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences, noted that, "It seems probable that most of the grand underlying principles have been firmly established." And he was far from alone among his peers. Scientists in 1900 had no inkling of the other mind-boggling developments...

Sleep is the subject of intense scientific debate among biologists and neuroscientists. Why must we spend about one-third of our lives asleep? What exactly is sleep? Why does a lack of sleep impair our cognitive abilities and leave us vulnerable to a host of medical issues ranging from obesity to reduced resistance to infectious disease? These 24 engrossing lectures take you to the forefront of the field to reveal what happens in the sleeping brain...

As the economic system under which you live, capitalism shapes the marketplaces that determine where you live and work, how much you are paid, what you can buy, what you can save, and every other aspect of a society based on monetary exchanges for goods and services. But how much do you really know about capitalism? In these 36 engaging lectures, Professor Jerry Muller of The Catholic University of America takes you deep inside the perspectives on...

Mindfulness as a practice is very simple and its effects are well- documented. Now, modern biology and neuroscience can actually quantify many of the effects of mindfulness and you may be surprised by how powerful the impact can be. In Masters of Mindfulness, 11 top researchers and proponents of mindfulness discuss what modern science and contemporary research have revealed about this ancient practice and the many ways in which it can benefit your...

For years, The Great Courses has taken lifelong learners on stirring explorations of our ancient roots; ones that bring you face to face with what history means, and how we use it to understand both the past and the present. So where's the best place to start? Right here with this eclectic and insightful collection of 36 lectures curated from our most popular ancient history courses. Guided by some of our most highly rated and award-winning professors...

The issues addressed by macroeconomics are all around you, all the time-from taxes to inflation to mentions of GDP on the nightly news. By learning the principles of macroeconomics, you'll be able to go beyond simply hearing the terms to better understanding their relationships to each other and how they create the economic environment in which you live. In fact, macroeconomics with its "big-picture glasses" allows you to better ask-and better try...

Meet some of Christianity's luminary figures - the followers of Jesus who have practiced and preached their beliefs for centuries. Whether well-known or obscure or even nameless, their actions and achievements, their abilities and energies have changed the course of history and the nature of belief. These 24 inspirational lectures will inspire you by the many ways these figures found to live lives of faith. You'll stand spellbound in the crowd, listening...

Consider the intense and rapid changes that transformed the political, social, and economic struggles of the world during the 20th century: the first flight and space flight, the Manhattan Project and the welfare state, Nietzsche and Freud, the Great Depression and inflation, moving pictures and home computers, the Cold War and terrorism - and war and peace. These 48 comprehensive lectures examine this extraordinary history and provide a multidisciplinary...

The history of England before 1066 is shrouded in myths and legend. From the fall of Rome in the 4th century to the invasion of the Normans in the 11th century, this wild and diverse land offers an incredible story of social, cultural, religions, and political change. How did this small island, far from the centers of western civilization, become the great England we know from the history books? England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest...