Nearly everyone has heard of black holes, but few people outside of complex scientific fields understand their true nature and their implications for our universe. This lecture course makes this cosmological subject graspable, with 12 lavishly illustrated lectures by veteran Great Courses Professor Alex Filippenko, a distinguished astronomer and award-winning teacher at the University of California, Berkeley.

Richard Brettell, Professor of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas, introduces the style, subject, and function of Impressionist painting by artists including Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh. Explains how Impressionism changed the way that people see the world and examines how these artists documented life in the latter half of the 19th century and provided models of behavior, decorum, and urban...

"This course takes you on an exciting ride through an itinerary that samples 23 of the world's greatest short stories. The form of the genre, as well as the various ways in which it has evolved, is highlighted along the way with a display of the essential nuts and bolts of storytelling-- plot, character, setting, style, point of view, and theme. A mix of critical approaches will also be brought in to enhance analysis and interpretation and to explore...

This course provides a theoretical and practical survey of the ideas behind and the practices of effective communication. It helps you become aware of the automatic processes involved that influence every day talk, of how face-to-face talk really works in the most common three recognized modes: connect talk, control talk, and dialogue talk. Effectiveness is measured by three things: getting what one wants, being understood from our point of view,...

"All of the tradeoffs in competing economic systems-capitalism, socialism, and communism-are controversial. These systems and ideologies have undeniably shaped the way people view both the world today and modern history. But where does capitalism begin and socialism end? In short, it's about choice and compromise. Understanding and endeavoring to solve these perpetual dilemmas is the job of comparative economics. By looking at the many economies around...

"The latest research shows that people almost never "rise to the occasion" when faced with a life-threatening challenge, regardless of how often we hear that phrase. Instead, as Professor Nancy Zarse explains in the 12 empowering lectures of Survival Mentality: The Psychology of Staying Alive, people generally revert to their lowest level of training and preparation. And Professor Zarse knows this firsthand. She brings not only her academic knowledge,...

This course is a practical guide to developing the skill of mindfulness and applying it to every aspect of daily life.