Karl

So profoundly reveals Gods love & human worth

Reviewed: 01-05-23

Loved just about everything about it! A great listen from start to finish! Definitely worth the time!

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interesting discussion of epistemological debates

Reviewed: 12-04-22

i love history of science stuff and discussions about how we know what we know. And you get a lot of this in this course, as the subtitle suggests, "what scientists know and how they know it."

But fair warning, there really isn't much in the course about "what scientists know.". The lectures mostly stay pretty abstract and philosophical, only touching on concrete findings when relevant to the epistemological question.

Mostly the lectures discuss the history of a question that has come up over the centuries: 'Can scientists actually know the stuff they claim to know?' To what degree? And so on. Worth the listen, but know what you are getting into!

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Vital subject, 1 of the best science communicators

Reviewed: 07-02-22

McRaney is a great science journalist and educator.
His podcast is easily in my top 3, and I listen to a lot of podcasts! So glad he read his own book!
The subject, how minds change - including and especially our own - is among the most important topics of our time. Vital as it is to our personal well-being, our relationships and the health of our democracy!
He begins, appropriately, by discussing how our minds are made up in the first place. The journey from there is humbling, fascinating, and enlightening.

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Informative and Entertaining

Reviewed: 02-03-22

The lectures are delivered with passion and humor. The content is just good history, with minimal spin.

The subject is, at this moment of potential crisis in Ukraine, extremely relevant, providing a general backdrop and lectures dealing specifically with events leading up to the present moment.

I highly recommend it!

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Colorful Title, Painfully Boring Content

Reviewed: 08-26-21

In spite of the great title, decent narration, and short length...
This book was painfully boring, and did little to equip it's readers with skills needed to discern truth from error.

'How to honestly and earnestly search for truth' is a subject I have spent many hours studying and still find endlessly fascinating.

But this book does not offer much along these lines. It's goal seems to be mainly just giving a detailed definition of "bullshit"; and even that is not done in a way that is very useful or interesting.

A significant share of the book is literally just riffing on the dictionary definitions of "bull" and related terms. The rest is disorganized ramblings devoted to semantics, with obscure examples that nobody I know would find the least bit important.

All of this is delivered in overly formal language that adds a layer pretentiousness to content that was already quite unbearable.

I suppose there is something mildly funny about this formal treatment of a subject with "bullshit" sprinkled about. And there probably are nuggets of wisdom in this book, but they are not easy to fish out, awash in a sea of minutia.

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Great overview! Leaves me wanting more...

Reviewed: 09-25-20

This course gives a solid introduction to the major people and events of the gilded age and the progressive era.
It touches on a thousand different things which deserve the attention of anyone wishing to be an informed citizen -- making it quite comprehensive in its scope, but inevitably light on the details in many cases.
So, if you want to do more than scratch the surface on a lot of these things you will have to dig deeper elsewhere, but a course like this is a great starting point, wetting your appettite and leaving you wanting to learn more.
It was stimulating, but has also left me with the sense that I didnt know nearly as much as I thought I did. I have my homework cut out for me.

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Awesome ideas for living well brilliantly arranged

Reviewed: 02-26-20

Loved it!

The concepts presented are consistent with and comparable to some of my favorite aspects of Buddhism and cognitive behavioral therapy.
But the witty, poetic, and economical style deserves our attention. And the author's presentation and commentary is worthy in its own right.
Great book!

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Substantive yet concise! Great intro!

Reviewed: 01-07-20

Its a pretty satisfying intro to Hinduism in and of itself, But it has also sparked my curiosity enough that I'd like to dig deeper into some of the topics.
Meusse's style is pleasant and humorous. His treatment of the subject is niether judgmental nor worshipful.
My intererst is partly academic, as someone who just wants to understand what makes people tick; but my interest is also personal, i hope my spiritual exploration will help me learn wisdom, from around the world, that will help me live a more compassionate and full life.
i find much in Hinduism to be admired.. and also much that is worth studying as a manifestatiin of the darker side of humanity, what punk rock fans might call "bad religion"
Like virtually all religions and cultural traditions hinduism reflects the best and worst of humanity, and Mark Meusse's candid approach lets you see both sides, and doesnt take up too much time with value judgments of his own.

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1 person found this helpful

Great intro to history and schools of Buddhism

Reviewed: 12-08-19

Very good overview of the history of Buddhism and intro to the different schools of thought within the Buddhist tradition. Also, Professor Eckel's conversational lecture style is very good at keeping my attention.

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A Compelling Synthesis of Modern Scholarship

Reviewed: 11-13-19

James and Judith McConkie have put together a beautiful synthesis and a good introduction to modern scholarship on the life and teachings of Jesus during his mortal life.
They draw from insights from a variety of the most respected scholars on the life of Jesus.
And in the process they offer a portrait of Jesus that gives fresh perspective, worthy of study in its own right.
They appear to be people of genuine faith, but have not been afraid to tackle some of the tough historical issues.
And perhaps most impressively, they have gone beyond the conventional understanding of the meaning of Jesus gospel, and delved deeply into our best sources, the four gospels, and uncovered a truly challenging yet liberating, revolutionary gospel.
It is a gospel thst is sorely needed in our own day, as well as 1st century Palestine: a time when religious leaders emphasize superficial piety rather than transformation through God's love; a time when religious institutions have become the archdefenders of the interests of the wealthy and of empire; a time when corruption goes unchecked, the rich get richer, and when so many of "the least of these my brethren" have been left to fend for themselves, hungry, naked, homeless, sick (with treatable illnesses), falsely imprisoned, denied refuge, despite the fact that human civilization is the wealthiest it has ever been in history.
This book is written with an LDS audience in mind, but there are only a few references to the LDS tradition, and its remarkably well-researched and written, making it a worthy contribution to the conversation in wider Christian and religious studies circles.

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