Becoming a Great Essayist
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Narrated by:
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Jennifer Cognard-Black
About this listen
If you have a clever anecdote, an interesting memory, a new way to explain how something works, or an opinion on a social or political issue, then you have an essay in you. Unlike a novel, history book, or scientific publication, essays provide you with the versatility to express all the various facets that make you you. The concise and direct nature of an essay means that you may tap in to your sense of wit, share your individual point of view, persuade others to your perspective, and record a part of your memories for future generations in as many distinct essay forms as you wish. The essay is, above all else, one of the most profoundly personal outlets for writing.
Discover the keys to unlocking your potential in essay writing with Becoming a Great Essayist. These 24 illuminating lectures explore numerous genres or types of essays, challenge you with stimulating writing prompts, and provide insights into how to get to know yourself like never before so that you may write honest, compelling, and great essays. And because essays are so flexible in their style and function, the skills you build writing great essays may be applied to almost all other forms of writing.
While the goal of this course is to provide you with fundamental abilities that will improve your essays, the skills you will learn also provide a foundation to develop any writing project you undertake. This is an unrivalled opportunity to advance your critical and creative thinking skills, enhance your ability to master a strong and persuasive style, and, most importantly, get to know your own inner voice.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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Spectacular
- By Quaker on 09-24-16
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Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
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- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
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Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
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Easy Spanish Step-by-Step
- By: Barbara Bregstein
- Narrated by: Rachel Story
- Length: 37 hrs and 15 mins
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Easy Spanish Step-by-Step is designed in such a way that each section builds upon the last to help your brain progressively create lasting and meaningful connections to each new word and grammar concept. Simply by listening and speaking out loud with us, you will naturally progress, step-by-step, toward Spanish communication and fluency.
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Best so far . . .
- By Medusa in Akron on 07-20-21
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Survival Theory
- A Preparedness Guide
- By: Jonathan Hollerman
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- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
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This preparedness guide will help you develop a plan to escape the deadly rioting and looting, showing you where you can take your family to keep them safe, even if you can't afford a fully-stocked survival retreat. Jonathan Hollerman's in-depth expertise and recommendations will cover many topics including bug-out bags, SHTF Weapons, tactical gear, survival tools, knives, long-term food storage, livestock, bug-out locations, survival retreat recommendations, and much more.
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Literally a half decent book.
- By LA on 09-29-16
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How to Boost Your Credit Score 100+ Points in 30 Days Without Credit Repair!
- By: Brian Diez
- Narrated by: Mike Norgaard
- Length: 55 mins
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Did you know that you could have credit scores in the low 600s even if you never missed a bill payment in your life? That's because your payment history is only 35% of your credit score. How to Boost Your Credit Score 100+ Points in 30 Days Without Credit Repair will show credit industry secrets for maximizing the other 65%. The best part is you will see real results in just 30 days.
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Don't waste a credit on this!
- By typhoidtrish on 10-01-18
By: Brian Diez
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Somewhat Interesting but not Quite as Advertised
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Whether taken as a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings the world has ever known, its web of meaning relied upon by virtually every major writer in the last 2,000 years. Yet the New Testament is not only one of Western civilization’s most believed books, but also one of its most widely disputed, often maligned, and least clearly understood, with a vast number of people unaware of how it was written and transmitted.
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If you want a balanced overview this is not it
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A Disappointingly Distorted, Myopic View Of Jazz
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Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution-the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God-set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.
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Little mistakes here and there
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Understanding the Mysteries of Human Behavior
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Every day of your life is spent surrounded by mysteries that involve what appear to be rather ordinary human behaviors. What makes you happy? Where did your personality come from? Why do you have trouble controlling certain behaviors? Why do you behave differently as an adult than you did as an adolescent?Since the start of recorded history, and probably even before, people have been interested in answering questions about why we behave the way we do.
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I wanted to like this course
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What listeners say about Becoming a Great Essayist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Fredonna Walker
- 08-10-20
Perfect instruction!
Although I’ve always been a writer, I’ve always hated writing essays. This series of lectures, however, makes it interesting and fun! I highly recommend it, if you are afraid of essay-writing or if you just need to brush up your general writing skills.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-28-17
engaging and educational
this series was incredibly educational and surprisingly captivating. the lecturer not only instructs on the elements of writing construction but hones in on great authors, showing why some compositions stand the test of time.
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3 people found this helpful
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- I buy stuff.
- 11-23-22
Excellent. Starting again
excellent. starting again now to do each task. she gives great assignments and great insight. already have come up with multiple essay ideas. and no it's about revising and revising again.
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1 person found this helpful
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- June Anne Insco
- 01-09-23
For beginners and advanced writers
Cognard-Black covers a lot of ground in a well organized series of lectures. This is the first Great Courses series I found worthwhile. I went back and listened several times to the lectures that best fit my writing areas or needs.
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- Jason
- 08-08-16
Makes you excited to write more essays
I love the break down of this course. It is not the same five paragraph writing drills, but she walks you through different types, storylines, teaches you how to make the read feel the words.
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22 people found this helpful
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- Sammy
- 02-23-17
Slow
My mind tended to wander quite a bit during the whole book. Good info just not engaging.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-22-16
Great course
This was the most interesting and easy to listen to course I've experienced. The subject matter is engrossing and the narration is excellent.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Joseph T. Hobson
- 09-10-22
Lucid!
If you really want to enhance literary and intellectual acuity, this is the book! Incredibly coarsing with erudition , wisdom and scholastic reference, this lecture series is straight out of Boston College!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Dr. Mc.
- 09-03-16
OK, not great
I disliked the cliches that pervaded the course. She actually used the "outside the box" metaphor. There was some info that was useful in writing and publishing essays, but not nearly enough. Instead there too many summaries of essays, and they were often very old ones. What you could learn from these about writing and publishing essays today was limited.
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22 people found this helpful
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- CB_1975
- 03-30-17
For person who likes to journal
This book is for someone who writes personal essays, in a journal, or possible wants to write a biography. If this is your focus, it is a good book.
This book will not help with professional writing, grammar, or style.
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12 people found this helpful