An History of Ancient Egypt
A Teaching Company Production
Eight DVD set
48 lectures, 30 minutes each
This is an excellent introduction to the early history of Egypt. It begins about 700,000 years ago with the discovery of a hand axe and ends with the death of Cleopatra, the last independent ruler of Egypt, on August 12, 30 BC.
Along the way we see the development of the pyramids and temples, how they developed from relatively simply structures to the magnificent structures that are slowly crumbling over the centuries. The first graves were pits in the ground and covered with rocks to protect the bodies from predators, mainly jackals. The next step was the placing of a large rectangular, flat-roofed structure, a mastaba, with rooms and a burial chamber. Eventually one king had several of these mastabas of deceasing size placed over his burial chamber. Eventually these developed into the familiar pyramid shapes.
The lecturer varies at times from a strict chronological historical presentation by introducing related topics. Some of these are
--some information about Egyptologists and their methods, including an extensive discussion of the effect that Napoleon's invasion of Egypt had on the science of Egyptology: according to the lecturer, Napoleon brought, along with his army, hundreds of scientists, historians, artists, and anybody else who might be helpful in the study of ancient Egypt. In effect, Napoleon created the scientific study of ancient Egypt.
--mummies, three lectures on mummies (the lecturer's specialty), including one on his attempt to create a mummy using what he could learn about the Egyptian method.
--one lecture each on the Biblical stories of
Joseph in Egypt and the Exodus which included a discussion of the so-far existing evidence, both external archeological findings and internal evidence within the Biblical accounts, and a guess as to when they might have
taken place.
The last lecture included a brief overview of the course and then he discussed the effects of Egyptian history and culture on
contemporary films and books. He, of course, mentioned the various mummy films and the Elizabeth Taylor film of Cleopatra. In addition, he mentioned the mystery series written by Elizabeth Peters (who is a specialist on ancient Egypt) and that the hero, Amelia Peabody, is really a caricature of Sir Flinders Petrie, a highly respected Egyptologist.
Overall, I would say that the lectures provide an excellent introduction to the early history of Egypt. He also includes a bibliography for those wishing to go further in the study of Egypt or on some .specific topics that the viewers may wish to follow up on.
Showing posts with label The Teaching Company. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Teaching Company. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
An History of India: a series of lectures presented by the Teaching Company
An History of India
A Great Courses Set on DVD
The Teaching Company
6 DVDs, 18 hours of lectures
I've long been impressed by the lecture sets produced by the Teaching Company, called The Great Courses. They are a series of lectures, four or six to a DVD, each lecture being 30 or 45 minutes in length. The sets range from 2 to 8 DVDs, and each DVD contains three hours of lectures. The format is that of the ordinary classroom lecture, supplemented by appropriate visual and auditory aids. Discussions of the arts will include photographs of the paintings or sculptures under discussion while excerpts of music are presented during lectures on the work being discussed.
The topics covered include the sciences, mathematics, literature, religion, economics and finance, history, music, the fine arts, meditation, gardening, cooking, home decoration, various self-help topics, and a number of subjects I've forgotten to mention. I think there's something here for just about everybody.
The lectures are geared for the average student who may know a little about the subject, but those who know nothing about the subject will have little or no difficulty understanding the lectures. For example, I've viewed a number of lecture sets on astronomy and have found that most, if not all, begin with an introductory lecture on the beginning of the universe, the Big Bang theory or its variants.
This set of lectures on the history of India, presented by Professor Michael H. Fisher of Oberlin College, begins with what is known about the earliest inhabitants of the subcontinent. Most agree that they were there at least 35,000 years ago and some argue for a date of 70,000 years. It appears as though, later, that there were three distinct cultural threads forming the early population, and DNA tests suggests that the survivors are still present today, though mixed and interspersed among the general population today.
Subsequent lectures include the various attempts to unify India, the development of various religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), and the effects of the interactions with other cultures and religions, including Islam and Christianity. The last set of lectures include the results of the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into India, Pakistan, and eventually Bangladesh and the violence that resulted. The set came out in 2016, so it is quite up-to-date to that point. However, it appeared prior to recent events in Pakistan, so the effects of the attempted coup are not covered.
Viewing the lectures will not make me an expert on India, and they are not designed to do that. They do provide an excellent overview of the subject, though, much like an introductory course on any subject. One of the topics covered was Hinduism, of which I know little. Another was Sikhism. So, in the future, I will be looking for more information on those subjects. I have already viewed its set of lectures on Buddhism and have some ideas about further research on that topic. That's one of the benefits of courses such as this: it provides areas for further investigation.
I get these sets from the local library which has a wide variety of the Teaching Company offerings. I have probably viewed around 50 of the sets over the past ten to fifteen years. At present I have the following sets awaiting me: The Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology, How to Read and Understand Shakespeare, and The Great Tours: Experiencing Medieval Europe.
The following is a link to the Teaching Company's web page where you can peruse its extensive collection. The sets are for sale and can be purchased in a variety of formats, including downloads.
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/
I hope some of you are interested sufficiently to browse through the Teaching Company's offerings. It's free.
A Great Courses Set on DVD
The Teaching Company
6 DVDs, 18 hours of lectures
I've long been impressed by the lecture sets produced by the Teaching Company, called The Great Courses. They are a series of lectures, four or six to a DVD, each lecture being 30 or 45 minutes in length. The sets range from 2 to 8 DVDs, and each DVD contains three hours of lectures. The format is that of the ordinary classroom lecture, supplemented by appropriate visual and auditory aids. Discussions of the arts will include photographs of the paintings or sculptures under discussion while excerpts of music are presented during lectures on the work being discussed.
The topics covered include the sciences, mathematics, literature, religion, economics and finance, history, music, the fine arts, meditation, gardening, cooking, home decoration, various self-help topics, and a number of subjects I've forgotten to mention. I think there's something here for just about everybody.
The lectures are geared for the average student who may know a little about the subject, but those who know nothing about the subject will have little or no difficulty understanding the lectures. For example, I've viewed a number of lecture sets on astronomy and have found that most, if not all, begin with an introductory lecture on the beginning of the universe, the Big Bang theory or its variants.
This set of lectures on the history of India, presented by Professor Michael H. Fisher of Oberlin College, begins with what is known about the earliest inhabitants of the subcontinent. Most agree that they were there at least 35,000 years ago and some argue for a date of 70,000 years. It appears as though, later, that there were three distinct cultural threads forming the early population, and DNA tests suggests that the survivors are still present today, though mixed and interspersed among the general population today.
Subsequent lectures include the various attempts to unify India, the development of various religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), and the effects of the interactions with other cultures and religions, including Islam and Christianity. The last set of lectures include the results of the 1947 partition of the subcontinent into India, Pakistan, and eventually Bangladesh and the violence that resulted. The set came out in 2016, so it is quite up-to-date to that point. However, it appeared prior to recent events in Pakistan, so the effects of the attempted coup are not covered.
Viewing the lectures will not make me an expert on India, and they are not designed to do that. They do provide an excellent overview of the subject, though, much like an introductory course on any subject. One of the topics covered was Hinduism, of which I know little. Another was Sikhism. So, in the future, I will be looking for more information on those subjects. I have already viewed its set of lectures on Buddhism and have some ideas about further research on that topic. That's one of the benefits of courses such as this: it provides areas for further investigation.
I get these sets from the local library which has a wide variety of the Teaching Company offerings. I have probably viewed around 50 of the sets over the past ten to fifteen years. At present I have the following sets awaiting me: The Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology, How to Read and Understand Shakespeare, and The Great Tours: Experiencing Medieval Europe.
The following is a link to the Teaching Company's web page where you can peruse its extensive collection. The sets are for sale and can be purchased in a variety of formats, including downloads.
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/
I hope some of you are interested sufficiently to browse through the Teaching Company's offerings. It's free.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Three Films
KWAIDAN:
Kwaidan is a Japanese film with subtitles directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The title comes from a collection of short Japanese tales translated by Lafcadio Hearn . The film includes four stories from the book. The photography is beautiful and the colors vibrant, and it is hard to believe the film came out in 1965. It must have been reworked to bring back the original colors.
The four tales include the following:
A woodcutter's life is spared by the Snow Woman who killed his comrade on condition that he never speak of what happened to anyone at any time. However, humans being human . . .
Hoichi is a young, blind Buddhist monk who is also talented musician and singer. One night a man comes to guiide him to the court of a noble who wishes him to sing about the last great battle his clan lost to the Genji. Since he is blind, he doesn't know who comprises his audience. His attempt at freedom, aided by his fellow monks, costs him dearly.
A samurai leaves his wife to marry a rich woman in order to escape their poverty and his insignificance. Over the years, he learns that this was a bad decision. Finally he leaves his rich wife and his comfortable position with her father and returns to his former wife. Unfortunately he learns that not only one can't go back, but that it is far better that one never even tries.
A samurai upon pouring himself a bowl of tea discovers a strange face inside the bowl staring out at him. Each time he empties the bowl without drinking it, the face becomes clearer and more ominous. Finally he drinks the tea in spite of the face--a very poor decision. Unfortunately, the reader never finds out what eventually happens to the samurai because every time a writer attempts to finish the story, he or she disappears, leaving it unfinished. What would happen if someone tried to adapt this tale for film?
If there's a moral to the stories, it is that it doesn't pay to get involved with spirits and demons.
POLAR EXPLORATIONS
The film is a collaboration, a fruitful one, between the Teaching Company and the National Geographic Society was first shown in 2015. The lecturers are obviously knowledgeable, which is what I would expect of a Teaching Company production, and the photography is stunning, again something I would expect from National Geographic.
It is a boxed set, which I got from the local library, consisting of 4 DVDs, each DVD with six 30 minute lectures. The first set of lectures focuses on the various expeditions to the North and South Poles, the men who went on them and the many who did not return. Subsequent lectures then centured on the geology, the geography, the climate, and the inhabitants of both regions, along with commentary on the present situation at the Poles, which has been declared off-limits to resource development and territorial claims by countries.
The last set detailed the changes now taking place at the Poles. In 2014, aerial photography disclosed a large crack in the Larson C ice shelf. The lecturer discussed the possibility that the shelf might actually break from from the continent. Several weeks after I viewed the DVDs, I read that the Larson C ice shelf had broken away from Antarctica.
A WALK IN THE WOODS:
A Walk in the Woods is based on the book by Bill Bryson about his walk with a friend along the Appalachian Trail, a marked trail that stretches through the Appalachian Mountains some 2200 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
It is really a buddy film as Bryson is joined by Stepen Katz, a longtime friend he hasn't seen or talked to in many years. The film is not a travelogue, and those viewing it for the scenery will be disappointed. While there are some shots of scenery, the real focus is on the reconnecting between the two friends, Bil Bryson played by Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz. Actually that was my reason for watching the film; I wanted to see Redford and Nolte for I just couldn't picture them together in a film. It turned out to be a great pairing.
Kwaidan is a Japanese film with subtitles directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The title comes from a collection of short Japanese tales translated by Lafcadio Hearn . The film includes four stories from the book. The photography is beautiful and the colors vibrant, and it is hard to believe the film came out in 1965. It must have been reworked to bring back the original colors.
The four tales include the following:
A woodcutter's life is spared by the Snow Woman who killed his comrade on condition that he never speak of what happened to anyone at any time. However, humans being human . . .
Hoichi is a young, blind Buddhist monk who is also talented musician and singer. One night a man comes to guiide him to the court of a noble who wishes him to sing about the last great battle his clan lost to the Genji. Since he is blind, he doesn't know who comprises his audience. His attempt at freedom, aided by his fellow monks, costs him dearly.
A samurai leaves his wife to marry a rich woman in order to escape their poverty and his insignificance. Over the years, he learns that this was a bad decision. Finally he leaves his rich wife and his comfortable position with her father and returns to his former wife. Unfortunately he learns that not only one can't go back, but that it is far better that one never even tries.
A samurai upon pouring himself a bowl of tea discovers a strange face inside the bowl staring out at him. Each time he empties the bowl without drinking it, the face becomes clearer and more ominous. Finally he drinks the tea in spite of the face--a very poor decision. Unfortunately, the reader never finds out what eventually happens to the samurai because every time a writer attempts to finish the story, he or she disappears, leaving it unfinished. What would happen if someone tried to adapt this tale for film?
If there's a moral to the stories, it is that it doesn't pay to get involved with spirits and demons.
POLAR EXPLORATIONS
The film is a collaboration, a fruitful one, between the Teaching Company and the National Geographic Society was first shown in 2015. The lecturers are obviously knowledgeable, which is what I would expect of a Teaching Company production, and the photography is stunning, again something I would expect from National Geographic.
It is a boxed set, which I got from the local library, consisting of 4 DVDs, each DVD with six 30 minute lectures. The first set of lectures focuses on the various expeditions to the North and South Poles, the men who went on them and the many who did not return. Subsequent lectures then centured on the geology, the geography, the climate, and the inhabitants of both regions, along with commentary on the present situation at the Poles, which has been declared off-limits to resource development and territorial claims by countries.
The last set detailed the changes now taking place at the Poles. In 2014, aerial photography disclosed a large crack in the Larson C ice shelf. The lecturer discussed the possibility that the shelf might actually break from from the continent. Several weeks after I viewed the DVDs, I read that the Larson C ice shelf had broken away from Antarctica.
A WALK IN THE WOODS:
A Walk in the Woods is based on the book by Bill Bryson about his walk with a friend along the Appalachian Trail, a marked trail that stretches through the Appalachian Mountains some 2200 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
It is really a buddy film as Bryson is joined by Stepen Katz, a longtime friend he hasn't seen or talked to in many years. The film is not a travelogue, and those viewing it for the scenery will be disappointed. While there are some shots of scenery, the real focus is on the reconnecting between the two friends, Bil Bryson played by Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz. Actually that was my reason for watching the film; I wanted to see Redford and Nolte for I just couldn't picture them together in a film. It turned out to be a great pairing.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Favorite DVDs viewed during 2015
Following are some of the DVDs that I watched during 2015. Since I don't watch TV, I have considerable time now to read and to watch films in the evening. Some of the DVDs I have viewed were originally TV shows that are now available at the local public library or on Netflix. While I might be a year or more behind the world on the TV shows, I figure I've actually gained time by not having to watch the commercials, whether they are marketing products or politicians.
FILMS
Foyle's War, S8.
A great mystery series set in England first during WWII and then during the Cold War. It's one of few "must watch" shows on TV. It's BBC, naturally.
Nemesis:
Another great TV series from BBC--featuring Agatha Christies's Miss Marple. I re-watched all of the Jane Marple episodes this year (with Joan Hickson naturally) and consider this one to be the best of a great series.
Murder on the Orient Express: (two versions)
This, of course, is based on Agatha Christie's novel of the same name. I watched the 1974 version and the recent (sorta) BBC version with David Suchet as Poirot. The two versions are quite different. The 1974 version has a cast list that almost empties out Hollywood and is much lighter in tone. It is the longer of the two versions, so it includes more of the story than the BBC version. The BBC version is much darker and shorter, so the questioning sessions of the suspects are shortened or eliminated.
Watch both.
Predestination:
This film is based on a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, "All You Zombies." I have no idea of the relevance of the title to the story, so don't ask me. It is very close to Heinlein's story, but it is set in a frame that has nothing to do with Heinlein's tale. However, the core of the main character's machinations through the use of time travel remains the same. All I will say is that the story, and therefore the film, plays games with the paradoxes of time travel to an extent almost unique in SF. The myth of the Ouroboros has come alive.
The Hound of the Baskervilles:
In a rut here. It's the BBC dramatization of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best known Sherlock Holmes' novel, with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke (naturally).
Again, I spent time re-watching many of the Brett versions during the past year and consider this to be the best of a great series. I have a few more to go, so there may be another one listed for 2016.
Solaris:
This is another one I've watched before and decided it was time for another viewing. It's based on Stanislaw Lem's enigmatic novel of the same name. It's an SF First Contact novel and film, but calling that doesn't do it justice. It's one of those films that needs and rewards several viewings. It's the version directed by A. Tarkovsky. There's another version out, and I will look around for it.
The Dirty Dozen:
A great fantasy war film that stars Lee Marvin, one of my favorites, along with Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Jim Brown. George Jaeckel, Richard Kennedy, and a host of other familiar names. Sheer fun. This is at least my second and probably my third viewing. I think the cast enjoyed making the film as much as viewers enjoyed watching it.
In Harm's Way:
Another WWII film set in the Pacific this time, rather than in Europe. It features John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Patricia Neal, Carroll O'Connor, George Kennedy (again), and a host of other familiar names. Great fun. And, no, it's not a guilty pleasure film, for I see no reason for feeling guilty about watching it. It's probably my third? fourth? viewing, and it won't be my last.
To Have and Have Not:
WWII again--the first film starring Bogart and Bacall. That says it all. Again, I've seen this one several times before and most likely will chalk up one or more viewings.
Tron:
Another re-watching. Special effects says it all. I watched the sequel, but I think they made a mistake when they moved closer to matching the real world and lost that startling digital effect.
DOCUMENTARIES
Glass: A Portrait of Philip Glass in Twelve Parts:
A documentary on the minimalist composer Philip Glass--a very well-done film on Glass and his compositions through the years. Major problem is that it's too short, as the good ones always seem to be.
Into Great Silence:
Life in a French Carthusian monastery--hypnotic, with images doing the talking.
It took sixteen ears for the German filmmaker Philip Groning to get permission to make the film, with certain conditions: no narration, no artificial lighting, and no crew. If one knows nothing about the Carthusian order, then a little research would be useful prior to viewing the film. The film is two hours and forty-nine minutes long, but it didn't seem that long to me.
History of World Literature:
A Teaching Company Production: a series of lectures on world literature which includes Asian, European, African, South American literatures. It inspired me to read The Dream of the Red Chamber (aka The Story of the Stone) last year. And, this year I will dust off my copy of The Tale of Genji. Again too short.
Comparative Religion:
Another Teaching Company Production. The title says it all--a comparison of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism--their differences and similarities.
Dark Energy:Dark Matter--
Yet another Teaching Company Production-cosmologists have come to the conclusion that estimates of the visible matter in the universe indicate there isn't enough to explain the makeup of the universe. So, they postulate a form of energy and a type of matter that are invisible in order to explain the composition of the universe and its increasing rate of expansion.
The Three Tenors: The Original Concert in Rome:
Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras singing individually and together great arias and popular songs. A feast for the ears. The human voice at its best.
The first of several concerts.
The Seville Concert: John Williams
Great music for the guitar played by one of the best guitarists in the world. The visuals aren't bad either.
It must be significant that seven of the ten favorite dramas (not including documentaries) were actually a second or third or even a fourth viewing last year. What does this say about the more recent productions?
FILMS
Foyle's War, S8.
A great mystery series set in England first during WWII and then during the Cold War. It's one of few "must watch" shows on TV. It's BBC, naturally.
Nemesis:
Another great TV series from BBC--featuring Agatha Christies's Miss Marple. I re-watched all of the Jane Marple episodes this year (with Joan Hickson naturally) and consider this one to be the best of a great series.
Murder on the Orient Express: (two versions)
This, of course, is based on Agatha Christie's novel of the same name. I watched the 1974 version and the recent (sorta) BBC version with David Suchet as Poirot. The two versions are quite different. The 1974 version has a cast list that almost empties out Hollywood and is much lighter in tone. It is the longer of the two versions, so it includes more of the story than the BBC version. The BBC version is much darker and shorter, so the questioning sessions of the suspects are shortened or eliminated.
Watch both.
Predestination:
This film is based on a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, "All You Zombies." I have no idea of the relevance of the title to the story, so don't ask me. It is very close to Heinlein's story, but it is set in a frame that has nothing to do with Heinlein's tale. However, the core of the main character's machinations through the use of time travel remains the same. All I will say is that the story, and therefore the film, plays games with the paradoxes of time travel to an extent almost unique in SF. The myth of the Ouroboros has come alive.
The Hound of the Baskervilles:
In a rut here. It's the BBC dramatization of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best known Sherlock Holmes' novel, with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke (naturally).
Again, I spent time re-watching many of the Brett versions during the past year and consider this to be the best of a great series. I have a few more to go, so there may be another one listed for 2016.
Solaris:
This is another one I've watched before and decided it was time for another viewing. It's based on Stanislaw Lem's enigmatic novel of the same name. It's an SF First Contact novel and film, but calling that doesn't do it justice. It's one of those films that needs and rewards several viewings. It's the version directed by A. Tarkovsky. There's another version out, and I will look around for it.
The Dirty Dozen:
A great fantasy war film that stars Lee Marvin, one of my favorites, along with Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Jim Brown. George Jaeckel, Richard Kennedy, and a host of other familiar names. Sheer fun. This is at least my second and probably my third viewing. I think the cast enjoyed making the film as much as viewers enjoyed watching it.
In Harm's Way:
Another WWII film set in the Pacific this time, rather than in Europe. It features John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Patricia Neal, Carroll O'Connor, George Kennedy (again), and a host of other familiar names. Great fun. And, no, it's not a guilty pleasure film, for I see no reason for feeling guilty about watching it. It's probably my third? fourth? viewing, and it won't be my last.
To Have and Have Not:
WWII again--the first film starring Bogart and Bacall. That says it all. Again, I've seen this one several times before and most likely will chalk up one or more viewings.
Tron:
Another re-watching. Special effects says it all. I watched the sequel, but I think they made a mistake when they moved closer to matching the real world and lost that startling digital effect.
DOCUMENTARIES
Glass: A Portrait of Philip Glass in Twelve Parts:
A documentary on the minimalist composer Philip Glass--a very well-done film on Glass and his compositions through the years. Major problem is that it's too short, as the good ones always seem to be.
Into Great Silence:
Life in a French Carthusian monastery--hypnotic, with images doing the talking.
It took sixteen ears for the German filmmaker Philip Groning to get permission to make the film, with certain conditions: no narration, no artificial lighting, and no crew. If one knows nothing about the Carthusian order, then a little research would be useful prior to viewing the film. The film is two hours and forty-nine minutes long, but it didn't seem that long to me.
History of World Literature:
A Teaching Company Production: a series of lectures on world literature which includes Asian, European, African, South American literatures. It inspired me to read The Dream of the Red Chamber (aka The Story of the Stone) last year. And, this year I will dust off my copy of The Tale of Genji. Again too short.
Comparative Religion:
Another Teaching Company Production. The title says it all--a comparison of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism--their differences and similarities.
Dark Energy:Dark Matter--
Yet another Teaching Company Production-cosmologists have come to the conclusion that estimates of the visible matter in the universe indicate there isn't enough to explain the makeup of the universe. So, they postulate a form of energy and a type of matter that are invisible in order to explain the composition of the universe and its increasing rate of expansion.
The Three Tenors: The Original Concert in Rome:
Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras singing individually and together great arias and popular songs. A feast for the ears. The human voice at its best.
The first of several concerts.
The Seville Concert: John Williams
Great music for the guitar played by one of the best guitarists in the world. The visuals aren't bad either.
It must be significant that seven of the ten favorite dramas (not including documentaries) were actually a second or third or even a fourth viewing last year. What does this say about the more recent productions?
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