Social Psychology 101: How to Understand People and Social Situations

Who was Alexander the Great? Was he a brilliant, ambitious conqueror or a self-obsessed leader who put his men in harm’s way? A divine figure or a god in his own mind? Join award-winning historian Christopher Bellitto to explore this famously complex figure.. Alexander the Great (ca. 356-323 BCE) was a Macedonian general who brought Greek civilization to the edge of modern-day India. After studying the Iliad, he believed himself to be Achilles reincarnated, imitating the hero of the epic poem in his own military campaigns. Even before he died barely into his thirties, the legends surrounding him were larger than life. In this compelling new audio course, you’ll explore the history and lore surrounding this real man and mythic figure, often by consulting the ancient sources themselves. With Prof. Bellitto, you’ll trace Alexander’s conquests from Macedonia to Asia, assessing his military prowess and leadership skills along the way. You’ll also explore questions about his alleged divinity, his ideas for mixing Greek culture with peoples he overwhelmed, and whether or not he planned to build an empire. Analyzing primary sources as well as context from contemporary historians, you’ll discover wildly different accounts of the same events in Alexander’s life.

No civilization is so intertwined with the history of Christianity, and the greater Western world, as Rome. Now, you are invited to explore ancient Rome's legacy with award-winning professor and prolific author Christopher M. Bellitto. In this fascinating audio course on the Roman monarchy, republic, and empire, you will explore the essentials of Roman civilization: the creation of a city at the center of world history, its political legacy, its architectural and cultural achievements, its treatment of women and slaves, and its tragic flaws. You will begin by placing ancient Rome in world history by looking at its origins and contexts in terms of geography and chronology. You will then explore the overlooked monarchy that ran for over two centuries until it was replaced by a republic that slowly took over the Mediterranean for 500 years. You will follow Rome as it defeated Carthage in three Punic Wars, facing challengers like Hannibal. As you travel from the Republic to the Empire to Rome's eventual ""fall,"" you will encounter such infamous figures as Julius Caesar, Octavian, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, Caligula, and Nero. You will see how paganism, Judaism, and Christianity interacted, often violently, and how Christianity transformed a stumbling empire. Finally, you will ask whether Rome truly fell at all.

This insightful 24-lecture audio course offers you a gripping survey of the most important discoveries in psychology. How do we perceive the world around us? What drives us? How can science help us understand our minds and motivations, along with those of others? Answering these essential questions helps you improve your well-being, empathize with others, and unravel the mysteries of human behavior. And perhaps no field has advanced our knowledge of these topics as much as psychology. With the guidance of award-winning psychologist and Carleton College professor Lawrence Wichlinski, you'll gain a sweeping arc of insights into our minds, motivations, and memories, and much more.  You will begin with a tour of the brain, gaining tremendous insights into its remarkable capabilities and intricacies. From there, you'll learn about social psychology and the cognitive forces that guide our fundamental behaviors: sleep, food, and sex. You will also learn to see the common mental disorders you're familiar with—whether you've experienced them yourself or know someone who has—in a new light.  At the end of the course, you'll take away practical applications from the field of psychology. Channeling groundbreaking research into accessible lectures, Prof. Wichlinski equips you with the tools you need to improve your memory, sleep, social interactions, and more.

A gripping and authoritative 24-lecture history course on the Vietnam War from the award-winning professor who cowrote "Argument without End" with Robert McNamara. Using newly available archival and source material from the United States and Vietnam, Vassar College professor Robert K. Brigham helps you grapple with the legacy of the Vietnam War today. Based on more than 100 trips to Vietnam and extensive interviews with key players from all sides, Prof. Brigham weaves vivid biographical sketches and rich anecdotes into recorded history. His masterful storytelling will help you look behind common assumptions about the conflict.  Not since the Civil War had the American national consciousness been as strained as it was by the conflict in Southeast Asia. Indeed, the controversies that the Vietnam War spurred on the home front are more familiar to many Americans than the policies and motives that guided the conflict. "Vietnam: The Definitive History of the War" fills that gap. The provocative questions Prof. Brigham raises will help you reexamine the war from today's vantage.  Throughout, Prof. Brigham sheds light on the United States and its place in the world today. Under his expert guidance, you will gain fresh understanding of this momentous chapter in American history.

Join award-winning historian Christopher Bellitto on this gripping journey through centuries of Greek history. Ancient Greece was one of the most fertile civilizations in history, and its influence on Western philosophy, theology, and civilization is undeniable. Now, you can discover the fascinating legacy of ancient Greece through entertaining and enlightening lectures. With Prof. Bellitto, you will gain a deeper understanding of what made ancient Greece so unique: its polis and democracy, its great battles and personalities, its soaring artistic and literary achievements. You'll also explore dark corners of this civilization, such as its treatment of women and slaves. You will travel from the walls of Troy to the theatres of Athens, from the Delphic oracle to the Spartans' stand at Thermopylae, from Socrates' trial and Alexander the Great's long journeys to the moment where Rome conquered Greece. You'll begin by asking where ancient Greece fits on a broad canvas of world history, geography, and chronology viewed from a wide-angle lens. You will move forward in time, stopping often to explore closely important moments, topics, and themes. You will cover the most essential events in ancient Greece as you travel through millennia of history. Join Prof. Bellitto on this fascinating journey today.

From the co-author of the world's best-selling psychology textbook comes the perfect audio course for those who want to understand the secrets of the human brain and our behavior. Join acclaimed professor Nathan DeWall in answering your big questions about psychology.      Psychology is a science and uses the same methods as other sciences. But there is a big difference: many psychological topics are difficult to evaluate and measure. Some of our most valuable qualities—self-esteem, memory, emotion, thinking, personality—seem ineffable.   Through Prof. DeWall, you will get a backstage pass to many of the mind's mysteries, including why some people are prone to depression, why some therapies work while others don't, and why some romantic relationships succeed while others flop. By understanding psychology as a science, you will have a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.   In this engaging 24-lecture course, Prof. DeWall takes you on a wild ride through the mind. Incorporating vivid case studies and psychological research, the lectures challenge you to reconsider what you think you know about the mind and offer practical tools to improve your daily life.   Prof. Dewall has been called "one of the most influential psychological science leaders of his generation."   Listen today for an in-depth look at the human mind and its profound mysteries.