Thomas Jefferson: American Revolutionary

Stuart Vyse, Ph.D., is the author of "Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition," which received the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. A celebrated psychologist and professor as well as a recognized author, he is the perfect guide for this audio series on the power of superstition. This wide-ranging course reveals the method to our madness in everything from finances to Friday the 13th. An expert on irrational behavior, Prof. Vyse discusses what it means to be rational before delving into the many reasoning errors and psychological challenges that lead us astray. In 15 lectures, you will learn to identify the logical fallacies and quirks of our psychology that tempt us to make unwise decisions. While the course is based in theory, it's also teeming with practical advice. You'll examine several popular conspiracy theories before exploring the remarkable staying power of common "bad luck" superstitions: How did these superstitions come to be? Is it always bad to be irrational? At what point do our beliefs veer into the territory of wishful thinking or willful ignorance? Packed with fun examples and everyday pointers, this course leaves you thinking long and hard about how you think. With Prof. Vyse's guidance, you'll learn to better understand your beliefs and make better decisions.

Groundbreaking new scientific research illuminates surprising ways in which you can live a more healthy, happy, and flourishing life. Until now, psychology has focused on resolving people's problems. But the relatively new field of positive psychology instead examines the things that make your life worth living. Positive Psychology: How to Sustain Happiness in Your Life gives you practical steps for leading a flourishing life. Your guide is Professor Catherine A. Sanderson of Amherst College, named one of America's Best 300 Professors by the Princeton Review. The author of "The Positive Shift," she introduces you to cutting-edge scientific research on happiness from a range of disciplines. You'll cover psychology, economics, biology, neuroscience, and more. In 15 lectures filled with practical examples, you'll explore fascinating questions about how various aspects of your life influence happiness: •How are gender, age, culture, and even political orientation linked with happiness? •Is happiness rooted in our genes, wealth, or relationships? •How can we find happiness while struggling with daily stressors or major life crises? You will understand how various factors in your day-to-day routine - like nature, technology, and religion - influence your state of mind. Armed with this new knowledge, you can immediately start reaping the benefits of happiness every day.

Revered as a consummate statesman who cemented America’s place on the global stage, Franklin Delano Roosevelt affected tremendous change in the United States in course of his career. To understand his life is to understand how the nation claimed world leadership in what many call the American Century. In this fascinating course, award-winning American history professor Jeffrey Webb introduces you to the man behind the legendary life. You’ll begin by learning about FDR’s privileged upbringing and early career in public service, explore his unconventional marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt, and recount his life-long struggle with paraplegia beginning at age 39. You’ll also cover FDR’s progressive policies as governor of New York during the Great Depression and the historic New Deal, which set the nation on a new path of social and political development. Prof. Webb provides enlightening context for FDR’s confrontation of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan and his celebrated leadership of the Allies. You’ll explore his wartime “home front” policies - including the internment of Japanese Americans - that dramatically expanded the power of the federal government. In this remarkable series, you’ll learn how FDR’s mind and career were shaped by the titanic events of his era, and how his leadership in this era of bewildering change defined America’s, and the world’s future.

Join the acclaimed authors of the encyclopedia of conspiracy theories in exploring some of history's great myths.  In this provocative audio course, you'll travel through time with history and medieval literature experts to learn why the truth about past events is so elusive. Your journey will be helmed by two award-winning scholars: acclaimed literature and mythology professor Christopher Fee and historian Jeffrey Webb.    Profs. Fee and Webb explain that although most of us recognize the value of good history, we often find truthful accounts of the past, frankly, less than inspiring. What really excites us is a tale well told.    Following a timeline that begins in Ancient Greece and ends in 1960s America, Profs. Fee and Webb reveal the surprising truth behind dominant narratives about the 300 Spartans, Columbus's discovery of America, Lincoln's role in Emancipation, Edison's inventions, and much more.      Over the course of 14 lectures, Profs. Fee and Webb explore the relationship between myth and history, surveying the boundary line between legend and fact. They affirm myth's enduring appeal and cultural importance while also highlighting its implicit hazards. Ultimately, they show that disentangling myth from history teaches us valuable lessons about our common humanity.    As you explode some of history's biggest myths, you'll discover how both fact and fiction convey eternal truths.

From free speech to fair trials, many of your rights as an American are guaranteed by the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Known as the Bill of Rights, this enduring document—along with its interpretation—continues to inspire debate and shape our lives. But if you're like most Americans, you haven't had a chance to explore the Constitution and its fascinating history since you were a teenager. Now, The Bill of Rights: Understanding the Constitution and Your Freedoms offers you an engaging and accessible refresher led by a legal scholar and expert on the Bill of Rights. Under the guidance of award-winning Professor David L. Hudson, Jr., you'll begin by examining the historic development of the Bill of Rights. Then you'll turn your attention to the freedoms found in its pages. Throughout the course, Prof. Hudson uses contemporary examples to help you grasp the meaning and implications of your individual liberties. In 19 lectures, you'll explore the deeper meaning of those liberties. Some of the most famous include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. Others you may be less familiar with include freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances, freedom from double jeopardy, and the right to a grand jury. Don't just know your rights. For an enjoyable, memorable, and illuminating discussion of what Madison once called the Great Rights of Mankind, look no further.

Plague has terrified and fascinated humanity for all of recorded history. Now, in the current moment of COVID-19, people around the globe are again struggling to learn how to navigate life during a pandemic. As in times of uncertainty throughout history, we seek the insights of the great minds who have lived through and reflected on similar historical times. Your guide for this fascinating 12-lecture audio course is medieval literature expert Chris Fee, a presenter beloved for his evocative delivery by Learn25 listeners and his own students at Gettysburg College. You'll begin by examining literary attempts to understand and to interpret pestilence and plagues, starting with the Bible and Ancient poets, playwrights, and historians. You'll then move on to some of the greatest works of the Middle Ages and Renaissance that were inspired by or reflect aspects of the infamous Black Death. Entering the Modern Age, you'll explore works by authors that employ plague as a metaphor. Along the way, you will also delve into popular books and movies, such as "12 Monkeys," that take plague as their subject or subtext. You'll conclude by discovering that the literature of plague has much to teach us, not just about the current moment, but about the very nature of being human.