Heads-up for 29 August 2010

Speaking of Faith
This weekend a rerun of The meaning of Intelligence: An expansive reflection on the meaning of intelligence with author and educator Mike Rose. We explore his perspective on hard subjects that drive to the heart of who we are as individuals, families, and a nation -- literacy, schooling, social class, and the deepest meaning of vocation.
(my review, feed)

Tapestry
Today a rerun of Fear: Mary Hynes talks to Rabbi Harold Kushner about his new book, Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World, published by Knopf. Some of our CBC colleagues shared their deepest fears with us; we played them for Rabbi Kushner, who offered a little advice. Harold Kushner is Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts and has written ten books, including the best-seller When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
(my review, feed)

Stone Pages Archaeo News
Archaeo News Podcast 174
(review, feed)

New Books In History
Valerie Hébert: Hitler’s Generals on Trial: The Last War Crimes Tribunal at Nuremberg
(review, feed)

Big Ideas
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink: Lawyers. Accountants. Computer programmers. That’s what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. That’s the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.
(review, feed)

Veertien Achttien
Julien Lahaut: Bekend is Julien Lahaut van zijn gewelddadige dood en zijn vermeende schoffering van de nieuwe koning Boudewijn die daar in het Belgische parlement aan vooraf zou zijn gegaan. Maar Lahaut maakte tijdens de Grote Oorlog ook deel uit van het ACM, een Belgische eenheid van pantserauto's die de tsaar een handje kwam helpen en de aarde zou ronden.
(review, feed)

Het Marathon Interview (VPRO)
Frits Staal: Op 11 september 1992 schoven Max Pam en Frits Staal aan voor een gesprek dat maar liefst vijf uur zou gaan duren. De hoogleraar Algemene en Vergelijkende Filosofie werd in de jaren zestig bekend met zijn artikel 'Zinvolle en zinloze filosofie' in De Gids. Daarin hecht hij weinig waarde aan (filosofische) uitspraken die niet te verifiëren zijn. Luistert u hier naar een uiterst helder gesprek tussen Max Pam en Frits Staal.
(review, feed)

Philosophy Bites
Joshua Knobe on Experimental Philosophy: Many people think that the idea of experiments in philosophy is a contradiction. Joshua Knobe disagrees. He is at the forefront of a new movement known as Experimental Philosophy. David Edmonds interviews him in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
(review, feed)

The ultimate history lecture podcast is back. Berkeley's History 5 with Thomas Laqueur. (audio feed, video feed) Review: previous post today

Berkeley History 5 by Thomas Laqueur

History podcasts are my favorite among podcasts - of all the podcasts I have reviewed they make up some 30% and of all the reviews over 45%. History lecture podcasts from great universities represent the highest quality you can get in this genre. I am very excited that the very first of those, Berkeley's History 5 is back after having been away for two years. History 5 was the podcast that opened up history podcasts for me and university lecture podcasts as well. (feed)

This semester History 5 will be taught by Professor Thomas Laqueur, who was also the professor in that old 2006 series that not only marked for me the beginning of listening to podcasts and by extension the birth of this blog, but also podcast that set the standard for history podcasts and, for me, has remained to do so. History 5 not only gives European History from 1450 to 1989, it also gives a great interpretation to it. With this course you will get the narrative and at the same time learn to analyze history. When Thomas Laqueur shows Raphael's picture The school of Athens at the first lecture, he reveals that the original is to be found at the Vatican and he asks: 'Isn't that kind of odd?' History 5 is the kind of course that teaches you the capacity for historical analysis that makes you immediately utter exactly such a question. And that is why I love History 5 and love to recommend it.

While listening you can imagine the pictures Laqueur shows, but if you do not wish to miss out on them, you can choose to subscribe to the feed with slides which technically is a video podcast. It is however no video of the lecture, it is the audio delivered while showing the slides from the lecture power point, which in my opinion is about as good as it gets. If you have never heard History 5, this is a must take. Laqueur's voice may take some getting used to. He occasionally gets stuck in his own words, but there is eventually no harm in that. And the sheer depth and quality of the lecture makes up for it completely.

Previously on History 5:
History 5 by Carla Hesse,
History 5 by Margaret Anderson,
History 5 by Thomas Laqueur.