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viscousmemories
02-10-2010, 03:40 PM
I got this junk mail from "The Teaching Company" yesterday offering a bunch of multimedia lectures -- that supposedly retail for hundreds of dollars -- on sale for a fraction of the "original price". Whenever I see something like this I assume that it is really always on sale, but in either case there's some interesting content that I'm thinking of buying.

Specifically, a 4-DVD set called The Joy of Mathematics by Arthur Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin was on the Colbert Report recently demonstrating what he calls "Mathemagics" - such as rapid multiplication of complex numbers in his head, and instantly calculating the day of the week for any given date. He also has a video on TED where he squares 3, 4 and 5 digit numbers in his head, racing against audience members with calculators.

This set is "on sale" for $39.95 if you go to the right website. That's what makes me skeptical of this. There are several websites (clearly owned by the same company) with the same material but different prices, so it's hard to tell the actual value of the goods being sold.

Has anyone purchased from this company or know anything about it?

Incidentally, only go to The Teaching Company (http://www.theteachingcompany.com) if you want to pay full price. The "sale" prices are at this link (http://www.thegreatcourses.com), and even better prices can be found if you click here (http://www.buygreatcourses.com).

LadyShea
02-10-2010, 03:52 PM
It's listed for 68.00 on eBay and the seller says she paid 250.00 new. Even a transcript and course guide (no DVDs) are for sale for 50.00

39.95 sounds reasonable

viscousmemories
02-10-2010, 04:12 PM
I went ahead and ordered it. I even Googled up a coupon for $5 off shipping, so it came to $44.90 total.

LadyShea
02-10-2010, 04:15 PM
The only thing you may wish to search for is free streaming video of the lecture. In my research into educational resources, I am astounded by how many lectures are free on the webz.

viscousmemories
02-10-2010, 04:21 PM
Ja, I've found and watched a lot of free lectures online, but couldn't find this one.

I'm looking forward to it because I currently get no joy from mathematics but this guy is highly entertaining - maybe enough so to change me.

SharonDee
02-10-2010, 06:28 PM
I've bought several courses from The Teaching Company over the years and haven't been disappointed yet. Of course I paid the :airquote:sale:airquote: price but who'd pay that full price? I guess if you were in a hurry for the material ... :shrug:

Anyway, first I bought courses on cassette when the car I was driving had the player; then I bought courses on CD when the car I was driving had that player. Now I get DVD's ... and that's when I stopped learning. Lecturers just can't compete with everything else available from my living room electronics.

beyelzu
02-11-2010, 06:38 AM
I have downloaded hundreds of lectures some of which I even paid for, and by some I mean I have bought 3 or 4 of them as audio downloads. I highly recommend the teaching company's products, they fucking rule. The lecturers are gifted for the most part and quite entertaining.

Ehrman's stuff is not to be missed, lost christianities was particularly interesting.

beyelzu
02-11-2010, 06:42 AM
also rufus fear's great romans and great greeks courses were incredibly kickass.

as was wolfson's stuff about agw.


and I must give mad stupid props to sapolsky's course on neuroscience.