The Great Courses
AUTHOR

The Great Courses

History | Politics & Social Sciences | Business & Careers
Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
It all began with just a few videotapes—and a brilliant inspiration. Tom Rollins, the founder of The Great Courses, was a law student at Harvard University and was facing an important exam on the U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence—an exam for which he wasn't prepared. Dreading the notoriously boring subject but knowing his success depended on understanding the material, Rollins obtained videotapes of 10 lectures by a noted authority on the subject, Professor Irving Younger. Rollins planted himself in front of his television late at night and put the first tape into his VCR. What he discovered changed his life. The tapes were unlike anything Rollins had experienced in his Harvard lecture halls. Professor Younger's lectures were outrageously insightful, impressively thorough, and engagingly witty. Most important: They hammered home the concepts in a way that made the subject both accessible and interesting. They made learning not a chore to be accomplished but an adventure to be experienced. Rollins played all 10 hours of those lectures nearly nonstop. A few days later he passed his exam and went on to make an "A" in the course. He never forgot the unique power of recorded lectures by a great teacher—the way that a bright mind could ignite a passion for lifelong learning. And years later, in 1990, Rollins founded The Great Courses to share that unforgettable experience with the rest of the world.
Read more Read less

Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia

New release
View Details

The Best Fiction Podcasts for Listeners Who Love a Good Story

You can’t beat a good story. Luckily, humans are great at storytelling, and the best fiction podcasts are all the proof that the modern listener requires. Get the popcorn ready; it’s storytime.

Featured Article: The Best Fiction Podcasts for Listeners Who Love a Good Story

Best Sellers

Product list
  • How the Earth Works cover art

    Price: $66.35 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $66.35 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The History of Toys, 1900 to the Present cover art

    Price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Declutter Your Home and Simplify Your Life cover art

    Price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Food: A Cultural Culinary History cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (78% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $32.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World cover art

    Price: $71.17 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $71.17 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Get Organized: Do More in Less Time cover art

    Price: $21.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $21.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • An Economic History of the World since 1400 cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (85% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $49.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • How to Stop People-Pleasing cover art

    Price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Unappreciated Power of Naps cover art

    Price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $13.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The History of Ancient Egypt cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (85% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $49.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • Medieval Myths & Mysteries cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (73% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $26.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Central Asia cover art

    Price: $43.80 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $43.80 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The History of the United States, 2nd Edition cover art

    Price: $80.58 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $80.58 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (73% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $26.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines cover art

    Price: $32.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $32.00 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Written Communications: Being Heard and Understood cover art

    Price: $18.74 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $18.74 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • The Foundations of Western Civilization cover art

    Price: $71.17 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $71.17 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations cover art

    Sale price: $6.99 (78% off) or 1 Credit

    Price: $32.00

    Sale ends in

    Try for $0.00
  • The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media cover art

    Price: $43.80 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $43.80 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00
  • Redefining Reality cover art

    Price: $55.98 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $55.98 or 1 Credit

    Try for $0.00