Orange Monkey

Masterful Guide to Masterworks

Revisado: 04-21-25

Engaging, enlightened, thought-provoking, living, breathing odyssey traveling from wildly different masterworks. Showing the art and craft itself, but more importantly showing glimpses of the magic of everyday experience; often hidden from our view - perhaps - especially fascinating here is the transition of seeing that comes with the modernists.

Having consumed almost all of the Great Courses in literature (and many others), I wasn't sure one more would add "significant" new perspectives (a lazy and uninspired thought for sure) but wow, this one is a very fresh approach, reminds me of Dead Poet's Society.

Highly recommended! Very enjoyable listen.

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Refreshing

Revisado: 03-02-25

In a world that feels more and more contrived and artificial - all levels; from human to human interactions, to our relationship with nature, other species, our bodies, the food we eat, how we live, how we spend our time; this book gave me a deep deep warm feeling of resonance of seeing it differently. Even if choosing to live - or rather a different way of seeing leads to different choices of actions and life than many and finding reassurance in that; our world sure is a 'troublesome Buddha' almost everywhere.
This was very appreciated.

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I feel like I just made a bunch of new friends!

Revisado: 03-02-25

I wrote a review on Amazon when I had only listened to about half the book. Now when I'm done, and I have er-listened to many of the pieces over and over again; I have to say:
This book was transformative for me.

It's so intimate, warm, human, real, friendly and inspirational. It has left me feeling energized, and in an enduring way.

I wish there were ten more.

Thanks to those who made this book happen and thanks to everyone who contributed and shared their hearts, minds and lives.

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Insanely insightful, broad, deep and enlightening

Revisado: 01-22-25

The questions asked here perhaps the most important there are to ask for all of us. The legal system hold the power to legitimately murder other people. This is grand power.
Often it works, often it doesn't.

Susan Sage Heinzelmann is a sage in this area.
In short, crisp lectures she swims deep into the ocean of mankind, and sometimes travels very far.
Every little sentence, every little word holds weight.

Also judging the course as a whole, it is an awesome journey over a very varied landscape, of highs and lows.

I am so grateful for this Great Course, it has shed so much light on questions and thoughts that I have had, but poorly formulated, here they are richly described through great works of literature, and meaning lifted as red threads to be followed, without reducing the works themselves.

Highly recommended.

(And I'm an avid Great Courses consumer I have listened to 100s of courses.)

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Fabulous journey through reality-altering paradigm shifts

Revisado: 11-24-24

Amazing breadth and depth, and manages to tie many important concepts together to paint a full landscape.
Thanks for this wonderful course!

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Even better than I remembered

Revisado: 07-31-24

Wonderful book for any- and everyone. The only red triangle is the somewhat romanticism around horse-racing: today, at least, it has become one of the primary profit-driven horse-abusing-horse-killing enterprises they are.

Highly recommend the film, which is a somewhat different story. The scenes from the island kept popping up before my inner eyes as I was listening, making tears well up, and emotion swell in my chest: at the insane beautiful bond that's possible between horse and man. I just wish we would finally - after all horses have done for mankind, start giving them lives that they deserve. Not locked up alone in stalls, not ridden with harsh bits pulling in their heads in unnatural positions but treated with love, respect and trained with play and love, positive reinforcement and see them move biomechanically correct = no pain, just supreme agility and power.
Hope we'll get there one day, all of us who love horses more than anything else, just like Alec and Henry.

Enjoy!

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Courageous, naked and raw window into suffering

Revisado: 04-24-24

This book is very powerful, and powerful is what powerful is: it cuts both ways. I am very impressed with the author's honesty and courage to share nakedly her experience, her view, of how she as a young woman, fell into a deep depression, and her search for finding her way back to life.

As such, it's not a rosy 'Marley and me', as a matter of fact, the connection with the dog is in spite of the title, is not the strong part of this book, in my view. I'm an insane animal-person, so it was "dog" that made me listen to the book, but that is not what carries this story. I'm still happy I listened to it, due to the very, very naked and raw way Julie Barton tells her story.

She has courageously faced her own demons, and courageously dared to tell her story for others to learn and benefit from. Impressive. Thank you Julie Barton.

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Psychology for Writers 🧠

Revisado: 05-30-23

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
In all essence, it's a very straightforward, succinct 'summary' of primarily psychological factors relevant for writers.

✅ Evidence-based
I'm an MD and generally curious and read a lot, so I can't say that I found the content 'original'. I had heard essentially everything before, but I see that as a strength, not a weakness for this book = It truly is based on objective evidence, of course of varying quality, and some might not survive, but it's there.

🌟The beauty of the book is that it's a highly APPLICABLE little 'summary' of psychological drivers, both what compels us to keep reading as readers, and what makes character do what they do, and why all of us sometimes care highly about that they do, and other times not.

Highly recommended. Getting the Kindle version too.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

He does it again! Balanced insight + usability

Revisado: 05-23-23

I've read all of Lencioni's books, shared them with many, and use them in my professional and personal life.
The greatest value that Lencioni brings is that he boils down insights, usually you can find the same ideas from many sources, including in the scientific literature. This is not a negative, it's a plus. As this is exactly what the does, Lencioni lives the Pareto Principle, 20% of all causes create 80% of all results. And that's what he teaches, in easy and clear ways so they can actually be implemented by individuals, in teams, in organizations, in families.

So you might already know that, what about this book?
The fable is as usual not the highest form of literature, which of course is not the intention. It's a great down-to-earth conversation with one of your friends over a cup of coffee.

Then the model instructing the fabel... is EXCELLENT.
Like Lencioni mentions, this is part psychological profiling (he might use the word personality), but given the scientific state of that field, and everything else, take Strength Psychology, this is a way better boiled-down version that can actually be used. In all simplicity, the stuff that makes you cranky, irritated and frustrated and harsh with those around you: All of the "6" that drain you. You might perfectly good at it, but it drains you of energy. It's a perfect shortcut to get to the core about who you are and what you should be spending your time doing and not doing, without any over-analyzing.

For me, it put the spotlight on how I have a lot of drive and a million questions and ideas, but as highly self-motivated, it drives me nuts having to 'galvanize' others. I do it with animals and kids, but with adults, I have sort-of assumed that should be a given when you show up for work. It's not. So I drive other people nuts. And they drive me nuts.

No more of that.
The secret and solution is in this book.

Well worth the read.

I also shared it with our 12-year old, it's a great prep for understanding what choosing a career etc truly is about.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Excellent

Revisado: 05-14-23

What the Great Courses have added to my life is immeasurable. I have higher degrees, but to be able to get the erudite guidance through many scientific fields in this entertaining, fascinating way has added so much to my life.

Just had to say that.

This one: No exception.
Great selection. Great storytelling. Great balance of backstories, insight into trials, the psychological aspects as way as the legal. History, philosophy, religion, psychology, social contagions, changing social norms, law, love, power; it's all in here.

And sadly, and perhaps most importantly, it becomes clear how many of these destructive and highly disturbing aspects of legal trials are still present at our courts. And in schools. At hospitals. In politics. In media.

Objective, critical thinking, where evidence is allowed to lead where it takes us with logical and rationality, those are the the softest of the softest ways in the world, those are the things that truly create tolerance, 'fairness', and hold undue power at bay, and thus protecting the most important of it all: freedom.

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