The Great Courses Plus ‘Top 10’ Shows Nation United in Search of Self-Improvement and Knowledge

‘What America Is Learning’ chart tracks most popular lectures of the
video-on-demand service

CHANTILLY, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BlackDeath–Despite an election climate that sees America more divided than ever,
Americans from all walks of life are finding common ground in choosing
to better themselves by studying foreign languages, brain-training
techniques and even proper English grammar, according to the latest top
ten chart from The
Great Courses Plus. The subscription-based streaming service is
celebrating its first anniversary and now counts tens of thousands of
paid subscribers and nearly double its launch content with over 4,000
hours of lectures.

Two lectures from the new “English Grammar Boot Camp” series, taught by
University of Michigan’s Anne Curzan—an American Heritage Dictionary
usage panel member—claim the first and fourth chart positions.
“Cognitive Behavioral Foundations” holds on at third place, while
lectures exploring Ireland’s independence from England, rank seventh and
ninth, respectively. Rounding out the top ten is a lecture from “An
Economic History of the World since 1400” that uses money as a lens to
put centuries of power, glory and ideology in focus.

“The continuing evolution of the ‘What America Is Learning’ chart speaks
to the unique and deep catalog offered by The Great Courses Plus,” said
Ed Leon, Chief Brand Officer at The Great Courses. “With regular influx
of new courses like ‘English Grammar Boot Camp’ and ‘The Irish
Identity,’ the service allows our users to focus on improving themselves
and understanding the world around them, rather than be caught up in
divisive political drama as polls close.”

Joining the four chart holdovers at number five is “Jesus-The Man Who
Became God,” from Bart Ehrman, a New York Times-bestselling
author who has written or edited 27 books on the topic. The top ten span
the arts, literature, self-improvement, history, theology, economics and
personal development.

Here are the top ten lectures from The Great Courses Plus*:

1. Why
Do We Care about Grammar? (from the course English Grammar Boot
Camp)

The first lecture explores preferable, acceptable and unacceptable
language with context you won’t find elsewhere, as taught by Professor
Anne Curzan, Ph.D.

2. Europe
on the Brink of the Black Death (from the course The Black Death:
The World’s Most Devastating Plague)**

A guide to the religious, economic and political structures of
mid-14th-century Europe just prior to the onset of the Black Plague, as
taught by Professor
Dorsey Armstrong, Ph.D.

3. Cognitive
Behavioral Foundations (from the course Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain)**

An introduction to three patients training their minds to improve
motivation, manage emotions and interpersonal skills, as taught by Professor
Jason M. Satterfield, Ph.D.

4. Prescriptivism:
Grammar Shoulds and Shouldn’ts (from the course English Grammar
Boot Camp)

A primer on the sometimes ambiguous and complicated rules for right vs.
wrong usage of proper English, as taught by Professor
Anne Curzan, Ph.D.

5. Jesus-The
Man Who Became God (from the course How Jesus Became God)

The series begins with a look at how the divinity of Jesus was first
conceived, a significant question affecting Western civilization, as
taught by Professor
Bart D. Ehrman, Ph.D., M.Div.

6. Introduction
to the Spanish Language (from the course Learning Spanish: How to
Understand and Speak a New Language)**

The basics of how to approach, study and speak Spanish, as well as an
introduction to the fundamentals of conversation, as taught by Professor
Bill Worden, Ph.D.

7. Roots
of Irish Identity: Celts to Monks (from the course The Irish
Identity: Independence, History, and Literature)

A look at the political and artistic events that rocked the world as
Ireland gradually emerged from British rule, as taught by Professor
Marc C. Conner, Ph.D.

8. Yellowstone:
Microcosm of the National Parks (from the course Wonders of the
National Parks: A Geology of North America)**

The tour of North America’s National Parks begins with Yellowstone, the
breathtaking landscape that inspired the conservation and access
efforts, as taught by Professor
Ford Cochran.

9. Gaelic
Ireland’s Fall: Vikings to Cromwell (from the course The Irish
Identity: Independence, History, and Literature)

A deeper dive on centuries of oppressive English rule that puts
Ireland’s history into context, as taught by Professor
Marc C. Conner, Ph.D.

10. Self-Interest,
Human Survival, and History (from the course An Economic History
of the World since 1400)

The first in a series explores how economics created the world as we
know it, from the feudal system to the high-speed information economy,
as taught by Professor
Donald J. Harreld, Ph.D.

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#LifelongLearning #WhatAmericaIsLearning #grammar #history #BlackDeath
#religion #Ireland #Yellowstone #economics

About The Great Courses Plus

Unlike streaming services that merely aggregate content, The Great
Courses Plus content is all originally produced, and there are no plans
to remove lecture series as long as they remain relevant. Members of The
Great Courses Plus get unlimited access to more than 8,000 lectures
online via connected television or mobile devices for a monthly
subscription fee. New members can sample the service without risk for 30
days with a one-month free trial. Learn more at www.thegreatcoursesplus.com.

About The Great Courses

The Great Courses is the nation’s leading developer and marketer of
premium-quality media for lifelong learning and personal enrichment.
Delivered in engaging, expertly produced video and audio (in convenient
online, digital, video on demand and disc formats), these carefully
crafted courses provide access to a world of knowledge from the most
accomplished professors and experts. The content-rich, proprietary
library spans more than 600 series with more than 14,000 lectures
designed to expand horizons, deepen understanding, and foster epiphanies
in the arts, science, literature, self-improvement, history, music,
philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, business, professional
advancement, and personal development. Creating unique learning
experiences since 1990, The Great Courses is the premier brand of The
Teaching Company Sales, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, which is owned by
Los Angeles-based Brentwood Associates. More information can be found at www.thegreatcourses.com.

*Top ten courses by play count between September 1-October 31
**Denotes
chart holdovers from August 1-31 period

Contacts

for The Great Courses
Kaitlen Murphy, 310-824-9000
kmurphy@olmsteadwilliams.com