Category: Tutorials

TTC Video – The Great Tours: France through the Ages
.MP4, AVC, 1280×720/854×480, 30 fps | English, AAC, 2 Ch | 12h 13m | 10.33/6.47 GB
Lecturer: John Greene, PhD | Course No. 8012​

France is the world’s most visited destination for travelers. From the beloved city of Paris-a global archetype of beauty, romance, and fine living-to the sunshine and lavender fields of Provence, the medieval splendor of Carcassonne and Avignon, the glittering seaside life of the Côte d’Azur, and more, France ignites the imagination and dazzles the senses like no other country on Earth.

In this thrilling new edition of The Great Tours, you’ll delve deeply into what makes France such a magical and irresistible draw, and you’ll discover how a visit to France can be an unforgettable adventure, an astonishing journey through history, and a multifaceted immersion in the French "art de vivre"-the art of living.

In the 24 visually lavish segments of The Great Tours: France through the Ages, you’ll travel across the diverse regions of France, from Brittany and Normandy in the north to Aquitaine and Provence in the south, enjoying an inside view of France unlike any other you’ll find without a plane ticket. What truly sets this tour apart is your consummate guide to France, Professor John Greene of the University of Louisville, a multi-award-winning scholar and professor of French language, culture, and civilization.

Professor Greene’s extraordinarily detailed knowledge of France has been honed through a lifetime of travel across all of France’s remarkable regions-an intimate, personal familiarity with French life and culture far surpassing guidebooks or conventional itineraries. He was named by the French government as a chevalier in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques for services to education and culture. Professor Greene’s expert guidance and richly informative commentary make this tour a thoroughly delightful-and insightful-excursion into the cultural and historical treasures of La Belle France.

Discover the Timeless Appeal of France

The Great Tours: France through the Ages is both an ideal resource for planning your own trip to France and a way to enjoy a deeper grasp of the beauty, history, and culture of France from the comfort of your own home. All segments of the tour are richly illustrated with contemporary and historic photos, maps, and visual aids, bringing the sights and landscapes of France vividly alive.

As one of Europe’s premier civilizations, with a tradition reaching back over two millennia, France boasts a spectrum of historical treasures and cultural riches to enchant even the most seasoned traveler. Across the many distinct cultural regions of France, you’ll enjoy such diverse sites as:

[]The Palace and Gardens of Versailles-Among Europe’s most spectacular royal residences, and the majestic seat of Louis XIV, the "Sun King";
[]Bordeaux-Home to both the beautiful city of Bordeaux and the superlative, verdant wine region known for some of the world’s finest wines;
[]The Basque Country-Featuring the proud Basque culture, culinary traditions, and fascinating history, plus the world-renowned religious pilgrimage site of Lourdes;
[]Corsica-Known to the French as the "Isle of Beauty"; the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte, seat of the legendary French Foreign Legion, and a paradise of natural scenery; and
[]Arles-The sun-drenched, historic town of matchless Provençal charm and the place that inspired numerous masterpieces of Vincent van Gogh.

Enjoy a Phenomenal Tapestry of History

France has often been a major player in some of the most impactful events of European history, making it an infinitely rewarding place to visit for history buffs and for travelers looking for a rich, cultural experience. In the course of this wide-ranging travelogue, you will truly experience France through the ages. As you journey through France’s regions and subregions, you’ll encounter landmarks of French heritage, such as:

[]The 35,000-year-old cave paintings of Lascaux and Chauvet, among the world’s most stunning prehistoric artworks;
[]The imposing medieval castles of the Cathars-a storied religious sect-and their dramatic history;
[]Outsized historical figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), and Charles de Gaulle, and the sites associated with their lives;
[]The historic locations where the world-changing French Revolution unfolded; and
[]The enthralling worlds of George Sand, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and the swirl of art and artists in 19th-century bohemian Paris.
[]Along with a thorough look at the past, you will also get to see the cultural landscape of contemporary France, as captured in the French passion for art, cinema, soccer, fine food, and daring modernist building projects across the country, such as the Viaduc de Millau, a wonder of 21st-century engineering.

Travel to the Heart of French Culture

Throughout the tour, Professor Greene delights in probing the question of what makes France such a magnet for visitors from all over the world. Central to this matter is the art de vivre, a sensibility that permeates nearly every aspect of French life, expressing the French people’s desire to live well and to seek out the best life has to offer, in terms of food, art and culture, décor, fashion, nature, and more.

As just one instance of the art de vivre in action, you’ll study the concept of "terroir" in French winemaking-the combined factors of the grape, soil, growth environment, weather patterns, and how the land is worked, all of which define the identity and value of a fine wine.

Across the 24 segments of the tour, you’ll experience this hallmark of French culture in examples such as:

[]The Multiple Wonders of Paris-Within six full segments on Paris, dig deeply into the French capital-arguably the world’s most aesthetically beautiful major city. Stroll the Grands Boulevards and the enchanting squares, a masterstroke of 19th-century urban planning. And explore the city’s multidimensional history, iconic landmarks, romantic neighborhoods, and artistic and literary life, as well as its eminence in the worlds of cinema, photography, and fashion.
[]Lyon-Explore the self-proclaimed capital of French gastronomy, even above Paris; learn why this remarkable city attracts icons of haute cuisine; sample its culinary scene, from its fine dining restaurants to its more informal "bouchons"; and also note how Lyon gave birth to France’s-and the world’s-love affair with the cinema.
[]The Loire Valley-Spend time in one of France’s most celebrated regions, most famous for its 300+ châteaux, a Renaissance cluster of architectural masterpieces designed for luxury, comfort, and elegance; trace the historic factors that created this most astounding building boom; and take an in-depth look at the palatial splendor of Azay-le-Rideau and Chenonceau.
[]Regional French Food and Wine-In the home of the Western world’s most celebrated culinary and wine traditions, learn about the history, lore, and methods of preparation of many of France’s favorite regional foods, such as bouillabaisse (Marseille), ratatouille (the Rhône valley), and cassoulet (the Camargue). Visit France’s world-famous wine regions of Alsace, Champagne, Burgundy, and the Loire, among others, and discover iconic wines, including Château Margaux, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, and Pouilly-Fumé.
[]Glories of Art and Architecture-Across the span of the tour, pay visits to a multitude of France’s greatest cultural treasures, such as the island citadel of Mont Saint-Michel; the 11th-century Bayeux tapestry; Claude Monet’s home and gardens at Giverny; the Cathedrals of Rheims, Chartres, and Paris’s Notre Dame, as well as Paris’s sublime Opéra Garnier; the Gallo Roman architecture of Arles; and Avignon’s magnificent Palais des Papes.

Finally, you’ll also take in the remarkable natural wonders of France and its idyllic landscapes, from the gorgeous coastal scenery of Normandy and Brittany to the soaring peaks of the French Alps.

In The Great Tours: France through the Ages, you’ll mine the essence of a culture that has long stood as a symbol of romance, beauty, and the very best of life and living.

TTC Video – The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales
.MP4, AVC, 1280×720, 30 fps | English, AAC, 2 Ch | 17h 56m | 20.3 GB
Lecturer: Patrick N. Allitt, Ph.D. Professor, Emory University | Course No. 8006​

Whether you are searching for the past or want to better understand the world as it is today, travel-even virtually, from the comfort of home-offers a unique opportunity to see the world in new ways. Perhaps you would like to wander the cosmopolitan streets of London, roam the 1,000-year-old campuses of Oxford and Cambridge, or tour world-famous museums like the Tate Modern and the National Railway Museum. Or maybe you are aiming for a more pastoral adventure, like an expedition across the romantic wilds of the Scottish Highlands, or a journey to see the breathtaking vistas of the Jurassic coast. No matter what experience you are hoping to find, a tour of England, Scotland, and Wales rewards visitors with an astonishing array of historical, cultural, and scenic pleasures and reveals the heritage of a nation that has influenced the world immeasurably.

With so many beautiful and fascinating places to see, where do you start? What famous sites are most worth seeing-and where are the hidden gems that many tourists miss? Let us help you get the most out of your journey across this superb island.

No matter what you are hoping to discover in this magnificent region, The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales is the perfect guide. Taught by acclaimed Professor Patrick Allitt, a British-born scholar who teaches at Emory University, these 36 engrossing lectures give you an insider’s take on traveling through Great Britain. Whether you are planning a week-long vacation; a month-long grand tour; or just want to experience England, Scotland, and Wales from afar, this visually immersive course brings Great Britain into your living room and gives you all the background you need to plan the trip of a lifetime.

Go beyond the Guidebook

Gain the historical and cultural context you need to appreciate some of Britain’s most popular sites, including:

[]Stonehenge
[]Buckingham Palace
[]The Houses of Parliament
[]St. Paul’s Cathedral
[]The English Lake District
[]Edinburgh, Scotland
[]Cardiff, Wales
[]and many more

Professor Allitt shows you worthwhile destinations that are often swamped with tourists and long lines, giving you access to these sites without the crowds, but also showing you which of these destinations really are worth braving if you visit in person. Perhaps more important, he introduces you to many overlooked or little-known gems that will surprise and delight even the most seasoned traveler to Britain. This is the insider look that the travel guides and tour programs can’t match. For instance, as Professor Allitt guides you across Great Britain, you will:

[]Consider Avebury, a breathtaking set of stone monuments largely overlooked in favor of the more famous Stonehenge;
[]Venture to Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, the single best place in Britain to study the history of the Industrial Revolution;
[]Spend some time in the beautiful (and tragic) Scottish valley of Glencoe, and tour a ring of UNESCO World Heritage Site castles in Wales; and
[]Explore the fascinating history of the often-overlooked English Midlands, tour the country houses of East Anglia, and take a hike through the wild moorlands of Cornwall.

All the World’s a Stage

One of the many pleasures of travel is seeing places you have only heard about in books or seen in glimpses on television. Likewise, knowing something about a place before you visit it deepens your experience of seeing it in person. With that in mind, Professor Allitt’s first job in this course is to survey the more than 1,000-year history of Great Britain.

The early history of Britain was largely shaped by a series of invasions. First the Romans came, and you can visit the edge of the Roman Empire at Hadrian’s Wall, near the Anglo-Scottish border. After the Roman retreat, the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans all raided the coast and eventually settled. War dominated early British history, which resulted in the construction of many of the medieval castles that must be near the top of any tourist’s itinerary. Some of the many monuments and fortifications you will encounter are:

[]Lindisfarne, a monastery that was the site of a major Viking attack;
[]The Tower of London, with its remarkable stone keep and outer wall;
[]Dover Castle, overlooking the great cliffs; and
[]Warwick Castle, a must-see crowd-pleaser at the heart of the kingdom.

Christianity was the other great force in early British history, a facet of history you will explore through its astonishing cathedrals. Among them, consider Norwich Cathedral, Canterbury, and-most famously-Westminster Abbey.

After the many invasions of the Middle Ages, Britain saw several hundred years of political change-with tension between the monarchs and Parliament, between the English and the Scots, between Catholics and Anglicans, and a host of other struggles. Professor Allitt illuminates the story from the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 through the rein of Queen Victoria and into the 20th century.

Modern Britain was an industrial dynamo, so in addition to highlighting the famous monasteries, government halls, country houses, and battlefields where history was made, Professor Allitt also shows you the villages, mills, quarries, canals, and railroad lines that made Great Britain the powerhouse it is today.

The Road Not Taken

A visitor could spend a year in London and still not see everything worth experiencing. The city is home to an abundance of museums, monuments, parks, and lively neighborhoods. Among the highlights of Professor Allitt’s London tour are the wonderful Victoria and Albert Museum; the British Museum; Trafalgar Square; Kensington; Piccadilly Circus; and, of course, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament.

But as Professor Allitt notes, London is in many ways the least representative part of Great Britain. To really understand this nation, you must venture beyond the city-and this course takes you region by region around the island, including four rich lectures dedicated to Scotland and Wales. You’ll visit the royal mile in Edinburgh, ride a locomotive to the summit of Mount Snowden in Wales, and much more.

In England, you will head to the West Country to track Arthurian legends at iconic places like Tintagel Castle and Glastonbury Tor; spend time in the northern industrial cities of Manchester and Liverpool; stroll through Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire; and experience the gentle, rustic, and often remote land of East Anglia. Any one of these regions is worth a day trip or an extended stay.

Though this course is not concerned with the specific details of transportation options, Professor Allitt does offer many interesting tidbits about the history of Britain’s canals and railroads, the London underground, and the island’s major highways. For his part, he recommends walking as an ideal mode of transportation, and hiking enthusiasts will discover opportunities in every part of Britain, from the gentle Cotswolds to the dramatic coastal paths of Southwest England.

From Baker Street to the Lighthouse

Great Britain offers opportunities to explore almost every artistic and cultural interest you can imagine. Lovers of literature will be able to connect numerous sites with their favorite authors, from the picturesque Lake District beloved by Wordsworth to the Oxford haunts of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien-and, of course, the famous Baker Street of Sherlock Holmes. Professor Allitt introduces you to places associated with hundreds of years of great writers, including:

[]The national bards Chaucer and Shakespeare
[]Poets Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, and Byron
[]Novelists Austen, Dickens, the Brontës, Woolf, and Orwell

He also introduces you to the great tradition of visual arts and artists. In addition to reflecting on the lives and works of artists such as William Hogarth, Joseph Turner, and Thomas Gainsborough, you’ll also learn about some of the best art museums in the country:

[]The National Gallery in London
[]The National Portrait Gallery
[]The Tate Modern
[]The Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh
[]The National Museum in Cardiff

Great Britain’s literary and artistic heritage is tremendous, but its centuries-long culture of gardening is equally astounding. Because of the island’s mild and damp climate, it is an ideal location for floral displays-and the gardens throughout England, Scotland, and Wales arguably are unmatched around the world. Professor Allitt takes you to some of the finest, including:

[]Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire
[]The Botanic Garden at Oxford University
[]Kew Gardens in London
[]Bodnant Garden in Wales
[]and more

Ode to an Island Nation

There is no substitute for travel. Some things you simply have to see for yourself. That said, The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales is the next best thing. Visually dazzling with hundreds of photographs from your professor’s own archives, you will see all the sites Professor Allitt describes-and, thanks to the help of a professional accent specialist in several of the lectures, you will also be able to hear the sounds of the Scottish brogue, the Welsh voice, the Cockney accent, and more.

If you have an upcoming trip to Great Britain, you will be well-prepped to have a rich experience-with insight on where to go, what to do, and what it all means. But even if you simply plan to enjoy Great Britain from your home, Professor Allitt grounds you in the history, the people, the land, and the cultural touchstones to enhance your understanding of this mighty nation. Every lecture in The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales offers an immersive experience and astonishing insight into this small island that has had an outsized influence on the world’s stage.
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TTC Video – The Everyday Gourmet: Making Great Meals in Less Time
English | wmv | WMV9 640×360 2000 kbps | WMA 2 ch 128 kbps | 3 hrs 18 min | 2.89 GB
eLearning | Course No. 9211​

We’d all love to create the same wholesome, delicious meals that professional chefs make. But the one thing that often prevents us from doing so: lack of time.

While a lot of TV shows and cookbooks out there focus on quick and simple meals, what they tend to skip is teaching you the actual time-saving techniques themselves. It’s not the 5-minute breakfast or the 30-minute dinner that matters; it’s being able to use the same skills, strategies, and tricks that chefs use so you can make every meal you cook not just great tasting-but an efficient use of your personal time.

The secrets to making great meals in less time are simple and easy to learn. And once you’ve mastered them, you’ll be able to

• use your time more effectively in the kitchen,
• enhance your cooking skills with a range of everyday items,
• avoid giving in to the temptation-and poor nutrition-of fast food, and
• discover just how enriching and rewarding the experience of cooking can be.

And the best part: These techniques can be applied to every meal and almost every dish imaginable, whether you’re cooking for yourself or for that next big dinner party.

In The Everyday Gourmet: Making Great Meals in Less Time, award-winning Chef-Instructor Bill Briwa of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America gets you off the fast-food treadmill to learn tips, techniques, recipes, and simple ingredients to keep on hand for quick, healthy meals that will delight your family and friends. These six innovative and practical lessons, filmed on location at the CIA’s Greystone campus in Napa Valley, are your chance to learn the time-saving secrets of chefs so you can make tasty and rewarding dishes-from appetizers to main courses to desserts-whenever you’re strapped for time.

Time-Saving Insights to Cook Smarter

As Chef Briwa demonstrates throughout this course, the secret to making great meals in less time is learning how to cook and think about kitchen tools and ingredients as professional chefs do working in their own kitchens, where time is always of the essence. His goal is not just to teach you how to cook faster, but how to cook smarter. And by cooking smarter, you’ll turn out better-quality food and enjoy your efforts more, meal after meal.

Every lesson of Making Great Meals in Less Time is filled with insights you can return to again and again whenever you crave a home-cooked meal but are pressed for time.

• Divide kitchen time into parts: Mentally separate your time into three parts to help make cooking more manageable. The first part should be for prepping ingredients and getting things started; the second for keeping up with different tasks; and the third for finishing your dishes-putting the focus on the details of seasoning and presentation, where it belongs.
• Use what you already have: There is an untapped wealth of cooking ideas right in your pantry or fridge. Chef Briwa suggests getting creative (and economical) by using what’s already around you, such as leftovers and canned or jarred items. Then, all you need to do is incorporate a single fresh ingredient to elevate your meal into something spectacular.
• It’s OK to buy dessert: Keep dinner parties simple by ending the meal with store-bought desserts such as small pastries or ice cream with a spectacular sauce and favorite cookies. That way, you can focus your time and effort on cooking a spectacular main course-while still giving guests something sweet afterward.

Delicious Recipes from an Expert Chef

Of course, a highlight of this course is the recipes themselves. In Making Great Meals in Less Time, Chef Briwa provides you with many recipes that you can add to your collection or enhance with your own personal touches.

Some of the dishes and meals you’ll learn how to make include

• breakfast fried rice, complete with eggs and mushrooms;
• hearty clam chowder, with variations featuring corn and fish; and
• panzanella, an Italian bread salad tossed with tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Making Great Meals in Less Time allows you to follow Chef Briwa step by step as he prepares, cooks, and plates these and many other magnificent, good-for-you dishes and meals. And the course comes complete with a guidebook featuring recipes, techniques, and full-color photos.

As soon as you start the first lesson, you’ll immediately learn why so many lifelong learners have praised Chef Briwa’s ability to make cooking look engaging, exciting, and easy for any interested home cook. And he brings his more than 30 years of cooking and instruction experience into every minute of this series.

So whether you’re cooking for an everyday meal or a special occasion, take the stress out of your kitchen and discover just how rewarding it can be to make delicious home-cooked meals in less time.

6 Lectures
1 Into the Mind of a Chef
2 Launching the Day
3 One Fresh Thing
4 Evolution of a Quick Dish
5 What Makes a Meal?
6 A Chef Entertains

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TTC Video – The Everyday Gourmet: Essential Secrets of Spices in Cooking
English | mp4 | Mpeg4 570×320 | AAC 2 ch 94 kbps | 3 hrs 13 min | 1.6 GB
eLearning | Course No. 9222​

Think about the last fantastic meal you had. Chances are, the reason you remember it is because of the spices used in cooking it. Whether oregano, chiles, coriander, cinnamon, thyme, or even tea, spices add incredible dimensions to what would otherwise be plain, ordinary meals. And while cooking with these and other spices from around the world can often be intimidating and confusing, they’re actually quite easy to adapt to your own everyday cooking.

Everyone who cooks-from the master chef planning an elaborate banquet to the amateur cook looking for a quick dinner-should have a confident understanding of spices and how each one can be used to create an exciting range of taste sensations. Uncover the secrets of spices and you’ll possess the power to

• transform the food you cook from simple and dull to exciting and memorable;
• know which spices to use to get the flavor you want; and
• experiment confidently with new spices and cuisines from around the world.

In The Everyday Gourmet: Essential Secrets of Spices in Cooking, join Chef Bill Briwa of The Culinary Institute of America as he reveals the essentials of incorporating a variety of spices from around the world-and perhaps even your own backyard-into your everyday meals. An aromatic array of spices fills each of these six engaging lessons, providing you with myriad ways to use spices in soups and salads, with meat and fish, and even in drinks and desserts. Filmed on location in the kitchens of the CIA’s Greystone campus in Napa Valley, these lessons are rich with insights that are sure to take your cooking to the next delicious level.

Savor the Secrets of the World’s Great Spices

According to Chef Briwa, each culture in the world has embraced spices in a unique, distinct, and defining way. This makes Essential Secrets of Spices in Cooking an excellent way to savor the spices and cuisines of exotic locales-and even recreate them right in your home. After these six lessons, you’ll have a well-rounded mastery of how to cook with a wide range of international spices.

• Indian spices: India alone produces 50 percent of the spices we consume annually. Among those you’ll get firsthand experience with are toasted mustard seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom, and tamarind, as well as special spice mixtures called masalas.
• Latin American spices: Latin America is a treasure trove of exciting spices, many of them used to add a special (but not overwhelming) heat to various dishes. Gain confidence in cooking with a range of chiles-from jalapenos to poblanos and guajillos to anchos-as well as with regional spices such as Mexican oregano and canela ("true cinnamon").
• Mediterranean spices: Chef Briwa takes you on a fascinating tour of spices and spice mixtures from the birthplace of Western civilization. A chile pepper paste from Tunisia (harissa), a Turkish spice mixture that goes great with grilled meats (baharat), and powdered sumac (used in the eastern Mediterranean to make food sour in the absence of vinegar) are just three of the many tastes you’ll encounter.

Spice Up Your Culinary Repertoire

Of course, you get more than just a basic primer on global spices in these sessions. You actually get to watch an expert chef put them to use in a fascinating series of dishes that highlight a particular spice’s characteristics, whether the captivating aroma of toasted cumin or the palate-warming heat of a roasted chile. From mise en place (the preparation of your ingredients) to the final presentation, Chef Briwa shows you how to make

• tea-smoked quail,
• rosemary lamb kebabs,
• authentic Mexican mole,
• chile tamarind shrimp,
• hot mulled wine,
• and much more.

Every minute of this course places you in the hands of a chef whose decades of cooking education have given him both authority in the kitchen and that unique ability to teach and inspire others to cook. Chef Briwa has crafted a lecture series that’s essential for anyone looking to spice up everyday meals. And the included guidebook-with full-color photos, techniques for cooking with spices, and easy-to-read recipes-makes a handy resource for the home chef.

Taken together, Essential Secrets of Spices in Cooking is a cornerstone of the well-rounded chef’s toolkit and the secret to richer, more rewarding culinary experiences.

6 Lectures
1 India-Heart of the Spice World
2 China-From Peppercorns to Tea
3 Mexico-Chiles for Every Palate
4 Mediterranean Spices-Exotic Blends
5 Treasured Spices in Northern Europe
6 New American Cuisine-The Global Kitchen
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TTC Video – Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul (2011)
DVDRip | M4V / AVC 1500 Kbps | 640х480 | 29.97 fps | AAC 126 kbps | 8.54 GB
Language: English | Run Time: 24×30 min​

The shimmering turquoise waters and lost worlds of the Aegean await you. Grab your travel hat and join us for a unique cultural journey to the dramatic landscapes of Greece and Turkey-to dazzling ancient cities, majestic empires, and magical treasures of history.

This is a land of gods and heroes. Here great myths came to life and epic battles were fought, and the wondrous remains of ancient civilizations still call to you from across the centuries.

In these rich lands you discover such legendary sites as these:

The Acropolis of Athens, beloved symbol of Greece and the ancient world
Mycenae, the mighty mountain kingdom where the Trojan War was planned
The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, fabled site of pilgrimage and prophecy
Ephesus, among the greatest classical cities of the ancient world
Pergamon and Sardis, royal citadels and home of architectural and engineering marvels
Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, one of humanity’s most glorious monuments to faith
To know these places is to know your own beginnings. Anyone who wants a full-bodied comprehension of Western culture must know these extraordinary sites and grasp their history.

In The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul, award-winning Professor John R. Hale of the University of Louisville is your guide to the fabulous civilizations of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, and to the natural wonders and idyllic landscapes that surround them. These 24 richly enjoyable lectures are a journey unlike any other, giving you the chance to experience these important sites and cultures through the eyes of an expert archaeologist and scholar, whose knowledge and depth of insight go far beyond any ordinary travel narrative.

Through Professor Hale’s vibrant commentary and extensive field footage, you discover monumental ancient cities, classical ruins, temples, shrines, fortresses, stadiums, theaters, churches, and palaces. In each site, you explore the critical history and culture that defined them and the ways in which they influenced our modern world. In their compelling historical and visual detail, the lectures offer both a rich resource for travelers preparing to visit these distant lands and a multilevel cultural journey that can be enjoyed just as well from the comfort of home.

Classical Glories, Great Empires

In a wide-ranging exploration, you’ll visit the pivotal historical sites of this epic region and the civilizations that built them, including these landmarks of human culture:

Olympia, home of the ancient Olympic games: At the site’s massive stadium and training areas, explore the rituals of the games, the dramatic mind-set of the competitors, and the significance of athletic competition as worship.
The Healing Sanctuary of Kos: In this grand complex of terraces, staircases, and ruins, study ancient healing in the work of the pioneer physician Hippocrates, including the clinical principles that gave birth to Western medicine.
The Minoan Palace at Knossos: At one of the world’s premiere archaeological sites, investigate its labyrinthine rooms, grand courtyards, and culture of royal display and the death-defying bull dance.
Sunken Cities of Cappadocia: As you travel through some of the most astounding and mysterious discoveries of the ancient world, track the vast and complex underground cities where a nameless people sought refuge.
The Citadel of Troy: In sorting history from legend, penetrate the archaeological layers of the site of the Trojan War, finding striking connections to Homer, the real King Priam, and Alexander the Great.
Topkapi, Palace Complex of the Ottoman Sultans: In this jeweled seat of the Ottoman Empire, explore its sumptuous court life and culture and its glittering interiors of royal halls, kitchens, and harem.
A Vivid Encounter with Ancient Life

Professor Hale has walked these superlative sites in depth, in the course of decades of archaeological work and study in the region. As a core element of his teaching, he invites you to touch these vanished worlds and ways of life.

On the Acropolis, you travel the site, following the path of the ancient annual procession honoring Athena. At Delphi, your visit reconstructs a pilgrimage to the oracle in classical times, taking you through the rituals of offerings and religious observances on the way to consult the Pythia (priestess), who answers each pilgrim’s question. At Hagia Sophia, you envision the experience of a 6th-century visitor, amid the pomp and embroidered finery of the Byzantine royals.

Scenic Islands, Otherworldly Landscapes

Parallel with your historical journey, you learn about the extraordinary natural wonders of the Aegean, an unforgettable feature of travel in these lands.

On the Greek islands, you discover Crete’s dramatic Samaria Gorge and the breathtaking volcanic archipelago of Milos and Santorini, as well as scenic riches, including the transcendent vista of the Cycladic islands from Mount Kynthos.

In the course’s second half, you explore Turkey’s richly beautiful Turquoise Coast-its crusader castles, submerged cities, and unique wildlife. In the central highlands, you linger in the mysterious topography of Cappadocia, with its geologic "fairy chimneys" and ancient cave dwellings.

A Rich and Diverse Educational Journey

Throughout Professor Hale’s multitextured narrative, you enjoy

detailed location footage in each lecture;
illuminating maps in both the lectures and course guidebook; and
vivid 3-D re-creations of ancient monuments and sites.
Professor Hale enriches these lectures with engrossing stories of ancient life, his own extraordinary experiences, and his insightful reflections on how these civilizations unfolded. Among learning about many history makers, you meet Herodotus, Galen, Paul the Apostle, and the emperor Justinian of Byzantium. You contemplate the original Hippocratic oath and the moving words of the Sufi poet Rumi on human seeking and the journey of life. And you track Professor Hale’s fascinating work with colleagues at Delphi, vindicating Plutarch’s claim that the trance state of the oracle’s priestess was linked to intoxicating vapors present at the site.

Professor Hale reveals not only the cultural and archaeological history, but also the local lore, legends, foods, pleasure spots, and out-of-the-way gems that make this part of the world such a seductive draw. You learn about the wines of Monemvasia and Santorini; places to enjoy ancient spas and baths; a sublime Aegean town where you can savor Greek life to the full; and where to drink Turkish tea in Ottoman splendor.

With Professor Hale as your guide, you will touch the ancient world, retracing the steps of great ancient oracles, athletes, playwrights, and warriors and reliving their experiences:

Lie on the same benches at Amphiareon where oracles read dreams.
Crouch at the starting line for an Olympic race.
Stand on the stage at Epidauros, whisper, and be heard in the highest row.
March along the walls of Troy like the heroes of Homer’s epics.
The glory of past civilizations still lives in these magical sites and monuments, and in the same beautiful Aegean Sea and landscapes that the ancients traveled. In The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul, these extraordinary lands are yours to discover and rediscover. Come with us as we touch lost worlds-as we find humanity’s majestic past and the great cultures that gave us the world we know.

About Your Professor

Dr. John R. Hale is Director of Liberal Studies at the University of Louisville. Professor Hale completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He has received numerous awards for his distinguished teaching, including the Panhellenic Teacher of the Year Award and the Delphi Center Award.

During more than 30 years of archaeological field work, Professor Hale has led student and adult tours to many of the sites he has studied, especially in Greece and Turkey. He has carried out studies of ancient oracle sites in Greece and Turkey, including the famed Delphic oracle, and has participated in an undersea search in Greek waters for lost fleets from the Greek and wars. He has also conducted research at sites in England, Scandinavia, Portugal, Italy, Jordan, and Guatemala.

As a lecturer for the Archaeological Institute of America, Professor Hale has toured the United States and Canada, and has presented lecture series in South Africa, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Touring the Cradle of Western Civilization
Athens-Around the Acropolis and Parthenon
In the Footsteps of Socrates-Historic Athens
Around Attica-Temples and Mysteries
Seeking the Good Life-Corinth to Epidauros
Mycenae-Where Kings Planned the Trojan War
Around Nafplio-Greek History at a Glance
Ancient Olympia-Gods, Games, and Temples
Quest for Wisdom at Apollo’s Oracle-Delphi
Byzantine Outposts-Monemvasia and Mistra
Cruising the Islands-Mykonos and Delos
Aegean Ring of Fire-Milos and Santorini
Exploring Crete-Realm of Ancient Minoans
Lure of the Labyrinth-Palace at Knossos
The Dodecanese-Kos, Patmos, and Rhodes
Welcome to Turkey-The Turquoise Coast
Central Turkey-Ankara, Konya, Cappadocia
Up the Meander River-Priene to Pamukkale
A Wonder of the World-Ephesus
Royal Cities of Asia-Pergamon and Sardis
Troy-Beyond Homer and the Trojan Horse
Istanbul-Capital of the Byzantine Emperors
The Pearl of Constantinople-Hagia Sophia
Ottoman Istanbul-Mosques, Palaces, Bazaars

Professor John R. Hale

!!! No Mirror(s) Please !!!

TTC Video – Wonders of the National Parks: A Geology of North America
Course No. 1707 | .MP4, AVC, 870 kbps, 856×480 | English, AAC, 135 kbps, 2 Ch | 36×30 mins | + PDF Guidebook | 7.89 GB
Lecturer: Ford Cochran​

In 1872, a wondrous region called Yellowstone was set aside as the world’s first national park, giving adventurous travelers access to a geologist’s paradise that seethes with pent-up volcanic forces. As more and more national parks were created-not just in the United States but also in Canada and Mexico-geologists were revolutionizing their field, piecing together a detailed understanding of how the world works. National parks have made these magnificent reminders of the awe-inspiring power of our planet accessible to everyone. Today, there is no better education in the remarkable forces that formed our world than a tour of the national parks of North America. These parks capture a special place in our hearts and draw millions of tourists each year.

From Yellowstone’s bubbling, steaming landscape to the great slabs of granite along Acadia’s shores, each park contributes its own chapter to the story of Earth. Most visitors get only a superficial view of these sites, guided by the informational signposts or tour books, but there is so much more to be discovered. Our national parks offer profound lessons for anyone who loves history, geology, and nature. This course provides in-depth insights, intriguing perspectives, and riveting little-known facts about these treasured places that you won’t find simply by driving through them. And the next time you do drive or hike through a national park, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for the forces-geological, historical, and otherwise-that shaped it.

You will learn how our majestic parks provide dramatic evidence of geological processes such as:

Colliding continents: From Maine’s Acadia National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, the rolling Appalachians are the eroded remnants of once-mighty peaks formed in the collision of ancient continents.
Glaciation: The magnificent valley that welcomes visitors to Yosemite National Park is the work of vanished glaciers that were nearly a mile thick. Glaciers sculpted this region and much of North America in a succession of pulses during Earth’s latest ice age.
Uplift and erosion: Imagine a board lifting into a buzz saw. A similar phenomenon produced the Grand Canyon and other breathtaking chasms in the American West, as the Colorado Plateau rose and fast-flowing rivers sliced through the land.
Volcanic Hotspots: Deep beneath Yellowstone National Park is a huge magma chamber that erupted as a supervolcano 640,000 years ago and will explode again. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park hides a tamer, fiery hotspot.

Formed just 16 years after Yellowstone was dedicated as a park, the National Geographic Society has led the way in securing protection for America’s most important natural wonders. With a connection to the national parks that stretches back all the way to the 1800s, the National Geographic Society has maintained an abiding interest in their creation and preservation, sponsoring scientific and exploratory expeditions; featuring the parks in scores of magazine articles, books, and films; and working to raise awareness and support for national parks at home and abroad. Apart from the National Park Service itself, no other organization has compiled as impressive an archive of maps and images, assembled as knowledgeable a staff, or been as committed to educating the public on the subject of these national treasures.

We are proud to join forces with this extraordinary institution to present Wonders of the National Parks: A Geology of North America, a fascinating introduction to geology that forged North America’s national parks. Beautifully illustrated, these 36 half-hour lectures take you to more than a hundred spectacular sites guided by geologist and former college professor Ford Cochran, who is currently the Director of Programming for National Geographic Expeditions. He is a storyteller and an explorer at heart who specializes in interpreting landscapes for a variety of audiences.

No previous background in geology or science is needed to experience the thrill that these lectures offer, just a sense of curiosity as you unravel the mysteries of some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet.

Learn about Every National Park.and More

The scope of this course is truly astonishing. Professor Cochran covers every national park in the United States, together with exceptional state parks, national monuments, historical parks, marine sanctuaries, and other preserves, plus a number of outstanding parks in Canada, Mexico, and beyond. Anyone planning a trip to one or more of these sites, whether a weekend outing or a transcontinental expedition, will find their experiences immeasurably enriched by Professor Cochran’s insightful and entertaining presentation. And just staying at home watching the series is an adventure itself!

As a special bonus, three of National Geographic’s top experts appear in interview segments following many of the lectures. Photojournalist Chris Johns was the first journalist onto Mount Saint Helens after it erupted in 1980, and he recently stepped up from Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic magazine to oversee all editorial content creation at National Geographic. Biologist and wildlife documentary producer John Francis is currently National Geographic’s Vice President for Research, Conservation, and Exploration. And Kaitlin Yarnall is one of the gifted cartographers behind National Geographic’s famous maps, now serving as Executive Editor for Cartography, Art, and Graphics at National Geographic magazine as well as Director of Cartography for the Society. These three creative professionals add their fascinating perspectives to Wonders of the National Parks, rounding out the experience to provide truly enriching lessons.

The Greatest Spectacle on Earth

Many visitors to national parks never go beyond the most accessible sites, but this course shows how to experience the breathtaking diversity of these places in depth. You learn how each park fits into the geological epic of North America-a story of mountain ranges created by the collision of tectonic plates, of oceans rising and drowning the lowlands, of volcanoes raining ash and liquid fire, of glaciers growing to towering heights and scouring the terrain down to the bedrock, of desert sands burying entire regions, of earthquakes transforming the land in an instant, and of the tenacious, erosive power of flowing water. If it sounds like the greatest spectacle on Earth, it is!

Drawing on his wide experience as a field geologist and National Geographic expedition lecturer, Professor Cochran has plenty of recommendations for must-see attractions and activities. Here are just a few:

Driving: A National Geographic staffer once told Professor Cochran that Canada’s Icefields Parkway was "the most spectacular drive anywhere." He took the trip and discovered why. The largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains, it stretches from Banff National Park to Jasper National Park along the Continental Divide.
Hiking: Among the many hikes suggested by Professor Cochran, he especially loves the West Rim Trail at Zion National Park. The awe-inspiring views of the sandstone canyons carved by the North Fork of the Virgin River are well worth the walk.
For the more adventurous:
Canoeing and kayaking: A tranquil river trip takes you through the dramatic badlands of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, retracing a portion of Lewis and Clark’s epic voyage.
Rock climbing: One of the oldest rivers on the continent, paradoxically called the New River, has worn a gorge into a uniquely hard form of sandstone that is a nearly perfect rock for climbers, who flock to New River Gorge National River to test their skills.

Remind Yourself: "This Is Real!"

In addition to geology, Wonders of the National Parks also touches on botany, zoology, atmospheric science, and other disciplines as they relate to specific protected areas. The course also explores the role that humans have played in these distinctive landscapes. For example:

Gettysburg: Gettysburg National Military Park provides a geology lesson wrapped up in a history lesson. Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge, and other key sites in the three-day battle owe their existence to the rifting that opened the Atlantic when the supercontinent Pangaea split apart.
Gold rush: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve includes gold formations mined during Alaska’s great gold rush. Just as in California’s gold fields, seafloor subduction and other tectonic forces created the right conditions to concentrate the glittering element in rocks near the surface.
John Wesley Powell: One of the founders of the National Geographic Society was John Wesley Powell, who led the first expeditions through the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon. His vivid reports brought these future parklands to public attention.
Ansel Adams: The world’s most revered nature photographer did his most famous work in the parks of the American West. Professor Cochran takes Adams’s classic view of Yosemite Valley and reads it like a book, pointing out the riveting geological story it tells.

With a career at National Geographic spanning more than 20 years, plus his professional training in geology, Professor Cochran is the ideal lecturer for this course: a deeply knowledgeable scientist, an experienced and enthusiastic traveler, and a consummate storyteller who lives and breathes the Society’s mission to "inspire, illuminate, teach."

You may even be able to detect Professor Cochran’s background in English literature, which he pursued as an undergraduate before falling in love with geology. He often peppers his lessons with quotes and stories, adding an additional dimension of elucidation. For example, in his lectures on Yosemite, he quotes the great author and naturalist John Muir, whose eloquence helped preserve Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in the 1890s. Professor Cochran has a similar way with words, describing one of the Yosemite hikes as follows: "The soaring scale and beauty of the granite landscape from this portion of the John Muir Trail are so extraordinary that, though you’re there and seeing it-actually seeing it-you still have to remind yourself: This is real!"

TTC Video – When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster
.MP4, AVC, 1280×720, 30 fps | English, AAC, 2 Ch | 7h 26m | 6.24 GB
Lecturer: Stephen Owen, PhD Professor, Radford University | Course No. 9794​

Hollywood gives us certain images of disaster: people fleeing in panic; chaos in the streets; and heroic responders who come in, take charge, and solve problems in superhuman ways. But of course, the real world does not operate like Hollywood. People behave differently than they do in the movies, and in real life, everyday citizens play an important role in disaster readiness, response, and recovery. What will your role be? Are you prepared?

Living through a disaster is not a question of if-it’s a question of when. Fires, floods, chemical spills, terrorist attacks, and other disasters can happen swiftly and without warning, so it is imperative that we all do what we can now to prepare. Do you know what hazards are most likely in your neighborhood? How will you find out about potential disasters? And how will you communicate with your loved ones? If you had to evacuate without warning, do you know where you will go, and what route you will take?

Delving into these questions is a great first step in becoming disaster-aware and ready to survive should the unthinkable happen. When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster offers a practical guide for protecting yourself, your family, and your community. Taught by Professor Stephen Owen of Radford University, these 14 practical and informative lectures will arm you with information for planning ahead so you can prepare for the effects of a disaster or catastrophe. You will also learn about the resources and infrastructure in your community that are in place to aid in preparedness, response, and recovery.

As you will discover, when a disaster occurs, it may be some time before help arrives. Every one of us may find ourselves on our own in a dangerous situation, so we must be prepared, for our own sakes as well as for the people, pets, and community that depend on us. Planning for such a scenario can be overwhelming-after all, one hallmark of disasters is they catch us off-guard-but with the right training, supplies, and practice, you can live confidently, knowing you are as ready as possible. From basic first aid measures like CPR and the Heimlich maneuver to the fundamentals of the first responders, When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster shows you what you need to know to survive.

A Case Study Approach

One of the best ways to prepare for the next disaster is to study past disasters. Numerous "after action reviews" have been written for everything from hurricanes to train wrecks, and these case studies can tell us what happened, what went wrong, what individuals and first responders did well, and what we can learn for next time. Professor Owen draws essential lessons from calamities that have affected big cities and small towns across the United States, including:

• The winter 1982 airline crash in Washington, D.C.’s Potomac River;
• The 1997 flood of the Red River valley;
• The 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri;
• The 2016 firestorm that hit Gatlinburg, Tennessee;
• The 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida; and more.

Through these and other case studies, Professor Owen draws larger lessons, such as the distinction between a "routine emergency" (e.g., a car wreck), a "disaster" (e.g., a train wreck that creates a massive chlorine spill), and a "catastrophe" (community-wide destruction such as the result of Hurricane Katrina). He asks you to reflect on what you would do and how you would respond-and he offers the latest recommendations from emergency management organizations on how to prepare or respond.

For instance, no one wants to consider the possibility of encountering an active shooter, but there are several important principles that might save your life, should ever find yourself in such a situation. The first principles are around "situational awareness" and "normalcy bias." After the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, some survivors reported that they initially thought the sound of the gunshots may have been part of the music or fireworks going off. When an active shooter is present, it’s critical to move past an initial reaction of "everything is normal" and into a mode of "run, fight, hide."

Every case study has something to teach us, and the simple act of reflecting on these past disasters will make you more aware than the average citizen.

Preparation and Resources

A train wreck and chemical spill in your neighborhood is probably unlikely, but many types of disasters happen across the country every day. Over several lectures, Professor Owen does a deep dive into several of the most likely disasters we might face, such as:

• Fires. After learning about the chemical process of fire, as well as the terms "flashover" and "backdraft," you will learn a few things you can do right now to lessen the risk of fire in your home.
• Earthquakes. You might be surprised to learn that bracing in a doorway is not necessarily the best response to an earthquake. What should you do? And what should you prepare for after seismic activity?
• Extreme Weather. From flash floods to hurricanes to derechos, weather is one of the most dangerous hazards in our world. A few simple tips can be the difference between life and death.

While you might be on your own during and immediately after an unexpected disaster, our communities have infrastructure and a number of resources to help us prepare and recover. In this course, you will be introduced to many of the common concepts around disaster planning and emergency response, including FEMA’s National Preparedness Goal and the Preparation Cycle.

You’ll also get to know some of the responders and agencies who are there to keep us safe, including visible first responders such as police, firefighters, and EMS, as well as behind-the-scenes scientists, public health departments, and others who are here to aid in prevention and recovery. How do these various operations and agencies function? How do they coordinate together? And what can we learn from them?

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a national framework developed after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to help coordinate efforts from multiple levels of government as well as private players. Professor Owen introduces you to this powerful system, outlining what you might expect from various responders during and after an incident. He also points you toward community resources-such as the Red Cross’s CPR training, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and SKYWARN weather spotting-where you can learn more to enhance your readiness.

Disaster preparedness is the responsibility of all of us. When Everything Fails: Surviving Any Disaster is a fascinating, easy-to-follow introduction to the world of preparation and recovery. Remember: When everything fails, what you learn here may save a life. Stay safe out there.
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TTC Video – National Geographic Polar Explorations
2015 | Course No. 3502 | .MKV, x264, 784 kbps, 1024×576 | English, AAC, 96 kbps, 2 Ch | 22×30 mins | + PDF Guidebook | 4.61 GB
Lecturers: Ph.D. Michael E. Wysession, Ph.D. Edward M. Murphy, Ph. D. Sylvia A. Earle, Ralph Lee Hopkins, Fen Montaigne​

Enchanting and otherworldly in their beauty, the polar regions are some of the most isolated and least understood places on Earth. Until relatively recently, few non-indigenous people had experienced their immense majesty. And yet, while remote, these extreme environments are endlessly fascinating, and eminently worthy of witnessing firsthand, especially if you are prepared to understand what you are seeing.

Now, Polar Explorations, a one-of-a-kind educational journey created in collaboration with National Geographic, provides you a 360-degree view of the Arctic and Antarctica in 22 visually stunning lectures plus bonus video: Unforgettable Moments from National Geographic’s Polar Trips. A travelogue, science class, and history lesson rolled into one comprehensive course, Polar Explorations provides you with the context necessary to fully appreciate the splendor of the poles, including insights into:

geology,
astronomy,
zoology,
oceanography,
history,
culture, and
photographing unique subjects.

Whether you’ve always dreamed of an expedition to these incredible ice-bound worlds or you’re simply curious about the wonders they hold, this course transports you to some of the most intriguing and alien places on the planet. Through powerful, rare images and extensive video, these lectures offer you a captivating, in-depth look at what makes these places so exceptional and why they beg to be studied. This spectacular footage, shot on location during voyages with National Geographic Expeditions-the travel program of the National Geographic Society-provides you with an immersive experience unmatched by anything short of actually journeying to the ends of the Earth.

Take this opportunity to venture to the polar regions and you’ll witness breathtaking sights unparalleled on our planet, including:

Antarctic ice sheets covering an area one-and-a-half times the size of the United States and up to three miles deep (representing 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water);
magnificent blue icebergs and massive calving glaciers;
periods when the sun and the moon are continuously visible and never set;
astonishing seabirds, from penguins and puffins to skuas and petrels;
bizarre sea-based life-forms such as diatoms and sea butterflies; and
other remarkable wildlife in action, including polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, narwhals, seals, and orcas (also known as killer whales).

An Educational Adventure Led by Five Noted Authorities

Not only does this unforgettable educational journey feature spectacular National Geographic footage but also it presents a multidisciplinary team of renowned instructors hand-picked by National Geographic and The Great Courses, who share their expert insights on these ever-changing places.

You’ll begin with Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist and National Geographic magazine contributing writer Fen Montaigne on the question of why people journey to the poles-from intrepid 19th-century explorers like Ernest Shackleton to today’s leading scientists-and discover an answer more complicated than you might imagine.

Directing your attention skyward to explore the regions’ unique relationship with the heavens is Edward Murphy, Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Adopting an astronomer’s-eye view of the poles, you’ll investigate:

why the sun behaves differently at the North Pole, rising and setting only once each year;
how Antarctica has changed throughout history, with evidence showing it was once a jungle-covered landscape;
why Antarctica is the world’s best place to conduct certain kinds of astronomical research;
what causes seasons and how they’re experienced at the poles; and
spectacular auroras and other unique polar phenomena.

Next, Michael Wysession, Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, reveals the fascinating geology and geography of the poles, from how they were formed to how they continue to evolve. You’ll come to understand the differences between the Arctic and Antarctic environments-the former a vast frozen ocean surrounded by diverse landscapes, the latter an icy desert continent-as well as their many similarities. Professor Wysession also illuminates how conditions in each location drive the global conveyor belt of ocean currents and winds that heat and cool the earth.

Surviving in a Frigid World

In addition to the marvelous footage of ice, snow, and ocean you’ll witness in these lectures, Polar Explorations shines a spotlight on the many amazing forms of life that call the polar regions home. Some of the wildlife you encounter will be familiar, such as the polar bears of the Arctic and Antarctica’s many penguin species. Others may be somewhat foreign, from the microscopic creatures that live beneath the surface of the sea ice to the amazing Arctic tern-a bird that makes pole-to-pole migrations of 40,000 miles a year or more. You’ll also take a deep dive into marine ecosystems with National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and marine conservationist Sylvia Earle, who explains the central importance of sea ice to virtually every living thing in polar waters-from the tiniest phytoplankton to the largest whales.

You’ll come to understand the interdependence these creatures have with each other-and with the ice-in these delicate ecosystems, as well as the history of human-wildlife interactions. Particularly eye-opening are lectures on the native peoples of the Arctic, including the Inuit of North America and Sami of Eurasia, who have made their home in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and the Nordic countries for millennia. Equally thought-provoking are the findings in zoology, oceanography, physics, and climatology emerging from research stations at both poles. This research, as you’ll discover through riveting stories of triumph and tragedy, wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of American and European explorers of the 19th and 20th centuries who risked their lives to map the unknown reaches of both poles, opening these frontiers to science.

A Photographer’s dream Come to Life

For those who plan to visit the polar regions, learning how to take compelling photographs in these unusual environments will aid in capturing memories of the abundant wildlife and stunning panoramas. For this reason, the course concludes with a pair of lessons on polar photography presented by Ralph Lee Hopkins, the founder and director of the onboard photography program for the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet. These lectures provide special insight into the unique opportunities and unexpected trials of photography at the ends of the earth.

Hopkins, who has two decades of Antarctic and Arctic experience, addresses not only the basics of preparation and gear, but also offers advice on overcoming the creative challenges of shooting at the poles, such as white-on-white vistas and animals in action. With these expert tips and tricks added to your repertoire, you’ll find yourself better prepared to take stunning photographs that capture the true majesty of these frozen worlds.

Journey to Awe-Inspiring Environments

Our unique partnership with National Geographic affords us the rare opportunity to bring lifelong learners and prospective travelers a truly cross-disciplinary lecture series that taps into the life experiences and expertise of top professionals and professors in their fields. The course is lavishly illustrated with rare and unique footage from National Geographic trips and scientific explorations, custom-made animations, and historical photos and film. Maps, charts, diagrams, and studio demonstrations are also employed throughout these lessons to enhance your comprehension.

Polar Explorations is a veritable feast for the eyes, but this comprehensive course does so much more than showcase the beauty of these remarkable locales. It gives you the scientific and cultural context necessary to understand their unique nature and irreplaceable value-not only to the people and wildlife that inhabit them, but to all humanity.
01. A Passion for the Poles
02. Seasons at the Poles
03. Connections between the Poles
04. The Saga of Arctic Exploration
05. The Icy Heart of Polar Seas
06. Geology of the Arctic Circle
07. Science and Spirits of the Arctic Sky
08. Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic
09. Greenland and Arctic Islands
10. Terrestrial Mammals in the Changing Arctic
11. Seabirds of the Arctic and Antarctic
12. Marine Mammals, from Whales to Walruses
13. The Race for the South Pole
14. Geological Features of Antarctica
15. Antarctica’s Window on the Universe
16. Diving under Polar Ice
17. Resource Development in Polar Seas
18. South Georgia and Macquarie
19. Living among the Penguins
20. Antarctica: A Continent for Science
21. Basics of Polar Photography
22. Photographing Polar Landscapes

TTC – The Great Tours: African Safari
Duration: 12h 21m | .MP4 1280×720, 30 fps(r) | AAC, 48000 Hz, 2ch | 10.3 GB
Genre: eLearning | Language: English​

Africa is a beautiful continent, home to some of the world’s most extraordinary scenery and wildlife. Astonishing animals, untamed wilderness, diverse ecosystems: A safari into this great land is an unforgettable experience. From the savannahs of Kenya and Tanzania to the jungles of Uganda and Rwanda to the coasts of Madagascar, an African safari will truly ignite your sense of adventure.

Discover the safari adventure for yourself in The Great Tours: African Safari, an extraordinary course brought to you in partnership with National Geographic. Taught by the highly experienced safari guide James Currie, these 24 exciting lectures take you onto the plains and into the jungles of Africa. Captivating details and gorgeous imagery bring the safari experience to your living room.

The word "safari" may conjure up specific images: waking up at a rugged campsite at dawn to take a 4×4 truck into the African bush to witness lions or hyenas hunting a herd of antelopes. While this is certainly one type of safari, today there are limitless ways to see all the breathtaking wonders Africa has to offer-and a wealth of convenient, comfortable lodges and transportation options to help you enjoy the trip. For instance:

Take a night voyage into the savannahs of eastern Africa to discover an entirely unseen world of wildlife, including aardvarks and owls;
Paddle a canoe through the wetlands of Botswana to get closer to nature than ever before-hippos surfacing with a large exhale, or elephants parading across a channel;
Pull out the binoculars or the DSLR camera to spot birds in the Honde Valley between Zimbabwe and Mozambique;
Pick up a snorkel to explore the stunning reefs of the Seychelles or go diving off KwaZulu-Natal’s coast; and
Shut off your phone and listen to the strange outbursts from jungle trees, or the eerie call of predators at night.
Whether you are planning your first trip or just want to enjoy the sights and sounds of this magnificent continent from the comfort of your own home, The Great Tours: African Safari transports you to one of the world’s most spectacular environments.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Africa is a whopping 12 million square miles in size, and the vast continent hosts many ecosystems and biomes. Although there are limitless ways to explore Africa’s many terrains-the flat deserts, the rugged trails, the lush forests, the fertile wetlands-safaris generally fall into five categories, which Mr. Currie examines in detail:

East African Safaris: Kenya and Tanzania are the birthplace of the safari experience and continue to offer thrills for visitors: lions on the Serengeti, gazelle grazing in grasslands, the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, and the hair-raising sounds of predators at night.
Southern African Safaris: Southern Africa is an awe-inspiring mix of desert and wetland safari activities, from the big-game sightings in Zimbabwe to the wetland adventures of Zambia and the Zambezi River. Ideal for adventure-seekers who are also interested in luxury lodges or unconventional hot-air balloon trips.
Water Safaris: Whether by boat or in a dugout canoe-known locally as a "mokoro"-seeing the spectacular birds and wildlife of Botswana’s wetlands is unbeatable. The Okavango Delta is a biodiverse oasis and the crown jewel of the African safari experience.
Desert Safaris: The desert country of Namibia holds some of the continent’s greatest surprises. The beautiful red dunes are teeming with life and home to some of the planet’s rarest desert-adapted species.
Primate Safaris: The great apes are human’s closest relatives, and trekking into the tropical mountains and valleys of Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo offers up-close encounters with gorillas, chimpanzees, and other primates.
Get to Know the Flora & Fauna

There’s nothing like the roar of a lion, or spying hyenas skulking across the plains, or getting eye to eye with gorillas in the jungle. As a wilderness adventure, any of these safaris will give you an up-close view of the animal kingdom! From the megafauna rock stars (elephants, rhinos, giraffes) to the vicious predators (lions, leopards, crocodiles) to beautiful birds (eagles, flamingos, storks), this course brings Africa’s stunning biodiversity to life.

Among other creatures, you will learn about:

Big Cats and Wild Dogs: Lions, leopards, cheetahs, and jackals hunt the grassy plains and enjoy life at the top of the food chain;
Grazing Herbivores: Antelopes, zebras, and buffalo are the "hunted" in the law of the jungle, but they certainly hold their own when it comes to survival;
Reptiles and Amphibians: Crocodiles and snakes may send a chill up your spine, but these cold-blooded animals play a lively role in the safari; and
Birds: The astounding avians of Africa can be seen up close through a variety of ways, from viewing parks to special equipment-find out how.
Animals may be the main attraction, but the local plant life is crucial for the local ecosystems. With Mr. Currie’s expert guidance, you will also get to know the botanical wonders you may encounter.

Experience the Whole of Africa

The word safari comes from the Swahili word for journey. The classic safari experience involves driving into the wilderness, but as you will learn in this course, today there are boundless ways to journey through Africa. For instance, a walking safari takes us into a world where we are not in charge, and, thus, forces us to pay attention to small details that we may miss from the relative safety of a vehicle.

Or how about a night safari? Not only will you encounter nocturnal animals such as the elusive aardvark, but you will also see how predators, herbivores, rodents, and birds all behave differently under the cover of darkness. A night drive into the wilderness can open up a whole new world of wildlife viewing.

Mr. Currie also takes you on less traditional safari experiences-to the beaches of Madagascar and the surf breakers off the coast of South Africa. You’ll encounter the warm hospitality of Senegal, meet the people of Ethiopia, and journey through the cities of Cape Town and Nairobi.

Finally, you will consider the issues of sustainability and ethics of ecotourism. How can you plan a responsible safari? Should you hire a guide or self-drive? How do you engage with Africa’s remarkable communities in a respectful way? What can you do to encourage conservation?

From UNESCO World Heritage sites to stunning bird sanctuaries, and from national parks to hidden-gem wilderness areas, The Great Tours: African Safari takes you on a journey-a virtual safari-across Africa. Experienced travelers and armchair enthusiasts alike will enjoy the way Mr. Currie brings his years of professional safari guidance to bear as he invites you on an exhilarating tour of a destination like no other. Do you hear the call of the wild yet? Your safari adventure awaits!

More Info

Published 2/2026 MP4 | Video: h264, 1920×1080 | Audio: AAC, 44.1 KHz, 2 Ch Language: English | Duration: 1h 51m | Size: 1.29 GB​

Personal Growth & Success: The Ultimate Personality Development Course

What you’ll learn
To provide learners with a holistic value-based learning experience that will enable them to be successful in their personal, professional, and social lives.
To give the learners the tools to develop effective habits, promote personal growth, and improve their wellbeing, stability, and productivity.
To allow learners to establish stronger connection with their family through critical thinking and devolvement of qualities such as unity, forgiveness, empathy.
To provide learners with soft skills that complement their hard skills, making them more marketable when entering the workforce.
To enhance awareness of global values, and to create considerate citizens.

Requirements
No prior experience or knowledge is required. A willingness to learn and grow personally and professionally. A stable internet connection and a device (PC, laptop, or mobile) to watch course videos. A notebook and pen for note-taking and self-reflection exercises.

Description
In today’s competitive world, personality development plays a crucial role in achieving success in both personal and professional life. This course is designed to help learners enhance their self-confidence, communication skills, leadership abilities, emotional intelligence, and overall personality. this course provides a structured approach to personal growth through practical strategies, real-life examples, and interactive exercises. The course focuses on morality and character development at the core of learner growth, to enable learners to become self-aware, sincere, and successful in their many roles – as an ambitious student, reliable employee, caring family member, and considerate citizen.

Whether you are a learner, working professional, job seeker, or entrepreneur, this course will empower you with the right mindset and skills to succeed in life. If you’re ready to unlock your true potential and take control of your personal and professional growth, enroll now and start your journey towards success!.

Do you want to enhance your confidence, communication skills, and leadership abilities? Are you looking for a structured way to develop your personality and mindset for success? If yes, this course is designed just for you!

The Transform Yourself: A Course on Personality Development is a transformational program that helps you build a strong personality, develop a growth mindset, and unlock your true potential. This course will provide you with the essential skills needed to excel in your personal, academic, and professional life.

Who this course is for
This course is designed for students, professionals, job seekers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to enhance their personality, communication, and leadership skills.