I am a huge James Burke fan, and Google tells me that maybe ten posts here talk about him. His TV series The Day The Universe Changed and its companion book would make a pretty decent curriculum for early teen kids who would learn more (and have more fun doing so) than 99% of their age peers.
I know that I'm not the only fan, as any post about him gets a bunch of comments with fanboi squees - and interestingly the Amazon link above has people selling their hardcover edition of the book for $100(!!!).
The problem for us Burke fans is that the gentleman is getting on in years and hasn't done anything new in a while. Well fear not, Gentle Reader, help is on the way.
Dan Carlin produces a very entertaining history podcast called Hard Core History. He approaches history as a Who Done It mystery, or a crime scene investigation. He also points out that many (maybe even most) historians aren't really historians, they're screen writers. They - especially the ancient ones - were writing to entertain an audience. I find it a very interesting analogy.
Well, it turns out that Carlin is also a Burke fan, and had the man himself on one of the podcast episodes. You can download the MP3 for free here.
You're welcome.
ReplyDeleteJames Burke! Squee! I say again: Squee! Because once isn't enough for him.
homebru, agreed - once isn't enough. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
ReplyDeleteThe guy should be the Dean of History at the University of Internet, paid $1M/yr, and his lessons should be recorded on permanent media, and streaming 24/7/forever.
You could do nothing but read the bibliography of The Day the Universe Changed (I have two hardcover copies, and one paperback, I go through it about once ever other year, start to finish, and the DVDs are on the way this month), and you'd be better educated in history, philosophy, engineering, physics, and western civilization than most Ph.Ds at any of the Top Five universities in the world.
I knew about Connections, but wasn't a big PBS fan, but I discovered him in the best way: TDTUC was on top of a pile of prop books being returned to storage from the location set of Halloween:H20, and lacking reading material for a dull day on a set being cleaned out, I appropriated it for my entertainment. I was hooked within 5 pages, and finished the whole thing that day. And sought my own copy(ies).
He is one of the people that should be on anyone's List of Dinner Guests, any time possible. I've never seen him write or speak a dull minute on TV or in print, ever.
Thanks for the link.