A Brief History of Humankind [Product Review]

Yesterday, I completed "A Brief History of Humankind" a course taught by Dr. Yuval Noah Harari, from the Hebrew University, and presented on the Coursera platform.  I like this method of learning, known as MOOC, and loved the course.

Dr.  Harari's presentation was informative, often entertaining, and above all, thought-provoking.  To condense all of human history into seventeen lectures, requires both a broad vision, and a personal point of view.  Dr. Harari has both.  In a narrative similar in style to Jared Diamond, he explored the development of Homo Sapiens from the age of the great apes, through three revolutions (Cognitive, Agricultural, and Scientific), till today.  Towards the end of the series Dr. Harari treated us to a somewhat frightening vision of the future.

I liked the Coursera platform.  Unlike the Obamacare web site, there were almost no technical glitches.  Each lecture was broken down to digestible, thirty minute segments, and each few lectures were followed by a quiz.  The quizzes as well as the final exam reassured me that I have grasped the material.  BTW, both the quizzes and the final exam could be attempted many times.

I am also taking "Introduction to Philosophy", an MIT class, presented on EdX, another MOOC platform,   This course is more technical and much more interactive.  The lectures are broken down to five-minute segments, each followed by multiple choice questions.  Participation in the online forum is highly encouraged, and added much to my depth of understanding.

It may be a while before you can get a college degree online, but as of now, MOOCs seem to be a perfect tool for expanding the horizons of retirees living in Oaxaca.