Great Courses

The great Bohemian-born composer Gustav Mahler once said, "A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything." Over the course of its nearly 300-year life, the symphony has indeed embraced almost every trend to be found in Western concert music.

This is a 36-lecture course, each lecture being thirty minutes in length. The subject is fascinating, and Lerer is obviously learned and highly articulate if intermittently frustratingly dry and pedantic, nevertheless, to the listener's relief, often highly witty as well.

Algebra II is the fork in the road. Those who succeed in this second part of the algebra sequence are well on their way to precalculus, calculus, and higher mathematics, which open the door to careers in science, engineering, medicine, economics, information technology, and many other fields. And since algebraic thinking is found in almost every sphere of modern life, a thorough grounding in this abstract discipline is essential for many nontechnical careers as well, from law to business to graphic arts.

Great math riddles and paradoxes have a long and illustrious history, serving as both tests and games for intellectual thinkers across the globe. Passed through the halls of academia and examined in-depth by scholars, students, and amateurs alike, these riddles and paradoxes have brought frustration and joy to those seeking intellectual challenges.