Reviews of Video Learning Materials
Teaching Company Reviews
On the LivingMathForum list, a request was made to provide feedback on lecture series produced by the Teaching Company (www.teach12.com). Here is a list of series I either own or have used and feedback. I'll post feedback from others interested in supplementing if you email that to me.

These are only my personal opinions, your mileage may vary! Teaching Co has many more series than these, these are just the ones I have personal experience with. I BUY ONLY WHEN THEY ARE ON SALE and if I can, I preview from a library first (search for "Great Courses" when looking for these in library catalogs). Most if not all series do go on sale (50 to 70% off) at some point during the year, so I do not recommend you pay full price for any of them unless you are desperate.  I generally obtained video for math and science topics, audio for the rest.
Math, Economics, Statistics

Joy of Thinking: The Beauty and Power of Classical Mathematical Ideas
(24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Edward B. Burger, Michael Starbird

One of my favorites. You'll never see math the same way. Broad age range appeal. Skip lecture 1 and don't be discouraged by the lecture on Fermat's Theorem, just move on and enjoy the rest of the series. I kind of like Burger's style better than Starbird's, but that may be his ponytail talking ;o) They have produced a textbook based on the same course: Heart of Mathematics

(24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Michael Starbird
Not EXACTLY clear, but much clearer in my mind. Nice story intro to calculus through its history.

(30 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Monica Neagoy
Heavy on graphing, you'll need a TI-83 or similar graphing calculator. Includes history and applied math. Some feel this is an accelerated Algebra I course and I tend to agree. The lecturer can be an asset or liability depending on how you like her presentation - I like it, but others have found it irritating. She does a lot of illustrations with manipulatives. One whole lesson is devoted to learning how to use a graphing calculator.

(30 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Murray H. Siegel
The first 13 to 14 lectures are review of Algebra I topics. May not be such a bad idea, I appreciated his clear, concise and rather quick run through of these ideas. Anything known very solidly can be skipped. I like the lecturer, although he is quite different from Monica Neagoy.

(30 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by James Noggle
I found it a wonderful adult review of geometry and supplement for an older child wishing to study geometry formally. The teacher isn't scintillating, but he is clear, concise and organized in his presentation. It includes plenty of proof with applied geometry. We used the series along with a class, it would also work as a supplement to a textbook. There's a workbook, but it may not be enough on a standalone basis.

(10 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture) Taught by Timothy Taylor
Very good lecturer, great intro to economics through learning about the lives of the pioneers of the science

(20 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture) Taught by Timothy Taylor
More like a traditional college econ class, but Mr. Taylor's presentation is better than my college teacher's was. Much harder to get through than the Legacies series above. I had to shelve this one until my kids are older. I can post more when we get back into the series.
   
(16 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture)  Taught by George T. Geis

I may return this. I've tried to view it several times, and it makes me fall asleep. The material is very solid, but I have to think it could be presented more interestingly. Oh well.

Science

My Favorite Universe
(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Really good lecturer! Allows for a broader age range - my 9 y/old could get into a lot of what he talked about.

(36 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Lawrence M. Principe
Good information. Lecturer could be a bit more animated, but he isn't bad. Great supplement to a math and science history course.

(36 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Richard Wolfson
Hmm, I am not sure yet how to review this. If you are studying physics, it has to be a very good supplement. If you already like physics, I'll bet it's great. Physics is not my forte, so I did find my attention wandering when he talked too long about theory. Am I learning? Yes, and my 9 y/old likes it too - he has many hands on demonstrations that are well done. I still have 2/3 of the course to go, so I can add more when we finish.

(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Edward J. Larson
Whether you believe in evolution or not, and to whatever degree, this is an informative resource on the history of how the theory developed. I found the tone respectful of differing viewpoints, even if the lecturer disagreed, and fairly presented.

(32 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture) Taught by Anthony Goodman
I found the lecturer a bit pedantic, but my biology-loving 12 y/old was enrapt. So I sat through a lot more than I otherwise would have. Yep, I learned a lot, and that's the point, right?
History, Philosophy

History of Freedom
(36 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by J. Rufus Fears

I LOVED this series. It prompted me to do a lot of reading on my own. There is much in the series that relates to education and how the kind of education we have as a society affects our freedom.

(84 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Jeremy Adams, Phillip Cary, Dennis Dalton, Kathleen M. Higgins, Robert H. Kane, Douglas Kellner, Alan Charles Kors, Louis Markos, Mark Risjord, Jeremy Shearmur, Robert Solomon, Darren Staloff
Excellent series. I don't have time to fully review it, but if you have wanted to dig into a Great Books set and don't know where to start, this will introduce you to the minds and works of individuals that have influenced Western society.

World War II: A Military and Social History (30 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)
History of Hitler’s Empire, 2nd Edition (12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)
Taught by Thomas Childers  -  I thought these series were outstanding, and my husband did too.  The video format is essential. I bought both as a bundled set on sale.

(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Teofilo F. Ruiz
I had high hopes for this one, but the lecturer's accent is so pronounced I had a hard time following. I may try again if I don't return the series.

(30 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Linwood Thompson
Fun series - Mr. Thompson does each lecture dressed up and speaking in first person as if he were a famous individual from the time period he is covering.

(16 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture) Taught by Michael Sugrue
I REALLY like this series. The lecturer is very eloquent and fun to listen to. He may be a bit fast-talking for some people. There is a constant emphasis on how useful mathematics has been to the Socratic dialogues, and the role of mathematics in Plato's works.

Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning
(24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by David Zarefsky Fits with a study of Plato, Soctratic dialogue and rhetoric well. A friend of mine thought it was boring :o). It kind of is, but I did learn a lot from it.

(24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by David Roochnik
I like philosophy, so I enjoyed much of this series. The lecturer isn't as good as some of the others in terms of style, so if the subject puts you to sleep, the series may also. I found it very interesting.

(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Darren Staloff
It was okay. I learned things about Thomas Jefferson I never knew, but the lecturer could have been more interesting in his presentation. I had audio format, not sure if video would have helped.

(24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Patrick N. Allitt
Interesting and generally respectful in tone to religious beliefs.

Literature and Classics

Iliad of Homer/Odyssey of Homer (Set)  (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) 

Aeneid of Virgil (12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Elizabeth Vandiver

Herodotus: The Father of History (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Elizabeth Vandiver

I LOVED all of these these series. by Elizabeth Vandiver I will listen to any series by Elizabeth Vandiver. Makes me want to be a classicist and inspired me to tackle classical language study.

(Each series is 24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by J. Rufus Fears
Loved them, great supplement to reading Plutarch

(36 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)  Taught by Peter Saccio
Nice insights, historical and cultural background, modern sigificance and relevance. I enjoyed this series very much.

(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture) Taught by Louis Markos
Nice series, the lecturer obviously enjoys C. S. Lewis who is one of my favorite writers
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