Lifelong Learning for About a Buck

Not long ago, the brilliant Roger von Oech endorsed the "Teaching Company" as a facilitator of learning. I like Roger for many reasons, not the least of which is his ability to quote obscure Greek philosophers at will and tie it into something relevant and even poignant, but the cost of entry for these lectures (which I have little doubt are worth every penny) is a little steep.

While I still plan on taking Roger up on his recommendation eventually, as the recent consumer of a brand new iPod and someone who has yet to make good use of his Audible account, I was excited to learn that I could purchase audio broadcasts of various topics from the Biography Channel for only 95 cents each.

I'm really the only history buff in my family (although I'll be sure to work on Faith a bit), so I don't get to watch my favorite channels much (History, History International, Military, and Biography). Since books are typically expensive (and can't be read while driving), being able to download these gems for less than a dollar each represents a great opportunity for me to get my fix without needing to sacrifice time with my family.

Kudos to the Biography Channel for making the content available online without forcing people to either pay an arm and a leg or listen to advertising. Now, would they offer the content for free with advertising, I'd be okay with that, too.

Comments

[Roger von Oech]

Hi Cam,

I appreciate your comments about about "lifelong learning."

There's one important point I'd like to make about the cost of the Teaching Company's products. They typically come in three formats:

-1- Audible Tapes and CDs
-2- DVDs
-3- Downloadable MP3s and MP4s

The downloads are far and away the cheapest way to go. Also, their stuff on sale throughout the year. And even when it's not, I'll call up and ask for a program for the "on sale" price. And they'll often give it to me.

Bottom line: I usually pay $35 for a 36 part program (18 hours of listening). Plus my wife and son usually listen to them as well. So that gets the per person/price down there.

I'm going to Egypt in 2 weeks. Both my wife and I have been listening to Bob Brier's 48-part program on ancient Egypt. It's wonderful.