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Great American Bestsellers: The Books That Shaped America

Format: DVD
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
$25.07
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Product Description

Best-selling books have played a critical role in influencing the tastes and purchasing habits of American readers for more than 100 years. But there is more to America's great best-selling books than the sales figures they rake in. American bestsellers also offer us ways to appreciate and understand particular periods of American culture. In this series of 24 lectures you'll enjoy a pointed look at key best-selling works and their places within the greater fabric of American cultural history. Guided by an award-winning teacher, you'll explore representative bestsellers at various stages of American history, from the first book published in the English-speaking New World to the blockbuster authors who dominate the 21st-century publishing industry. The result is an expert look at the evolution of American culture - its tastes, its hopes, its dreams - through the unique lens of the books that have captivated its readers at various points in American history. Each of the 22 works discussed - from literary masterpieces ( The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ) to enduring self-help books ( How to Win Friends and Influence People ) - has had a crucial and unique impact on American society. Studying these representative works will give you a deeper understanding of how American literature can both mirror the events of its time and, in many instances, have a pronounced impact on them. These lectures are your opportunity to see our nation's best-selling books as more than just popular forms of entertainment that have managed to make their authors lots of money, but as stunning microcosms of American cultural history.

Product details

  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.3 x 1.5 inches; 1.05 Pounds
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ The Great Courses
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1598035355
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 4
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
12 global ratings
You'll love it!
5 Stars
You'll love it!
As a librarian I am always looking for innovative ways of enjoying my reading experience and the teaching company never fails to bring me new and creative ways to do so.I highly recommend this cassette set and pass it on to your friends. They'll love it if they love sitting down to read an e-book, paperback, hardcover or even listen to an audiobook. Makes a great gift for bookworms everywhere!R.R.Bound Books
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Top reviews from the United States

Simon Magus
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite lecture series so far
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
I've been buying a lot of these Great Courses series, and this has been one of my favorites. The professor uses the novels as a back drop for a general history lesson of what was going on in the country, and how that helped to create the narrative of the book (not all novels, I guess) but also, how things in the country changed after the book was published. It was really well put together, and you don't need to have read or even heard of every book to find these lectures compelling; in fact, he chose a couple of fairly obscure books to include, which I had never heard of, and it was no less interesting.
5 people found this helpful
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Larry Roth
5.0 out of 5 stars More than just a course on books.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
This may well be the best Great Courses course I've ever had. The lectures cover the books, brief biographies of the authors (Horatio Alger, for example, was kicked out of his job as a Unitarian minister for allegedly molesting boys), the social and cultural events going on at the time the books were published, reactions to the books when they were published, and a lot of other details. It's amazing how much information this lecturer can pack into his lectures.
6 people found this helpful
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Charles JR Moss
5.0 out of 5 stars Truthfully described
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent
2 people found this helpful
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Gilbert M. Stack
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Collection of Stories
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
Here’s a great look at 24 books that captured widespread attention in the North American British Colonies and the United States over the past few centuries. Odds are high that you haven’t heard of—much less read—all of them, whereas others are books you are quite familiar with even if you haven’t actually read them all. It’s a great collection and I am very pleased I read the book.

Conn roughly divides each lecture into three parts, starting with what is happening in America historically at the time the book was written and published and then describing the action of the novel and finally talking about its influence. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, but for me the best part of the lectures was for Dashiell Hammett’s Maltese Falcon, which Conn used as an excuse to describe the development of the mystery novel from Edgar Allen Poe to Hammett. The final lecture on the modern best seller market was also very interesting. Mostly I enjoyed this book for the walkthrough of the plots and the discussion of influences and sometimes controversy. In today’s world, there are simply too many books out there to have read everything. This is a great way of familiarizing yourself with some very interesting novels you were always planning to read.
One person found this helpful
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Pat Lozano
4.0 out of 5 stars Very pleasant
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020
Good narrator and great selection of books
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Experienced seminar leader
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent synthesis of historical background and literary perspective
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2013
Whether your angle of interest is historical or literary, you'll be pleased with this scholarly yet highly accessible discussion of bestselling books (not only novels) throughout US history. I learned something valuable from each lesson, whether about how the Puritans viewed the Bible, how Mark Twain made most of his money or the origins of the mystery being Edgar Allan Poe, prior to Sherlock Holmes. The professor is well-spoken, confident and easy to listen to. Strongly recommended.
27 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of famous books and some neglected ones
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2011
I checked this out of the local library and found it a great listen-to-while-driving series. I consider myself fairly well-read, but there were titles on this list that I had heard of but never read and others were not familiar to me at all. In addition to a plot synopsis, each half hour lecture places a work in its historical and social context. These contexts were generally more interesting to me than the information about the books themselves. I recommend these talks, as I can recommend the GREAT COURSES series as a whole.
5 people found this helpful
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B
5.0 out of 5 stars Not 21st Century Packaging
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2013
The information contained in this series is fantastic. Professor Conn has a pleasing and listenable voice quality: you could listen to him "lecture" all day. The Teaching Company got everything right in terms of presenter, voice quality, content, etc., but they get one star when it comes to product presentation. Firstly, the containers are taller than the standard CD container, and the CDs are stacked in the container, as opposed to having individual sleeves. Did this type of container really save the producer money? If the plastic container gets the least bit bent, the CDs fall out. Secondly, if this item is ever re-mastered, eliminate the "canned" clapping and music after each lecture It is inane. Thirdly, if this is ever produced in another format, I would recommend an MP3 player such as Playaway.
One person found this helpful
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