Gadling

So continuing on the theme of great stuff for your ipod, stuff that you should bring along
with you on ANY trip you take, I want to bring your attention to an unheralded content provider out there who’s
products might just change your life. Now, I don’t say this lightly. I mean that once you start sampling the wares of
this company, you might just find yourself, as I have, completely, utterly addicted.

Imagine, for example, taking a trip to Vienna. Now plug in your ear buds and listen to
Great
Masters: Mozart His Life and Music. Or, cruising around Rome, plug into

Ancient Greek Civilization/History of Ancient Rome. The possibilities go on, and I’ll post more detailed reviews
when I am able to listen to more lectures. I am currently listening to
Biology: The Science of
Life, and am going to write more about it here and over at divester as I get
through it (it’s very long…but so far superb).  

The Teaching Company provides lectures on CD (and DVD) on topics as far
ranging as you would find offered by an entire university. Let’s say you are an American History buff…well, you
better hone down your interests a bit because the Teaching Company has
lectures available on the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, World War II, the Depression, Great Presidents, American
Identity…I mean the list goes on and on. I got my hands on CDs about the Civil War and the Invasion of Normandy
and am completely hooked. I only wish I was walking the fields of Gettysburg as I listened.

The lectures are not what you think. Well, maybe there a bit what you think. But my point is, the lectures are not
some low quality recording made by a kid sitting in the audience. They’re not made up of the voice of some boring
old guy droning on about some topic in a manner that drove you nuts in college. The Teaching Company finds some of the
best lecturers in the country and gets them to do courses specifically for the CDs. The recordings are high quality and
totally enjoyable. Some of them are quite long, but if you are into the topic, that won’t matter.

Now, forgive me if this whole article seems too enthusiastic. I do have some nitpicks about their stuff. Namely,
that they can be quite pricey and that right now you can’t download their stuff, and so to get through a course you
have to rip a bunch of CDs whose names are somewhat indecipherable on your ipod. Also, you can’t bookmark the files the
way you can with long audiobooks from audible.com. BUT! I’ve been in conversation
with the folks at the Teaching Company and downloads are on the way. They are not getting specific about their plans,
but they are aware of the desire/market for downloads. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, check out their site: www.teach12.com. As I said, some of the
courses are expensive, but they always have deals going on to let you get your favorite stuff for a “relatively”
good price. Again, don’t expect itunes $.99 per song prices, but what you get for your money is, in my opinion, well
worth it.