The Roots of Western Civilization
The Ancient World From Gilgamesh to Augustine
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Narrated by:
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Anthony Esolen Ph.D.
About this listen
In this course, Prof. Anthony Esolen will examine ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome and Israel, seeing the disappointment and Messianic longing in the pagan Roman poet Virgil, and the fulfilled Messianic longing among the prophets and the inspired authors of the Old Testament.
You will discover the ways in which the fulfillment of the person of Jesus Christ never ceases to surprise mankind, because it never ceases to contradict what fallen man accepts as great.
As Esolen unfolds: Fallen man worships power, and Jesus enters Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. Fallen man listens to sophisticated and sly rhetoric, but Jesus praises God for revealing mysteries to fools and children, and concealing them from those who are wise in the world’s ways. Fallen man clings to his creature comforts, but Jesus gives his life away. And at that, he gives it away to his enemies - namely to us. Fallen man wants to rule, but Jesus emptied himself, becoming obedient until death, even death upon a cross.
Now, this changes the world entirely. We could fill a library with books on this change and still not plunged its depths. In this course, we will examine the ways in which even a pagan world anticipates this change, and we will end by considering the life of one man who discovered the radicality of this change upon the movements of his heart.
In what way does the pagan world cry out for a savior? How do the confessions of one man speak to the universal within all of mankind? To examine the roots of a Civilization is to return to its life-source - its philosophies, myths, laws, and religions, in short its culture.
Join Prof. Anthony Esolen as he journeys through the great literature of the ancient world discovering not only the timeless wisdom of such texts as the Theogony, the Aeneid, and the Confessions, but also their rich and broad impact on Western Civilization.
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- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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It's not your imagination: civilized human society is collapsing. Communities no longer work toward a common good; children are no longer our first priority; businesses no longer value hard work; arts and skills have been lost; and gender is decided by the individual, not biology. We cannot reverse national and global trends, says professor Anthony Esolen, but we can build communities that live up to humanity's promise and responsibility.
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Intelligence, manly spirit, politically incorrect
- By Thucydides on 06-05-17
By: Anthony Esolen
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Nostalgia
- Going Home in a Homeless World
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Alone among the creatures of the world, man suffers a pang both bitter and sweet. It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia. Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart.
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Deep and thought provoking.
- By Holly Stockley on 04-24-19
By: Anthony Esolen
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The Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings
- The Theological Vision in Tolkien's Fiction
- By: Joseph Pearce
- Narrated by: Joseph Pearce
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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Join Joseph Pearce as he explores the great theological depth of the most popular work of literature in the 20th century, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Despite the absence of any direct mention of Christ or the Catholic Church, Tolkien described his work as "fundamentally religious and Catholic." He was able to infuse his fictional world with theological orthodoxy through his creation of myth and a world order. Endowing his protagonists with Christian virtues, he also incorporated themes of grace and mercy.
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Outstanding!
- By Pete Popovich on 02-17-21
By: Joseph Pearce
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No Apologies
- Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s time to end the apology tour for traditional masculinity. A generation of young men and boys are being raised in self-loathing, taught that the core of their identity as men is not only abhorrent but the fountainhead of humanity’s ills. In No Apologies, veteran author and professor Anthony Esolen issues a powerful defense of the virtues of masculine strength.
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Most Important Book of 2022!
- By Daniel on 11-22-22
By: Anthony Esolen
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Dante's Inferno
- A Study on Part I of The Divine Comedy
- By: Anthony Esolen PhD
- Narrated by: Anthony Esolen PhD
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
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With Professor Esolen you will enter the terrible gates of Hell and progress level by infernal level to its diabolical depths. Professor Esolen places a special emphasis on the drama of the poem, leading you through each canto in succession. Professor Esolen will more than satisfy your curiosity about Hell and the fate of the damned. He will reveal in all its starkness the horror of sin and awaken in your heart a longing for divine love.
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THIS IS A LECTURER
- By Amazon Customer on 05-22-21
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Western civilization is under attack. At universities and in the media, professors and pundits decry Western civilization as exploitative, destructive, and without value. But fear not: coming to its defense is this "P.I." guide to Western civilization.
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A warning against political correctness
- By Nathan E Wegener on 03-20-19
By: Anthony Esolen
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Out of the Ashes
- Rebuilding American Culture
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It's not your imagination: civilized human society is collapsing. Communities no longer work toward a common good; children are no longer our first priority; businesses no longer value hard work; arts and skills have been lost; and gender is decided by the individual, not biology. We cannot reverse national and global trends, says professor Anthony Esolen, but we can build communities that live up to humanity's promise and responsibility.
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Intelligence, manly spirit, politically incorrect
- By Thucydides on 06-05-17
By: Anthony Esolen
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Nostalgia
- Going Home in a Homeless World
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Alone among the creatures of the world, man suffers a pang both bitter and sweet. It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia. Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart.
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Deep and thought provoking.
- By Holly Stockley on 04-24-19
By: Anthony Esolen
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The Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings
- The Theological Vision in Tolkien's Fiction
- By: Joseph Pearce
- Narrated by: Joseph Pearce
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Join Joseph Pearce as he explores the great theological depth of the most popular work of literature in the 20th century, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Despite the absence of any direct mention of Christ or the Catholic Church, Tolkien described his work as "fundamentally religious and Catholic." He was able to infuse his fictional world with theological orthodoxy through his creation of myth and a world order. Endowing his protagonists with Christian virtues, he also incorporated themes of grace and mercy.
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Outstanding!
- By Pete Popovich on 02-17-21
By: Joseph Pearce
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No Apologies
- Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s time to end the apology tour for traditional masculinity. A generation of young men and boys are being raised in self-loathing, taught that the core of their identity as men is not only abhorrent but the fountainhead of humanity’s ills. In No Apologies, veteran author and professor Anthony Esolen issues a powerful defense of the virtues of masculine strength.
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Most Important Book of 2022!
- By Daniel on 11-22-22
By: Anthony Esolen
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Dante's Inferno
- A Study on Part I of The Divine Comedy
- By: Anthony Esolen PhD
- Narrated by: Anthony Esolen PhD
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
With Professor Esolen you will enter the terrible gates of Hell and progress level by infernal level to its diabolical depths. Professor Esolen places a special emphasis on the drama of the poem, leading you through each canto in succession. Professor Esolen will more than satisfy your curiosity about Hell and the fate of the damned. He will reveal in all its starkness the horror of sin and awaken in your heart a longing for divine love.
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THIS IS A LECTURER
- By Amazon Customer on 05-22-21
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Defending Boyhood
- How Building Forts, Reading Stories, Playing Ball, and Praying to God Can Change the World
- By: Anthony Esolen PhD
- Narrated by: Kevin F. Spalding
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Western civilization has no more eloquent defender than Anthony Esolen, a man who has counted the cost, and paid it, of leading the way in that defense. Following on his compelling prior volume, Defending Marriage: Twelve Arguments for Sanity, Professor Esolen returns, this time in defense of boys and an experience of boyhood that is on the wane, if not extinguished in many quarters of the modern world.
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another clear book that is refreshing
- By FrBrass on 11-04-22
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The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis
- How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind
- By: Jason M Baxter
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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C. S. Lewis had one of the great minds of the 20th century. Many know Lewis as an author of fiction and fantasy literature, including the Chronicles of Narnia and the Space Trilogy. Others know him for his books in apologetics, including Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain. But few know him for his scholarly work as a professor of medieval and Renaissance literature. What shaped the mind of this great thinker?
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Excellent
- By andrew wilson smith on 03-08-22
By: Jason M Baxter
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Pagan America
- The Decline of Christianity and the Dark Age to Come
- By: John Daniel Davidson
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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We live in an anxious age. Long-held certainties, cherished beliefs, and social trust are crumbling. Don’t expect things to get better. For too long we have taken our Christian heritage—the heritage upon which America was built—for granted. But we’re rapidly, and now inevitably, losing the Christian culture that shaped the American republic. What will take its place is a despotism—and a new paganism, worse than the old, because it will be based on a hatred of Christianity.
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As a Christian, we have work to do in the United States if we do not want to go back to the pagan ways of fear and domination
- By Anonymous User on 06-07-24
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How to Destroy Western Civilization and Other Ideas from the Cultural Abyss
- By: Peter Kreeft
- Narrated by: Kevin O'Brien
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Peter Kreeft presents a series of brilliant essays about many of the issues that increasingly divide our Western civilization and culture. He states that "these essays are not new proposals or solutions to today's problems. They are old. They have been tried, and have worked. They have made people happy and good. That is what makes them so radical and so unusual today. The most uncommon thing today is common sense".
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A little dated
- By C. Emerson Thompson on 07-29-21
By: Peter Kreeft
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The Hobbit: Discovering Grace and Providence in Bilbo's Adventures
- By: Joseph Pearce
- Narrated by: Joseph Pearce
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
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In this course, Professor Joseph Pearce shows that Tolkien's own words about The Lord of the Rings being a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work" also apply to The Hobbit. Some readers mistakenly believe that The Hobbit is simply a children's story with little significance. While Tolkien indeed wrote the book for his children's entertainment, the narrative simplicity only serves its great moral and theological profundity. Professor Pearce guides you through various life lessons discovered through an in-depth reading of The Hobbit.
By: Joseph Pearce
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Poems Every Catholic Should Know
- By: Joseph Pearce
- Narrated by: Kevin O'Brien
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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This anthology provides some of the finest Christian verse written during the second millennium of Christianity. All of the great ones are here: Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, Dante and Chaucer from the High Middle Ages; Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and John Donne from the Reformation; English and American Romantics such as Browning and Whittier.
By: Joseph Pearce
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Vanished Kingdoms
- The Rise and Fall of States and Nations
- By: Norman Davies
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 30 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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There is something profoundly romantic about lost civilizations. Davies peers through the cracks in the mainstream accounts of modern-day states to dazzle us with extraordinary stories of barely remembered pasts, and of the traces they left behind. This is Norman Davies at his best: sweeping narrative history packed with unexpected insights. Vanished Kingdoms will appeal to all fans of unconventional and thought-provoking history, from listeners of Niall Ferguson to Jared Diamond.
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needs a good editor.
- By Ryan Anderson on 09-25-21
By: Norman Davies
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History
- By: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything, well, almost everything, you know about American history is wrong because most textbooks and popular history books are written by left-wing academic historians who treat their biases as fact. But fear not; Professor Thomas Woods refutes the popular myths in The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History.
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Highly recommended! Not for the faint of heart!
- By RAC on 12-12-05
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How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
- By: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.
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Fascinating and informative
- By Michael Kellogg on 09-29-05
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The Divine Comedy
- Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso
- By: Dante Alighieri, Stephen Wyatt
- Narrated by: Blake Ritson, John Hurt, David Warner, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Blake Ritson, David Warner, Hattie Morahan and John Hurt star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Dante's epic poem. Inferno: Thirty-five year old Dante finds himself in the middle of a dark wood, in extreme personal and spiritual crisis. Hope of rescue appears in the form of the venerable poet Virgil, now a shade himself, who offers to lead Dante on an odyssey through the afterlife, beginning in the terrifying depths of Hell.
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Revisiting the land of the dead
- By Adeliese Baumann on 10-21-16
By: Dante Alighieri, and others
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Crisis of Confidence
- Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity
- By: Carl R. Trueman
- Narrated by: R. E. Biddulph
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Historic statements of faith—such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith—have helped the Christian church articulate and adhere to God’s truth for centuries. However, many modern evangelicals reject these historic documents and the practices of catechesis, proclaiming their commitment to “no creed but the Bible.” And yet, in today’s rapidly changing culture, ancient liturgical tradition is not only biblical—it’s essential.
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Very relevant to this time in the modern church life.
- By Randy McLemore on 05-16-24
By: Carl R. Trueman
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Out of the Silent Planet
- Ransom Trilogy, Book 1
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Out of the Silent Planet is the first novel of the Cosmic Trilogy, considered to be C.S. Lewis' chief contribution to the science fiction genre.
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Original, complex, not middle of the road
- By Phantom's Furnature on 05-27-05
By: C. S. Lewis
What listeners say about The Roots of Western Civilization
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Domi Nat
- 08-03-21
We need to meet
Amazing. we need to speak in person. You're missing some things....find me
-the mother
God bless all
Thesaintnat@yahoo.com
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- Classical Mom
- 03-01-20
Thanks for correcting
the missing lecture! It's there now. I love this overview of Western civilizations from a literary perspective. Anthony Esolen is always wise and persuasive.
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7 people found this helpful
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- John
- 07-28-20
Contrast, Comparison, Understanding
From ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome and Israel to the threshold of the Medieval world, professor Esolen traces the messianic longings expressed in a representative book from each civilization: Gilgamesh, Hesiod’s Theogony, Virgil’s Aeneid, the Old and New Testaments, and St. Augustine’s Confessions. Among much else, you’ll learn the building blocks of civilization, the sources of pagan Greek worship, the meaning of Roman piety and, through contrast and comparison, a vivid understanding of the unique nature of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Even if those are concepts with which you’re already familiar, this brief, insightful and intellectually satisfying reassertion of the truth refreshes the mind as well as the soul.
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4 people found this helpful
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- C.J. Destefani
- 02-06-20
Great content but...
Chapters 7 and 8 are identical. Lecture 6 is missing. I love the lectures, but it is incomplete. Hopefully the publisher will see this and fix it.
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10 people found this helpful