CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Final results are in for the Top Ten Watched Lectures of 2016 from The Great Courses Plus. With two lectures on drawing and another on photography, the Arts category is the surprise winner of this year’s top category. This top ten list, which is a yearly summary of the “What America is Learning” chart published by The Great Courses Plus, also includes two lectures on turning points in world history as well as two professional/personal development lectures, and one lecture each on religion, language and travel.
The subscription-based streaming video-on-demand service is approaching 75,000 paid subscribers and 4,000 hours of lectures, nearly double its launch content last year.
The lecture “Cognitive Behavioral Foundations” claims first place on the list with a timely look at the benefits of mind-body medicine – how to train your brain to overcome anxiety, depression, rage and more. The popular “How to Draw” series from a Fulbright Scholar and Guggenheim Fellow, whose own work has been in close to 100 exhibitions, holds two spots on the chart. Rounding out the top ten are “Europe on the Brink of the Black Death,” a talk that sets the stage for one of history’s most significant events, “What Is Programming? Why Python?” an introduction to learning the powerful skill of computer programming, and from an ongoing partnership with National Geographic, “Yellowstone: Microcosm of the National Parks.”
“What a great first year for The Great Courses Plus,” said Ed Leon, Chief Brand Officer at The Great Courses. “What’s unique about Plus is our ability to deliver content our users truly had a voice in developing throughout the course production process—all content that offers personal and professional enrichment opportunities as well as pure entertainment across a variety of platforms. Lessons from talented artists, National Geographic photographers and respected historians – now that’s something we all can take part in.”
Here are the top ten lectures of 2016 from The Great Courses Plus:
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Cognitive
Behavioral Foundations (from the course Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain)
An introduction to three patients training their minds to improve motivation, manage emotions and interpersonal skills, as taught by Professor Jason M. Satterfield, Ph.D. -
Europe
on the Brink of the Black Death (from the course The Black
Death: The World's Most Devastating Plague)
A guide to the religious, economic and political structures of mid-14th-century Europe just prior to the onset of the Black Plague, as taught by Professor Dorsey Armstrong, Ph.D. -
An
Introduction to Drawing (from the course How to Draw)
The first lecture in the art series covers the history of drawing and common misconceptions about talent and genius, as taught by Professor David Brody. -
Introduction
to the Spanish Language (from the course Learning Spanish: How
to Understand and Speak a New Language)
The basics of how to approach, study and speak Spanish, as well as an introduction to the fundamentals of conversation, as taught by Professor Bill Worden, Ph.D. -
Muslim
Empires: Land, Language, Religion (from the course Turning
Points in Middle Eastern History)
A look at the range of nations, cultures and historical turning points that define the Greater Middle East, as taught by Professor Eamonn Gearon. -
Yellowstone:
Microcosm of the National Parks (from the course Wonders of the
National Parks: A Geology of North America)
The tour of North America’s National Parks begins with Yellowstone, the breathtaking landscape that inspired the conservation and access efforts, as taught by Professor Ford Cochran. -
Jesus-The
Man Who Became God (from the course How Jesus Became God)
The series begins with a look at how the divinity of Jesus was first conceived, a significant question affecting Western civilization, as taught by Professor Bart D. Ehrman, Ph.D., M.Div. -
Making
Great Pictures (from the course Fundamentals of Photography)
An examination of the essential elements of iconic and memorable photos as taught by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. -
Drawing
Materials for Line (from the course How to Draw)
A closer look at the artists’ tools used to experience the joy of drawing—a skill anyone can learn, as taught by Professor David Brody. -
What
Is Programming? Why Python? (from How to Program: Computer
Science Concepts and Python Exercises)
An explanation and tutorial exercises for what is considered to be an ideal language for beginning programmers, as taught by Professor John Keyser.
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About The Great Courses Plus
Unlike streaming services that merely aggregate content, The Great Courses Plus content is all originally produced, and there are no plans to remove lecture series as long as they remain relevant. Members of The Great Courses Plus get unlimited access to more than 8,000 lectures online via connected television or mobile devices for a monthly subscription fee. New members can sample the service without risk for 30 days with a one-month free trial. Learn more at www.thegreatcoursesplus.com.
About The Great Courses
The Great Courses is the nation’s leading developer and marketer of premium-quality media for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. Delivered in engaging, expertly produced video and audio (in convenient online, digital, video on demand and disc formats), these carefully crafted courses provide access to a world of knowledge from the most accomplished professors and experts. The content-rich, proprietary library spans more than 600 series with more than 14,000 lectures designed to expand horizons, deepen understanding, and foster epiphanies in the arts, science, literature, self-improvement, history, music, philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, business, professional advancement, and personal development. Creating unique learning experiences since 1990, The Great Courses is the premier brand of The Teaching Company Sales, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, which is owned by Los Angeles-based Brentwood Associates. More information can be found at www.thegreatcourses.com.
