Get a unique perspective on the history of Western civilization with this two-course set taught by master storyteller and award-winning Professor J. Rufus Fears.

Freedom has been the driving force of Western civilization and may be the most influential intellectual force the world has ever known. But what is freedom, exactly? Find out in A History of Freedom. In this course, Professor Fears tells freedom's dramatic story—from its origins in ancient Greece to its current state in the 21st century—and reveals what freedom meant to such iconic historical figures as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King Jr. Along the way, you'll consider a host of profound issues, such as the moral questions freedom raised for our forebears, the relationship between democracy and freedom, the differences between public and private freedom in a free society, and more.

Then, in Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life, Professor Fears presents you with his choices of some of the most essential writings in human history. Discover how these works—including the Bhagavad Gita, Othello, Walden, and Gandhi's Autobiography—shaped the minds of great individuals, who, in turn, shaped the course of human history. With their focus on intellectual history and ethics, these 36 lectures take the underlying ideas of each great work and show how you can put them to use in a moral and ethical life.