Taxation on Impatience

[jducoeur]

I am reminded once again of how much I like The Teaching Company. Having decided that I'm back in the mood for courses, and realizing this morning that I'm running low, I just ordered several more -- on sale, of course.

The Teaching Company is amusingly explicit about its sale policies. The list prices for their courses are preposterously high, more than I would ever consider paying for whimsical random courses. But every course goes on sale at least once a year -- and the sale price is about a quarter of the list price. So they effectively have a two-tier pricing system. If you need This Course Right Now, and you have the money to burn, they will happily tax you for being in a rush. OTOH, if you're just fond of learning, and are open to whatever happens to be on sale at the moment, you can get all kinds of interesting stuff for entirely reasonable prices. (At any given time, at least 50 courses are on sale.)

As far as I can tell, they're making most of their profits off of the Economist crowd (they advertise regularly in there, presumably because the readership has lots of people who can afford to indulge their impatience), while doing a volume business on people like me. Sensible and clever.

For reference, I got "From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History"; "The Story of Human Language"; and a set of "Age of Henry VIII"/"History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts". Loans will be available in a few months, once I'm done with them...

Comments

[tangerinpenguin.livejournal.com]

I've also seen them do two-fers that were less than either course alone. Very odd pricing model, but as you say, far be it from us to try and talk them out of it.

[jducoeur]

Yaas. Indeed, my new order was basically four courses for about the usual price of one. (Including a twofer as part of that.)

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

I presume you've had some of their other offerings and enjoyed them, then? Some look interesting, and might help fill in the gaps that I'm sure I learned in school but have now forgotten.

[jducoeur]

Oh, yeah -- lots. My inventory can be found here:

http://jducoeur.org/teachco.html

I'll need to update that to reflect what's currently on loan and what's been returned, but basically anything that I've already listened to is available for loan. I would recommend pretty much anything except Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition, which is a bit too dry for my taste, and I didn't care for some of the professors involved...

Cassettes?

[pamelina.livejournal.com]

I presume these are audio cassettes? Or you would have said videotapes... Silly Pamela.

I ask, because they've got a sale on a videotape or DVD course combination of Middle Ages and High Middle Ages, and I was wondering if it was at all similar to the one you already have. I guess not?

Boy, are those courses tempting...

Re: Cassettes?

[jducoeur]

Yes, I always buy CDs by preference, and audiocassettes if they don't have CD. I do basically all of my listening in the car, because that's when I have the spare time and attention.

Don't know which specific course is on sale (they have several on the Middle Ages), but I suspect I have the High Middle Ages one. I loved the professor, once I got past his accent. ("'ello. My name is Teofilio Ruiz. My friends call me 'Teo'. This means God. You may call me 'Teo' too.")

[tpau]

i would liekto get in line for human language followed by history of england followed by the chinese history :)

i also want someof your other older stuff, is it availible?

[jducoeur]

Okay, cool -- it'll be a couple of months, but you have first dibs on the new ones. And yes, most of the older ones should be available...

[tpau]

spiff. can iget history of hte english language in the meanwhile?

[jducoeur]

Sher. Remind me, and I'll dig it out. When would be a good time for you to come over?

[tpau]

hmmm... this saturday before 1pm or this sunday after 2 but before 6?

[madamruppy.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of them but I am definitely interested. Thanks so much for sharing the link.

Thanks!

[pamelina.livejournal.com]

Ooo.... shiny!