(no subject)

Most of the time, I barely look at ads in the mail before putting them aside for recycling. But yesterday I got a catalog of "The Great Courses," offering educational DVDs and CDs at greatly reduced prices. They even sell themselves short: Why say "Save up to 70%" when some of the reductions are 80% or more? (That may be a bad sign for their carefulness.)

Clearly, if I'm going to buy from them at all, I'd best do so by March 4 or else wait for the next big sale. But I said to myself, "Pretend that the reduced price is the usual price. Sure, 24 half-hour lectures at $60 (for instance) is a deal, but are you willing to pay even that much?" It's not that I don't have much money to spare. I just want to make sure it's well spent.

Yet whenever I feel like tossing the catalog, I wonder if it's just a resurgence of my habit of living like I'll die soon. Why shouldn't I enrich my knowledge, even if I can't be sure that I'll ever get to use it? It's better than securing permanent stagnation.

The next question is which course to buy (it won't be more than one). A DVD would do me better, since I'm a visual learner. The issue's featured course, Building Great Sentences, sounds like something meant for poorer writers than me; besides, Sinclair Lewis said the only ways to learn to write are by writing and, possibly, reading the sort of material you want to write. I've ruled out the entire religion section for fear of bias against it, especially with the strong presence of Bart D. Ehrman. I'm leaning toward something I've barely studied and/or something that will probably serve me regardless of where I go in life.

Ultimately, these are the most tempting offers (prices rounded up by $0.05):
* Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy -- 96 lectures, DVD only, $800 $190
* The Joy of Science -- 60 lectures, DVD $625 $125, CD $450 $85
* Games People Play: Game Theory in Life, Business, and Beyond -- 24 lectures, DVD only, $255 $60
* Understanding Complexity -- 12 lectures, DVD only, $200 $35
* Dark Matter, Dark Energy: The Dark Side of the Universe -- 24 lectures, DVD only, $255 $60
* The Art of Reading -- 24 lectures, DVD $255 $60, CD $180 $40
* Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life -- 36 lectures, DVD $375 $85, CD $270 $55
* The Wisdom of History -- 36 lectures, DVD $375 $85, CD $270 $55
* Economics -- 36 lectures, DVD $375 $85, CD $270 $55
* The Art of Critical Decision Making -- 24 lectures, DVD $255 $60, CD $180 $40
* Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning -- 24 lectures, DVD $255 $60, CD $180 $40

My penchant for some scientifically oriented Web comics is showing here. :)

What do you think?

ADDENDA: The prices include course guidebooks. There's a money-back guarantee.