TOPICS  OFFERED  FOR  SPRING  2007

 

 

Please note that the books listed for each course are only possible candidates. 
Do not buy any until the coordinators advise you what they will use as a common reading, if any.

 

 

 

 

1.     (AFF)   FOREIGN  AFFAIRS

      Foreign Affairs is published 6 times a year (every two months) and contains numerous topical issues for discussion.  This S/DG has always inspired lively discussions.  The July/August 2006 issue had such topics as the "Rise of India", “Russia Leaves the West,” and “Liberalism and Foreign Policy.”  The number of articles in each issue provide a wide ranging, but interesting, easy to read, and relevant set of presentation topics.

      Common Reading: Foreign Affairs. The monthly issues are available at most libraries, or the participant can choose to subscribe to the Foreign Affairs journal.  Bulk Student subscriptions are $18/year.

 

 

2.     (ART)   ART  OF  THE  20th  CENTURY

This Study/Discussion Group will take a focused look at great art from 1900 to 2000.  Using the core text listed below, starting with Rodin and ending with Louise Bourgeois, the class will examine some of the most significant works, discussing the artistic developments and trends across North America and Europe in the last century. The text provides full-color reproductions of nearly one hundred important paintings, sculptures, photographs and multi-media projects, each accompanied by brief biographies of the artists, informative essays, as well as anecdotal information and comparative illustrations will provide the basis for the course.  Members will do individual research on the artists, the styles, the trends of the 20th century.  The class may decide to include a field trip to view some local art of the 20th century.

Common Reading:  Icons of Art: The 20th Century, edited by Eckhard Hollmann

 

 

3.     (AUS)     COMMONWEALTH  OF  THIEVES

How did England’s rejects settle Australia?  This S/DG will see how these thieves and other undesirables sailed for New Holland in 1788 to found Port Jackson (now known as Sydney).  Port Jackson served as a severe testing ground for the convicts to settle New South Wales as an embryonic nation, all from a commonwealth of thieves.  Our book’s author also wrote Schindler’s List.

Common Reading:     Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia, by Thomas A. Keneally (Random House, October, 2006)

 

 

 

4.     (CFS)   CONTINUED  FINANCIAL  SUCCESS

Managing money has a scientific basis. It has little to do with stock picking and a lot to do with recognizing the effects of globalization and the structure of the financial markets. Though not easy, Modern Portfolio Management fundamentals are accessible to every interested person.  This is demonstrated by the manager of Yale’s endowment, Swensen, as well as a host of other authors. We’ll split our time between a discussion of Swensen’s book and member researched topics. Topics for presentation might include: Risk and diversification; Asset classes such as stocks, bonds and real estate; Non-correlated asset classes and reduction of risk; Investment ideas from Nobel laureates; Effects of  globalization including exchange rates; Computer modeling (Monte Carlo simulation) and withdrawal rates; Hedge funds; Mutual Funds; Bond funds; Taxes and after tax yields; Market timing and rebalancing; Personal risk profile (sleeping well); Types of bonds;  Yield curve analysis; Indexes and exchange traded funds (ETFs); Foreign indexes (developed and emerging); etc., etc. The goal is a diversified, passively managed portfolio. 

Common Reading:     Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment, by David Swensen  (August 2005, $11-17))

 

 

5.     (CLT)   THE  CELTS 

For more than 2,000 years the Celts inhabited the rugged margins of northwestern Europe. From their remote homelands in Brittany, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, they exerted a powerful influence on Europe – an influence far out of proportion to their numbers. In their role as missionaries and scholars, they kept alight the flames of faith and scholarship during the Middle Ages; as explorers and soldiers, they helped found overseas empires; and as artists and poets, they captured visions and preserved them for generations to come.

Common Reading:  The World of the Celts, by Simon James (Paperback, October 2005)

 

 

6.     (ETH)    MEDICAL  ETHICS:  A  CASE-BASED  APPROACH

Medical advances often result in ethic-based decisions for doctors and patients.  Medical Ethics is a topic of increased importance in the medical school curriculum.  This Study/Discussion Group tackles this subject by using the textbook cited below as a springboard to exploration of such issues as euthanasia, abortion, and informed consent.  The text is a narrative account of the main issues in medical ethics, interspersed with case studies and stimulus exercises that the group will discuss.  Research and presentations will cover various medical issues and should lead to stimulating discussion.

Common Reading:     Medical Ethics: A Case-Based Approach, by Lisa Schwartz,

Paul Preece, and Rob Hendry (Saunders, 2002 $25–$30)

 

 

 

 

7.     (FED)     THE  FEDERALIST

In 1788 Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers as a series of 85 essays to convince the American colonists to ratify its proposed constitution.  In one of the 100 greatest books ever written, they succeeded in gathering the necessary support to adopt the constitution.  This S/DG will study some of these essays to understand the thinking of the time and how it’s still relevant, today.  We’ll explore such issues as separation of powers, commerce, due process, equal protection, and many others

Common Reading:     The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay (Gideon Edition 1818, Indianapolis: Liberty Fund 2001)

 

 

8.     (FRK)   FREAKONOMICS

Why do drug dealers still live with their mothers?  What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?  Find answers to these freakish questions and come explore the theme: if morality represents how people would like the world to work, then economics shows how it actually works.  Knowing what to measure and how to measure it is the key to understanding modern life.  This S/DG explores how some economists see modern society and how this view makes the world less complicated.  Our book has been on the non-fiction best seller list for months.

Common Reading:     Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J Dubner

(HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2005)

 

 

9.     (FSS)   THE  FICTION  GALLERY  OF  SHORT  STORIES

The Gotham Writer's Workshop, New York's acclaimed creative writing school, has compiled an anthology of exceptional short stories that hold the reader spellbound and exemplify the very best in literary fiction.  Twenty-five authors including such masters of short fiction as Dorothy Parker, Anton Checkhov, and John Cheever and acclaimed contemporary writers as T. C. Boyle and Jhumpa Lahiri demonstrate how writers sew the elements of fiction craft into unforgettable tales.  This anthology also includes original interviews with three of the authors.  This study/discussion group will read and discuss the specific works, the authors and the process of creating a short story.

Common Reading:     Gotham Writers' Workshop Fiction Gallery, edited by Alexander Steele ($14.95) 2004.  Available new through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and used through various websites.

 

 

 

10.    (GEO)    THE  CRUST  OF  OUR  EARTH:  NEW  GEOLOGY

Experience a remarkable visual and verbal presentation of the geology of our Earth.  The maps and diagrams require only a knowledge of geography.  The introduction and the glossary of technical terms will assist you in your journey from the hot-water vents on the ocean floor, reversals of the earth's magnetic floor, plate tectonics, ice-bound Sahara, the Grand Canyon of the Nile, the Great Barrier Reef, how the Mediterranean was dry, North and South America's, Europes's and Asia's geology, to the glistening ice caps of Antarctica. It is a journey into the imagination on many topics you have some knowledge of, and you will be surprised how this armchair traveler's guide supplies the visual information which will stimulate discussions that completes the ever-changing, geological picture.

Common Reading:     The Crust of Our Earth: An Armchair Traveler's Guide to the New Geology, by Chet Raymo ($12-$33)

 

11.    (GLB)   DOES GLOBALIZATION TRUMP THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS?

The world view was fairly stable during the Cold War. Constant change has been the rule for the past fifteen years. In 1993, S. P. Huntington proposed a model of world interactions as “A Clash of Civilizations” in which eight different civilizations, based on differing religions and cultures, interacted. The rise of China and India and the conflicts with radical Islam are examples which fit into such a model. A different perspective is gained by looking at the vast expansion of trade in goods and services over almost the entire world during those 15 years. Both Huntington’s model and the globalization of trade have their advocates and (sometimes violent) opponents. Clearly, free trade has so far reduced stresses across many of the inter-civilization boundaries. A third perspective in international interactions may be obtained by looking at the education systems and levels of selected countries. Education, particularly of women, will be key to the progress and prosperity of countries and the peacefulness of interactions. Exchange of students may be as important as exchange of goods and services.

This S/DG will examine the world as viewed from these three perspectives: civilizations, globalization, and education. There will be two core readings (one is easily skimmed); members will be expected to use the internet and other sources to quantify education data. It is suggested that specific attention be paid to three foreign countries and their relationship to the USA: Israel, Iran, and North Korea.

Common Reading:     The Clash of Civilizations – Remaking of World Order, by S. P. Huntington (Touchstone paperback, 1996/7)

The World Is Flat – A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, by T. L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)

 

 

 

 

12.    (GNM)   THE  HUMAN  GENOME 

The completion of the human DNA sequence in the spring of 2003 coincided with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's description of the fundamental structure of DNA.  The analytical power arising from the reference DNA sequences of entire genomes and other genomics resources has jump-started what some call the "biology century."  This is the most recent step in understanding how our genetic makeup not only determines our physical characteristics but also influences our health, our behavior, and the rest of our lives.  This class will explore human genetics, what we already know and what we are still learning.  The common reading looks at a sample gene from each of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes.  Presentations can address recent developments in human genetics, ethical issues such as cloning, human engineering, and embryonic stem cell research, or alternative explanations for human behavior such as memes, which are units of cultural inheritance transmitted to our descendants via imitation.

Common Reading:  Genome, by Matt Ridley

 

 

13.    (INT)   INTELLIGENCE - WELL-MEASURED BY IQ TESTS - OR NOT?

This SDG will consider what is meant by intelligence and IQ, the claims of proponents and detractors.  The nature of the topic lends itself to an unusual emphasis on discussion and debate.  We’ll use little math, only enough to assure basic understanding of terms such as “the g factor”, heritability, correlation and variance.  A brief common text is specified but meetings will emphasize presentations and discussions.  Coordinators will provide a bibliography of 15 classic reference books and 10 especially-pertinent websites. Some of the many presentation possibilities:

·         “g” (general intelligence) , components of

·         Alternative types of intelligence (suggested by Gardner, Cattell and Thurstone)

·         How IQ tests are constructed and modified

·         Nature vs. nurture (genes vs. environment) …evolution of intelligence

·         Are IQ tests a suitable measure of intelligence for any and all cultures ?

·         IQ and race—discussion of the books  IQ And The Wealth of Nations and Race

Differences in Intelligence

·         Male/female IQ differences— the demise of the Harvard president

·         “The “Flynn Effect”—Why has IQ ‘increased’ over many decades?

·         Why do Ashkenazi Jews (but not Oriental Jews) & East Asians exhibit high IQs?

·         How chronometric tests (reaction time) correlate with IQ

·         Minnesota Univ. studies of  twins adopted into different families

·         Correlation of IQ and accomplishment

·         Intelligence as a function socioeconomic background, age, etc. etc.

·         Age and IQ. Extent we can determine future intelligence by monitoring infants?

Common Reading:     Intelligence—A Very Short Introduction, by Ian J. Deary

(120 pgs, $10)

 

 

 

14.    (JAZ)   JAZZ  FOR  THE  CLASSICAL  MUSIC  LOVER

Jazz has been called “America’s Classical Music”; the only art form created by Americans; America’s contribution to the arts.  Nonetheless, jazz has not always been given the acceptance and respectability that have been accorded European classical music.  This paradox has existed despite the fact that jazz counts among its fans many who love classical music, as well.

 

This core curriculum offering will explore the history of jazz music, with special emphasis on the interface between jazz and classical music.  Members will be asked to study and discuss the various periods in the development of jazz, the artists who contributed to that development, and the styles of jazz that resulted (e.g., from New Orleans, through the Swing and Big Band Eras, to the advent of modern jazz).  The particular focus will be the interchange between jazz and classical music. 

 

Shared music will exemplify:

·         Jazz interpretations of the classics (e.g., by Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck); there are nearly three hundred recorded jazz interpretations of the music of J. S. Bach alone, to which participants will have access;

·         Music in the jazz idiom composed by classical composers (e.g., Gershwin, Ravel, Leonard Bernstein, Shostakovich and Stravinsky);

·         Music by classical artists as they explore the jazz idiom (e.g., Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman);

·         Music by jazz artists as they explore the classical idiom (e.g., Stan Kenton and Wynton Marsalis);

·         Jazz music played on typically classical instruments (such as the string quartet, oboe, bassoon, and French horn).

 

Each student will do a presentation, with an emphasis on jazz history, critical writing, listening, comparing/contrasting, and discussing musical styles.

Common Reading:      The History of Jazz, by Ted Gioia (Oxford University Press, New York, 1997)

 

15.    (MAO)   MAO:  THE  UNKNOWN  STORY

Mao Tse Tung is the father of the economic, military, nuclear behemoth with which the rest of the world must now contend.  He was responsible for well over 70 million deaths in peacetime.  According to Mao, “morality does not have to be defined in relation to others.”  He schemed, poisoned, and blackmailed to get his way.  After Mao conquered China in 1949, his secret goal was to dominate the world.  Today his successors may be on the verge of doing just that.  Our text is the first intimate biography of the greatest monster of them all. Members of the class will be expected to be active participants in class discussions.

Common Reading:     Mao, The Unknown Story, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday (Albert A. Knopf, 2005) $17.

 

16.    (QEI)   QUEEN  ELIZABETH  I:   HER  LIFE  AND  TIMES

Elizabeth I was a brilliant woman and a devout Protestant who loved her people deeply. Her 45 year reign is considered to be the golden age of English history: the flowering of theater, literature, poetry, music, architecture and style.  Education was encouraged – Elizabeth founded many grammar schools.  It was a time of great expansion abroad and relative peace at home, populated by many other legendary figures: Bacon, Drake, Jonson, Marlowe Raleigh, Shakespeare.  Come see why Elizabeth came to be called the Faierie Queene.

Common Reading:     The Life of Elizabeth I, by Alison Weir (paperback: Oct 99)

 

 

 

17.    (REL)   COMPARATIVE EASTERN RELIGION

The eight religions or philosophies covered by this book offer a wealth of ideas for discussion and presentation.  The cultures of the East have survived for many years and represent philosophies different from our own.  We’ll cover; doctrine, sacred narrative, ritual, experience, and ethics of various religions.  We won’t limit ourselves to the major or contemporary religions in an effort to discover common underpinnings.  So as to focus on learning we’ll discuss: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Sikhism, and alternatives such as Secular Worldviews in our eight sessions.

These philosophies can also be contrasted with western philosophies.  Can these philosophies be incorporated into our western thinking for a better understanding of religions and philosophical beliefs? 

Common Reading:      Sacred Texts of the World: A Universal Anthology, edited by Ninian Smart and Richard Hecht  (July 1984, $35, ISBN 0824506391)

World Religions, edited by Martin Palmer

                                   

 

 

18.    (RUS)   BERTRAND RUSSELL

Russell had many roles including: politician, man of letters, historian, philosopher, theologian, educator, mathematician, linguist, psychologist, scientist, and economist. We’ll explore his writings in these, and several other, areas. Each member of the group will choose an area and we’ll read and discuss his essays in that area from the common text.  Russell’s ideas about international affairs, philosophy, etc. are as fresh and relevant now as they were when written by the  Nobel Prize winner.

Common Reading:     The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell, edited by Robert E. Denonn & Lestere. Egner   (1961, ISBN 0-415-08301-X, $25-35)

 

 

 

 

19.    (SCL)   ACHIEVING  SCIENTIFIC  LITERACY

One view of scientific literacy is that knowledge you need to understand public issues.  It is a mix of facts, vocabulary, concepts, history, and philosophy.  It is not the specialized stuff of experts, but the more general, less precise knowledge used in political discourse.  This course is intended to enable you to understand the news of the day as it relates to science, e.g., genetic engineering, global warming, energy sources and forms, superconductors and semiconductors, RNA and DNA, and the Big Bang.  The body of scientific knowledge has expanded greatly since most of us last took formal science courses, at what ever level we studied.  This S/DG is intended to be useful to those with little scientific training as well as those who specialized and need a broader perspective.  Attention will be paid to scientific and technical subject arising in current events and the rational for taking alternative actions, e.g., development of alternative fuels for transportation.

The Common Reading provides the basics of such literacy and will serve as the jumping of point for more detailed investigations into subjects of personal interest to the S/DG members. 

Common Reading:     Science Matters – Achieving Scientific Literacy, by R. M. Hazen and J. Trefil, (Doubleday, paperback available)

 

 

 

20.    (SSP)      AGE  CANNOT  WITHER,  NOR  CUSTOM  STALE  HIS  INFINITE

                        VARIETY

The above borrowing from Antony and Cleopatra serves to introduce this new Shakespeare class.  In it we will explore the great poet and playwright of four hundred years ago through study and reading of his plays and poems.

This is Shakespeare at a mature level, and we will deliberately eschew the plays and poetry that most have been exposed to through formal study.  Because of Shakespeare’s universality, lack of present knowledge need not deter our exploration.

In particular, we will examine through research, presentations and reading, the plays Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, Coriolanus.

Common Reading:      Paperback editions of the plays above, and an edition to be selected of the sonnets.

 

 

21.    (WRI)   THE  WRITING  MIND

This S/DG concentrates on fostering creativity and improving techniques of the writer through the production of original pieces of writing, literary critique and presentations by each group member.  Presentations are on literary topics or on the philosophy, subtleties or techniques of writing.  Each member will be responsible for; a presentation, at least two submissions of original fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or other form of writing, and for reading and critiquing submissions from other group members.

Common Reading:     None Suggested

 

 

22.    (TVL)   ALL  ABOARD  FOR  SANTA  FE,  TAOS,  AND  LOS  ALAMOS

A Study/Discussion Group with Travel

This course will cover the culture and history of these three fascinating cities.  Santa Fe is a blend of Pueblo and Spanish cultures, and the second oldest U.S. city.  Taos has thrived as an art colony for over a century, and Los Alamos gained its notoriety at the end of WWII.  The project possibilities are endless, as many distinguished people have been influenced by these southwest environs. For instance:

§         Writers - Willa Cather, D. H. Lawrence, Jack London, H.L. Mencken

§         Photographers - Ansel Adams, Edward Weston

§         Artists-Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Maria Martinez, Ernest Blumenschien and Native American artists.

§         Heiresses Mabel Dodge and Millicent Rogers

§         Others include Igor Stravinsky, Kit Carson and more.

Additional project possibilities include the Taos and Pueblo Indians, the cities’ histories, the churches and cathedrals, the Manhattan Project and Los Alamos National Laboratory, sites such as Bandalier National Monument, the Sangre de Cristo Range, and Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the regional crafts (pottery, beadwork, jewelry, wood and metalwork), the cuisine unique to the area – these are just the top of the mesa, so to speak.  Join us for what we know will be an exciting and enriching springtime venture. The course will be enhanced by a one week trip to these cities at the end of April, 2007.  (Of course you are welcome to sign up for the class even if you are unsure about joining the tour, and you are welcome to take the tour even if the class doesn’t fit in your schedule.)

Common Reading:     No textbook, though presenters may suggest some readings.

 

 

 

23.    (CSU)   CONNECTED  CONTINENTS,  DIVIDED DESTINIES:  AN OVERVIEW

                          OF  THE  HISTORY  AND  CULTURE  OF  THE  MIDDLE  EAST

Lecture Course at CSUDH

This series will survey key cultural, historical and political aspects of the states and territories which comprise the Middle East.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding the cultural and geographic complexity of the region and its influence on world events. Also included are topics addressing artistic, social and religious dimensions of near eastern cultures.  Feature film clips, graphics and other media are used to illustrate concepts.

No Common Reading

*