Product Description Regions of the U.S. Series North, Part 1: Selected theme: How is capitalism combined with religion a dominant factor in the northeast colonies from the very beginning period of this country? North, Part 2: Selected theme: What is the economic basis for the increasing antagonism between the North and the South in the pre-Civil War period? South, Part 1: Selected theme: Why, other than moral differences, does slavery develop mainly in the South rather than in the North, and what mythology does the master class of the South develop about itself? South, Part 2: Selected theme: What are the differences among the abolitionists in their views of what is to become of the ex-slaves after the Civil War? South, Part 3: Selected theme: How does romanticizing the pre-Civil War South, the image of Lost Cause, and perpetuation of racial values after Reconstruction, impact on future political forces in the U.S. through the 20th century? Midwest: Selected theme: How does the Erie Canal change U.S. history in terms of the economic link of the Midwest to the South, and the impact of this change on the Civil War? West, Part 1: Selected theme: Contrary to popular myths, what is the surprising diversity of Native Americans in the West? West, Part 2: Selected theme: What is the reason the Great Plains farmers in the West are in a form of economic depression starting back in about 1921, and so are hit especially hard by the Great Depression of the 1930s? About the Actor As a freshman undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, I was an English major, who, if I failed to write the Great American Novel, would become an English teacher. An American Literature course taught by a brilliant teacher convinced me that I did not have the imagination to teach that subject. To teach history, a subject I loved, was a natural fallback. Exciting history teachers and exciting history books confirmed this worthy endeavor. The political and social upheavals of the Sixties added to my growing attachment to history. As a teaching assistant in graduate school at Rutgers University, my normally shy demeanor seemed to change in front of a classroom. To use the traditional lecture format in order to bring the past to life and show its relevance to the present and provide an inkling of the future--this would be my life's work. From that moment on I regarded the teaching of history as a calling that I have hopefully fulfilled. About the Director I believe that things of value should be preserved and made widely accessible. I also have a strong entrepreneurial nature. As a kid. I collected WWII war posters, war paintings from Life magazine, and Saturday Evening Post covers. I did a lot of drawing, completing an art program at Cooper Union. Choosing vocational rehab career as an occupational therapist, I came to see that in the world there are needs and resources. I was determined to learn about both sides and then bring them together. I formed a rehab center and a transportation service. A graduate degree in measurement and evaluation from Columbia added to my preparation. In voc rehab people with disabilities are tested for work-related skills, and offered training to boost their chances for employment. Using real, not simulated, work to accomplish this was my preferred approach. This is where I called on my entrepreneurial side to help bring together needs and resources. I was able to utilize real work through my own businesses Retiring from rehab I found that the computer was a great tool for connecting needs and resources in many fields. Accordingly I wrote software for real estate management, college scholarship searches, transportation dispatching, and for employers to fulfill a NJ state mandated ride reduction. Now my current passion is preserving and making widely accessible something of great value. It is the most remarkable series of American and world history lectures, "World Events Over Time Collection," created by Eugene Lieber over his entire 30-year career as a history professor. See more