Carleton University Fall 2015

Department of English

ENGL 2107A: Science and Literature: The Importance of Science Fiction

W F 8:35 – 9:55 Location: Southam Hall 403

Instructor: David Hamilton

Email: david_hamilton@carleton.ca Office: DT 1929

Phone: TBD Office Hours: TBD and by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

“As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves.” - Dr. Who

"You will be Absorbed. Your individuality will merge into the unity of Good. And in your

submergence into the common being of the Body, you will find contentment and fulfillment. You will experience the Absolute Good."

- Landru

“Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told – and become upset if they are exposed

to any different view. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion.”

- Michael Crichton, The Lost World

Are we self-destructive conformists? Has our natural curiosity about the world and about ourselves been beaten down through a systematic, mind-numbing, technologically-driven (educational) paradigm? Or should we just resign ourselves to the “Force” or the “will of Landru” and give up our personal responsibility entirely? This genre-specific course will focus on the roots, development, and allegory of science fiction literature, and then we’ll apply these to contemporary issues. We will explore the relationship between scientific concepts and the arts, and progress through to our (sometimes) uneasy relationship with technology. As we consider our psychological attraction to speculative fiction, we will examine a number of issues in contemporary culture, specifically: our fascination with the “god complex”, the juxtaposition of hope and danger in the possibility of other worlds, postmodernism, our contemporary, social media-driven culture, politics and power, and ultimately what it means to be human. Speculative (or science) fiction gives us special insight into making sense of the world in our everyday lives. Science fiction can uncover the ways ideology, narrative, and epistemology function on a day-to-day basis. As a result, we will be taking science fiction literature seriously and will consequently be dealing with a number of "human" issues that concern us in our contemporary culture. This course will be taught through a combination of media-driven lectures, dialogic journaling, and class discussions in a format that provides you with an opportunity to work specifically with primary materials, introduces you to relevant collections and archives, and facilitates the development of critical thinking skills. To that end, you will be expected to prepare fully for each class by reading the required texts, preparing discussion questions, and participating (dialogically) in the discussions. Please note… this course has a heavy reading load along with weekly journaling assignments. Some of the questions informing the structure of this course include:

• How did (and how does) the rise in science and technology impact on romanticism and faith?

• How does the role of science in society subsequently inform the evolution of human identity?

• In what ways does a logical, “scientific” approach to understanding our world allow us to critically evaluate the nature of human beings?

• Can science, and by extension science fiction, solve our social problems? • How do we reconcile ourselves to the monster within?

Since many of the course requirements are initiated, refined, or completed in class, full attendance and participation are expected. Not sure this course is for you? Check out the unabridged feedback from your peers at the end of this outline.

PRIMARY READINGS Please note: I expect you to have the texts entirely read on the first day we discuss them. The emphasis in this course is on the discussion of ideas, and in order to do that effectively, you must have actively read the texts. Books The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction Arthur B. Evans (Editor), Istvan Csicsery-Ronay (Editor), Joan Gordon (Editor), Veronica Hollinger (Editor), Rob Latham (Editor) The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1: 1929-1964 Robert Silverberg (Editor) Black No More: A Novel George Schuyler Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut These texts should be available through the Bookstore or through Chapters. You may also be able to find some of the early individual stories on line. All other stories and articles may be found on line or on CULearn. Please see the Weekly Breakdown for details. ASSIGNMENTS There are weekly assignments for your dialogic journal – a journal in which you will write your thoughts, questions, analysis and comments about texts we are reading along with specific questions that I will be asking. Your journals are to be handed in electronically each week and they are worth 40% of your final mark in the course. In addition to the weekly journal, there is one term assignment where you will have an option between writing an academic essay or doing something creative. ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION You are expected to attend every class and to actively participate in the discussions. Participation includes: bringing the text to class, having read the assigned pages, and contributing to the discussion either by offering ideas or comments, or by listening attentively. FINAL EXAMINATION There is a final examination for this course. It will comprise two sections: short answer, and an essay. The material on the exam will be drawn from the lecture material, readings, and class discussions.

METHOD OF EVALUATION Assignment Description Length Value Due Date Dialogic Journal

A weekly journal comprising your thoughts, responses, comments etc about the texts or class material that we encounter. Up to 12 journals will be written. Your best 10 results will be counted.

Varies 40% To be handed in electronically each week

Random Quizzes

Up to 12 quizzes, given weekly in class. Your best 10 results only will be counted.

10 quizzes

10% Weekly, almost.

Mid Term Test

Quotes identification / short answer covering lecture material to this point.

In class 10% Oct 15

Term Assignment

Option (A) Essay – an original analysis and argument of some aspect of an assigned text. OR Option (B) Creative Project - a short story revealing substantial understanding of the science fiction genre.

(A) 1500 words (B) 2500 words

15% Nov 24

Final Exam* Covers all material from the course. In two parts: (1) Quotes identification / short answer; (2) Essay.

3 hrs. 25% TBA

Further instructions regarding the dialogic journal, quizzes and term assignment will be provided in class. *The final exam and airplane ticket bookings: The mid-term exam period is from December 9 – 21, 2015. Since the Registrar’s Office does not set exam dates until well into the term, you must plan to be available throughout the entire examination periods. Do not purchase plane tickets or plan vacations with departure dates prior to the end of each exam period. Exams will not be rescheduled for students who take on other commitments during the exam period. COURSE PROCEDURES, GRADES, AND GRADING Basic Preparation: As a matter of course you are expected to: (1) attend all lectures, (2) complete the scheduled readings beforehand, (3) arrive prepared to discuss what you have read, (4) bring the relevant text(s) to class and (5) bring your journals with you, either to add notes as we go along or to use to contribute to the conversation. Handing In Assignments: Weekly dialogic journals are to be handed in electronically to me via CULearn each week. Dates and times to be discussed in class. Any journal that is not submitted by the due date/time will be considered late. It is the students’ responsibility to become familiar with any dates/regulations which may take precedence over any course outline.

Late Assignments / Extensions: Do not ask for extensions without a medical certificate. If your work is handed in late, so be it. As such, you already have an automatic extension with consequences. For the weekly journal, I will note the lateness and this will factor in to your mark for this part of the course. For each day that your term assignment is late – including weekends – I will automatically deduct 2% . Grading Criteria: Grades for term work will be based on insightfulness, originality, focus, organization of ideas, clarity of expression, scholarly rigor, correct use of MLA style, spelling, and grammar. Grade Scale:

Letter % GPA A+ 90-100 12 A 85-89 11 A- 80-84 10 B+ 77-79 9 B 73-76 8 B- 70-72 7 C+ 67-69 6 C 63-66 5 C- 60-62 4 D+ 57-59 3 D 53-56 2 D- 50-52 1 F 0-49 0

Plagiarism: The University Senate defines plagiarism as presenting, whether intentionally or not, the ideas, expression of ideas, or the work of others as one’s own. This can include:

• reproducing or paraphrasing portions of someone else’s published or unpublished material, regardless of the source, and presenting these as one’s own without proper citation or reference to the original source

• submitting a take-home examination, essay, laboratory report or other assignment written, in whole or in part, by someone else

• using ideas, quotations, or paraphrased material, concepts or ideas without appropriate acknowledgement in an essay or assignment

• failing to acknowledge sources through the use of proper citations when using another’s works, and/or failing to use quotation marks

• handing in substantially the same piece of work for academic credit more than once without prior written permission of the course instructor in which the submission occurs

Plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft. It is a serious offence that cannot be resolved directly with the course’s instructor. The Associate Deans of the Faculty conduct a rigorous

investigation, including an interview with the student, when an instructor suspects a piece of work has been plagiarized. Penalties are not trivial. They can include failure of the assignment, failure of the entire course, suspension from a program, suspension from the university, or even expulsion from the university. See the Section on Academic Integrity in the Student Conduct Portion of the Undergraduate Calendar. ACCOMMODATION You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an accommodation request the processes are as follows: Pregnancy obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details see the Student Guide http://www.carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/student_guide.htm Religious obligation: write to me with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details see the Student Guide http://www.carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/student_guide.htm Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send me your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with me to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. Please consult the PMC website for the deadline to request accommodations for the formally-scheduled exam (if applicable). http://www.carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/student_guide.htm Intellectual Property The materials created for this course (including presentations and posted notes, lecture audio, case studies, assignments and exams) remain the intellectual property of David Hamilton. They are intended for personal use and may not be reproduced or redistributed without prior written consent of David Hamilton.

ENGL 2107A DRAFT Weekly Breakdown The following outlines the general chronology of the course to give you an idea of how we will cover the material. Depending on class discussion and other factors, there may be a minor discrepancy in relation to the weeks.

Fall Term Please note this is a draft outline and may be modified.

Date Topic Sept. 2 Introduction to the course; review outline; discuss requirements of the

weekly Dialogic Journal and on-line quizzes; Film (in-class): Star Trek “Where No Man Has Gone Before” 1967. The script may be found here http://www.chakoteya.net/startrek/2.htm

Sept. 9 Science Fiction Roots: Proto Science Fiction (pre 19th C); Imaginary Landscapes. Utopias/Dystopias; Alien visitors/observers; Towards a Definition for Science Fiction

- “The Literature of Change” http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/2010may/mckitterick.html

- Lucian of Samosata. Excerpt from “A True Story” (AD 165) http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/luc/true/index.htm

- Excerpt from Margaret Cavendish from “A New World Called the Blazing World” (1666) CULearn

Sept 11 Proto Science Fiction (pre 19th C) continued; discussion of term assignment

- Ludvig Holberg. From “The Journey of Neil Klims to the World Underground” (1741) http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/7/8/8/27884/27884-8.txt

- Voltaire, “Micromegas: A Comic Romance” (1752) http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30123/30123-h/30123-h.htm

- Voltaire, "Plato's Dream" (1756): http://wondersmith.com/scifi/plato.htm

Sept 16 Early 19th C Science Fiction. The Creature, the "resisting monster," the "Mad Scientist," arctic landscapes, doppelgangers, mesmerism, immortality and other themes.

- “The Mortal Immortal” Mary Shelley http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/mws/immortal/mortal.html

- “Frankenstein” (1831 ed.) Mary Shelley read the Preface and ch 1 – 5 http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/index.html

Sept 18 Early 19th C Science Fiction continued - “Mesmeric Revelation” Edgar Allen Poe

http://poestories.com/stories.php

- "From Man's Rights or How Would You Like It?" Annie Denton Cridge read Dreams 1, 2 and 5 http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/cridge/rights/rights.html

Sept 23 19th C Science Fiction: Invention, science, "mad scientists," curiosity, underearth worlds, magnetism, prehistoric survivors, time travel, earth's future, end of the world, entropy, defiance of mortality/aging, undersea worlds, misleading paradises, jungle landscapes, desert landscapes, futuristic visions, scientist as savior and other themes.

- “Rappaccini’s Daughter” Hawthorne in Wesleyan - excerpt from “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” Verne in

Wesleyan

Sept 25 19th C Science Fiction continued; How to read Science Fiction - “The Protocols of Science Fiction”

http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/protocol.htm - “The Science Fiction Sentence” - http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/SF-Lit/SF-sentence.htm - “The Book of Jonah” in CULearn (yes, THAT Jonah…) - “The Star” Wells in Wesleyan

Sept 30 1900-1929. Scientific Concepts and the Arts; more social criticism; the robot is born, space opera and other themes

- “The Ray of Displacement” Prescott http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/raydispl.htm

- “Sultana’s Dream” Hossein http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sultana/dream/dream.html

- excerpt from “The Princess of Mars” Burroughs Chaps. XIII, XIX, and XX http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/pmars-table.html

Oct 2 1900 – 1929 continued: technology out of control! Loss of humanity. - “R. U. R.” Capek http://preprints.readingroo.ms/RUR/rur.pdf - “The Machine Stops” Forster in Wesleyan

Oct 7 1930s More End of the World! Robots running amok! - “Helen O’Loy” del Ray in Silverberg - “Shambleau” Moore in Wesleyan

Oct 9 1930s continued; Satire in literary Science Fiction; addressing racism. - Black No More Schuyler

Oct 14 1930s continued; Satire in literary Science Fiction; addressing racism.

- Black No More Schuyler

Oct 16 Mid-term test. In class.

Oct 21 1940s. Golden Age; Robots, nuclear hazard, war, Earth's future, religion, longevity, curiosity, feminist sf, etc.

- “Nightfall” Asimov in Silverberg - “The Weapon Shop” Vogt in Silverberg

- “Arena” Brown in Silverberg Oct 23 1940s continued

- “That Only a Mother” Merril in Silverberg - “Desertion” Simak in Wesleyan

Oct 26 – 30 Fall Break – no classes Please use this time to read ahead as much as possible, and to work on your term assignment

Nov 4 1950s. Space exploration, alien worlds, colonization, alien invasion, "mad scientists," genetic engineering, androids, robots, psychodrama, cultural conflict, alternative energy sources, feminist science fiction, alien possession of human bodies, interplanetary communication, etc.

- “All Summer in a Day” Bradbury on CULearn; - “The Nine Billion Names of God” Clarke in Silverberg

Nov 6 1950s continued; Narcissist Personality Disorder - “It’s a Good Life” Bixby in Silverberg - “Flowers for Algernon” Keyes in Silverberg

Nov 11 Science Fiction of the 1960s. Language, multiple species, apocalyptic science fiction, cold wars and hot wars, entropy, feminist science fiction, cultural conflict, gender benders, federated planets, exploration/colonization, near futures, far futures, intelligent apes, sentient planets, sentient ships, anti-intellectual humans, comic gods, robots, super smart children, androids, intergalactic communication, exploration/colonization, winter landscape and other themes.

- “The First Men” Howard Fast http://www.trussel.com/hf/firstmen.htm

- “Aye, and Gommorah…” Delany in Wesleyan Nov 13 Science Fiction of the 1960s continued; Bakhtin’s Carnivalesque

- “’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” Ellison in Wesleyan

Nov 18 Science fiction of the 1970s. Feminist science fiction, hard SF, future worlds, class/cultural conflict, disease, healing, overpopulation, alien invasion, misleading paradises, androids, mutations, alternative families, technological warfare, and other themes.

- “When it Changed” Russ in Wesleyan - “And I Awoke and Found Me Here On the Cold Hill Side”

Tiptree, Jr. in Wesleyan

Nov 20 Metafictional Science fiction - Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut

Term Assignment due

Nov 25 Metafictional Science fiction continued - Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut

Nov 27 Science Fiction of the 1980s. Alien species (friendly and otherwise), earth's future, dystopias, disease, doppelgangers, androids, arctic landscapes, feminist SF, spatial anomalies, time anomalies, longevity, genetic engineering, cultural conflict, cyberpunk, gritty, violent worlds, technological warfare.

- “Computer Friendly” Gunn in Wesleyan Dec 2 Science Fiction of the 1990s; Cyborgs, android, time travel, time quakes,

probability, megalopolis, the supercorporation, cyberpunk - “Closer” Egan in Wesleyan - “Think Like a Dinosaur” Kelly in Wesleyan

Dec 4 Science Fiction of the twenty-first century. What's New? Where are we heading? Review for the exam.

- “Exhalation” in Wesleyan

David A. Hamilton (ENGL2107B - Science Fiction )

Amazing prof 10/10

Your science fiction class both very interesting, and a lot of fun. I gained a lot of respect for the genre afterlistening to your lectures. I enjoy your teaching style and charisma immensely, keep doing what your doing!If I had an extra free English elective credit, I'd take another one of your classes for sure.

David Hamilton is a great professor. There's nothing better than taking a class and knowing the teacher ispassionate and interested in what their teaching, and helping their students succeed. The content of the courseis interesting and suitable for a second year level course. I'd like if he analyzed the texts in a more deepercontext, but like I said appropriate for a second year level course. His comments on his assignments arealways nice to read, detailed and shows that he really cares about what he's teaching. I learned a lot from thisprofessor!

I loved this class and the professor. He made it extremely fun and interesting and made me actually think andengage with the material in a way that four previous years of English profs haven't really been able to do. Iwould, and have, recommend this class to anyone! Thanks for a fantastic semester

I LOVE HIM. I LOVE HIM. I LOOOOOOVE HIM. I cannot describe enough how glad I am that I Havetaken his class! He is fun and amusing and understanding and actually pushes his students to do better andexcel in their field and whatever they like doing. I cannot wait until I take his other courses in my upcomingtwo years of university. He actually provided a fun and fulfilling semester for me.

Your teaching style is the most effective method I have ever encountered as opposed to other professors.Although at first I thought that the weekly journal assignments and quizzes would be "too much work" for meto keep up with, it has kept my knowledge of what we have studied fresh and I am able to recall past lectureseasily. Your incorporation of lecture slides online as well as recording your lectures for us to listen to issomething I believe every professor should be doing! Thank you for being a fantastic professor and makingscience fiction fun and exciting!

David Hamilton has been a pleasure to listen to. He knows his material well, and appreciates students whoput in the effort to come to class and read the material. His class was fair, and well organized. Additionally,his assignments are fairly graded and weighted.

I found the amount of information being communicated to be excessive on some occasions. Complex ideas(both philosophical and historical) were not given enough time in lecture. On some occasions, slides were notused when they would have been helpful -- e.g., in the March 25 lecture, where I couldn't absorb informationabout important figures in 20th century Indian history because the pertinent facts were not displayed visually.More detailed slides, and leaving slides up for longer, would have been helpful.

Ultimately, I think the professor attempted to communicate more information than is realistic for a single-semester course. Too much time was spent on concepts of secondary importance, and not enough time onconcepts of primary importance (I.e., which we were expected to know well enough to be tested on them). Infuture, secondary concepts should eother be omitted, or their secondary status should be clearly marked sothat students will not attempt to memorize them.

The vocabulary, introduced as a study tool for the midterm exam, was extremely helpful for overcoming thelanguage barrier; introducing it earlier, so that students can use it as a reading and lecture aid, would behelpful.

Otherwise, an excellent and interesting course. Thank you!

I have only great things to say about Mr. Hamilton. I was expecting a much different kind of class before Itook it, but I was pleasantly surprised that even though it was not what I was expecting it was a good class. Imean how can you not love a class that starts off with a full class of Star Trek. I'd take a class with him again.

The selection of readings was amazing, and was very informative of the science-fiction genre as a whole, butI found the analysis of the texts to be lacking. There was to much summarizing, and I found it dull as i hadalready read the text. The quizzes and tests were mostly fair, as someone who had done close reading of theassigned work would have no problem answering the questions.I also take issue Prof. Hamilton's use ofmulti-media, as the videos shown in class often have nothing to do with the material and tend to waste time.This is a small thing, but I find it irritating when he calls his students scholars, as it seems pretentious. We'renot scholars, we're just a bunch of kids.

Professor Hamilton does a great job of teaching this course. He doesn't just know the material really well, healso has a passion for it, which makes learning so much more fun. Recording the lectures is also a greattechnique. Personally I haven't used them, but it's nice to know that if I did miss a lecture I wouldn't be totallylost and for students who like to review that way it seems to be a good resource.

Favourite class at Carleton by far. I wouldn't change a thing.

I loved the class, completely blew my mind HOWEVER, we need to focus on teaching students how to maketheir own tin foil hat!!

I did not have any difficulty to follo the class even though I'm an exchange student and I really loved it.Thanks!

Super fun course. Professor is quite entertaining while being able to remain on topic. It is a very interestingcourse and much more relevant than I expected.

I absolutely loved this class. Big thanks to Prof Hamilton for organizing and teaching a great subject in agreat way.

I absolutely LOVED this class! I was not really a science fiction fan before registering for this course but Ienjoyed this much more than my Science Fiction Film class last semester. I appreciated that the coursematerial was not the conventional megapopular SF. The readings comprised of a multitude of topics fromrenowned authors to relatively unknown ones. We did read about robots, spaceships, and planets but thecontext varied from human radiation to scientific experiments gone wrong. This course shaped myunderstanding of science fiction as something that provides social commentary and is actually relatable tohuman nature beyond the standard Star Wars/Star Trek fanfare. The assignments were at times laborious but they kept my engaged in the class and having to complete themon time weekly kept me on track and focused. By having to submit weekly journals and quizzes in class, I didnot neglect to do my readings which is very easy to do in second-year. My favourite assignment that requireda lot of hard work, time, and effort was the short story final assignment. I always underestimated mycreativity and ability to write fiction but after reading all the stories, I am so glad I decided to write the shortstory instead of a boring essay. I was so happy and proud of the outcome of the assignment and the feedbackProfessor Hamilton provided. I am thankful for this creative option to the final assignment as I wish moreEnglish professors allowed their students to write their own literature.

Although the classroom was a little claustrophobic and not spacious enough for all the students, ProfessorHamilton definitely made up for it by always adding humour, energy, and enthusiasm to his lectures. Asidefrom the fun video clips and entertaining images on the slideshows, the lectures provided a lot of differentviewpoints and an in-depth analysis of the literature. I am grateful for the lecture slides and audio posted onCULearn which were life-savers. Professor Hamilton delivered every lecture with genuine passion forscience fiction and I could not have asked for a better instructor!

Thank you for teaching us and have a wonderful summer !

Only comment I have is that for stuff like the novels it would be nice to really delve into them rather thanspending one to two 1 1/2 hour lectures on them, but there's so much to get into in terms of science fictionthat it probably just won't fit.

Honestly one of the best courses I've ever taken. The content, analysis, and instruction were all flawless, and Ithoroughly enjoyed every class. With that, I'd just like to say thank you. I wish you all the best in futureinstruction, and I hope you continue to research the marvels of science fiction. Live long and prosper!

One of the best profs I've had in university

I found this a really good survey course of science fiction literature. I had expected to study a lot of texts Iknew, but I was only familiar with a couple of the readings we did, so this class exposed me to a lot of newmaterial. I liked the evaluation style with the weekly journal entries and quizzes. I enjoyed the opportunity todo something creative for my final project, and appreciated that the professor encouraged creativity ingeneral.

I enjoyed the lectures and felt there was reasonably good opportunity for class discussion, although not quiteas much as I would have liked. My one complaint is that the professor often spent a lot of each classsummarising the reading we had just done, which seemed redundant (or, at the least, beneficial only to thestudents who didn't do the readings) and took away time that could have been spent doing other things (class

discussion, descriptions of other important texts, watching clips of Doctor Who).

Over-all a really good class.

This class was a joy, thank you so much :)

This was easily my favourite class of the year.

Great class, but the workload was unnecessarily heavy. The reading load was manageable and typical for anenglish class, but writing 12 (or even just 10) journals is excessive and it makes it hard to justify working onthem over other assignments when they are only worth 4% each. I think in the future the number of entriesshould be cut down to make it worthwhile for the students.

He clearly has a passion for the topics and it makes the classes fun and zany. Though sometimes his dramaticwhispers didn't quite make it to the back of the class.

Professor Hamilton loves to teach this class, it is pretty evident through the way he approaches and teachesthe material. Therefore, he encourages you as a student to do the same. A wonderful professor and I wished Iwas able to pick his brain more than my shy self allowed me to. Everyone should take this class

Excellent professor! Obviously loves the topic and extends that love to his students. Learned a lot andenjoyed every single class. Only gripe is the weekly assignments, as for those of us who work while takingclasses it is extremely difficult to find the time each week. Would take another one of his classes in aheartbeat as he makes you passionate about what you are learning.