2021

 

- "Big History and the Future of Humanity" has really made quite an impression on me. I've gotten better at seeing big history patterns around me in life and the news, and using your theory to help me make decisions. I wanted to thank you again for teaching such an excellent and informative class. I'm pleased that I was enrolled (just) soon enough to take it.

 

(Former student who took my University of Amsterdam 2018 honors course, the last big history course I taught at UvA before my mandatory age retirement.)

 

 

 

- Truly enjoyed this most informative course: a great deal of praise for the teacher.

 

 

 

- It has been a pleasure, thank you for the great course.

 

- A very inspiring course.

 

- I appreciated the discussions and Dr Spier’s vast expertise and capabilities for explanation. He is a fantastic teacher.

 

- I really liked the overview of the big history of the universe, and although I already knew a lot thanks to my study, I still learned new things. Now, I look at the world in a different perspective, often in a big history perspective.

 

- I really enjoyed Big History, and I appreciate all the work that you put into the class. I learned a lot, and the entropy-energy-Goldilocks conditions theory that you outlined has changed my view on the world. Of all the classes I've ever taken, this was the most impactful one.

 

- I have taken lots of courses now at Amsterdam University College, but your course is the best.

 

2017

 

- Big History is very different to any other course I have taken at university or any other class at school. I am not used to questioning or looking in depth at specific components of a topic, as I have never been asked to so. However, I believe that these skills will carry with me for the rest my career as I would like to work in the public health industry looking at different perspectives, and the different components of these perspectives will be very helpful when coming up will public health intervention.
    I also believe that the skills that I have acquired are ones that are not usually taught at universities, as university courses do not usually ask you to come up with questions that you will not be able to answer. But, from this course I have learned the importance of asking these questions with no answers, as these questions may lead one to a more interesting or important question that one would not have been able to come up with without asking these questions with no answers.

    I think that these skills, this manner of thinking, and observing what is happening around you is what makes one stand out in the workforce and I will make sure to employ these skills whenever possible as I am sure that they will be of great use to me.

 

Earlier years

 

- Extraordinarily interesting. Fred Spier’s book is very good, and reads very easily.
 
- The Big History book is great.
 
- Big History (the book) is fantastic!
 
- Very good book by Fred Spier
 
- The book and ideas were quite an eye-opener.
 
- The textbook was easy to read, and made several concepts like physics for example, clear to understand, which I did not expect.
 
- I found this a most inspiring course that taught me insights that I would probably not have received in the rest of my university education.
 
- I can truly say that after taking this course, I've received a new way of looking at history that is much broader and well-rounded than I've experienced before.
 
- I think this course is unusual in its creativity and zoomed-out perspective, which taught me skills that I would not so easily acquire in other courses. I value the theoretical concept of the book as particularly useful. This has perhaps been the course with the most impact in my semester.
 
- I really enjoyed the course. The discussions added a lot to the course and made the course material easier to understand. The book was clear and interesting.
 
- Dr Fred Spier is an approachable, kind and dedicated teacher who is very passionate about his works in the field of Big History. He really has interesting ideas which are very inspiring. Also taking us outside and do 'experiments' with e.g. the compass was nice.
 
- Learned super interesting theories and ideas. Honestly the most interesting course I have ever taken.
 
 -The most enjoyable and most instructive course I have ever taken!
 
- We would like to sincerely thank mister Spier for teaching us this course and for broadening our view on history. We urge you to keep on teaching Big History; it has showed us an unique view on the world and its history.