Review:
All Goldman classes are more or less the same, so any review of Michael Goldman will tell you what you need to know. Goldman has a lot of energy in class, and isn't shy about using it. Goldman will talk about how he wants his classes to be participation based, but he has a number of quirks that tend to squash participation. He'll interrupt people when they are answering questions, he'll tell people they are wrong, and he yells at people sometimes. If you are brave, this isn't a problem, but don't take the class if you are looking for something interactive.

Also, Goldman is a real hardcore liberal and will say things that make even liberals bristle a little. I wouldn't say he holds alterative views against his students, but he certainly isn't accepting of them. This is less of a problem than you would think it is, as there isn't much participation.

A major complaint that many have about Goldman is that his tests are crazy. I don't think many people do poorly in his class, but the tests are ridiculous. The questions are specific to the point of being trivial and you have to be completely inside Goldman's head in order to study properly for the exams. As a result, it isn't strange to see people near tears after the first test, since nearly everyone who is new to Goldman gets blindsided by the first test. DON'T WORRY! Goldman bends over backwards to give people credit even on the questions people get wrong, and if necessary he'll curve the tests in a way that can be described as "extreme."

All that being said, I really enjoy Goldman's classes. I think his quirks when dealing with students help keep class moving quickly and I feel like I learn a great deal in his lectures. He's an interesting guy and he has a lot to say, and if you learn to take what he says with a grain of salt, class can be very fulfilling. Likewise with exams; they can be frustrating until you understand him, but once you do, they'll be a breeze.

In summary, Goldman is not for everyone, but his classes can be great.

Workload:
Workload was reasonable to light. You don't have to do all the readings to do well, so it is possible to do very little work and still get by. For the most part, readings are interesting.

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