Matthew Jones

Though I graduated this past Spring, I wandered over to CULPA out of a sense of nostalgia and typed in a few of the teachers that I found most influential throughout my time at Columbia. Professor Jones does not need more praise than he has already received, but I noticed that many of the reviews here are dated. I merely wish to update CULPA to the fact that Professor Jones is still one of the greatest professors at Columbia, and to say that his teaching of Contemporary Civilization fundamentally changed the way that I interact with and view our world. Professor Jones is brilliant. I was a relatively unmotivated student before feeling the excitement that he brought to each class, which in turn made me excited to prepare for each class. Do take CC with him if you are ever offered the opportunity.

I took this class a few years back, but let me say that it is true that Jones is a brilliant lecturer who made going to class a treat. He is also easy to talk to and seems to be a nice guy. Let me also tell you that I'm not sure what I learned in this class. In fact I don't think I learned anything in this class, nor, I think, did many other people. I do however remember that Jones ended every single 75 minute lecture 20 minutes early. Make of that what you will.

A great course. If you like computers, Prof. Jones' course is a great way to get exposed to their history, which is pretty awesome considering how contemporary all of the material is. The course covers lots of things that you never knew about, but were fundamental in the evolution of computing, which is what a good history course should do. For what you pay, you should expect that the professors be brilliant, and Prof. Jones absolutely is. He switches seamlessly between software, economics, psychology, etc. He often understands what you are trying to say better than you do, and when he repeats it, you are left wishing that you could think as clearly as he speaks. A few caveats: - It is the summer, but the Prof. still wanted 200 pages of reading for each class, which can be intense from Monday to Wednesday, especially since readings are often only released after class. - It's a seminar, so be prepared to speak up. Also, be prepared to listen to other people, who may or may not have something intelligent to say. - Lastly, likely also because of the summer, Prof. Jones was not always readily available by email, so if you have something urgent, go find him.

The remarkable thing about Jones is not that he is a brilliantly mesmerizing lecturer. (Insdorf a.k.a. Miss Showboat of the Film department could learn something from him.) You get the impression that Matthew Jones could read Butler Library in a fortnight, and then deliver it in the most incisively comprehensive lecture in one (maybe two) semester. Jones is also a nice guy and not full of himself, which is another rarity. I don't think he'll change, either. The downside are the bumbling confused thickbrained TAs who can't keep up with the course. Sitting through their section groups is like witnessing one of those incoherent creatures that shuffle through the subway and mutter endlessly in the twilight zone.

I learned about the distinction between international and global history, as well as other topics in this subfield

The history of computers and the internet, as well as the different methods for telling these histories.

We learned about the scientific revolution, the various new philosophies and worldviews developed in addition to new technologies. We also explored the influence of the occult and mystic on modern scientific thought (ex. alchemy as a precursor to chemistry and modern laboratory practices), showed gradual trends from the fall of Rome in the fifth century CE to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and more.

Organization of senior thesis, planning and methodology, research methods.

Amazing amazing professor. Workload is light. Lectures are interesting. And he is very understanding with extensions and always available to help with essays. Even if you are not prepared for class, he makes the dense material understandable and is open to all comments or questions. Class participation is key but he responds well to any question, even if it isn't exactly correct, so its not that hard to participate. He loves making diagrams on the board to show different theories, so if you're a visual learner, then you're in luck. I would strongly recommend him.

I hadn't taken a history class since high school, but I loved this course. Jones is phenomenal. His lectures were always 50 minutes long, and included a wealth of good natured and EXTREMELY coherent and organized information. He's got a great dorky but intelligent sense of humor and is great at making the material engaging. And despite his brilliance, he takes a sincere interest in his students and their opinions. Jones is by far the best prof I've had at CU yet and I HIGHLY recommend him. In fact I think CULPA should upgrade him to gold nugget....