Ciao!

Your class seems very interesting, can you recommend me some introductory books on the subject?
BTW.- Let me know if you already went to Western Union.

Sounds pretty similar to our class. I'm jealous though. With everything that's going on now it should lead to some pretty interesting discussions, especially if a lot of them have seen "Fahrenheit 9/11."

I remember when you were about to discuss the Isreal-Palestine conflict on Rosh Hoshana (or Yom Kippur) though. I wasn't there for the actual debate since it was my birthday, but I heard it got very heated because there was a Jewish student and an Arab student in our class.

I might have to learn to play RISK better because (if you don't mind) I would like to use that simulation in my own class.

During my first year at West Point, our history professor did a re-enactment of the French Revolution to show how things work in designated ways, and that historical events are evidence that history moves smoothly as expected (kind of a forerunner exercise in rational thought). Anyway, each of us were to take specific roles and play out the history as we would do as our own type of specification. I was a shop keeper who was influential in my little neck of the woods.

Unbeknownst to my professor, I started making alliances with different leaders of the resistance and the main army behind everyone's back (all in the process of the game, not out of the game). When a military leader revolted and took power, I ended up installed as the figurehead King of France. My instructor was so pissed off at me, because that was NOT the rational outcome. He almost tore off my head when I responded that, "no, it was the political outcome."

Kara:
Yes, the Israeli-Palestinian discussion was quite heated, but I think it was still productive. And you are more than welcome to use RISK any time in any of your classes.