One of my favorite classes at UCSB. All about how to make the most out of your life from a social-science perspective. 3 midterms each worth 20% and one final worth 40%. Test questions come from both reading and lectures, so make sure you are attentive to both. John is an enthusiastic professor and makes this class applicable to everyday life.

John is the man. Tough, but the man. 3 midterms, 1 final, A's aren't hard to get, as long as you do the reading and study lecture notes, which there is a lot of. Study hard, study well, and enjoy. He changed the way I see life.

Everything is clear in the syllabus. His lectures for this class was amazing and pretty life changing. I liked the way he taught because he didn't leave students bored. You were always thinking about one topic to the other, and he also used visual representations to teach which was very helpful.

He is an amazing lecturer I was engaged and nodding along to everything he would say That being said you are required to know the littlest details from lectures and readings One of the questions was from a small word he had scribbled down in class

John is an amazing prof. This class is pretty basic, however its a great great class. He is passionate, has a zeal for life and he spreads that to his students in his content and lecture. Take any and all classes by the Baldwins. A must!

John is by far my favorite professor! He is so knowledgable, not only about what he is teaching, but life in general. This class opened my EYES to a bigger, brighter world! If you take one class in Soc, TAKE THIS ONE! (also took 15A, 152B, 185P - A's in all - and all worth the hard work!)

The material you have to memorize is ridiculous. Getting an A took more effort than usual. If your not a Soc major take it P/NP, if you are just cram,cram, cram! One good thing about this class is you are tested on what you know, can cross out one short answer out of six. A score of 25 out 30 is an A per each of the four exams.

Didn't find the class too interesting personally but John is a great teacher. He's super stoked about the topic and the class is pretty easy as long as you study the materials for the tests. Weekly reading as homework and attendance isn't required. Just a couple of tests and the final.

Wonderful, passionate professor. His lectures aren't mandatory but you'll want to be there just to listen. Tests are detailed, and you'll have to work to get an A, but it is definitely attainable. All in all one of the most charismatic, knowledgeable professors I've had the pleasure of taking in my four years at UCSB. HE is what teaching is about.

Very interesting man. Very passionate about his studies. The book you will buy for this class is one that him and his wife wrote. Topic is interesting. Hard to follow along out of class, like reading. There is a midterm every 2 weeks all essay questions. John is very approachable. I recommend going to office hours!! NO powerpoint!

Could not stand this class or professor. Notes he writes on the board make absolutely no sense, and are hard to follow. His teaching mannerisms are kind of creepy, he is overly passionate. The midterms are all essay questions, and are graded pretty tough. It seems like it would be rhetorical info but harder than it needs to be, not recommended

Class was horrible! 3 midterms which are impossible, you MUST know the textbook, lectures, and readers by heart in order to pass this class with a decent grade that wont hurt your GPA. Take another class!

Class had 3 midterms and one final. This class is ridiculous. He will find the smallest sections in the book to test you on. The teacher offers re-grading if you didn't get the grade you think you deserved. Grader NEVER gives full credit unless you memorize the book. Do not take this class.

This class was very interesting. It is almost about common sense but overall very informative class. Be careful with this class though, The midterms and Final are no joke. You are expected to know EVERYTHING both Reading and Notes

Worst class I have ever taken here. 3 midterms, and one final. The midterm is ridiculously graded! You literally have to memorize the lectures because he WILL ask 2-3 questions (in bullet points) that you have to list and explain. Useless class, all common sense.

Baldwin is very enthusiastic and makes lectures interesting and fun. He makes himself very available outside of class, which is very helpful. There are 3 midterms and a final. He tells you exactly what kinds of questions will be on the test and everything is very straight forward.

One of the few professors who actually cares about teaching.

Entertaining, fun, passionate about the subject, and keeps you interested the whole class. Actually cares about his students success. Overall an amazing teacher!!

I have taken 5 classes (152a-b-c, 142, 185) with John. They are all the same format (3 midterms, 1 final, all short answers). If you are taking these classes expecting a GPA booster, don't. If you are interested in actually learning something that will change your life forever, take them all! Must read & attend lectures to get good grade!

John is the most enthusiastic, inspiring professor I have ever had. I have taken 3 of his classes thus far and I just cannot get enough! If you want to get the most out of your education and actually learn and feel motivated about LIFE then take one of his courses and you won't be disappointed! His lectures and courses are designed for success!

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Unless you have your entire life to commit to this class, don't take it! Exams are terrible. Poorly written & graded harshly. He asks questions from topics he spent 30 seconds on in lecture. Book is bad too, but read it! Don't bother going to office hours for help, he treats you like you're wasting his time and will never give you a straight answer

Don't understand this prof's popularity. He taught class completely from his notes, no spontanaity. Any question from the students threw him because it took him away from his prepared material (prepared down to every "funny" comment like a overly rehearsed comic). Missed almost every appt. I made with him (honors contract)- just never there.

He is an amazing teacher and all of his classes are equally amazing. He requires a lot of studying and a lot of learning, so if you are lazy, do not take him. If you want to learn, he is the best teacher you will ever have.