Ever since History, Disrupted released, I’ve heard from many of you that you want to talk about the book:

“LOVED your book, flew through it in a few hours, with many highlights, notes, and theories in the margins… I have that thing marked up and would relish in a discussion on it!,” one friend wrote me.
“Thoroughly quotable and thought-provoking… some of your points have resonated with me,” another reader told me.
“I just finished reading ‘History, Disrupted’ and found it outstanding. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss its thesis and ideas,” a colleague wrote.

Today, it brings me great pleasure to announce that History Club is teaming up with New York Adventure Club for an 8-week mini-course around History, Disrupted: How Social Media & the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past.

We’re teaming up with New York Adventure Club to talk about how social media has changed what we know about history.

This 8-week webinar series, running from November 1 through December 20, will break down each chapter of the book, talk about examples of how the book’s findings play out in the real world, and discuss the implications for the future of social media.

Full schedule:

Part I - The Invention of e-History (November 1st)

Over the past twenty years, tens of millions of history videos, podcasts, articles, and memes have been placed online by people around the globe, making history content one of the internet's largest categories. How has this phenomenon of "e-history" — as coined by me in the book — changed nearly every society throughout the world, for better and for worse? And how will it affect our lives in big ways going forward? This is story of how e-history came to dominate our attention online.

Part II - The Wikipedia Revolution (November 8th)

In Part 2: Wikipedia Revolution, we'll explore how the free web-based encyclopedia Wikipedia amassed more than 6 million entries about history throughout the past twenty years — a content library that has revolutionized what we know about the past.

Part III - Facebook Feed Nostalgia (November 15th)

In Part 3: Facebook Feed Nostalgia, we'll explore how Facebook came to prioritize digital nostalgia through its curated newsfeed — and how this real-time display of personal histories is radically changing how we see our memories reflected back to us.

Part IV - When History Goes Viral (November 22nd)

In Part 4: When History Goes Viral, we'll explore how history became a viral phenomenon, and how viral moments re-write our history each day.

Part V - History Memes! (November 29th)

In Part 5: History Memes, we'll explore the proliferation of history memes on the internet and how they became weapons in the online battles over history.

Part VI - The 1619 Project (December 6th)

In Part 6: The 1619 Project, we'll explore one of the most consequential pieces of journalism in a generation, and how journalism came to dominate the discipline of history, turning the past into a central component of journalist careers and business models.

Part VII - History Podcasts (December 13th)

In Part 7: History Podcasting, we'll explore how history podcasting became an influential genre of history education and entertainment.

Part VIII - When Robots Teach History (December 20th)

In Part 8: Robots Teaching History, we'll explore how artificial intelligence is disrupting every field, including history — and why in the not so distant future, robots and machines will soon be teaching our history to students — and all of us.

All webinars will begin at 8pm ET and cost $10 to attend. Register individually, or for the entire series. Registration includes access to replays after the event.

Register

Questions

Can I attend even if I haven’t read the book?

Yes! You don’t need to have read the book in order to attend. Several of you have told me you own a copy of the book (which is terrific)—but you haven’t yet had time to read it.

This webinar series is an opportunity to read the book along with others, and talk about it with the me, the author, in a digestible, weekly format. Read a chapter, come to the webinar, and we’ll talk it through. Or come to the webinars to get an overview of the book, then read it over the holiday season.

Regardless of whether you’ve read all, some or none—all are welcome!

What if I can’t make all the sessions—can I come to some and not all?

Of course!

Each webinar will be distinct, so you don’t have to worry about when you join. Attend only the sessions that interest you, or join us for all eight!

Are there any special offers for paid newsletter subscribers?

Yes!

Several of you support this newsletter through annual or monthly subscriptions. As an expression of my gratitude, you can use your email address to receive complimentary access to either all eight events (for founding members and yearly subscribers) or the first event or a 12% discount on the entire series (for monthly subscribers).

Not a paid subscriber? Don’t miss out on future offers; become a supporter today. All proceeds go towards bringing historical and media literacy into broader public conversations.

Become a paid subsciber

Do I have to live in New York?

Nope! You can attend these virtual events from anywhere in the world.

New York Adventure Club are amazing in-person and online event hosts who curate a wide-range of history-related experiences—from online webinars to in-person behind-the-scenes tours. As a native New Yorker, and someone who idolized Barry Lewis as a child, New York Adventure Club felt like the natural partner for me to make this webinar series a reality. But you don’t need to live in NY in order to attend.

If you do live in New York, however, NYAC’s events are must-do’s. They scour the city organizing historical outings, and their membership now nears 50,000 people. Check them out, and help support them by participating in these webinars.

Where can I get more information?

Stay tuned to this newsletter for updates on each event, visit the New York Adventure Club website, and follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

This will be an exciting opportunity to dig into the meaty ideas in the book as a group.

See you online!

Register today

History Club

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