This class would have been so much fun if it had been taught by someone else! He is the worst professor I have had in the department by far. The lectures are so boring and long, and I feel like I learn just as much of the material by reading the lecture slides on my own as by listening to him talk, if not more. The midterm is half multiple choice and half short answer -- I got 100% on the short answer and 66% on the multiple choice -- so I obviously knew my stuff but he just makes his multiple choice questions so tricky! If you do decide to take his class, don't bother showing up to lecture. You'll be fine as long as you keep up with the readings and review the slides and notes that he posts.

Ok, Professor Read actually listens to you while you talk. He is really nice. You almost wouldn't guess he is the chair for the Human Complex Systems Minor Program and that he's a well accomplished Mathamatician, Anthrolopogist, and is really the type of professor that is discovering new research.

TEACHING
He's just too smart that his lectures are a bit confusing and it is hard to take notes. He uses a lot of pictures and graphs and his powerpoints are good - yet the concepts are a bit complicated and he sort of complicates it more with presenting it in a very mathematical, statistical format. He's well spoken but after a while those big words just start mumbling in your head and you can't figure out what the message is.

READER/GRADER
The grader sucks, he doesn't hold office hours or provides feedback on your work.

FINAL EXAM
The final is weird, it's a bit tricky and you can mess up on it very easily. Even ifyou studied you never really feel like you have grasped the concepts.

Take him if you want, he's someone very approachable and maybe if you visit him often he can help you with the concepts, but he's very distinguished and busy. TAKE THE HONORS CLASS VERY EASY!