I love his: "What do you think?"

Excellent teacher who loves his job.

"Happy hour" is picking this guy's mind. If I was in that classroom I would stay as long as he's willing to stay and leave partying for tomorrow...

So, here in 2026, thank you. I never tire of listening to Stephen Kotkin. I learn, learn, learn, about the dynamics, what to look at, the questions to ask.

i like  the way he doesnt use notes, never stumbles and in. total command of  the subject and  to cover it with such clarity and precision.   its fascinating.

Kotkins a goddamn class act.
Dry as a bone.

I appreciate Stephen Kotkin, a great researcher and professor.

I do wonder if Prof. Kotkin's views on Trump have changed in the year and a half since this talk was first delivered.

Love his analogies. Last presentation he said.. I tend not to use averages. Your head could be in the freezer and your feet could be in a fire so on average your warm.

Impressive to see this lecture years after... Impressive...

This aged incredibly well

“I teach everything under the sun, but I don’t teach conformity.”

Update please.... ASAP.
        America needs more Kotkin bigly.

Looking back at these discussions in terms of where we are now,  and what has transpired since are always "haunting" and disturbing in some way.

For me, a person born in the Soviet Union, most Western historians who talk about the past and present of Eastern Europe do not have a deep understanding of the subject. Stephen, by contrast, has an in-depth knowledge of the subject and a depth of analysis that speaks to the tremendous work he has done to understand the subject.

After eighteen months, this lecture stands up very well indeed.  Historical knowledge vindicated.

Awesome talk and exchange. I learned so much and at 62 was reminded of some things I should have been holding more tightly.

Kotkin strikes me as a true intellectual.

He is brilliant, brilliantly funny and  charisma-wise off the charts. Too bad he wasnt teaching when i was a student and I would have gotten straight A's

4 days after this lecture I started my one year mandatory military service at 28 years of age. Geez.

this should have 10 million views.