Goes off on tangents often, fails to finish lecture material, but he's a nice gy

interesting and informative lectures, helpful and nice, but hard grader

awesome stories, REALLY interesting, only 2 midterms, 2 papers...definitely worth taking! my favorite class at vandy!

WWII history with bess has been my favorite class at vanderbilt this year. bess's lectures are great and intriguing. the TA that grades my papers and tests is one hell of a hard grader, though...overall great class, but hard too.

great teacher, great lecturer, class isnt too hard but they grade hard.... a fair amount of reading, but really interesting class.... great guy and always willing to help

incredibly nice, v. personable prof. class pak outlines all lectures for the semester, including ids for midterm and final. good course to strengthen writing skills. dont let the fact that he is a hard grader keep you from taking this course.

He is so incredibly nice and has a great sense of humor. The class is very interesting and enjoyable.

Extremely knowledgeable and an interesting class. Not difficult if you do the reading.

Quite possibly one of the most inspiring, interesting and generally good teachers I have ever had. Class is tough, but actually....fun.

The finest professor I have ever known. Thank you so very much.

Great teacher. I always make up excuses to go to his office hours just to hear him make really intellegent points.

He is absolutely one of my favorite teachers-so excited about the topic. I didn't mind doing all the work required because the class was so great.

Helpful, and clear. Great teacher.

Pretty good teacher, but kind of one-dimensional. Class was exciting at first, but it's kind of repetitive now.

Such a great professor. I learned so much from his course and highly recommend him to anyone. He makes you work hard and think, but its refreshing to have a teacher who challenges you intellectually.

I loved Professor Bess. His class was so good that on the last day we all gave him a standing ovation. I even almost starting crying, it was so good. The only hard thing about the class is the TA though.

This is absolutely the best course I have had the pleasure of enduring at Vandy. Bess is the only professor I have ever felt not only is passionate about his material, but loves to teach it as well. A standing ovation on the last day of class proves the entire class' opinion of this great teacher.

Awesome teacher, tough grader, but one of the best at Vanderbilt.

This guy is the man, and his class is amazing. I just graduated, and I can honestly say his class is the only class that I made it to for EVERY lecture. He makes classes interesting, and he can teach you more about the subject than you can imagine. A pregnant TA may get in the way of your enjoying the class, but if you ignore her, you'll be set.

Bess is an incredible professor. He incorporates multimedia into his lectures, reads poetry, plays music, movies, shows artwork, etc. from the time periods he is talking about. He puts things into a social/cultural context and makes things interesting.

WWII class. My favorite class at Vanderbilt. Someone needs to get him a show on the History Channel.

still is one of my favorite professors. His lectures are very informative, but very focused. sometimes he gets into a story and you think, like other professors, he's rambling, but he always seems to have a point. his tests weren't terribly hard, as long as you do the reading. Definitely a professor to seek out.

Simply the best - very committed to his students.

GREAT PROFESSOR! Your grade depends on the TA, but Bess was engaging, hilarious, and genuinely cared about the students and their learning. I strongly recommend this class to anyone! He will be gone until spring 2007, but take this class then!

While I found the class very interesting and Bess to be an engaging professor, my problem was that he actually doesn't teach you anything about WW2. You discuss random issues dealing with morality of decisions like the atomic bomb, and while that is all well and good, you do not get the details of the war. It was more of a philosophy class.

Amazing lectures, although a lot of his ideas are not exactly in the mainstream. But he's still an incredible teacher devoted to his students and receptive to points of view other than his own. You can tell he loves to teach.

Bess is an AMAZING guy! Lectures seem more like a doctoral speech than a dry lecture, looks at sides of WWII that I never thought of considering. Very nice guy, approachable outside of class. That being said, it IS a difficult class and requires a lot, but it's worth it for this class and this guy!

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING professor, man, and teacher. I would highly recommend him for any class, to anyone. Compassionate, intelligent, and humble are only the beginning of a long list of his noble attributes.

An amazing lecturer, probably the best I've had at Vanderbilt.

Bess lectures are excellent - always well thought-out and written before hand. He doesn't simply ramble on. However, your grade depends on the TA and the books aren't really necessary to the class since they are mostly fact based. Also: the class-pack has basically everything you need to study for the tests.

He's nice and he'll help you out. Plans lectures out like speeches.

My favorite class at Vanderbilt. Bess is one of those rare professors who understands the importance of actually teaching, and he does it to a higher level than most Vanderbilt students. You won't do well unless you challenge yourself. But this is the sort of class I came to college for and would highly recomment it.

Professor Bess is an excellent professor! I took History of World War II (172) with him. He makes World War II extremely interesting, and he knows his stuff! If a student studies what is in the class pack, he'll easily get an A. I highly recommend this course to anyone! You can't go to Vandy and not take History of World War II with Professor Bess!

Great prof, hard class. Grading on essays (which you write a lot of) is arbitrary and inexplicably tough. As has been said, almost as much a philosophy class as a history one. If you're cool with a B, I would reccomend the class, you learn a lot. Unless you are very willing to work, I think an A is a stretch for most people.

Prof Bess is great, works very hard to make sure that his lectures are clear and well-written so the class stays engaged. But in terms of the workload and grading, it is EXTREMELY difficult considering it is a 100-level and not a W course. Take it pass/fail as a senior so you can really enjoy it. Learned a lot, worked a LOT.

Bess is an incredibly engaging and helpful professor. He genuinely cares about his students and what they are learning. However, the class is a lot of work and the grading is tough. I ended up with an A- in the class, but I spent three times as much time on this class compared to any other.

Easily my favorite class at Vanderbilt. Bess is extremely interesting and makes you think about parts of the war that you never would have considered. It is a lot of writing and probably should be a W course. Grading is a bit arbitrary. I got an A but worked really hard for it. If you go to class and take good notes, its not too hard to do well.

Bess is an above average lecturer, class can be interesting. This is not really a typical history class, moral issues/lessons, not battles, are the primary focus of the class. Way too much reading. Midterms and finals test you on outrageous amounts of information. If you like to read history books, then take this class.

The class itself is OK, the work is not. Imagine having to memorize every single person/place/thing about World War II, well that's what the midterm and final is. Way too much work for a 100-level as mentioned. He's a good lecturer but fundamentally clueless about what is an appropriate amount of information to test you on.

Professor Bess is awesome! His lectures are really interesting and looked at WWII from a different perspective than I had previously considered. Midterm was kind of challenging/there are weekly quizzes but he offers lots of extra credit to make up for it. I highly recommend him.

Prof. Bess is a great lecturer. You'll need to have attended lectures to prepare for the final and midterm. Discussion sections are based mostly on his book about WW2 and really engaging. Very helpful outside of class in office hours if you have questions about the material or history in general. Really enjoyed this course!

The best lecturer I have had so far. Readings are not necessary but are helpful. Midterm and Final are a lot of memorization, but are not hard. Definitely would recommend this class.

He has an excellent understanding of what's an acceptable work load (it might actually be a little too easy). The syllabus shows a lot of reading, but the trick is to SKIM! The papers have a very short page limit, and his grading criteria are very reasonable. His lectures are enjoyable, but sometimes they seem irrelevant and too idealistic.

Bess, simply put, is fantastic. Lucid, entertaining lectures. Challenges you to learn more than just the military history of WWII. Best prof I've ver had. Simply brilliant.

300 person lecture negatively affects the class but Bess is fantastic. Really makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about WWII in terms of the events themselves, their moral significance, and their consequences. Lots of readings but they were a highlight of the course. One of the best profs out there. Definitely recommend the class.

Superhuman Civilization: Lectures follow the class-pack word-for-word, but attending and hearing his storiesanecdotes is what gets you 100s on the exams. Weekly readings for credit are great grade boosters. TA's do almost all grading, but it's a really unique concept class cross listed for MHS.

Professor Bess is the best lecturer ever and this is a great class. There is quite a bit of reading and weekly reading quizzes. Only 3 essays, none longer than 5 pages. Tests are ID's and essays. Attendance is not mandatory in lecture, but you miss too much if you don't go. Grading standards are high, but A's are easy if you study hard.

Bess is an awesome guy. He's a great lecturer and has an impressive knowledge base. Really interesting professor - would definitely recommend any of his classes! One of the best professors I've had at Vanderbilt.

Bess is the man, he is a really down to earth guy who makes history a fascinating subject. European History was not my favorite subject but his lectures are powerful and go beyond the normal views I had of history which was great. Hope to take another class with him!

I didn't understand what everyone saw in him at first and thought he was pretty average. Then he gave the final lecture of the class, and it was the most moved I've been in any class I've taken at Vandy. He's a guy that truly cares and wants to see his students address critical issues.

Best teacher I have had at Vanderbilt. My time at Vanderbilt would not have been the same without taking this class. Lectures are amazing and he's honestly a genius. Its really not hard (not a guaranteed A but if you put in some effort an A should not be hard at all). Might seem like a lot of reading but readings are not really that necessary

Best class at Vandy hands down. Pretty easy too, an A is definitely doable. Bess is absolutley inspirational.

Professor Bess is the best lecturer at Vanderbilt by far. His organization and emotion are incredible. I learned more about the moral intricacies of WWII than I thought was possible and it was all thanks to professor Bess.

Bess is VERY smart and engaging. The assignments are creative and the tests are fair. The readings can seem like a lot but skim; essay questions and ID's are given in advance (he picks from them), so you know exactly what will be on the exams. Not an easy A but *best* class I've taken. Significantly improved my thinking and writing skills. TAKE IT!

Bess is maybe the best prof I've had at vandy. His lectures are heads and shoulders above anything else and his knowledge about ww2 is supreme. He just comes off as a kind, engaged prof who cares about the subject matter and his students.

Excellent professor. If you can get into a seminar with him you must take it at all costs. He's a genius who cares about his students. You should expect to reciprocate work however.

I absolutely loved Professor Bess. His lectures were captivating and engaging, they made you want to listen. His lectures tie very nicely into the weekly readings. Readings are supposed to be finished before lectures begin every week which is not hard to do. Discussion sections were also very engaging.

Michael Bess is the wisest man I have ever met. I took his WWII history class and it changed me. Great guy and teacher

Good class.

Bess is arguably the best professor I have taken at Vanderbilt. Lectures are engaging, and he does a great job of tying them to the real world. His experience (30 years) of teaching at Vanderbilt really shows. Lots of reading, but readings I enjoyed completing. Take him.

Absolutely brilliant, World War II with Bess was probably the best class I've taken at Vanderbilt. It was less of a military history class and perhaps somewhat of a philosophy class at times--but in the best possible way. Definitely take any class you can get with him!

Outstanding WWII history professor who really knows the material and finds unique ways to teach it to the class. Our class had 90 students and he still took the time to know who I was and what interested me in the subject matter. The best professor I have ever had. Would recommend him as a must have.

One of the best professors I've had at Vanderbilt. Amazing lecturer, makes every aspect of the war interesting. Truly one of the best professors you'll find at Vandy. I do not have a single bad thing to say about Professor Bess.

Professor Bess is probably my favorite teacher I've taken at Vanderbilt. His WWII class was extremely interesting and I genuinely enjoyed listening to his lectures. It's definitely not an easy class and you have to do work, but in my opinion it was extremely work it. Highly recommend taking one of his classes.

Professor Bess is crazy smart. He's a great teacher but he really impacted me just on the fact that he cares so much for his students. I separate him from every other professor I've had for this reason. He makes an effort to really get to know everyone. Lots of reading but it's all interesting and he offers so much during discussions. Recommend!!!!

Vanderbilt is lucky that they have Professor Bess. He's wicked smart and does an amazing job at engaging his students in discussions. I personally loved his interdisciplinary approach to teaching as well as his practice of frequently bringing in guest lecturers from other departments. His class exposed me to so many new topics and perspectives.

The other reviews on Dr. Bess are accurate, though hyperbole. He is a kind man, a great writer, and the topic of this course are interesting. However, I do find that his lectures could be slightly monotone, without much visual aid. He could also be slightly polarizing, and let his political leanings taint his material. Other than that, he is great!

I LOVE professor bess! He's such a kind man who's also clearly brilliant. I took him for human flourishing and I loved it! He puts so much effort into each lecture, and he genuinely wants his students to do well. You get out of the class what you put into it, and I honestly found this class to be very impactful. Highly recommend!

Prof Bess is truly the best Vandy has to offer. His WW2 class is the most interesting course I've taken in all my years here. Bess's lectures are so interesting and he makes the class into more of a story than a history class. Really intelligent historian and kind individual who actually cares about his students learning something. A must take.

this class is what you put into it- lots of little assignments, engaging lectures and ways to participate and engage. he had optional extra credit discussion sections and projects that you get to choose how to enhance your own flourishing! lots of reading and films but its worth it. one of the best classes!

Bess completely changed my view on history. I came into this class as a psychology major and left as a history major. Bess is an amazing lecturer and such a kind guy. I went to office hours pretty much every week to shoot the shit since he's wicked smart. Def a lot of reading but so worth it, and the reading responses make up a bulk of the grade.

Absolutely one of my favorite classes and professors at Vanderbilt. The class is structured and organized well, so there is never any confusion about what needs to be done. The only real downside is that there are a lot of readings, but they are engaging, so it isn't bad. Bess is definitely a professor I would take again!

As a senior who just graduated, I can say that he is probably the best prof Vandy has to offer. I learned so much daily that I was truly sad when the class was over. He knows everything about everything and gives the most awe-inspiring lectures that make you sit back and just say, "damn, he is good." Take him if you can, you won't regret it!!!

Bess already gets his flowers in this rating section but just to reiterate, he's the man! Obviously cares about students so deeply and if you take a class with him you'll leave improved wholly as a person, more intelligent, and better able to understand, interact with, and think about the world. Reminds you what university level education is for.

Michael Bess is the reason I fell in love with history. He's probably the most inspiring professor you could get at Vandy. Took his WW2 class and Human Flourishing and loved both. Not a cakewalk but def not too challenging. Just difficult enough to get you thinking a lot about the material outside of class, but not too much to stress you out.

Human Flourishing was great! Fair bit of reading each week, but follow instructions on the weekly assignments and do them on time, and you'll get a good grade. Attendance at his lectures is optional, but I highly recommend (I felt I didn't go enough); it's a great opportunity to hear his stories and expand your understanding of life. Def recommend.

Great professor who teaches a wide variety of interesting content in his Human Flourishing (2790) class. Very accessible in office hours, and class isn't too hard either.

One of the only classes where you look forward to listening to the lecture. This class will definitely have you pondering, take it while you have the chance because Bess really is one in a million.

This class was amazing. It really gets you thinking about life and how we choose to live through it. Bess is one of the greatest lecturers. He is engaging, mindful, and so open to discussion. You have weekly reading responses which aren't difficult a few film responses. discussion section has mandatory attendance.

Take the class. It transformed my life in many ways. Throughout the course, Bess offers perspectives you may not have realized you were missing.

look up "the boy" in the encyclopedia and you will find a picture of this man

Bess is very passionate & knowledgeable about so many topics. His lectures are engaging & information-dense so make sure you go. There are weekly reading & homework assignments & sometimes movies to watch/review. Two 5 page papers and a written, in-person final. Some readings are boring, but Bess always makes the topics interesting. Recommend!

Prof. Bess is an incredibly interesting and entertaining lecturer, and reading his works throughout the semester was also really helpful for the course. There is a lot of homework, but it honestly waters down the essay/final grades a lot which I liked. Definitely take a Bess class if you can!