Looking for a last-minute gift idea for the person who has it all? We have two words for you (mushed together): MasterClass.
If you’ve never heard of MasterClass, it’s a vast buffet of smart, inspiring, beautifully produced multi-session online courses given by experts and celebs at the top of their field, covering everything from cooking to space exploration, music lessons to skateboarding. Right now, you can get two annual membership for the price of one during their holiday sale. But you’d better hurry because the deal ends on Christmas Eve, right before midnight!
The list of lectures to choose from is dizzying: Think leadership lessons from President Bill Clinton, singing sessions from Christina Aguilera, comedy coaching with Steve Martin, restaurant-caliber home cooking with Gordon Ramsay (minus the rage!), a country music course with Reba McEntire, basketball with Steph Curry and creative writing with Judy friggin’ Blume.
These are not one-shot quickie events; they’re layered, thorough, well-thought-out classes with many installments. Case in point: Shonda Rhimes’s MasterClass on TV writing is 30 parts (6.5 hours) and includes not only how to write and pitch TV ideas but deep analyses of scripts from Rhimes’s shows, including Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy. Penn & Teller’s 17-part MasterClass teaches the fundamentals of coin and card magic, yes, but it also delves into the psychology of creating a sense of amazement and awe.
There are classes in photography, design, politics, filmmaking, ballet —all taught by true masters in their fields. For $120 (which breaks down to $10 per month) you or a lucky recipient can indulge in the entire array of 180+ MasterClasses.
For maximum flexibility, go with the Duo membership, which lets two different devices watch at the same time. Plus, you can even download sessions so you can watch ’em when you’re on the go.
As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “The world is so full of a number of things/I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” MasterClass delivers these things in abundance, making it a gift that actually keeps on giving.
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