Here's a little bit of a different question for our resident historians: I want to learn as much as I possibly can about history over the next month, but I'm looking for a way that the average layman can soak up as much knowledge as humanly possible. I do enjoy the way CGP Grey explains greater concepts so that they're entertaining and easy to learn. Is there a decent series like this for history?
I can recommend reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. You can get it as a book on tape too. It's a good start and may help you decide what parts of history you want to focus on more. It's also quite enjoyable.
low attention span and no money - but you're already on the internet? Try CrashCourse World History. I'm sure /r/AskHistorians can point out dozens of flaws in each episode, but if you're starting with little knowledge it's a decent overview and tries to expand your perspective a bit.
There is also World History 2, US History, and "Big History" https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse/playlists
For learning something about history as a discipline, I can wholeheartedly recommend Robert K. Merton's On the shoulders of Giants - you can get a used copy for as little as 6$. Merton traces the origins of Newton's famous aphorism "If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." On the way, he discovers plagiarisms, tells a few funny or interesting ancedotes (about Descartes love for cross eyed women for example), but most importantly displays interesting insights into the self-concept of scholars and their theories. Oh, and it's funny, too.