July 01, 2009

Ten Famous Speeches in American History

Listen to ten of the most famous historical speeches in American history. For the past three years we've featured hundreds of free audio & video resources as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top 10 free speeches from American history from famous speakers such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and more . You can check them all out by clicking the links below:

1. Gettysburg Address

For our first speech, we thought it fitting to feature Lincoln's most famous speech delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. American Rhetoric offers the speech in four different versions, one narrated by musician Johnny Cash, and the others read by actors Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterson, and Jim Getty. Sam Waterson has portrayed Lincoln on TV and film and delivers the address in how we typically assume Lincoln to sound like. Jim Getty is one of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania’s "most recognized" residents as he often plays the role of Lincoln there, and his reading sounds like a historical reenactment. Johnny Cash strums the guitar on his reading and Jeff Daniels offers the most dramatic reading complete with orchestral accompaniment. The speech is about 2 minutes and 30 seconds and is available on streaming audio from American Rhetoric.

2. I Have a Dream Audio and Video

One of our favorite free titles in our free directory is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s classic "I Have a Dream" speech. Delivered on August 28th, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., King's passionate call for justice and equality was the battle cry for the civil rights movement in America. Choose from an audio version of the speech from American Rhetoric or a video version from YouTube.

3. Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" Speech

Download this free inspiring speech delivered by Patrick Henry on the brink of the Revolutionary War. This key speech in American history called forth the Founding Fathers to break the encroaching chains of slavery put on them by the British. It's a stirring cry for freedom delivered with gusto by narrator Jon Reiss, and it's available for MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

4. Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated during his campaign for president in June of 1968. Two months before his tragic death, on April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy delivered a moving eulogy on the night of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. In the speech he calls for "love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country". This great 5 minute speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

5. D-Day Pre-Invasion Address to Soldiers

Listen to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day Pre-Invasion Address delivered on the morning of June 6th, 1944. This short, inspiring message was delivered to 175,000 soldiers of the allied expeditionary force. This speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from American Rhetoric.

6. Speech on Women's Right to Vote

Listen to American civil rights leader Susan B. Anthony's inspiring speech "On Women's Right to Vote". After casting her vote in the 1872 election, Anthony was arrested and brought to trial in the case of the United States v. Susan B. Anthony. She pleaded not guilty and in this famous speech she asserts that voting is her legal right as a United States citizen under the Constitution which promises all people the blessings of liberty. This speech is narrated by Antonia Bath and available exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com on MP3 download.

7. First Inaugural Address of President George Washington

Listen to the First Inaugural Address of President George Washington. In this address Washington reluctantly accepts the call of the American people and humbly stresses his shortcomings in carrying out the role of president. He expresses gratitude for the divine providence that led the United States to independence, and he sets his intention to be a selfless public servant, even asking that he not receive any form of compensation for his duties. This address is available on MP3 download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

8. John F. Kennedy Speeches: The Inaugural Address

The Miller Center of Public Affairs features downloadable audio of the speeches by numerous Presidents in the 20th century. They offer over a dozen John F. Kennedy speeches, including his famous Inaugural Address, his inspiring address at Rice University on the space effort, his Civil Rights Address, and his "Ich bin ein Berliner" Speech which delivered next to the Berlin Wall criticizing communism. All these speeches can be downloaded on MP3.

9. Daniel Webster's Plymouth Oration

Daniel Webster's famous Plymouth Oration did much to establish the Pilgrims as the forefathers of America. After this speech delivered in 1820, the journey of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts became the nation's founding myth, and by 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day which has been celebrated ever since. This historic speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

10. I've Been to the Mountaintop

On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The night before he was assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. In this stirring speech Dr. King looks back on his life and is thankful for all the positive changes in civil rights that occurred in his lifetime, and he is grateful to have lived in the second half of the 20th century when masses of people all over the world were standing up for freedom and human rights. Listen to this speech on streaming audio or download it on MP3 from American Rhetoric.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

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May 26, 2009

Audio Courses

Looking for audio courses to listen to? Download over 100 courses on audio from the Modern Scholar series featuring great university professors teaching college-level courses on a variety of subjects:

Download Over 100 Audio Courses from the Modern Scholar Series

You can browse their audio courses by subject by clicking the following links featuring philosophy courses, history courses, literature courses, politics courses, business courses, religion courses, science courses & more.

To help introduce you to the magnificent Modern Scholar audio courses, we're offering these ten free course lectures to download from ten of their best audio courses. These recorded lectures are taught by eminent university professors. Here are the 10 lectures you can download right now on MP3:

1. The Foundations of Language

In this lecture Professor Michael Drout focuses on language as a whole and how it develops and is learned. He points out the amazing ability that children have for speaking and comprehending a language they are immersed in until they reach about six years old without having to "learn" the language at all. While the origins of human language are endlessly debated, he does provide some interesting examples of how languages develop such as through mixing of people speaking different languages in the case of Hawaiian Creole, and through the isolation of people developing different languages over time in the case of the over 850 indigenous languages spoken in Papua New Guinea.

2. Introduction to Human Anatomy

Learn about your body with this lecture delivered by Professor John K. Young on the axial skeleton of the human. Professor Young starts the lecture with some definitions of basic human anatomy terms. He then proceeds to cover the axial skeleton of a human starting with the cranium and proceeding down the spinal cord with many interesting tidbits along the way. Professor Young proves that studying human anatomy doesn't require diagrams as we have our own human anatomical specimen right at our fingertips. He points out many of the bones along the way which you can touch while listening (just keep one hand on the wheel if you're driving!).

3. Romeo and Juliet

In this audio lecture provided as part of the Modern Scholar Series, noted author and literary critic Harold Bloom provides his unparalleled analysis of Shakespeare's tragic love story. Focusing his attenion squarely on the role Juliet plays in the play, Bloom argues that it is her characterization and dialogue that marks the beginning of Shakespeare's maturity as an artist. In this tale we see what may be the definitive portrait of a woman in love, and indeed, Juliet's ability to find words for complicated emotions is a major reason Romeo and Juliet have become the romantic ideal.

4. Earth and the Universe

In this lecture Professor James Kaler puts Earth in perspective within the solar system, the galaxy, and the whole universe. He covers what makes a planet and the diversity of planets in our solar system discussing their size and their distance from the sun. Professor Kaler provides dozens of awe-inspiring facts about our solar system in this fascinating introductory astronomy lecture.

5. Understanding the French Revolution

In this lecture esteemed professor Donald M.G. Sutherland sets out to define revolution and how the French Revolution has in turn changed the definition of revolution. He then examines a number of the proposed causes of the French Revolution that have been debated since then. He concludes that no one could've predicted in summer of 1789 that in a few years King Louis XVI would be executed, over 16,000 people would be killed by the guillotine during the Reign of Terror, and that a military officer named Napoleon Bonaparte would rise to become the dictator and emperor of France.

6. The Scopes Monkey Trial

In this lecture American lawyer, prolific author, and Harvard professor Alan M. Dershowitz examines one of the most significant American cases in the 20th century: The Scopes Trial. Dershowitz looks closer at the trial than its typical portrayal of fundamentalist creationism vs. evolution characterized in the film and play Inherit the Wind. Through examining the court transcript it becomes clear that the prosecutor William Jennings Bryan was not arguing for Biblical fundamentalist creationism. Rather he was far more concerned with the ideas of segregation and racist eugenics that were taught along with evolution between the first and second World Wars. Dershowitz examines how creation-evolution controversy has changed since then and how God and religious terminology has been replaced with the idea of intelligent design. It's a fascinating lecture from one America's leading legal authorities.

7. Introduction to Macroeconomics and Microeconomics

In this lecture Professor Navarro talks about the basics of macroeconomics and microeconomics. He provides numerous real life examples about how both macroeconomics and microeconomics affect our personal and professional lives. Professor Navarro is able to articulate a number of economic principles in a clear and concise way that is relevant to everyday life.

8. Teddy Roosevelt

In this first lecture in a series touching on how the U.S. Presidency changed during the 20th century, noted historian Robert Dalek begins with his take on Theodore Roosevelt. In this concise biographical sketch, Dallek describes Roosevelt as the first great president to arrive at the turn of the century, painting the portrait of a charismatic visionary that cast a long shadow on his successor, President William H. Taft. In this introduction, Dallek develops themes that run throughout the course, providing students with an unparalleled view of how modern America was shaped by the men that led it.

9. What Is Religion?

In this lecture Professor Kreeft explores what religion is and what questions it tries to answer. He goes over a brief history of philosophical definitions of religion. He feels that religion relies on faith and experience, while philosophy focuses on reason and logical argument, and yet he finds many ways that the fields of philosophy and religion have intersected throughout history.

10. Hiroshima and the Origins of the Cold War

In this lecture professor David Painter discusses the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 during World War II. Professor Painter establishes how the groundwork for nuclear warfare was established by President Franklin Roosevelt. He then provides reasons why the new President Harry Truman decided to use nuclear weapons against Japan, and provides some criticisms that have been brought forward since then which argue that dropping the atomic bomb was not necessary and was not for the purpose of winning the war against Japan. In the aftermath of dropping the bomb, professor Painter shows how it created the origins of what would come to be known as the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Enjoy these free sample lectures. At LearnOutLoud.com we plan to listen to all of these Modern Scholar courses! Join us in listening to the classes of some of the best teachers in the world.

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 29, 2009

Best Contemporary Literature Author Interviews and Talks

Check out audio & video of 15 interviews and talks with top authors of contemporary literature. For the past three years we've featured dozens of free talks as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we've selected the top 15 best free interviews and talks with the best contemporary literature authors. You can check them all out by clicking the titles below:

1. Wired for Books MP3 Page

Wired for Books is offering a page full of downloadable MP3 interviews with many of the best authors in contemporary literature. Compiled from the 1980s CBS Radio show, Book Beat, these interviews feature journalist Don Swaim spending roughly a half hour with the author discussing their books. Swaim seems to have done his research and to have read the works of the authors he interviews. The interviews seem very relaxed and off-the-cuff. Here's a list of some of the people Swaim interviews: Douglas Adams, Maya Angelou, Isaac Asimov, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, Ray Bradbury, William F. Buckley, Anthony Burgess, William Burroughs, Raymond Carver, Joan Didion, E. L. Doctorow, Bret Easton Ellis, Joseph Heller, John Irving, Erica Jong, Garrison Keillor, Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan, Studs Turkel, John Updike, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Elie Wiesel, and hundreds more. Just click to the MP3 page and remember to download these files by right-clicking on the Download File link and selecting Save Target As... Then it will allow you to download the file to an assigned place on your computer. Enjoy.

2. In Depth: Tom Wolfe

In this streaming video from C-SPAN's BookTV, Tom Wolfe talks about his career as writer from The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby which he wrote back in the 1960s all the way up to his latest novel I Am Charlotte Simmons which explores the college campus life in the present day. He fields call-in questions from people across the United States and tells us the secrets of his craft. Indeed, no writer today is as fun to listen to as Tom Wolfe.

3. Allen Ginsberg Poetry Readings

Allen Ginsberg's Howl is ultimate beat poem, and what better way to experience it than listening to Ginsberg read it himself. PennSound features two recordings of Ginsberg reading Howl, one from 1956 (the year he published it) and one from 1995 (a few years before his death). PennSound also features Ginsberg reading some other of his classic beat poems like Kaddish and Wichita Vortex Sutra. All these poems are available to download on MP3.

4. The Infinite Mind Interview with Kurt Vonnegut Live from Second Life

Recently American author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. passed away at the age of 84. Watch one of his last interviews which was conducted by John Hockenberry of The Infinite Mind series, and recorded live in the virtual on-line community called Second Life. It's a thoroughly entertaining interview with questions from the Second Life audience and Vonnegut's thoughts on America towards the end of his life. He also discusses his final work which is a collection of essays entitled A Man Without a Country. This streaming video is offered by Lichtenstein Creative Media and is available through Google Video.

5. An Evening with Ray Bradbury

Renowned science fiction author Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles) gives aspiring writers some encouraging insight in this short lecture provided on streaming video by UCTV. Beginning with a list of essential practices he feels all writers should adhere to, Bradbury then demonstrates how events and people in his personal life fed his classic stories. Inspiring, funny and delivered with irreverent wisdom, Bradbury's account of his career is a sincere argument for "writing what you know". This talk is available on streaming video through Google Video.

6. Margaret Atwood: Lannan Readings and Conversations

With the dry wit that has come to make her a literary icon, Margaret Atwood reads selections from her work and discusses writing in this audio download released by the Lannan Foundation. At times bleak, often humorous and always probing, Atwood's work is devoted to exploring the underbelly of modern experience, with special attention given to how the future may take shape if current dubious trends continue to their natural conclusion. While the material she presents is in some ways sobering, Atwood maintains a satirical tone that offsets it all, revealing a writer that is ultimately optimistic, self-deprecating and always searching. This event is available on streaming audio and MP3 download.

7. Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

In this essay, offered for free on download from Audible.com, author David Foster Wallace shares his observations on the Maine Lobster Festival. Although written for Gourmet Magazine, Wallace's essay is far from your typical culinary writing. It contains amusing observations on the not-so-well-known history of lobster-eating, the obnoxiousness of American tourist attractions, and the ethics of boiling lobsters alive. Wallace reads the essay himself and he even worked out a way to fit in audio footnotes by changing the quality of the recording. It's a fun listen.

8. Joan Didion: Revelle Forum at the Neurosciences Institute

In this conversation with American writer Joan Didion, she discusses her 2001 collection of essays Political Fictions in which she explores the disconnect between the political class and the American public. She touches on many issues addressed in her book regarding the electoral process, political pundits, Clinton's impeachment, and the election of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. This talk was conducted at UC-San Diego and is available on streaming and downloadable video through Google Video.

9. In Depth: John Updike

In this generous 3-hour interview provided on streaming video by BookTV, John Updike talks about his life as a writer and observer of the human condition. Last week the literary world mourned the death of Updike who's literary reputation places him among the likes of Mailer, Vonnegut and Roth as one of the great contemporary American novelists. Here you can watch him as he examines his childhood, discusses his early start with the New Yorker Magazine, and answers questions about his prolific career as an author and literary critic. This streaming video is available through the BookTV website.

10. Joyce Carol Oates: Lannan Readings & Conversations

Listen to a reading from one of America's most versatile and prolific writers: Joyce Carol Oates. She pulls no punches in her public reading, as she reads from her novella Rape: A Love Story. Oates' narration adds new dimension to the main character who is reflecting on being the victim of a rape. After the reading, the host from public radio's Bookworm has a conversation with Oates about the piece and much else. Enjoy this streaming audio from the Lannan Foundation.

11. Harold Pinter - 2005 Nobel Lecture

The English playwright Harold Pinter passed away a few days ago at the age of 78. Listen to his lecture delivered upon the receipt of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature. In this lecture Pinter examines the truths unto which he sought after in his plays and his life as a citizen. After elaborating on his creative process, he explains the difference between art and politics and then examines America's role in global politics since World War II. He briefly covers the past military conflicts in Latin America along with the current war in Iraq. This 45 minute lecture is available on streaming video from NoblePrize.org.

12. Meet the Poet: Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni has been publishing works of poetry in America for over 30 years. In this talk from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she tells many stories from her life and reads from her 2002 collection of poetry Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems. Giovanni is candid and full of humor as she tells about how Mars astronauts can learn from African slavery, how Rosa Parks actively stood up against the murder of Emmett Till when she refused to move from her bus seat, and how one should confront prejudice in contemporary society. This talk can be heard on streaming audio and video from the WGBH Forum Network.

13. In Depth: Susan Sontag

One of our favorite free video resources is the C-SPAN BookTV series In Depth. This series features 3-hour long interviews with America's greatest and most prolific authors towards the latter part of their careers. Included in the interviews are questions from callers across the United States, that always make for interesting discussion. This free video includes the first two hours of the video interview (the last hour gets cut off) with the late author & activist Susan Sontag. She answers questions about politics, movies, and the many nonfiction & fiction books she has written throughout her career. Watch this free streaming video from BookTV.

14. Arthur C. Clarke's 90th Birthday Reflections

Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke recently passed away at the age of 90. In this brief video supplied by TVE Asia Pacific, Clarke reflects on his life from his home in Sri Lanka as he turned 90 in December of 2007. He considers the great achievements in space travel which he saw during his lifetime and is hopeful that space travel will be something that many can enjoy in the future. He also provides three wishes for the planet as he surpasses his 90th orbit around the sun. This video is available through YouTube.

15. Frank McCourt: Teacher Man

The author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis treats us to stories of life as a public school teacher in this downloadable audio lecture released by WGBH. Writer Frank McCourt spent 30 years of his adult life teaching in the New York Public school system before later writing his acclaimed memoirs in retirement. Here he praises the teacher's effort to help children find their footing in the world, and relates to us the trials and tribulations he faced as a young inexperienced teacher in a sometimes hostile classroom.

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April 24, 2009

Best Free History Audio

Listen and learn about history for free on audio & video with these 20 great free educational resources. From popular history podcasts to lectures from top historians, we've collected top 20 free history audio books, lectures, and podcasts. You can check them all out by clicking the titles below:

1. History According to Bob Podcast

For over a year, Bob Packett has serviced the world with his podcast, History According to Bob. This retired history professor operating out of Kansas explores a large canvas - from the smallest historical artifacts to decade-spanning cultural upheaval- with the sort of down-home, approachable style that is the earmark of a great teacher.

2. The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

In this inspiring conversation released on digital download by WGBH, Pulitzer prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about Abraham Lincoln, the success of his presidency, and the men that made up his cabinet. Kearns discusses her take on Lincoln's thought processes, what led him to make hard decisions, and why this soft spoken, physically gangly man was ultimately able to command the respect of a nation. Kearns speaks of her subject like she would a friend and gives equal attention to Lincoln's cabinet, a group of one-time rivals that would later become committed loyalists at a time when the country needed his singular leadership. This lecture is available on MP3 download as well as streaming audio and video.

3. 12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of The Byzantine Empire Podcast

With the History of the Byzantine Empire Podcast, Lars Brownworth examines the 12 rulers that have come to represent a unique era in Roman history; a period marked by decline. With an excellent handle on the subject and concise delivery, Brownsworth devotes each episode to an Emperor; describing the man, how he came to power, how he ruled, and what his legacy was thereafter. When taken as a whole, each bite-sized character profile tells the overall story of the Roman Empire as it struggled to survive during the middle ages.

4. David McCullough's Biography of a Year: 1776

In this lecture from the Cambridge Forum David McCullough delivers anecdotes from his bestselling American history work "1776". McCullough expresses how remarkable of a story this year in American history was and draws us in with details from the comprehensive research he conducted on this era. At the end of the lecture he answers a number of questions from the audience. This lecture is offered online from the WGBH Forum Network and is available on streaming audio and video as well as MP3 download.

5. History of the United States, Volume 1

History of the United States, Volume 2

History of the United States, Volume 3

History of the United States, Volume 4

History of the United States, Volume 5

Download the first 5 volumes of the History of the United States by Charles Austin Beard and Mary Ritter Beard. As stated in the preface, this book is for mature students of American history and it does not contain the mini-biographies and dramatic battle descriptions often contained in histories for younger audiences. It examines major trends in economics, politics, religion, and other social institutions that characterized the development of the United States. Volume 1 examines the Colonial period, Volume 2 looks at the American Revolution, Volume 3 covers the U.S. Constitution, and Volume 4 examines the settling of the West and Jacksonian Democracy, and Volume 5 covers Sectional Conflict including The Civil War and Reconstruction. This audio book was recorded by the volunteers at LibriVox. Currently Volumes 6 & 7 are in works and we'll feature those when they are completed. You can download Volumes 1-5 from LibriVox.org on MP3.

6. At Canaan's Edge by Taylor Branch

In this downloadable lecture presented by the WGBH Forum Network, historian Taylor Branch introduces us to the major players and events that shaped the modern Civil Rights movement. Branch takes great pains to identify some of the unsung heroes of the cause; people that were as instrumental in pushing the movement forward as higher profile names like Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch feels this area of history is woefully unexamined, and demonstrates to listeners how vital it was within the greater fabric of social upheaval that rocked the 60's.

7. Crash Course on Jewish History by Rabbi Ken Spiro

This is a free course on Jewish History from a Jewish perspective taught by Rabbi Ken Spiro. In over 30 lectures, Spiro covers everything from Abraham to modern Israel always pointing out the lessons that Jews can learn from their history. All the lectures are free to listen to on streaming audio and many of them are free to download on MP3 from SimpleToRemember.com.

8. War and Democracy in the Ancient and Contemporary Middle East by Victor Davis Hanson

In this streaming video lecture from UCTV, military historian Victor Davis Hanson steps back from the current conflicts in the Middle East and examines them from the perspective of classical conceptions of war. He displays his encyclopedic knowledge of military conflicts throughout history and provides many thought-provoking reflections on the current state of affairs in Iraq, Israel, and the rest of the Middle East. This lecture is offered through YouTube on streaming video.

9. Hardcore History Podcast by Dan Carlin

In his own irreverent style Dan Carlin attacks the historical record in the Hardcore History Podcast. Each month, Carlin selects a different topic or person in history, spanning from the ancient to the present depending upon his mood, and brings his humorous and sometimes provocative opinion to bear on it. The editorial tone Carlin takes is usually funny, and while some of what he argues is controversial, his command of the subject can never be questioned.

10. Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands

In this lecture from the Miller Center of Public Affairs, H.W. Brands lectures on his latest book Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times. Professor Brands focuses on the way that American public opinion regarding Andrew Jackson has changed since Jackson was thought of as "the hero" of his day to his demonization in contemporary America for his policies such as Indian removal. Brands probes deeper into the character of Jackson, pointing out his admirable qualities and crediting Jackson for twice saving the Union. This lecture is available on MP3 download.

11. Napoleon 101 Podcast

Set up like a college course, the Napoleon 101 podcast is a valuable introduction to the life and exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte. Hosts David Markham and Cameron Reilly bring to the table a lifelong fascination with France's legendary 17th century leader, imparting the nitty gritty details of his life with rare enthusiasm. With this indepth overview you can finally learn who Napoleon was, what he tried to do, what he accomplished and why his character has fascinated historians for almost 200 years.

12. American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation

Newsweek editor and historian Jon Beacham discusses America's historical treatment of religion in this lecture provided by The Miller Center of Public Affairs. The author notes that the founding fathers were deeply aware of how many great nations fell apart due to religious sectionalism. In an effort to mitigate this problem and yet allow everyone in the country the freedom to worship, Beacham traces how giants like Jefferson, Franklin and even Lincoln implemented decisive policies on American religious life that we still argue over today. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming audio and video.

14. Jared Diamond - Collapse

In this streaming video lecture recorded at UC- Santa Barbara, Dr. Jared Diamond delivers an entertaining lecture around the subject of his bestselling book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. As a historian with serious concern for how civilization can learn from its past catastrophes, Diamond provides many insights into the reasons societies have failed along with lessons that we can apply to our current dilemmas in the hopes of avoiding such a fate. This streaming video is offered by UCTV.

15. Jamestown and Virginia (1607) by Sherwin T. Wine

Download this free lecture delivered by Sherwin T. Wine on the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Find out the reasons for Europeans founding America, and how the English settlers eventually succeeded in founding Jamestown. Sherwin T. Wine keeps the lecture entertaining, covering a lot of history in an hour and a half. This lecture has been made available by the Center For New Thinking on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

16. The History of Rome Podcast

The History of Rome Podcast is a chronological attempt to trace the rise, decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Starting with Rome's founding by the mythical twins Romulus and Remus, this series hosted by Mike Duncan is an ongoing account of the people and events that shaped the western world. A must for any student of history and an invaluable resource for anyone that needs a ground level survey of the Roman Republic.

17. Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far)

Humorist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dave Barry brings light to his latest book Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far). Barry quips about the events of the past 8 years, many of which have been forgotten. He talks about his nationally syndicated column which he wrote for the The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005, and why he chose to stop doing it. It's an entertaining talk from one of America's bestelling humor writers. This talk was delivered at the Politics and Prose Bookstore and is available streaming audio and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

18. The History Network Podcast

The great military achievements of history and the colorful people that made it happen are given critical analysis in the History Network Podcast. Here qualified narrators examine the ancient battles, strategic innovations, brilliant commanders and major blunders that have set the course of history. Whether it be about the Battle of Thermopylae or the life of General Patton, this is one podcast the military buff should not miss.

19. When Nixon Met Mao

In this lecture delivered at the World Affairs Council of Northern California, historian Margaret MacMillan discusses Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972. In what she describes as a watershed moment in a long history of barely veiled antagonism between China and the western world, we see how various economic and geopolitical forces made a reconciliation unavoidable. In this crucial period of relaxed tension, China began its advancement to the modern world stage; an achievement presided over by a president with an otherwise tarnished political legacy. This talk is available on audio download and streaming video through FORA.tv.

20. British History 101 Podcast

The British History Podcast by Michael Anthony is dedicated to the anglophile in everyone. Designed as a basic to intermediate overview, this podcast examines the battles, monarchs, trivia and lasting cultural influences of one of the most enduring nations on the globe. Whether you wish to learn about events like the Battle of Hastings, people such as Winston Churchill or places like the Tower of London, this show will examine it all with rare enthusiasm.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

Sign up for our "Free Resource of the Day Email" to be notified of free audio & video learning titles. Your E-Mail: We value your privacy

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 21, 2009

Free Self Help

Looking for some free self help? Here are ten free audio & video resources from some of the top self help authors. You'll find talks and podcasts from leaders in self improvement such as Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, and many others. And help yourself to way more free self help audio & video in our free directory & podcast directory:

Self Help Free Audio & Video Directory

Self Help Podcast Directory

You can check out the top ten free self help titles by clicking below:

1. Inspiring Words of Encouragement Podcast

Zig Ziglar is one of the great motivational speakers of our time, and he's been inspiring listeners to achieve their goals for over 35 years. This podcast contains excerpts from Ziglar's recordings with advice and anecdotes on many topics. He began podcasting in 2006 and he's kept all his podcasts up on his feed. Listen to dozens of Ziglar's motivational podcasts today.

2. Tony Robbins Asks Why We Do What We Do

Self development expert Anthony Robbins speaks at the TED Conference on what motivates people. Robbins insists that he isn't a motivator, but instead he is out to find what motivates people and what is it that makes the difference in the quality of people's lives. He discusses briefly the core human needs that drive people. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from TED.com.

3. Dr. Weil's Healthy Living Podcast

Start your week with some healthy living tips from Dr. Andrew Weil. His podcast features interviews in which he provides straightforward advice about diet & nutrition. In many of the podcasts he examines Healthy Aging (which is the title of his latest book). Dr. Weil attempts to get beyond the fad diets and quick solutions, as he points to the fundamental practices for lifelong health. Watch and subscribe to this podcast from one of America's top health experts.

4. The Chopra Center for Wellbeing Podcast

From the The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California comes this podcast featuring a number of high quality meditations. The podcast of guided meditations is typically hosted by davidji, the master Chopra Center educator. He leads meditations complete with soothing sounds and music. In one podcast Deepak Chopra leads a Global Peace Meditation and Lecture. Listen to these soothing podcasts from The Chopra Center.

5. John Gray: Why Mars and Venus Collide

In this talk from Book Passage, bestselling relationship book author John Gray talks about his latest book Why Mars and Venus Collide: Improving Relationships by Understanding How Men and Women Cope Differently with Stress. Gray describes biological and psychological differences in men and women that show how they differently deal with stress. He points to ways that stress can be reduced through relationships and by recognizing the differences in what causes men and women stress. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

6. Robin Sharma's Podcast

Robin Sharma is a bestselling author and coach in the areas of business leadership and self improvement. Listen to his ideas & tips of what it takes to succeed in business and in life.

7. Conversations with Neale Podcast

Check out these inspirational conversations from Neale Donald Walsch as he explores the spiritual side of personal growth. Neale Donald Walsch wrote the bestselling series Conversations with God, which has recently been released as a major motion picture. This podcast is made available through Lime.com.

8. Recipe For Success with Jack Canfield

Listen to this audio program from the Grace Cathedral Forum where best-selling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series Jack Canfield discusses his latest book The Success Principles. The Rev. Alan Jones interviews Canfield and asks probing questions about the spiritual and moral backbone of this self-help book. It's an excellent hour-long interview available on streaming audio from the Grace Cathedral Forum.

9. Gary Renard Podcast

Listen to the Gary Renard Podcast co-hosted by professional voice artist Gene Bogart as he talks with author Gary Renard about the ideas in his books such as The Disappearance of the Universe and Your Immortal Reality: How to Break the Cycle of Birth and Death. Renard's books draw heavily from the ideas of A Course in Miracles and he provides insight into many teachings from A Course in Miracles in these podcasts. Renard has been podcasting for years now and there are now many podcast episodes to listen to. Check them out!

10. Be Unstoppable: The Essential Laws Fearless Living Podcast

Be Unstoppable: The Essential Laws Fearless Living Podcast features podcasts with speaker and best-selling author Guy Finley. Focusing on spiritual and emotional development, Guy Finley touches on issues which affect us all: relationships, fear, addiction, stress/anxiety, peace, happiness, and freedom. Listen to podcasts from Guy Finley on the Be Unstoppable: The Essential Laws Fearless Living Podcast.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

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Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 15, 2009

Learn How To Meditate with Free Meditations

Learn about meditation and ways to meditate with this top ten list of free meditation resources. These resources include guided meditations and relaxation exercises along with lectures about meditation covering areas such as mindfulness, transcendental meditation, and Christian meditation. Listen to or watch these audio & video resources and grow in your spiritual and meditative life.

1. Meditation Class 1: Learn to Meditate

The Meditation Society of Australia has recently put up a meditation class on our site. This free program offers seven keys to meditation that will help those beginning meditation to reach what is referred to as the "intuitive state". After the lesson, you are guided through a meditation with relaxing music to help you along. This program is available as a free MP3 download on LearnOutLoud.com.

2. Meditatio Talks (Meditation Talks): To the Monks of Gethsemani Abbey

Offered by Medio Media and The World Community for Christian Meditation, these are talks delivered by Fr. Laurence Freeman O.S.B. to the Monks of Gethsemani Abbey. In the eight talks featured in this title Fr. Freeman discusses Christian meditation and how to remain in a prayerful state at all times. This free title is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

3. Introduction to Your Mind: Two Guided Meditations

Start you day off with these two free guided meditations. They were published by Mi Ka El Mindchanger through our TeachOutLoud self-publishing tool. Through these two 10-minute meditations Mi Ka El leads you through the practice of mindfulness meditation with insights on how to transcend your thoughts & feelings and come into awareness of your true Self. These excellent meditations can be downloaded on MP3 through LearnOutLoud.com and listened to again and again. Thanks Mi Ka El for this great free resource!

4. Alpha Break

Listen to this free 12 Min. MP3 download offered by Effective Learning Systems. This spoken word program is designed to put listeners in a relaxed state both mentally and physically. It can be used again and again at any time during the day. Download this free MP3 from LearnOutLoud.com.

5. Ceaseless Society: Is 24/7 Good for Us?

In this lecture from MIT, author & meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn shares his perspectives on a society that is busy all the time. He provides insights into how we can regard time from the perspective of mindfulness, and suggests that in our effort to be technologically connected to everyone, we often lose connection to our true self. This lecture is available on streaming audio & video as well as MP3 download.

6. AM Focus

Listen to this 13-minute visualization & relaxation process for focusing in the morning from Dr. Patrick Porter. Dr. Porter guides you through positive affirmations for your day. Combined with soothing music, this audio program is a great way to begin your week. This free audio download is available on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

7. Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain

Filmmaker David Lynch shares his passion for Transcendental Meditation (or TM for short) in this lecture released on downloadable audio from WGBH in Boston. In a style uniquely his own, Lynch explains how the creativity displayed in his work over the years has been a direct product of TM; arguing that expanded consciousness necessarily leads to expanded creative insight. It is his impassioned belief that if more people used these meditation techniques, the effect would rub off on everyone else and consequently much of the world's turmoil would cease. This talk is available on streaming audio & video and MP3 download from the WGBH Forum Network.

8. A Quiet Mind Podcast

Listen to spiritual wisdom from Robert Jackson on A Quiet Mind Podcast. He's been podcasting for years now and all of his podcasts are up on the feed. Each podcast confronts a different spiritual topic, in relation to our striving for peace, happiness, and fullfillment. Browse all these podcasts on LearnOutLoud.com.

9. Coming to Our Senses

For decades now Jon Kabat-Zinn has been teaching mindfulness meditation as a technique to help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain and illness. Along with his teaching, he's also written the classic Wherever You Go, There You Are and most recently Coming to Our Senses. In this lecture from UCTV, Kabat-Zinn speaks about reintroducing you to yourself, and developing an awareness of this moment in a fast-paced, technologically advanced world. This video lecture is available to stream through YouTube.

10. Meditation-Silence Video Podcast

Guided meditations are very popular with visitors to LearnOutLoud. If you enjoy taking a few minutes out of your day to slow down and contemplate then the wonderful people over at SriChinmoy.tv have a treat for you. They've produced a number of video meditation podcasts for you to watch. It's a great way to start your day or to take a mid-day break from the stresses of life.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

Sign up for our "Free Resource of the Day Email" to be notified of free audio & video learning titles. Your E-Mail: We value your privacy

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 09, 2009

Free Christian Audio

From the Bible on audio to the lectures and podcasts of today's leading Christian thinkers, speakers, and authors, we've assembled this list of 20 of the top free Christian audio resources available. Enrich your faith and spiritual life by listening to these outstanding Christian audio books and programs.

1. christianaudio's Free Audiobook of the Month

Each month christianaudio.com offers a professionally recorded Christian audio book for free! All that is required is that you register for an account and enter in their coupon code. In the past they've featured free audio books such as G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, Tolstoy's Father Sergius and Other Short Stories, Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila, Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. We encourage you to visit the christianaudio.com website for more thoughtful Christian audio books and a lot of other freebies as well!

2. 1 Year Daily Audio Bible Podcast

This podcast will take you through the entire Bible in 365 separate podcasts to be listened to over the next year. Each podcast is read by Nashville, TN based record producer Brian Hardin. Instead of going through the Bible chronologically, he selects four different passages for each podcast, which go through books of the Old and New Testament simultaneously, along with a Proverb and a Psalm. If you'd like to read the Bible more, but can't find the time of day, then try listening to the entire Bible in one year with the Bible In a Year Podcast.

3. The Veritas Forum Podcast

The Veritas Forum podcast collects various lectures from leading thinkers within the modern Christian community. Here you will listen to lectures on topics such as Science v. Religion, the existence of God, Intelligent Design, and much more. The speakers highlighted in this podcast foster dialogue over rhetoric in an effort to not only reconcile their faith with an ever changing landscape, but to also show why it is still an essential aspect of 21st century life.

4. Covenant Theological Seminary Courses

Covenant Theological Seminary is offering 14 of their lecture courses on audio. These courses cover a wide range of topics around Christian theology and history. Here's the courses they're offering:

Ancient & Medieval Church History

Apologetics & Outreach

Biblical Theology

Calvin's Institutes

Christ-Centered Preaching

Christian Ethics

God & His Word

Humanity, Christ & Redemption

Life & Letters of Paul

Life & Teachings of Jesus

Old Testament History

Reformation & Modern Church History

Spirit, Church, & Last Things

Youth Ministry

All the courses are well organized with decent sound quality and supplemental PDFs on the Covenant Seminary website. Enjoy these free theological courses!

5. The Easter Story: The Bible Experience

Audible.com is currently offering "The Easter Story" for free on download from the popular dramatized audio Bible Inspired By...The Bible Experience. This dramatization features performances by reknowned actors, sound effects, and music. It makes for a very dramatic listening experience.

6. The Genius of Jesus

In this lecture from the Veritas Forum, Christian philosopher and author Dallas Willard talks about the importance of Jesus of Nazareth throughout history when it comes to confronting the reality of existence. Willard feels that present-day universities apply a materialistic knowledge or a New Age philosophy when it comes to confronting moral life, which leaves out the essential teachings of Jesus. He posits four great questions of existence and explains the answers which Jesus gave to these questions. This lecture is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the Veritas forum.

7. SermonIndex Classics Podcast

Listen to these podcasts from SermonIndex. These podcasts cover many aspects of Christianity and Christian Living, including sermons from Jim Cymbala, David Wilkerson, Zac Poonen, Keith Green, A.W. Tozer, Duncan Campbell, Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, and many other popular preachers from throughout the 20th century. For more free classic sermons check out the offerings we feature from SermonAudio.com.

8. The King James Version Bible

The Bible is the #1 selling book of all time. If you've been wanting to listen to an audio version the good folks at Audio Treasure would like to treat you to a free one. You can listen on their website or download to put on your mp3 player. It's great for moments when you need a little inspiration!

9. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Legacy

In this program of Speaking of Faith, host Krista Tippett talks with producer Martin Doblmeier, whose 2003 documentary covered Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and thought. Doblmeier tells the story of the German Lutheran pastor and theologian, as Bonhoeffer made difficult decisions in his opposition to Nazism and his attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. This program also explores Bonhoeffer's faith and theology including a discussion of his work Letters and Papers from Prison, which Bonhoeffer wrote from the point of his arrest in 1943 until his execution by the Gestapo in 1945. This talk can be downloaded on MP3 from the Speaking of Faith website or through iTunes U.

10. The Prayer of St. Francis

Listen to this moving prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. In his short, yet profound prayer, St. Francis asks God to make him an instrument of peace and love, acknowledging that it is in giving that we receive. This prayer is read by Brian Johnson and can be listened to on MP3 download or streaming audio through LearnOutLoud.com.

11. Christian Faith in a Postmodern World

Os Guinness claims that progress has lead America into a crisis of truth. For this MP3 download presented by the Veritas Forum, the noted writer leads his lecture with this provocative declaration, and explains how the nation's notion of truth has been eroded by relative morality. Guinness provides his listeners with tools to counteract these trends and reclaim what he feels is the lost wisdom that has come about as result of the information age.

12. The Words of Christ: From the Book of Matthew

This audio book, released by ThoughtAudio.com isolates everything uttered by Christ in the gospel according to Matthew. Extracted from the narrative of the Bible, Christ's message is distilled to its core values. Simple in its language yet still potent in its ever-present challenge to humanity, this is as unfiltered of a view of the gospel as one might ever find. This recording is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the gospel from a new point of view. This audio book is available to download in multiple MP3 segments.

13. Proverbs Podcast

For some wisdom to start off the week try our latest podcast called the Proverbs Podcast. It will feature proverbs from various cultures and traditions offering practical wisdom from throughout the world. We're starting the podcast with chapters from the biblical Book of Proverbs, and we've currently podcasts the first three chapters. Please subscribe to this podcast through iTunes for more proverbial wisdom offered up by LearnOutLoud.com.

14. Brian McLaren: A New Kind of Christian

In this downloadable conversation hosted by Grace Cathedral, progressive minister Brian McLaren endeavors to sketch the face of modern Christianity. Here he gives his thoughts on how religion has made inroads in politics, how sexuality in the media has cheapened the value of human intimacy, and why colonialism has formed the framework of all western thought, including religious ideals. McLaren argues that the model of Christ is still a viable answer to the world's underlying questions, and feels the 21st century is still a place where religion is vital.

15. Apologetics.com Weekly Radio Show Podcast

The Apologetics.com Podcast is a weekly show dedicated to informing Christians on techniques that will help them to better defend their faith. Over the last few years, avowed Christian John Snyder has discussed his differences with Bob, a self-declared atheist. A great example of the Apologetics.com mission in action, these podcasts are a must for anyone that is looking for cogent discussion on the articles of faith.

16. What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Start off your week with some perspective from philosophy professor & Christian author Dallas Willard as he attempts to explain "What Does It Mean To Be Human?". In his authoritative style, Dallas Willard clarifies the core tenants that make a healthy human being tick in this downloadable audio lecture released by the Veritas Forum. Willard explores the ever-changing cultural currents that have led to our current identification of self in the 21st century; a series of trends that he feels have done more harm than good.

It is his belief that a God-centered need for love and knowledge is being lost in a society that puts a premium on desire. Always insightful and frequently controversial, Willard's lectures offer cogent arguments that cut through the dogma in order to define religion's role in the modern world. This lecture is available on MP3 Download and streaming audio.

17. Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast

Listen to author & pastor Rick Warren talk with other pastors from around the world about Christian leadership principles. Rick Warren is the author of the book The Purpose-Driven Life and the founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California which has over 20,000 members.

In this podcast Warren seeks to address common issues which pastors face in their ministry and asks other pastors with thriving churches how they deal with such issues. It's a good podcast for leaders in any field.

18. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?

In this digital download released by the Veritas Forum, Christian thinker James W. Sire explains why belief is central to human existence. He argues provacatively that belief is so fundamental to how we interact with reality, that it makes the distinction between religion and science a moot point. Sire then traces how we are taught to believe at an early age and how in adulthood that early exposure to a system can change, grow and help form what we become.

19. Writing Our Way to God

N.T. Wright and noted horror author Anne Rice discuss the historical Jesus in this fascinating interview conducted by Grace Cathedral and available on digital download.

Rice, a recent convert to Catholicism after years of atheism, discusses why she's devoted herself entirely to writing about Jesus and explains how it was her meticulous study of the life of Christ that led her back to faith. Christ Scholar N.T. Wright, plays off of Rice's thoughts, and forms with her a compelling narrative that not only provides a solid historical basis for Jesus, but also offers a credible connection between the man and his claims for divinity.

20. Joyce Meyer Radio Podcast

Listen to Christian author and speaker Joyce Meyer deliver talks from her TV & radio ministry. In the latest talk, she gives an inspiring message about the importance of serving others in order to overcome selfish problems. She draws from the Bible to support her belief that to enjoy life, one must actively serve others who are less fortunate.

We've been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you've not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we'll dig up in the future...

Sign up for our "Free Resource of the Day Email" to be notified of free audio & video learning titles. Your E-Mail: We value your privacy

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

January 27, 2009

Best of TeachOutLoud

Our TeachOutLoud service has enabled authors and publishers to publish their audio learning content for almost three years now. Since we launched this service over 1200 titles have been published on audio download. We've now put together this list of the best TeachOutLoud titles that we've featured in our newsletters over the past three years. You can browse all of our TeachOutLoud offerings here:

http://teach.learnoutloud.com/Browse

Recently published highlights featured in January of 2008:

13 Brief BioView Biographies of Amazing People by Dr. Charles Margerison including:

Charles Darwin - A BioView

Marie Curie - A BioView

Over 20 Creative Visualization & Relaxation Titles by Patrick Porter, Ph.D.:

AM Focus for Free!

Stress Reduction Series

Four Titles Including an Audio Podcast and a Video Podcast from Alaska In My Dreams Film Studio, Inc. including:

In The Time That Was: Being Legends of the Alaska Klingats

White-Knuckling It for 4,000 Miles

Three Full Cast Children's Audio Titles from DARIAN Entertainment including:

REMIXED: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

REMIXED: The Greatest Bible Stores Ever Told! Volume Two

Other notable titles:

Destroy Your Self-Defeating Voice by Raj Gavurla for Free!

7 Secrets to Successful Customer Relationships by Michael Jenkins

Recently published highlights featured in November of 2008:

Giddio Audio Adventures For Kids including:

Billy Brown And The Mystery Package for Free!

Billy Brown Goes Hiking

Over 30 Titles from Law of Attraction teachers Beth and Lee McCain including 20 free podcasts and these titles:

The Law of Attraction for Kids!

A Grateful Life: Living the Law of Attraction

Over 30 Free Titles from Lorman Educational Services including discussions of:

Physicals: Should Physicians Know?

Corporate Code of Ethics

Nine Titles from Life & Relationship Coach Kim Olver including:

Empowerment Parenting

Relationships from the Inside Out

Soundmap London Audio Walks including:

Brick Lane Audio Tour

Sweeney Todd Audio Tour For Free!

25 Audio Titles by Dr. Leslie M. Moore, as she teaches in the areas of yoga and metaphysical studies including 19 free titles.

Other notable titles:

Career Satisfaction From Within Audio Course: Find And Follow Your True Calling, Or Get More Satisfaction From What You Do by Christopher Edgar

Grief and Loss Recovery by Dr. Maurice Turmel

Here's some TeachOutLoud published highlights from July of 2008:

Self Help Audiobooks from Core Media Productions:

The Science Of Being Well by Wallace D. Wattles

Gardening Secrets

Jewish History by Rabbi and Historian Berel Wein:

The Six Day War

Thomas Jefferson: Champion of the Jews

Three Free Titles from Success Coach Steve Chandler:

Desire

The Owner/Victim Choice

And Steve Chandler's Comprehensive Course:

MindShift: The Steve Chandler Ultimate Success Course

New Audio Programs from Reiki Master/Teacher Zach Keyer:

What To Do, Wilderness Survival Tips

The Truth About Getting Government Grants

Lectures from Dr. David Neiman, Rabbi, Archaeologist, and Renowned scholar in the fields of Biblical Studies, Jewish History, and the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jews:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Early Church and The Jews

Other notable titles:

Be Proud To Be An American by Bryan Golden

Alice in Wonderland - From the Oxford Storypods narrated by a lively Cast of actors.

Here's some highlights of titles published around March of 2008:

Guided Meditations from Leena Patel - Downloadable meditations infused with Buddhist philosophy, Yoga, and other spiritual practices.

45 Educational Downloads from Reiki Master/Teacher Zach Keyer - Guides to camping, pet training, instrument playing, Internet money making, online dating, NLP, gardening, public speaking, and much, much more.

Think Spanish Magazine - Spanish language learning digital magazine with MP3 download to increase Spanish fluency, improve grammar and listening comprehension, and build useful vocabulary.

Dare to Live Without Limits and The Power of Attraction - Free inspirational downloads from author and motivational speaker Bryan Golden.

Boost Your Power of Attraction, Discovering and Embodying Your Life's Purpose, and Stress Less, Produce More - Self help titles from author & speaker Steve Sisgold.

Book Writing for Fun and Profit - Completely free 2-hour audio book with tips and techniques for writing and profiting from your own book.

In the months around October of 2008 many new titles were published through our TeachOutLoud service including:

-5 Audio Courses from Dr. Know, Inc. covering the United States Medical Licensing Examination and the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination

-Free New Testament Books of the Bible with accompanying music to engage teens and kids

-Money For Life: A Personal Budgeting Course

-Free Hindi Scriptures including a 4-Part Audio Book of the Krishna Leela and a 6-Part Audio Book Valmiki Ramayana narrated by Prati Dhwani

-Spiritual and Personal Growth Titles from Dr. Maurice Turmel including 2 free downloads

-Free Personal Finance Audio from the Northern Trust Corporation

-Over 25 Instructional Audios from Reiki Master/Teacher/Author Zach Keyer

In July of 2007 we reached over 500 self-published titles through TeachOutLoud. Some of the highlights include:

-Teachings from Benedictine monk Fr. John Main including The Essential Teachings and The Last Conferences, as well as Christian meditation talks from Fr. Laurence Freeman published by Medio Media on behalf of The World Community for Christian Meditation.

-Many more audio books from Reiki Master/Teacher Zach Keyer including NLP For Beginners, Neuro Linguistic Programming and Your Success and Time Management Made Easy - Tactics and Truths

-Numerous teachings from Rabbi Nathan Glick including 4 free downloads.

-Talks by dream & relationship expert Strephon Kaplan-Williams for $1.00 and $2.00.

-Life On Purpose: 6 Passages to an Inspired Life by W. Bradford Swift. Have you clarified your life's purpose?

-Sales success programs from Al Argo, including a free title The Think Thank Tank.

-Over 40 lectures on Kabbalah, consciousness and inner power and fulfillment from educator and ontological coach Jonti Mayer.

-And dozens of new lectures from Sherwin T. Wine at the Center For New Thinking, including talks on Mao Zedong, Benito Mussolini, Vladimir Lenin, and Maximilien Robespierre.

-The Believer's Guide To The Law of Attraction by Jerry Thompson is a blend of scripture, quantum physics, and universal law.

-United Hypnotherapy is a publisher of self help related audio and training material related to hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and subliminal audio with titles such as Stop Smoking Effortlessly, Journey to Sleep, and Law of Attraction - Attracting Money.

-Last but not least the self help pamphlet It Works by R.H. Jarrett being offered at the modest price of $1.00. This little pamphlet published through TeachOutLoud is now our #1 bestseller!

Here's some highlights from February of 2007:

Advantage Business Partnership - Self development guides to Time Management, Alternative Medicine, Healthier Eating, and more.

Albert Anderson on Human Nature & World Community - Free downloads on philosophical topics delivered by Philosophy Professor Albert Anderson

The Slender Path - Self-published audio book by Sara LeVere exploring the law of attraction.

Some of the highlights from January of 2007:

The Shepherds' Prayer by Richard Barry

Over 60 Educational Lectures from the Center For New Thinking

Health & Fitness Titles by Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS

Michele Blood's Motivational Audio

Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment by Jed McKenna

Introduction to Your Mind (Two free guided meditations)

And we could go on and on with the fascinating stuff that has been published. Now it's time to publish your audio book!

It's free to publish, and if you publish something inspired or intelligent you may even be able to help a lot of people out while making an extra stream of income. Many of our TeachOutLoud titles are among our bestsellers! Over 15 of our Top 100 Sellers have been published through TeachOutLoud!

If you don't have anything to teach at this time, then narrate and record something from the public domain on Gutenberg.org and sell it or offer it for free through TeachOutLoud. To Learn More about publishing through TeachOutLoud click here.

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

July 31, 2008

Guide to Audio Tours

With the proliferation of the iPod and portable MP3 players, audio tours have become an increasingly popular way to explore new places when traveling to tourist destinations. They're cheaper, less obtrusive, and often better than taking a guided walking tour or bus tour of a city. We thought we'd put together a comprehensive resource of the audio tours available throughout the world (most of them we don't have up on the site yet so we're linking directly to them).

Best & Most Comprehensive Audio Tour Sites:

Over 100 Audio Guides from Tourcaster now featuring numerous Free City Guide Podcasts on iTunes

Over 400 Audio Guides from Heart Beat Guides With 25% of the Tours Available for Free

Lodingo Travel Guides Featuring the Most Comprehensive Selection of Downloadable Audio Tours

AudioGuide2go.com Search Portal to Audio Trails Guides and Tours on the Web

So here are all the walking tours we can find, starting with U.S. cities:

U.S. Cities:

Soundwalk Tours of New York City Neighborhoods

Sounds for Sights Audio Tours for New York City covering Lower Manhattan, Rockefeller Center, South Street Seaport, and Times Square

CentralPark.com Audio Tours Podcast

Frommer's Day by Day Audio Walking Tours Free Audio Tour & Map of Greenwich Village in NYC

Made in NY: Walking Tours of Film and Television Locations in New York Podcast on iTunes

Sidewalk Guides of Washington, D.C.

Downtown LA Walks Podcasts Covering Downtown LA in the areas of Arts and Culture, Shopping, Historic Downtown, and International Downtown

Scott's L.A. Audio Driving Tours of Pasadena, Hollywood, and Los Angeles

Stroll San Francisco Audio Tours

CityStoryWalks of San Francisco

The Chicago Poetry Tour Podcast on iTunes

Mp3TravelGuides.com Featuring Tours of Portland and Seattle

Guide Me Tours Denver Travel Guides

Rocky Mountain Audio Guides Tour of Denver

VisitDetroit.com Audio Tours Covering Downtown & Midtown Detroit

Discovery Audio Tours on iTunes Featuring 80 CityGuides and Museum Tours for Destinations across the U.S.

Audissey Guides Podcasts Includes Free Tours of Boston, Chicago, Miami Beach, Seattle, and New Orleans

CityListen Audio Tours Includes Tours of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco

CarTours Self-guided Interpretive Audio Driving Tours Includes Tours of Lewis and Clark Trail, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, The North Cascades Highway, and The Olympic Peninsula

Museum of the Open Road (MOTOR) American Highway Tours

Ride With Me Audio American Highway Tours

Cape Treks Cape Cod Audio Driving Tours

Untravel Media Boston Walking Tours

Glacier National Park Podcast

Travel Audios U.S. National Park Audio Tours covering Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Glacier National Park in Montana, Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming

Waypoint Tours Includes Tours of Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Grand Canyon National Park, and Sedona Arizona Red Rock Country

Walkabout Audio Tours Includes Tours of the Grand Canyon, Sedona Area, & Northern Arizona

Acoustiguide Free Audio Tours Covering Cities and Museums throughout the United States with numerous Acoustiguide Podcasts on iTunes

AudioSteps Walking Tours for the Digital Age - Includes Tours of New Orleans, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, & Washington, D.C.

European Cities:

Rick Steves' Audio Tours Podcast Includes Free Tours of Paris, Versailles, Orsay Museum, and Louvre Museum

Soundmap London Audio Walks Includes Tours of Brixton, Camden, Brick Lane, King's Road, Soho, a free Sweeney Todd Audio Tour

AudioExplore Walking Tours of Cities in Ireland Includes Tours Dublin & Cork

audiotravel Walking Tours of Cities in Germany Includes Tours of Cologne & Munich

iAudioguide European City Tours Includes Tours of Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris, & Rome

StrollOn Audio Guides of European Cities Include Tours in London, Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, and Venice

MPTours Includes Three Tours of Rome

noambit.com Tours Featuring Tours of Florence, Prague, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, and the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Helsinki Sightseeing Tram Audio Guide

The Antenna Audio Tour of Historic Gardens in London & The Antenna Audio Tour of Literary Houses in London

Walk & Talk Series by Gildan Media Includes Walk & Talk Paris, Walk & Talk Rome, Walk & Talk Venice, & Walk & Talk Florence

Footnotes Audio Walks in London

London Audio Tours

Free Audio London Walks Podcast by LondonWalks.org

Free Paris Audio Guide Podcast by CityZeum.com

Frommer's Day by Day Audio Walking Tours Free Audio Tour & Map of Da Vinci’s Paris

Discovery Audio Tours on iTunes Featuring 80 CityGuides and Museum Tours for Destinations across Europe

MP3 City Guides Includes Tours of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Edinburgh, Florence, London, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna, Venice, and York

AudioSteps Walking Tours for the Digital Age Includes Tours of Bath and Bristol, London, Granada, Florence, Rome, Berlin, Paris, & Prague

Play & Tour MP3 City Guides Includes Tours of Amsterdam, Atenas, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Marrakech, Paris, Prague, Rome, Seville, Venice, & Venice

Walki Talki Audio Walking Tours Includes Tours of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Edinburgh, Geneva, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, and Venice with short, concise capsules about major European destinations on their Walki-talki Podcast

A History of Scotland Audio Walks Podcast covering Edinburgh, Finlaggan, Stirling, Dunfermline, and Kilmartin Glen

Podtours Includes Tours in Austria, Italy, France, England, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Austria

iJourneys Tours of the Wonders of Italy Includes Tours of Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona, Florence, Paris, Pompeii, Salzburg, Venice, Vienna, and Innsbruck

Seville Spain Audioguide

Acoustiguide Free Audio Tours Covering Cities and Museums throughout Europe with numerous Acoustiguide Podcasts on iTunes

Jane's Smart Art Guides Covering Art Destinations in Italy

PocketVox Audio Guides and Walking Tours Included Tours of numerous cities in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and more

Talking Trip Includes Tours of London, Barcelona, and New York

Artineraries Includes Tours of Assisi, Edinburgh, London, Ostia, Padova, Paris, Rome, Torino, and the Vatican

CitiesInSound.com Includes Tours of London, Edinburgh, Rome, and Paris

iPodCityWalks Includes Tours of London, Florence, and Paris

Audio City Tours Includes Tours of London, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Paris, and Oxford

Sound Travel Walking Tours Includes Tours of Florence, London, Paris, Rome, and Venice

Walk Talk Tour Includes Tours of London, Edinburgh, York, and Manchester

Cool City Walks Includes Tours of London, Brighton, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona, and Rome

Tourist Tracks MP3 Walking Tours Includes Tours of Bath, Brighton, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Ely, Glasgow, London, Manchester, and Oxford

Budapest Audio Guide

ChooseMalta.com Valetta Walking Tour

ZeVisit Free Audioguided Tours Mostly in France

CitySpeaker Audio Guide Includes Tours of Rome, Paris and London

Hear’s A Journey European Driving Tours in Tuscany & Provence

Audio Tor Oslo Audio Guides

Other World Cities:

DayOut Audio Guides of New Zealand

Tours of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Tek Trek

MPTours Includes Three Tours of Buenos Aires

Auditour Guides of Buenos Aires

Walk The Talk Tours of Hong Kong and Macau

Colombia Audio Tours Includes Tours of Bogota, Cartagena, and Medellin

City Surf Toronto Walking Tours

Content Creation's Sounds & The City Audio Tours Includes Tours of Singapore, Mumbai, Beijing, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Dubai

Acoustiguide Free Audio Tours Covering Cities and Museums throughout the World with numerous Acoustiguide Podcasts on iTunes

Tokyo Realtime Audio Guided Walking Tours

Sonusland Audio Tours Covering Tours of Puerto Varas, Chile and other Latin American destinations

Museums:

Discovery Audio Tours on iTunes Featuring Museum Tours for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Guggenheim Museum (New York), de Young Museum (San Francisco), and more

Acoustiguide Free Museum Tours Site and Acoustiguide Podcasts on iTunes Including the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), the Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth), The National Portrait Gallery (London), and numerous other museums around the World

Artineraries Includes Art Tours in Assisi, Edinburgh, London, Ostia, Padova, Paris, Rome, Torino, and the Vatican

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) Special Exhibition Podcast

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) on iTunes U

Museum Masterpieces: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Teaching Company DVD Course

Museum of Modern Art (New York) Podcast

MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, New York) Think Modern Lectures Podcast

Museum of Modern Art (New York) on iTunes U

Whitney (Museum of American Art, New York) Focus Video Podcast

American Museum of Natural History (New York) Podcast

Brooklyn Museum on iTunes U

National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) - Behind the Scenes Podcast

National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) Video Podcast

Smithsonian American Art Museum Podcast and all Smithsonian Podcasts on iTunes

The International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.) SpyCast Podcast

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.) on iTunes U

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Podcast on iTunes

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Exhibition Minutes Podcast and all Philadelphia Museum of Art Podcasts on iTunes

The Cleveland Museum of Art Podcast

Indianapolis Museum of Art on iTunes U

Walker Art Center (Minneapolis) on iTunes U

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) Podcasts

MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles) Audio and Podcasts

SFMOMA (San Francisco) Artcasts Podcast

Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco) Podcast

Rick Steves' Audio Tours Podcast Includes Free Tours Versailles, Orsay Museum, and Louvre Museum

Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre Teaching Company DVD Course

The Grand Tour - The National Gallery, London Podcast

The National Gallery, London Podcast

Museum Masterpieces: The National Gallery, London Teaching Company DVD Course

Tate Modern (London) Paint Podcast

Tate Modern (London) on iTunes U

Let us know if we missed any at suggestions@learnoutloud.com!

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

December 28, 2007

LearnOutLoud Podcasts Garner Best of 2007 Awards on iTunes

Two of LearnOutLoud's podcasts received mention in iTunes Best of 2007 Awards. Our Aesop's Fables Podcast was awarded one of the Best New Podcasts of 2007. And our Great Speeches in History Podcast was considered one of the Best Classic Podcasts of 2007. Thanks to everyone who subscribed and helped make these podcasts so popular! To check out the best of this year's podcasts in iTunes click this link:

Best of 2007 Podcasts on iTunes

Here's some of the educational podcasts from 2007 that made iTunes list:

NPR: Fresh Air Podcast

Philosophy Bites Podcast

YogaDownload.com - 20 Min. Yoga Sessions Podcast

Guardian Weekly Podcast

My Daily Phrase Italian Podcast

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 09, 2007

Everyone is getting an iPod

OK, not everyone. But I saw this story out of Michigan and wonder if iPods aren't going to become as integral to students' lives as laptops.

Michigan's "no iPod left behind" budget proposal

The audio revolution continues.

Posted by jbischke | Permalink

January 24, 2007

2007 State of the Union Address Audio

Audible.com is offering President George W. Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address for free on digital download courtesy of C-SPAN:

2007 State of the Union Address

They're also offering for free Sen. Jim Webb's Democrats' Response to the State of the Union Address on download:

2007 Democrats' Response to the State of the Union Address

Thanks Audible!

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

December 13, 2006

LearnOutLoud Podcasts Garner Best of 2006 Awards on iTunes

Two of LearnOutLoud's Podcasts received mention in iTunes Best of 2006 Awards. The Philosophy Podcast was awarded both a Best of 2006 People's Choice Award and a Best of 2006 Staff Favorites Award. The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson Podcast generated some of the most subscriptions in the past year of any podcast and was also given a 2006 People's Choice Award. To check out the best of this year's podcasts in iTunes click the links below:

iTunes Best of 2006 People's Choice Awards

iTunes Best of 2006 Staff Favorites Awards

Thanks for all who subscribed! We pledge to release many new podcasts in 2007, so stay tuned!

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

October 08, 2006

CA Governor's Debate on Audio

So I missed the one & only California Governor's Debate between Phil Angelides & Gov. Schwarzenegger, which was broadcast at 6PM this Saturday during the L.A. Dodgers playoff game. Now I'm trying to find it on audio so I can hopefully get it on my iPod or at least listen to it on streaming audio. But I can't find it anywhere!

I don't know anything about the legality of putting it out there, but this stuff demands to be on audio. I would like to learn more about Phil Angelides, but in the downloads section of his site he's just got a bunch of PDFs (where's the podcast Phil?!). Schwarzenegger's got a podcast which consists of his weekly radio address, but the feed has been dead in iTunes for months now:

http://features.governor.ca.gov/index.php/podcast/rss/
(don't bother clicking, it's a 404!)

I go to all the public radio affiliates in CA: KCRW, KPCC, KQED, and none of them have it. They're doing some rebroadcasting at certain times, but I want it right now on my iPod! I even check Google Video & You Tube to see if anyone put it up on streaming video. Nothing. I went to the chinsy California Broadcasters Association website which was responsible for the debate. No luck.

Update: The Angelides campaign has directed me to it on streaming video: http://cbs5.com/video/?id=17034@kpix.dayport.com. I still wish I could get it on my iPod.

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

August 01, 2006

"Soul-deadening gridlock"???

The lead story of this week's Los Angeles CityBeat is titled Fear and Entropy in Los Angeles and starts with the following tagline:

Scenes from a gas struggle: Will soul-deadening gridlock and exorbitant fuel prices kill the remnants of SoCal car culture?

Soul-deadening gridlock? Well let's see. In the last few weeks I've spent my "soul-deadening gridlock" listening to Krishnamurti, Alan Watts and Ken Wilber (Kosmic Consciousness may be the most anti-soul-deadening thing I've ever listened to).

So what is the author of this article talking about? Do people not know they can consume the wisdom of the world's greatest teachers during their commutes? Or do they not care? If it's the latter there's not much we can do. But I suspect that it's at least partially the former. And if that's the case then we have a helluva lot of work to do.

Here's to anti-soul-deadening...

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

July 14, 2006

What if a mobile phone could make your life better?

Came across this amazing article in the Washington Post yesterday (thanks Kareem!). I've been fired up about mobile for a long time now but reading this article just adds more fuel to the fire. It's soooo nice to see an application of technology that truly changes lives for the better. Not that there's anything wrong with the plethora of RSS aggregators and video sharing service out there...but at the end of the day the question is whether we're using technology or whether technology is using us right?

I definitely have no desire to wax philosophical here but at the same time I think it's refreshing to see a clear case where technology is improving peoples' lives and presents the opportunity to possibly lift an entire generation out of poverty through enhanced communication, better business possibilities, etc.

So what does this have to do with audio learning? Well...my gut tells me that when the audio learning thing hits the developing world it's not going to come via the PC but largely via the mobile phone. Imagine this...kids growing up in rural Africa learning English and other basic skills via a cell phone. Based on what I'm reading in this article I don't think that's too far off. It might be a while before the sub-$100 laptop is a reality. During that time the whole effort might be leap-frogged by a cheap cellular phone that can provide voice and data access.

I'll admit I know nothing about this.

This might be an idealistic Pollyannish notion from a guy who lacks basic know-how about what goes on over there.

Or not.

A buddy of mine reminded me yesterday that the only limitation is our imagination. So for today I'm going to imagine a world in which kids from Africa and other third world countries grow up listening to educational and inspirational audio material and use the knowledge they've gained to create sustainable businesses and teach others and lift their countries out of crushing poverty. Will that dream become a reality? I don't know but we're going to do our darnedest to make it come true.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for all of your support of LearnOutLoud. We're experiencing record levels of traffic this week and I want to express how excited I am about what's going on. After all, we're just getting started.

:)

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July 12, 2006

How to Have a Better Brain

I've been doing a lot of looking lately at what people can do to improve their brains. Does that sound strange? Perhaps...but think about it. We spend tons of time and money as a culture on improving all sorts of other parts of ourselves. Think how much money is spent on skin care or on making our bodies more asthetically appealing (the plastic surgery industry is HUGE). Yet, what affects our mood and happiness more than our brain?

I think most people feel that there isn't much you can to improve your brain. From what I've been learning lately I beg to differ. I tihnk there is actually a ton of stuff that people can do to improve brain chemistry and mood. Unfortunately the vast majority of our culture turns to chemicals to do this. Either prescription drugs ("improving" brain chemistry is basically what anti-depressant drugs do), legal drugs (like alcohol or nicotine) or illegal drugs (I heard recently that cocaine is a $100 billion industry in the U.S. alone!!!).

What are some non-chemical ways to improve brain chemistry? I've listened a couple of Dr. Daniel Amen's audiobooks recently and there are some good suggestions in there. Currently I'm listening to Making a Good Brain Great and while I haven't gotten to the part that talks about improving the brain yet there are some pretty strong warnings about what not to do. For instance, while football and soccer are great sports, the number of head injuries that are incurred can lead to major psychological problems later in life due to the brain damage that can occur. That's something I've never thought of. Anyway, for a free preview of Amen's stuff check out this speech he gave on IT Conversations.

One practice that has been shown to improve brain function is meditation (see a couple of stories related to this here and here). I've been experimenting with different types of meditation and contemplative practice lately. One of the best ways to introduce yourself to meditation is through guided meditation audio. A couple of titles that I've tried recently include some of Bodhipaksa's stuff and Andrew Cohen's Meditation audiobook. Meditation requires a lot of patience but based on everything I've been reading lately the benefits are tough to deny.

Of course another common sense way to improve brain function is to make sure the brain is getting plenty of oxygen. In fact, the brain loses consciousness after being deprived of oxygen for just 8-10 seconds. There are a couple of things that you can do to ensure that you are getting plenty of oxygen to your brain. The first is deep, diaphragmatic breathing. This is pretty simple to do (just take deep breaths and make sure that it's your abdomen and not your chest that is moving). However, one tool that I've found that helps with this is a bio-feedback device called Wild Divine. It'll help you monitor and regulate your breathing patterns. I'll often hook this up when I'm reading or watching a movie (yup, I'm a dork) and it's interesting to see times when I'm breathing free and easy and other times when I'm breathing more shallow or even holding my breath.

Of course another way to ensure good blood flow to the brain is through exercise. There are dozens of ways to exercise but one of the best I've found for this purpose is yoga. The combination of cardio work and deep breathing can produce an "oxygen high" of sorts that feels pretty damn cool. I'm fortunate enough to have one of the world's best yoga studios in my backyard but for those who don't the audio versions of yoga courses can be a great substitute.

So those are a few ways to "have a better brain." No doubt there are many more. If you have any suggestions feel free to post in the forums. I'm a junkie for anything I can do to improve the most valuable part of my body. :)

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

July 06, 2006

Recently Listening: Lichtenstein Media

Recently I've been completely obsessed with Lictenstein Media's The Infinite Mind program. Each one-hour episode focuses on a particular issue related to the brain, be it mental illness, how the brain is affected by outside stimuli, what certain emotions mean, or the outward consequences of neurological process. A quick look at the episodes we carry on LearnOutLoud will give you a good idea of the wide range of topics that fit within this spectrum. All of them feature guests that are experts on a specific subject, with discussion that is approachable yet heady. They also sometimes feature slice of life examples to help one better understand a certain issue, such as one woman’s vivid description of a panic attack ("If you could visualize someone holding you by the hair over the George Washington bridge..."), or another person’s tragic acknowledgement that her mother’s creative genius was probably fueled by the same mania that led her to suicide. This formal structure works to complete a fairly thorough picture of what is discussed; from introduction, to expert analysis, to “street-level” experience.

Thus far I can list a few episodes that warrant serious attention. First of all is the incredible Art and Madness, which explores the undeniable link between insanity and creative brilliance. Here you will hear about musicians, poets and actors that have made incredible works of art, only to be hampered and sometimes killed by debilitating illness.

Next up, I would say Marriage is an episode that stuck with me, not because of any sort of personal affinity at this point in my life, but more for the questions raised on whether or not fidelity is hard-wired into us. Additionally the episode offers the most concise common sense advice I've yet heard on what it takes from an emotional standpoint to turn formative passions into lifelong bonds.

I'll also mention Alcoholism, which is treated in this instance as nothing short of a neurological illness. With alcohol however, the pain is consensual: it's always a choice one makes when they decide to drink. The episode addresses this argument, and goes further to show how certain people may have less of a choice in the matter than you may think.

Religion endeavors to trace the human attraction to the religious experience and why interest in the divine endures to this day despite encroaching secularism. Experts identify parts of the brain that are now associated with religious impulse, and we see how religion's tenants may appeal to a primal aspect of human neurology that has yet to be identified.

Finally I'll there's Narcissism. All of us have probably met someone we feel is self-absorbed, but does that necessarily mean they are a narcissist? Here we learn that narcissists lack a certain sense of empathy that makes them believe they somehow exist beyond established laws of social conduct. Think of it as the most extreme selfishness you’ve ever known and somehow that doesn’t describe all of what these people go through. I thought many of those interviewed in this episode were terrifying to be honest with you.

In all, every episode of the Infinite Mind has it's pearls of wisdom to impart. If you can download any one of these episodes, be sure to get one on a topic you are especially interested in. I can guarantee you will hear an hour of information packed with insight you can't find anywhere else. I was basically up for hearing every one of these shows, and I have yet to leave unsatisfied with the wealth of detailed information available. Definitely an amazing way to fill up your iPod.

Posted by LOLSeth | Permalink

July 05, 2006

10 Cures for the Summertime Blues

Summertime is in full swing. It's a great time for traveling and relaxing of course but it's also the perfect time to start audio learning. Listening to books and podcasts is an excellent way to pass time while you're at the beach or in your car on the way to Grandmother's house. To help you fight off those summertime blues I've put together a list of 10 free downloads for you to throw on your iPod or other MP3 player this summer. Enjoy!

10. Ted Talks - The good people from the TED Conference have just posted a bunch of free downloads from their most recent conference including talks by Al Gore and
Tony Robbins. Considering that the conference normally cost $4,400 to attend this is quite the deal.

9. Podrunner and fitPod - Exercising this summer? (I hope so. :) If so, download these mixes to your MP3 player. They have different bpm timings to match the pace of your workout. A great way to keep motivated and in rhythm.

8. Guided Meditation from Meditainment - Summer is all about relaxing right? Why not put a meditation track on your iPod for those moments when life gets a little to stressful.

7. 50 Things I'm Going To Do Today - It's a great time of the year to build habits, especially if you're a little less busy. 50 Things is a great free audio download that will give you some suggestions for positive habits you can build into your life. I probably listen to this once every couple of weeks and never fail to be reminded of something I should be doing.

6. Free Culture - Summer seems to be synonymous with freedom for many people. After all you're free from school and usually free from work at least for a little while. Spend some of your free time listening to Free Culture, Lawrence Lessig's seminal work on copyright and intellectual property. The chapters are read by people like Doug Kaye and Dave Winer.

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - What could be a more classic summer read than Huckleberry Finn? Now, thanks to the fine folks at Literal Systems you can listen to it for free...the full 9 1/2 hour unabridged version.

4. Learn a Foreign Language - Summer is the perfect time to spend learning or brushing up on a foreign language. There are a ton of free language learning podcasts including InstaSpanish, The French Pod Class and Let's Speak Italian!.

3. The Founding Documents of the United States of America - We just passed July 4th, the date we celebrate our Independence here in the U.S. Last month we recorded many of the Founding Documents of our country onto audio including the "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Whether you're a history buff or buff-to-be, these are worth the download.

2. Cal-Berkeley Course Podcasts - Wait a minute. Wasn't summer the time to take a break from all that schoolwork? Sure...but think about it this way. It's also a great time to listen to a course you didn't get to take during the school year or always had an interest in. Berkeley has put a ton of their courses available online for free. Introduction to Computers, Wildlife Ecology, Existentialism in Literature and Film and more!

1. Jon Udell's Summer Listening List - Jon Udell writes for Infoworld and has posted a list of five "Summer Listening" podcasts. It's a really good list covering everything from ending the oil addicition and blended value to the wealth of networks and biomimicry.

So that should keep your ears busy for a while. If you're still looking for more check out our Free Audio and Video Directory which now contains over 1,000 free resources for you to learn from. Enjoy your summer and keep Learning Out Loud!

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

May 14, 2006

LearnOutLoud in the New York Times

We got a cool mention in the New York Times Travel section today in an article entitled "New Audio Books Pack a Lot More Prose." Here's the link but you'll have to register to read it. It's actually a cool article in that it talks about digital rights management and mentions LearnOutLoud as one of the only companies selling DRM-free content. Here's a bit from the article:

For travelers who are interested in self improvement or concerned about proprietary formats, the portal LearnOutLoud offers MP3-based audio content at www.learnoutloud.com. MP3 is a common file format for digital music and audio files. "LearnOutLoud focuses on the educational market — not K-12, but adult, life-long learners," said Jon Bischke, its founder and chief executive. While you won't find blockbusters like the Harry Potter books there, LearnOutLoud offers something that few other sites offer — downloads in MP3 format, making it easy to copy the files to just about any device (May's free download is "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin").

We're getting the vibe from a lot of people that they're getting more and more interested in getting their content on MP3. One of the reasons for this is that people don't know what kind of device they may want to listen to audiobooks on in the future and worry that if they purchase a book in a proprietary format it might not be compatible. For instance, let's say you get a new phone a year from now that plays MP3s. If you buy audiobooks from other companies you might not be able to play them.

Anyway, it was a great article and hopefully will bring a few more people to our site.

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

May 08, 2006

Lessons Learned with Ben Franklin

While working on the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin over the past few weeks, I was given a great chance to access Franklin's life, his time, and most of all his wisdom. In the memoir his code of ethics can be expressed in many ways. In one section he stresses how learning forms the crux of personal excellence, in another he systematically endevours to rid himself of the daily habits that impede virtue. Any one section of the book can be listened to on its own and it would be enough to chew on for several months if not a year. Here are a few aspects of Franklin's life that I found the most compelling.

Morality: Franklin was not conventionally religious: He spurned the clergy's attempts to save his soul, and he rarely attended church. Nevertheless, he did come to form his own set of beliefs based on divine principles. He codified these beliefs at one point into a series of maxims he then tried to adhere to for the rest of his life. For instance, during a period of several weeks he spoke nary an unkind word about anyone in his circle in order that he not become known as a badmouther. By taking a strategic approach to personal character, Franklin experimented with the whole concept of "good" human conduct. While he himself admitted the results over a lifetime were mixed, he still found a way to identify his personal deficiencies and objectively improve upon them.

Reading and Writing: When you think you've hit a wall in your options, there's always the option of reading more about your options in order to broaden your understanding of your options. Does that make sense? Let me put it another way, Benjamin Franklin read not just for pleasure, he read to gain a better grasp on the way the world functions and how he might best be used within it. Reading for him was a way to map the world more efficiently. He made time for reading within his daily work schedule, and at many points in the book one can see he derived extreme pleasure from his books. He was also a beloved writer, and this aspect of his many talents had a profound influence on early colonial life. His poor Richard's Almanac, newspaper editorials and self-published essays held major sway on public opinion and undoubtedly helped plot the direction of the colonial mind. It would be foolish to think he didn't sow the seeds of revolution; his writing extolled independent thought and action at all costs. What's more American than that?

Be Curious: Every waking moment can move you forward, even when it seems like leisure. Franklin was the very definition of a rennaissance man. If he wasn't creating the first library, he was thinking of a way to put fires out or harnessing the electrical properties of lightning. All of these great discoveries were made by a man that followed through on every interest he had to the nth degree. Franklin was always searching to illuminate the dark corners of his personal experience. His world was marked by a constant need to know more and to push the boundaries of convention. Throughout the book, Franklin speaks of his activities as if they didn't present an obstacle and everything he didn't know was simply something he would know if he simply took the time to study it.

That's just a bit of what I've gleaned after thinking about it here for a few minutes. There's much more to discuss here and nothing written here can encapsulate what Franklin was able to accomplish in his lifetime. He was gifted with an amazing intellect to be sure, but he was also equally blessed by his access to learning materials (even he would admit he would have gone nowhere if he hadn't educated himself throughout his life).

In the end, it constantly amazes me how era-defining historical periods produce the perfect people to lead the way. If we didn't have men like Franklin, Washington and Jefferson during the revolution, I don't know how history would have gone. The same can be said for how Lincoln appeared during the Civil War or how leaders like FDR and Churchill emerged to save the world during World War II. I hope you enjoy Franklins account of his story and are inspired by his example as well. If anything, the model he provides for living is very, very doable.

Posted by LOLSeth | Permalink

May 05, 2006

WIE Unbound and the Webby Awards

It's been a while since I've blogged about WIE Unbound, the audio and video service from the good people over at What is Enlightenment? magazine. It's a great service that features interviews with leading thinkers like Deepak Chopra, Andrew Cohen (whose new Meditation title is available for download from LearnOutLoud here), Jon Kabat-Zinn and many others. $10 a month gets you the whole kit and kaboodle. Definitely a great investment.

I also wanted to encourage fans of What is Enlightment? to vote for them in the upcoming Webby Awards. They're up for a Webby for best Religion and Spirituality web site. Here's the link where you can give them your vote:

http://www.wie.org/home04i/offsite.asp?oid=webby

Kudos to Laura and the rest of the gang over at WIE for producing a ton of compelling audio and video content for your learning out loud pleasure.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

May 02, 2006

Complete Noam Chomsky Audio & Video Resource

With the recent release of Chomsky's latest audio book Failed States, we decided it was time to put together the ultimate audio and video resource on this linguist and political activist:

www.learnoutloud.com/chomsky

Chomsky has written dozens of books but only his most recent, Failed States and Hegemony and Survival, have been made into audio books. Another recent release called Imperial Ambitions contains over 5 hours of interviews of Chomsky conducted by radio journalist David Barsamian since 9/11.

In the last few decades Chomsky has also delivered 100s of lectures, speeches, and interviews that have been captured on audio and video, many of which are available for free. We've featured the majority of Chomsky's free audio & video programs here along with some that are on sale on CD and digital download. The most complete listing of Chomsky audio and video can be found at Chomsky.info Audio N' Video which includes all of his appearances on Democracy Now as well as other radio programs. So check out all the audio & video resources from one of the most prolific and renowned intellectuals of our time.

Posted by LOLDavid | Permalink

April 29, 2006

Dave Sifry Gets It

As I've mentioned before, the Venture Voice podcast just keeps getting better and better. The most recent episode is with Dave Sifry, the CEO of Technorati. His mission in life?

To be of service.

When you listen to him talk you're listening to what I feel will be the future of business and entrepreneurship. Strive to serve first. Everything else (including profits) will come out of that.

Sifry's passion is infectious. We need more entrepreneurs like him. I hope (and think) that podcasts like Venture Voice will help to encourage that.

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

April 28, 2006

What's the World's Most Popular Language?

Did you guess English? If so you're wrong. 500 million more people claim Mandarin Chinese as their first language. That blew me away. Actually, the entire article entitled "The Mandarin Offensive" that I read tonight blew me away. I really don't we fully realize the impact that China is going to have on the rest of the world. It's going to be truly mind-boggling.

And it's a wake-up call I guess to go out there and learn at least a bit of Mandarin. I tried to do this a couple of years ago and I'll admit that it wasn't the easiest thing in the world. It's definitely a lot more difficult (coming from an English background) than trying to learn French or Spanish.

Now I might be a bit biased but I think one of the best ways to learn a foreign language (or to supplement your learning) is through audio. I know that both my Spanish and French (Disclaimer: I'm not anywhere near fluid in either language.) have been helped a lot over the years by listening to tapes and CDs. And when I made my attempt at learning Chinese a couple of years ago, listening the Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese course did help a lot.

If you're in the process of learning a language I would definitely recommend adding audio material to your plan of attack. We've got a ton of language learning material listed on our site so you should be able to find something that suits your needs. The best part about audio is that it's easy to repetitively drill the stuff into your head. Plus, it usually costs a fraction of what you would pay for classes or a private tutor.

I've definitely got "Become Bilingual" on my list of goals. Might be a good one to add to your list as well...

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

April 26, 2006

Feynman Rocks

Richard Feynman rocks.

I love Signal vs. Noise, the blog from the peeps over at 37Signals. One of today's posts included this quote from Feynman on the subject of awards:

"I don’t like honours…The prize is the pleasure of finding the thing out, the kick in the discovery, the observation of the people who use it. Those are the real things!"

http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/sunspots_kick...

How cool is that?

I noticed that David has been putting up some new Feynman titles. Check them out here. Good stuff...

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Posted by jbischke | Permalink

April 23, 2006

The Wisdom of Crowds and Content 2.0

So I was doing some unpacking today and managed to crank through about two thirds of James Surowiecki's excellent book The Wisdom of Crowds. The fact that I was able to get over halfway done with this book on a day when I was doing mundane stuff around the house is Reason #163 that I love audio learning. Seriously, this is a book that given my current schedule I would not have had the time to read anytime soon.

But something else struck me when I was listening to it. A couple of weeks ago I listened to a presentation that Surowiecki had given at South by Southwest (listen here). In it he hits most of the highpoints of The Wisdom of Crowds book. And he does it in less than an hour (contrast this with the unabridged audiobook which runs about ten hours).

Which of these has more value to the listener?

That's a really good question. Although I'm a big fan of unabridged audiobooks that fact of that matter is that the SXSW presentation hit the key points and anecdotes in the books, was delivered by the author himself and cost...nothing.

If this was the first time that I had encountered something like this it might not have registered for me. But it isn't. I've come across this before from people like Thomas Friedman (The World Is Flat), David McCullough (1776) and Malcolm Gladwell (Blink). Indeed, all of these (free) presentations by the authors do a pretty good job of summing up their books.

My gut is telling me that there's a new form of content emerging here. It's shorter than Content 1.0 (think one hour presentation from the author rather than ten hour unabridged audiobook). It's more personal than Content 1.0 (think the author talking about her book in her words rather than her book read by a narrator). And it's quite possibly more entertaining than Content 1.0 and certainly more efficient (I could listen to 10 author presentations in the same time that I could listen to one unabridged audiobook).

It's not Cliff Notes. It's not Soundview Executive Book Summaries. It's something entirely new (at least I think so). I'm going to call it Content 2.0 and leave it at that for now. But I'll be back with more later... :)

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April 10, 2006

Why I love LearnOutLoud

OK, I'm a bit biased here perhaps. :) But one of the things that I love about this site is that every time we ship an order or serve a download it's a product that we're all proud to sell. When we started LearnOutLoud we made a conscious decision that we weren't going to carry every spoken word audio title out there. Rather we were going to focus on the highest quality educational and inspirational material. If you're looking for romance or crime or mystery that's totally cool. You just won't find it here.

A glance at our top ten best-selling titles reaffirms for me that the decision to only sell high-quality stuff with substance was the right one:

1. Meditations for Manifesting - By far our best-selling title. And for good reason. If you're interested in learning Japa meditation there's no better way than this audiobook.

2. Energizing the Body - We've been selling a lot of Dan Millman's titles and this one has proved the most popular. Definitely worth checking out if you would like to have more energy. Uh, that would be all of us...

3. English for Portuguese (Brazilian) Speakers - This is our #3 best seller? Who would have thunk it? I will say though, there's no better way to polish your language skills than with audio learning.

4. The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren's mega best-selling book is also a hit on audio.

5. The Science of Getting Rich - This title is actually on our top 10 twice. The Brian Johnson narrated version edges out the Gildan Media version to date.

6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - An all-time favorite from Steven Covey.

7. The Science of Getting Rich - The other Science of Getting Rich in our Top Ten.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia CD Box Set - The best value audiobook ever. 31 discs for $52. That's a great deal! :)

9. The Twelve Gateways to Freedom - Another Dan Millman title. This one is excellent. Highly recommended.

10. English for Spanish Speakers - Suprise, surprise, more language training.

So that's our Top Ten. Every one of those titles has the power to improve your life in some way. That's what I love about this site and learning out loud in general. It's self-improvement without taking time out of your day. Now what could be better than that?

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March 30, 2006

Stanford on iTunes: Plath and Hughes

Recently I listened to an incredible literary discussion made available through Stanford's Books & Authors program on iTunes. The latest update to this section is entitled "Her Husband: Plath and Hughes" and is comprised of an interview and discussion with Diane Middlebrook, author of a recently published Plath-Hughes biography by the same name. If you are a fan of modern literature and poetry in particular, than you owe it to yourself to hear this.

Everyone that has read Sylvia Plath will find it hard to divide her life, marriage, and death from her work. That said, much of the discussion in this program deals with how aspects of her life informed what she wrote. The factors talked about include turbulent mental health, a volatile yet mutually beneficial marriage and how motherhood may have amplified Plath's talent beyond that of previous female authors. This is all interesting to be sure, but what really struck me was the attention given to Ted Hughes. I had never really thought about him before aside from the fact that he was married to Plath and probably contributed in part to the downward spiral that ultimately led to her suicide. Middlebrook provides him more dimension by making Plath's death the primary moment in his creative evolution. For the rest of his life, the centerpiece of Hughes' work lied in how he processed the pain of losing his creative soulmate. Middlebrook ends the session with a poem written by Hughes to Plath just before his 1998 death. What is read here sums up the loss of a loved one so poignantly that even Middlebrook herself sounds as though she's been brought to tears while reading it. This is an incredibly valuable discussion about what tore apart, fueled and ultimately re-connected two highly creative people.

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March 22, 2006

Audio Learning is Cheating!

I had a good friend from Minneapolis in town last night. We had a great time catching up and got on the subject of audio books when he was telling me how the parents of a kid who he coaches (he's a tennis pro) but audiobooks for their kid to listen to instead of reading the printed version. He considered it cheating and thinks the parents should have the kid read instead.

I guess I kind of agree with him.

I don't think audio learning should ever be a complete substitute for reading. In today's age it's more important than ever to read and honestly everyone would do themselves a favor by learning to read faster so they could process information quicker. A great program to help with that is EyeQ which is a piece of software that can up your reading spead dramatically. But I digress...

The point is not to look at audio learning, audiobooks and podcasts as a means of replacing reading. Instead it's a great compliment and a tremendous opportunity to crank through books and other stuff you're interested in during times when you can't read.

I love to read. But with my reading time I find myself gravitating increasingly to material that I can't listen to. For example, blogs (I love my Bloglines!), magazines and books that haven't been made into audio. Every time a new book comes out the first thing I do is check to see if an audio version is available. If it is I'll usually go that route. I've done this recently with titles such as The World is Flat and My Life. Books that previously I would have spent many hours over several months reading are now completed in a few weeks during my drive and exercise time, while I'm washing the dishes, etc.

The best part is that I didn't take any additional time out of my day to "read" these books.

What does that equate to? A major time savings. In my case, it's time to work on the business, time to relax a bit and of course time to read.

We live in a society in which, for most people, time is more scarce than money. That's why I love audio learning is that it literally adds time to my life. If I'm committed to lifelong learning and know that there will be books each month that I want to (and perhaps need to) read then I know now that I can listen to them, still get the full impact of and benefit from the material and yet not take up any additional time in my day by doing so.

I've been doing this for so long now that it's ingrained in me that I forget that this idea probably hasn't occured to many people. It hadn't really occured to my buddy but I think by the end of the night I sold him. And if I didn't I'm going to dropping an audiobook or two in the mail for him to seal the deal. :)

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March 20, 2006

Audio Learning at the LA Marathon

I completed marathon #4 yesterday here in LA and for the first time I tried listening to an audio book while I've ran. I've listened to music in the past and listened to audio books and podcasts while training but I've never tried listening to audio books during a race before. It actually went pretty well.

I listened to the first half of John Battelle's book The Search. It's an interesting look at the history of search engines with a more specific focus on Google. It's one of the multitudes that I always tell myself I should read or want to read but never seem to get around to. Knocking out the first half of it while doing something I knew I was going to do anyway was kind of cool.

I'm such a big fan of listening to audio books and podcasts during exercise. Not only is it a great way to crank through a lot of stuff that you normally wouldn't have time for but it's also a great way to come up with new ideas. I think there's something about the extra blood flow to the brain coupled with exposing your mind to some new knowledge that can trigger a hell of a lot of creativity. I've had some of my best ideas over the last year when I've been out for runs while listening to podcasts like The Gillmor Gang or Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders.

If you've never tried listening to an audio book or podcast during your workout I'd highly recommend it. It's a great way to "kill two birds with one stone" and the ideas you'll come up with will make it time very well spent.

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March 15, 2006

Reading aloud for a living

Good article from the LA Times about audiobook narrators:

Reading aloud for a living

A couple of good passages:

A survey done by the trade association found the average listener earns 25 percent more than nonlisteners, has a higher level of education and is more likely to hold a professional or managerial position.

I've always known that audiobook listeners were smarter than the average folk.

With iTunes, Audible.com, Mediabay.com, Jiggerbug.com and other Web sites sending downloadable audiobooks through cyberspace, prices will inevitably go down.

What?! Where's LearnOutLoud? :) I guess I need to drop Mimi an e-mail...

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March 10, 2006

The Greatest Speeches of All Time

There's something mighty powerful about listening to historic speeches. Whether you're listening to FDR, JFK or MLK (or even someone whose name isn't an acronym!), there's a feeling of energy and perspective that simply can't be duplicated. It's one thing to read Winston Churchill or read about him. It's another thing entirely to listen to him.

And there are many other benefits of listening to this type of stuff. You gain a better understanding of rhetoric. It's a great way to brush up on our English if English is not your native lanugage. And it's an incredible way to both be inspired and learn more about American and world history.

And you can do it all in your car on the way to work. :)

We're proud to feature titles by companies such as Speechworks on LearnOutLoud and look forward to bringing more and more of this type of content in the future. A personal dream of mine is a service like Real Rhapsody or Yahoo! Music but for speeches like this where you could call up your favorite historical figure or inspirational leader and within seconds be listening to any of the speeches they've given. How cool would that be? Maybe we'll just have to build that...

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March 01, 2006

Free Audio Bliss

I finally got the sound fixed on my laptop last week (kudos by the way to the fine gentleman at Experts Exchange who provided the fix...love that site!). It's ridiculous that I went such a long time without it working. After all, I run an audio learning company... But now it's back and I'm absolutely loving it.

One of the things that I'm growing more amazed at by the day is the amount of ridiculously cool free audio that's out there. For instance, here's my playlist for the afternoon:

The latest episode of the Venture Voice Podcast. It's an awesome interview with John Bogle, the man who started The Vanguard Group. You've got to listen to this one as it's an incredibly story of idealism and entrepreneurship.

The Carson Workshops Summit - Gee, I can't think of something a lot more fun than listening to guys from Google, Yahoo!, Delicious and 37 Signals discuss the future of Web. Good warm-up for this weekend's BarCamp here in LA. :)

Guided Meditation - I came across this very cool guided meditation from Beliefnet. Almost instantly made me calm. Not bad...

So with this explosion in audio content how do you find the latest and the greatest? While we've got a lot of it in our Free Audio and Video Directory and in our Podcast Directory. But my goal is to try to make sure as much of this stuff as possible finds its way into our new Free Resource of the Day newsletter. We've got some really cool stuff lined up for that including a lot of exclusive titles. You'll definitely want to sign up.

And oh yeah, I am listening to a lot more music now too. I'm having a lot of fun trying out new services and sites like WebJay, last.fm and my new favorite MusicRadish.

With all this cool stuff to listen to I'm not sure I ever want to stop working...

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February 16, 2006

Let Your Ears Be Your Guide

I haven't tried it yet but from what I've heard, audio walking tours are becoming all the rage. Audio tours of cities and museums have been available for years but it hasn't been until recently with the growing popularity of the iPod and other portable MP3 players that these have really taken off. I'm incredibly excited to go on a walking tour soon and now that Rough Guides has a walking tour for Santa Monica I don't really have an excuse. Here's a sampling of some of the great walking tours we have available here on LearnOutLoud:

Sounds for Sights - Four walking tours of New York City including Lower Manhattan and the Financial District and Times Square: The Crossroads of the World.

Soundwalk - More walking tours of New York City but also one of Paris as well.

Sound Travel - Walking tours of European cities such as London and Venice.

If you're looking to "try before you buy" you may want to take a look at an excellent post put together by Wynn Williamson over at the Stingy Scholar blog. He has a great listing of free walking tours including ones for cities in the U.S. such as San Francisco and cities abroad such as Glasgow.

Check 'em out and happy travels! :)

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February 15, 2006

Another Free Audiobook of the Month Club

We thought we were the only ones. We were wrong.

We launched our Free Audiobook of the Month Club last month (go get Siddhartha if you haven't already!) because we thought the world could use more high-quality free literature. Turns out that another site, ChristianAudio.com, is doing the same thing. Cool.

This month's free audiobook over there is G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday. I wasn't familiar with this title but I have listened to another of Chesterton's titles St. Francis of Assisi. I didn't like that one much but that was mostly due to poor sound quality. This one sounds much better. It's the full-length version (over 5 hours) and costs $20 or more to purchase elsewhere.

Kudos to ChristianAudio.com for doing this. The more free audio we can get out there the better!

Anyone aware of any other Free Audiobook of the Month clubs we should know about? :)

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February 14, 2006

Audio Learning for Tots

From PaidContent.org:

Products on the ways for kids include:

-- an iPod-enabled rocking chair, Baby Einstein -- SpongeBob speakers for an iPod, Emerson Radio's Nickelodeon line. -- Petz (rabbit, pig, frog, cat) hooked to an iPod move and light up to the music, MGA.

What an amazing way to expose children to foreign languages or classical literature. Making learning fun...that's what we're all about. Oh yeah, and we can't wait to launch kids.learnoutloud.com someday!

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Love is in the air...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! No doubt today finds all of us in different spots. Some of us madly in love. Others dealing with loss or heartache. Regardless of where you are and how Valentine's Day makes you feel it's a good opportunity to reflect on love and what it means to you. A great way to further your understanding of love is to listen to some audio books on the subject. So here are a few suggestions that would make great Valentine's Day listening:

Anything by Leo Buscaglia - Leo is one of my all-time favorites and just about the closest thing there is to an authority on the subject of love. After all, he used to teach a class called "Love" at USC! Leo's material is heart-warming and I'd advise anyone to have a good stash of Leo's stuff handy for those days when you feel a little down. Unfortunately a lot of his stuff is out of print but you can browse our selection here.

The Path to Love by Deepak Chopra - This is a book I've returned to a few times in my life. While I don't think I've ever read it cover to cover there are some passages in here that are quite profound. Sometimes I find Deepak's material a bit inaccessible but that's not the case with this one. Another similar audio to this one is Don Miguel Ruiz's The Mastery of Love. Both are highly recommended.

Poetry - What better way is there to woo your mate or deepen your ability to love then with poetry? Listen to poems is an entirely different experience from reading them. A few recommended selections include Classical Love Poetry, A Lover's Gift from Him to Her and The Sonnets by William Shakespeare.

Have a very happy and love-filled Valentine's Day!

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February 10, 2006

Fantastic Friend: Dan Millman

Over on Tom Peters' blog he has a neat feature he calls "Cool Friends." Basically these are people who Tom has come across who he feels are extraordinary and worth a mention. I like this idea so much that I've decided to do it here at LearnOutLoud.com. Even though I'm borrowing the concept I decided that I'd come up with a different name. Besides I don't think "cool" is enough of a superlative to describe these people!

Our first Fantastic Friend is Dan Millman. Many people know of Dan through his best-selling book Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Originally published in 1980, Way of the Peaceful Warrior has sold of 2.5 million copies and been translated into dozens of languages. It's the story of a young gymnast who learns about life from a mysterious gas station attendant named Socrates. The subtitle for the book is "A Book That Changes Lives" and I've yet to talk to anyone who has read it (or listened to it!) whose life hasn't changed in some fashion because of it.

In addition to Way of the Peaceful Warrior Dan has a wealth of material worth checking out. We're hosting a number of his other audio titles here at LearnOutLoud. I've listened to most of them and really enjoy Dan's style of teaching. While many of his principles evolve from Eastern teachings his material is also very pragmatic.

A few titles that I'd encourage each of you to check out are listed below. We have them available for MP3 download and have also made them available as MPEG-4 files. The benefit of MPEG-4 files is that they are bookmarkable which allows you to listen to something else and then come back to same point in the audio book. It's definitely the way to go when you are listening to longer pieces of content.

Here are a few that I would highly recommend:

The Twelve Gateways to Freedom
Energizing the Body
The Laws of Spirit

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is being released as a major motion picture this summer (starring Nick Nolte and Amy Smart) so you'll likely be hearing a lot more about him in upcoming months. In the meantime, take an opportunity to make your commute a lot more enjoyable this week by listening to some of his work. In addition, please check out his website at www.danmillman.com for more information, his upcoming event schedule, etc.

Kudos to Dan for being our first Fantastic Friend.

More to come!

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January 26, 2006

A Microsoft "iPod" in the works?

Business Week reports that Microsoft just might have its own version of the iPod in the works.

The Bug in Microsoft's Ear

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January 19, 2006

Teaching English via Podcasting

Hmmm...three billion new capitalists...many of them hungry to learn English or improve their English skills.

Can anybody say "huge potential?" :)

Can podcasters teach English?

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December 29, 2005

Ten New "Ear's" Resolutions for 2006

No, I didn't leave out the "Y". While everyone else is talking about "New Year's Resolutions" I figured I'd write an article about New Ear's Resolutions. It probably sounds like I'm off my rocker but bear with me. A New Ear's Resolution is a resolution to change the things you listen to in the coming year. To be honest, it might be one of the biggest changes you'll make.

You see, I'm a big believer in the fact that our lives are often the product of the things that we consume. It might be the stuff we read, what we watch on television or the people we hang out with. Here at LearnOutLoud we're all about the stuff that you listen to. Our mission is to help introduce you to amazing variety of really interesting and entertaining educational content that's out there. We hope that by doing so we can encourage you to Learn Out Loud too.

So as part of that I've written a series of New Ear's Resolutions. You might choose to follow them all or just to follow some of them. Either way, I think you'll find that they'll benefit you tremendously in the upcoming year. In fact, I guarantee it. Hear me out on this. OK, that was a bad pun but I really believe that if you were to incorporate just a few of these resolutions into your daily life that you won't believe what an impact it will. Make them all a part of your life and you'll end 2006 living on a totally different level than you started it on.

Ten New Ear's Resolutions for 2006

10. Pull the cord on talk radio - OK, every once in a while I too like to listen to talk radio. But what it is about people going on and on about relatively meaningless stuff that attracts so many people? My answer? Lack of choices. People put on talk radio because there isn't much else on the dial. Here's my advice to you: Plan a bit ahead. Have something really good queued up on the CD player, iPod, whatever so that you listen to something that you enjoy rather than just settling for whatever is on.

9. Learn a language this year - Learning a foreign language used to be a lot more difficult than it is now. You used to have to go to expensive classes or try to learn from boring books which aren't all that great at teaching language anyway. All that's changed. There are a number of great companies like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone who are producing excellent foreign language courses. You can throw these in on your way to work and absorb a ton during your commute. It might not be enough to achieve fluency but you'll get pretty darn close. Not a bad way to spend your drive time...

8. Listen to a new podcast each week - Set a goal in 2006 to try to listen to one new podcast each week. Maybe you'll find that only one out of every four light your fire. That's cool. By the end of the year that means you have 13 new podcasts that you're subscribed. Given all that's out there it's not always easy to find good stuff. Try our Podcast Directory or read our recent article "The Top 10 Podcast Episodes of 2005" for some helpful suggestions.

7. Find a few "broken records" - I talked about this before in a previous blog post. A broken record is an audio book that you just throw on in the background when you're doing something around the house, exercising, etc. Great examples of broken records are titles like Think and Grow Rich or The Science of Getting Rich (great if you've got some financial goals in 2006), titles like Living Health or The Food Revolution (if you are trying to lose weight and/or improve your diet) or general ones like 101 Ways to Transform Your Life or 50 Things I'm Going To Do Today. A couple of broken records you can pick up on the cheap include Acres of Diamonds ($2.98) and The Magic Story ($1.98). My latest broken record is Tuesday With Morrie. Everyone should listen to that at least once a year. Buy a few of these and throw them on often throughout the year.

6. Take a university course - Remember all those great courses you just never had the time to take? It's not too late! Through offerings from The Teaching Company and the Portable Professor Series you can go back to school without high tuition or pre-exam anxiety. There are some really amazing courses here to dive into from some of the best professors around. It's a great opportunity to expand your horizons and deepen your understand of the world that we live in. Take some time in 2006 to turn your vehicle into a "University on Wheels."

5. Super-charge your workouts - When your exercising your body why not exercise your intellect as well? Sure it's fun to listen to music when you work out but mix in some audio books or podcasts from time to time. It's a pretty cool feeling to finish a workout and realize that in addition to getting in better shape you learned something as well. You can pick an audio book that has some relevance to the workout that you are doing. For instance, try listening to Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike when you're cycling.

4. Deepen your religion/spirituality in 2006 - Want to get closer to God this year? You're not alone. This is becoming a growing trend in today's society. Think of your iPod (or mp3/CD/cassette player/etc.) as an oasis and an opportunity to re-connect to your source of inspiration. Pick up audio versions of The Bible, The Bhagavad Gita or any of a number of titles on Religion and Spirituality and give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to focus on what's truly important to you.

3. Subscribe to the Zaadz Daily Wisdom - One of my favorite podcasts is one that we've produced here at LearnOutLoud, The Zaadz Daily Wisdom. Brian Johnson is your host for the Daily Wisdom and he covers a wide range of philosophers, psychologists, spiritual teachers and others such as Socrates, Thoreau and Einstein. Think of it as a daily motiviational quote on steroids. Perfect to subscribe to and listen to first thing in the morning or on your way into work.

2. Create your own audio learning content - It's easier than ever to record your own content. Surely you have something that you would like teach the world! Check out Seth's article "How To Begin Home Recording" to see just how easy it can be. And what do you do with your recording once it's done? Start with getting it listed right here at LearnOutLoud.com. We have a service in the works called LearnDirect which will allow you to share your audio content with millions of people and get paid to do so! For more information, send an e-mail to learndirect@learnoutloud.com.

1. Share audio learning with a friend - Perhaps by now you've become a believer of the impact that audio learning can have. Now it's time to spread that love! Hook some of your friends and family on audio books and podcasts. We've created a number of audio learning junkies of our friends and family this year and we hope that you'll do the same in 2006. Point them to LearnOutLoud.com. Show them this short, free video tutorial on listening to podcasts. Help them learn to stop worrying and love their commute. It's one of the best gifts you can give somebody.

At the end of the day it's not so much about what you're learning but rather that you've chosen to take the time to Learn Out Loud. Many people get frustrated because they don't have the time to read all the books they want to or learn the things that they know would help them in their lives. Audio learning can help with all of that. It can turn the 2/3/4 hours each day that you spend sitting behind the wheel, exercising, washing the dishes, etc. into a time of personal and professional development. To quote Brian Tracy, one of the biggest proponents of audio learning that I know:

If you did nothing but use that traveling time as learning time, this decision alone could make you one of the best educated people of your generation. Many people have gone from rags to riches simply by listening to audio programs as they drive to and from work.

That's powerful stuff. 2006 is going to be a big year for you. We hope that you'll incorporate Learning Out Loud into your daily life in order to make it the best year yet. Happy New Year and Best Wishes from all the staff here at LearnOutLoud.com!

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December 20, 2005

Audio Books On the Rise in Malaysia

A quickie blog post tonight. Here's an article on how audio book use in Malaysia is starting to take off:

Alternative to reading

We were chatting a little bit tonight about how we'll have to launch Taipei.LearnOutLoud.com as we're getting a lot of traffic from there. Maybe KualaLumpur.LearnOutLoud.com won't be far behind!

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December 17, 2005

Software opens up new world for blind

It's reading articles like these that makes it very easy to get out of bed in the morning.

Software opens up new world for blind

"They say that books are the window to the world, but there is hardly a publisher here that produces popular books in both print and audio forms," Mitra Netra Foundation deputy executive director Irwan Dwi Kustanto, said.

Himself suffering from reduced vision -- only 2 percent of his eyesight remains -- Irwan remembers the frustrations of having to always ask another person to read to him.

Wow. I'm very excited to help bring more audio content to Irwan, Riqo and other visually impaired people and I'm very excited to make our site more accessible to people who can't actually view the site. If you know anything about the latter please drop me an e-mail at jon@learnoutloud.com as this is an area where we could use some help.

While I'm on the subject I wanted to give a quick mention to a couple of podcasts being put out by visually impaired people: Blindspot Podcast and Blind Access Journal. I had the privilege of seeing Darrell Shandrow of the Blind Access Journal podcast live as part of TWiT 30 at this year's Portable Media Expo. It was pretty remarkable.

Which reminds of another remarkable story about a physically impaired person. But I'm going to save that for another time...

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December 16, 2005

How to Become an Audio Learning Junkie, Part Two

Well, it's been almost a month since the first installment of How to Become an Audio Learning Junkie so I had figured I'd better get back on the ball. Last time we talked about some of the cool resources that you could learn from on audio including stuff from publishers like Pimsleur and The Teaching Company. We also discussed the pros and cons of cassettes vs. CDs vs. portable audio. In this installment of How To Become an Audio Learning Junkie we're going to dive a little deeper into the realm of portable audio. Many people are going to get an iPod or other portable MP3 player during this holiday season and one of the first questions will be how to load it up with content. We're here to help with that.

There are two main types of content that you'll want to download to your audio player:

1. Audio Books - The ability to listen to spoken word audio on a portable player will forever change the way you look at books. I love books and I love to read. But I've found that being able to listen to books as well as read them really liberates me. I'm able to get through a lot more books now because I have two options to consume them rather than one. For instance, I never thought that I would find the time to read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Heck, it had taken me almost a year to get through The Fountainhead and that was back in college when I actually had time!

But when I trained for my first marathon a while back I was able to get through Atlas Shrugged in its entirety in just a little over a month without taking any additional time out of my day. That's the power of audio learning! Needless to say I've been hooked on audio books ever since. I've also managed to pass on that addiction to many of my friends and family and hopefully thousands of people who've visited LearnOutLoud.com since we launched in January.

So where do you go for audio books to load up on your portable player? Well, there are a lot of options depending on whether you've got an iPod or not. If you've got an iPod you'll probably find the easiest option is to go the iTunes/Audible.com route. So let me first cover Audible.

Audible.com - Audible is the original player in the portable spoken word market. They actually had a portable media player well before iPod existed. Audible works pretty well if you've got an iPod and they also work with a lot of non-iPod devices. You can buy books from them a la carte or you can sign up for one of their membership plans which allow you a certain number of books and/or periodicals each month.

Now if you have an iPod but don't want to use Audible your options are a bit more limited. Most of the other big audio book services protect their titles with Microsoft's DRM which unfortunately isn't compatible with the iPod. So to get your titles onto your iPod you have to burn them to a CD, rip them to an MP3 and then add them to your iPod. Not a lot of fun...

A better solution might be to get a non-iPod MP3 player which gives you a lot more flexibility. I wrote extensively about this and the Creative Zen Micro player in my blog post "The Impending Death of the Apple iPod". A player like the Zen Micro will allow you to use Audible.com but it also allows you to use a number of other audio book services. What audio book services are those? Here's a listing:

SoundsGood.com - SoundsGood.com is very similar to Audible only they use the Microsoft DRM protection instead of the Apple DRM. Like Audible you can purchase titles a la carte or you sign up for their subscription service.

Jiggerbug - I really like the Jiggerbug service. It allows for unlimited audio book rentals including both downloads and CDs. They aren't as well known as Audible and the hassle of getting stuff to an iPod is a consideration but I do think they offer the best overall service. I'm strongly considering ditching my iPod soon for a non-iPod device and Jiggerbug is a big reason why I'd do that.

Simply Audiobooks - A entrant in the digital download space, Simply Audiobooks began selling content for download just last week. Similar to Audible and Sounds Good, titles can be purchased a la carte or through a subscription service.

There also are a couple of services that allow free audio book rental through library systems. Overdrive and Net Library offer their services in a large and growing number of libraries. Because they utilize the Microsoft DRM they are not compatible with the Apple iPod (another good reason for buying a non-iPod device). In addition, there are also some smaller retailers that offer audio books for download as well including PayPerListen.com.

Of course no discussion of portable audio would be complete without a little plug for what we've got here at LearnOutLoud.com!

LearnOutLoud.com - Our selection of titles for download is currently small but will be growing rapidly. For now check out titles from Gildan Media and Bryan Kest's Power Yoga or individual titles like The Science of Getting Rich or How You Can Create Advertising That Really Works. Many more are on the way soon!

We've also got a very popular free section on the site. Our Free Audio and Video Directory has over 500 titles, many of which can be downloaded to portable players. Some of the highlights include historical speeches from American Rhetoric, sermons from SermonIndex.com and free audio books such as Free Culture and As a Man Thinketh.

OK, enough about audio books (in case you couldn't tell I could go on forever...). Let's talk podcasting!

2. Podcasting - Podcasting arrived on the scene with a bang. A year ago almost no one (outside of Adam Curry and Dave Winer) knew what podcasting was. Today it's on everyone's lips and even the New Oxford American Dictionary selected "podcast" as its word of the year. Yup, podcasting is hot and it's a great way to get cool content for your portable player.

Let's start with the basics of podcasting. For a basic explanation of podcasting you can consult Wikipedia. Better yet, listen to a free recorded version of the Wikipedia entry here. It's a pretty simple concept but at the same time it can be a little intimidating to subscribe to your first podcast. So we've created a short little video tutorial on how to listen to and subscribe to a podcast in iTunes. Here's the link:

http://learnoutloud.castpost.com/PodcastItunes2.swf

There are other ways to listen to podcasts than with iTunes but we do feel that iTunes is probably the easiest way to get started.

Although it might be the easiest way to listen to podcasts it's not necessarily the easiest way to find new podcasts. The iTunes directory is a little bare and I tend to prefer the Yahoo! directory, the Odeo directory and our very own directory here at LearnOutLoud.com.

Yahoo! Podcast Directory - Yahoo! knocked the ball out of the park with their directory. It's well-organized, supports tagging and contains a lot of information. While it isn't perfect it's a great place to explore for new content.

Odeo - Odeo is another podcast directory worth checking out. It's similar in nature to Yahoo's directory but does contain a slightly different inventory of podcasts. What I don't like about Odeo's directory is that you have to have an account to access it. That's a recent change and a poor one I feel.

LearnOutLoud.com Podcast Directory - I'm partial to our podcast directory for a couple of reasons. First, it tends to contain higher-quality of podcasts because we've focused on educational podcasts. There's a lot of crap out there in the podcasting world and we've largely side-stepped it. The reason we've been able to do this is that we've hand-selected all of the podcasts in our directory and listened to most (if not all) of them before choosing to include them. Also, our directory offers one-click subscriptions to iTunes for most podcasts and the ability to stream podcasts directly.

Well, the fingers are getting a little tired so I think I'll sign off for now as I've give you a lot to chew on, er, listen to. I'll be back with another installment in a couple of weeks when I talk about how you can best fit audio learning into your everyday life. In the meantime have an absolutely tremendous weekend and don't forget to spending some quality time this weekend Learning Out Loud!

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December 14, 2005

Two Podcasts of a Christmas Carol

A couple of podcasts of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol are being made available. Storynory.com has a dramatized version in progress on their site. It's a neat little site which also has downloadable versions of Hansel and Gretel and The Three Little Pigs.

Now the word out of Penguin (via Corante) is that they also will be doing a podcast of the unabridged version of A Christmas Carol as well.

If you're interested in audio book versions of A Christmas Carol or other audio books by Charles Dickens (we have 67 in all listed on our site), here a link:

Charles Dickens Audio Books

Update: Here are the links to these two podcasts in our directory:

The Penguin Podcast
StoryNory

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December 13, 2005

Best of 2005 Audio Books (iTunes)

I just got an e-mail forwarded to me from Apple which lists the "Best of 2005" for audio books. Not sure how scientific this is :) but wanted to pass the chosen titles along.

Editors Pick: Freakonomics

Customer Favorite: How To Talk To Anyone

Health, Mind & Body: YOU: The Owner's Manual

Current Events: The World is Flat

I'd give you a link to the complete listing but since it's in iTunes I'll just have to tell you to go to the Audiobooks section of the Music Store and look for the Best of 2005.

Happy listening!

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December 12, 2005

Shownotes for Audio Learning Revolution Episode #013

Audio Learning Revolution Podcast for Dec 11th, 2005