November 27, 2024

Watch 20 Oscar-Winning Feature Film Documentaries for Free Online

Starting in 1942, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began bestowing the award for Best Documentary Feature Film. In recent years, many of these excellent feature-length documentaries have become available legally for free on YouTube and free movie sites like Tubi. From the war propaganda films of World War II to the contemporary political and social issue documentaries that often win today, you’ll get a wide variety of documentaries from film history in this list. So here, in chronological order, are twenty Oscar-winning feature film documentaries available to watch for free online. We’ve written reviews of many of them below and will write more reviews here as we watch them all!

1. Prelude to War (1942)

Watch this historic first documentary in Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series produced by the US Department of War from 1942 to 1945. The 50-minute film is an effective piece of war propaganda directed by Capra that was initially meant to be shown to American soldiers to explain why we were heading to war. President Franklin Roosevelt liked the film so much that he pushed for it to be viewed publicly, and it was eventually seen by over 50 million Americans.

In the film, Capra uses propaganda footage from the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan, and re-contextualizes it to contrast it with the American way of life. Capra had watched Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935) and wanted to make a counterpart to that piece of Nazi propaganda. He sets the stage for the film by contrasting the world of freedom and the world of slavery. Using animations drawn by Walt Disney Productions, he shows maps of the spreading of fascism in Europe and Asia. And he shows the leaders Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Hirohito in a villainous light.

The documentary does show Americans arguing for isolationism which was popular at the time, but the movie argues that totalitarian militarism was spreading fast and would soon reach American shores if not countered. In the end, the movie quotes Army Chief of Staff George Marshall: “The victory of the democracies can only be complete with the utter defeat of the war machines of Germany and Japan”. This documentary was the very first film to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.

2. The True Glory (1945)

This Oscar-winning documentary features amazing footage from the U.S. Office of War Information and the British Ministry of Information in the final year of World War II. General Dwight D. Eisenhower introduces the film which features narration of the words of soldiers and others who contributed to the war effort. The documentary footage begins with the Normandy landings on D-Day of June 6, 1944, all the way through the battles in France and Germany up to the fall of Berlin and the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. Along the way, dramatized voices from the Allied Forces chime in with accompanying combat footage from land, sea, and air.

While it’s not a comprehensive history lesson of the final year of the war, it certainly leaves an impression of what the last year of World War II was like in the European theatre of combat. From the beaches of Normandy to the concentration camps in Germany, you’ll see the triumphs and horrors of this major 20th-century conflict, restored in high definition by the U.S. National Archives. The direction of the film is attributed to British director Carol Reed, with many other significant contributors, utilizing footage from over 1,000 cameramen.

3. Kon-Tiki (1951)

Watch the harrowing journey of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew of five men as they travel from Peru to the Polynesian Islands on a raft named “Kon-Tiki” made out of balsa logs. Heyerdahl hypothesized that South Americans could have reached Polynesia during pre-Columbian times, and he set out on a crazy journey to prove his point. At first, the documentary might make you seasick from the shaky camera work as the Kon-Tiki sails across the Pacific Ocean. But you’ll soon settle in and witness this survival tale as the men battle off sharks and whales and deal with other treacherous elements that seek to end their voyage. In the end, they do arrive on a Polynesian island after 101 days and 4,300 miles. While Heyerdahl admits this doesn’t prove South Americans made this voyage, he nevertheless showed that it was possible. Thor Heyerdahl wrote the narration of the film which is read by an English narrator. The footage is black and white 16mm and the transfer isn’t great in this version on Tubi, but it still makes for a compelling watch in this Oscar-winning documentary from 1951.

4. Albert Schweitzer (1957)

This documentary on the life of Albert Schweitzer uses archival footage to detail the life and work of the beloved philosopher, doctor, and humanitarian. Starting with Schweitzer’s upbringing, the viewer gains direct insight into what motivated him, including an early love of nature, animals, and the searching way he went from being a musician, to preaching, to teaching, until he decided upon a life of service in equatorial Africa. In addition, this program offers priceless footage of Schweitzer’s daily work habits, and follows him on a return trip he made later in life to the village where he grew up. This film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

5. Sky Above and Mud Beneath (1961)

Sky Above and Mud Beneath follows a grueling 7-month journey of a Franco-Dutch expedition led by Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau into what was at the time Dutch New Guinea. The film is part ethnographic and part exploration as they encounter tribes along the way. The encounters with cannibals, headhunters, and Pygmies present the more interesting aspects of film, as the filmmakers capture many ceremonies and rituals of the various tribes. The exploration part of this documentary is more ridiculous as the explorers complain of the horrid conditions and are air-dropped rescue supplies frequently. Nevertheless, the filmmakers capture some gorgeous places along their thousand-mile journey. The film has no dialogue and only narration. William Peacock narrates the English version of this film with a script by director Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1961.

6. Marjoe (1972)

7. The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)

Watch this impressive documentary on Yuichiro Miura’s attempt to become the first person to ski down Mount Everest on May 6, 1970. Most of the movie covers the large crew’s ascent up Everest starting in Kathmandu, Nepal until they reach the summit. The film is shot on 35mm CinemaScope providing some gorgeous views as they climb the mountain. The audio narration consists of excerpts of Yuichiro Miura’s insightful diary during the climb and is narrated by Douglas Rain (who interestingly enough provided the voice of the HAL 9000 computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey). The expedition takes a dark turn when six Sherpas died after a glacier collapse. The rest of the voyage up is a brutal, existential survival story and we won’t spoil the ending, but it is riveting. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film in 1975.

8. Scared Straight! (1978)

9. From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1980)

10. Genocide (1981)

11. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)

12. The Panama Deception (1992)

13. The Long Way Home (1997)

14. Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)

15. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

16. Born Into Brothels (2004)

17. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

18. Undefeated (2011)

19. Citizenfour (2014)

In this chilling and paranoia-inducing documentary, director Laura Poitras follows around whistleblower Edward Snowden as he exposes the current methods the NSA is spying on people around the globe. At first Snowden’s paranoia seems a bit ridiculous, but all involved including journalist Glenn Greenwald are rapidly engulfed in a web of global surveillance, as the United States seeks to bring Snowden back to the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and other counts. It’s a fascinating and frightening tale that is sure to get you thinking about how your digital life is being monitored. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Oscars.

20. 20 Days in Mariupol (2023)

Watch this brutal documentary on the invasion of Mariupol, Ukraine, by Russian forces in 2022. The documentary was directed by Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov and produced by the Associated Press and PBS Frontline, which is offering the documentary for free on their YouTube channel. The footage Chernov captures is the ground-level reality of the siege of Mariupol over the first 20 days of the invasion. It features the killing of civilians, the bombing of hospitals, and other war crimes carried out by Russian forces. Chernov presents the thoughts and emotions of the people of Mariupol as the invasion is carried out and all the chaos and suffering that ensues. It is bleak and essential viewing of the realities of a war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians.

And you can check out over 1,500 Free Documentaries in our LearnOutLoud.com Free Documentaries Collection!

October 28, 2024

Watch Book Talks on These 10 YouTube Channels

When a book is released from a major book publisher, it is still quite common for the author to go on tour, talking about their book at literary events. The author will often give a talk on their book at bookstores, libraries, or other venues and do a book signing. The author may also go on TV shows, radio shows, or podcasts to promote their book. These book talks can be in the form of readings, lectures, or interviews and often include a Q&A from the audience at the end of the talk.

Since the ascent of YouTube for easily distributing long-form videos, these book talks have become increasingly popular on many YouTube channels in the past 15 years. When a new book comes out that may interest you, watching or listening to a book talk on YouTube is a great way to learn about the book and see if it’s something you might want to purchase as a full book or audiobook. With the best authors, these book talks are well-prepared and can provide a lot of the main ideas from a book.

On LearnOutLoud.com, we’ve been featuring these book talks for over 15 years now, as they are such a great way to learn. We’re subscribed to dozens of YouTube channels that regularly feature book talks and we’ve added and reviewed hundreds of these book talks on our site with authors talking about their most popular books. In this blog post, we’ll highlight 10 of the best YouTube channels for watching book talks. If we’ve added these channels as publishers on our website, we’ll link to those as well.

1. Talks at Google YouTube Channel – Since Google owns YouTube, it is no surprise that they were pioneers in featuring talks from authors delivered at their many Google offices around the world. Since 2006 their speaker series has been going on with authors and leading thinkers giving talks on all sorts of topics. To date, they feature over 5,000 talks on their YouTube channel, which has over 2 million subscribers. On LearnOutLoud.com, we’ve tried to pick out some of their most popular talks to feature on our site and we currently showcase about 600 Google Talks on our site, many with reviews of the talk:

600 of the Best Talks at Google on LearnOutLoud.com

2. Politics and Prose YouTube Channel – Politics and Prose is one of the top independent bookstores in the country located in Washington, D.C. For the past 12 years, they’ve featured high-quality video recordings of talks by authors about their books recorded at their bookstore. Because of where they’re located and their name, you might have guessed that a lot of the authors that speak there talk about books related to politics. But their talks cover a whole lot more than that. With over 3,000 videos on their YouTube channel and over 200K subscribers, they’re one of the top destinations on YouTube for book talks. We’ve added about 100 of these book talks to our site covering many of their most popular talks:

100 Politics and Prose Bookstore Events Videos on LearnOutLoud.com

3. University of California Television (UCTV) YouTube Channel – The University of California Television channel on YouTube is vast with over 10,000 videos and 1 million subscribers. They’ve been broadcasting on YouTube since 2007, with talks delivered at many University of California campuses. Many of these talks are from UC faculty covering research in the areas of science, tech, and health. But they also feature talks from authors often talking about books they’ve written. We’ve added over 250 of their best videos to our site which you can browse here:

Over 250 of the Best University of California Television Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

4. The 92nd Street Y YouTube Channel – The 92nd Street Y in New York City has been a cultural and community center for 150 years! They’ve been recording their talks there even long before YouTube existed. Their YouTube channel features over 3,500 videos with over 350K subscribers. Their talks are often done in conversation format, and for their book talks sometimes feature readings from the books. Some of their historic talks go back decades and feature audio recordings of authors. We’ve gone through their whole channel and featured over 100 of their best talks on LearnOutLoud:

Over 100 92nd Street Y Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

5. GBH Forum Network YouTube Channel – WGBH is Boston’s primary PBS television station. They’ve been recording book talks around the Boston area for over a decade now and posting them to their YouTube channel. Their channel has over 4,000 videos with over 100K subscribers. Learn from authors of all sorts of books on their YouTube channel. We feature over 200 of their best talks on our website:

Over 200 of the Best WGBH Forum Network Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

6. The Commonwealth Club of California YouTube Channel – This public affairs forum features many authors discussing their books on their YouTube channel. Their YouTube channel has over 2,500 videos with over 200K subscribers. Many of their talks are politically related, but they cover other categories including science, religion, technology, and much more. We feature over 50 of their best talks on our site:

Over 50 of The Commonwealth Club of California’s Best Videos on LearnOutLoud.com

7. Library of Congress YouTube Channel – The Library of Congress has a ton of videos on their YouTube channel from historical films to musical performances to talks of all kinds. Many of their talks are authors talking about their books. A lot to explore here!

8. Author Events from the Free Library of Philadelphia – The Free Library of Philadelphia has offered over 900 book talks on its YouTube channel over the past 6 years. These public events are often done in the form of interviews.

9. Barnes & Noble YouTube Channel – The Barnes & Noble YouTube Channel features a lot of content, but more recently a lot of book talks. Many of these are interviews conducted on Zoom which isn’t ideal, but some of them are book talks delivered at one of Barnes & Noble’s 600 bookstores nationwide.

10. BookTV YouTube Channel – And we must mention C-SPAN’s BookTV. They feature a YouTube channel with over 5,000 clips of their book talks dating back decades since C-SPAN has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, they don’t post full book talks on their YouTube channel. To watch their full book talks, you’ll need to go to their website at www.c-span.org/bookTv. On the website, they have an astounding 21,000 book talks to choose from dating back to the 1990s. We feature over 300 of the best Book TV Interviews on our site:

Over 300 of the Best Book TV Interviews on LearnOutLoud.com

And these channels are just scratching the surface of the book talks that are on YouTube. Search about any major book from the past 15 years and you’re likely to find a book talk about it on YouTube from some channel. A great way to learn!

September 18, 2024

7 Free Motivational Talks by Author Leo Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia was a University of Southern California professor who taught a popular course called Love 1A. The popularity of his course and of his book Love, led to a series of motivational talks that he delivered on public television in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently seven of these talks have become available through the PBS KVIE YouTube Channel. While his books are great, maybe the best way to experience Buscaglia is through his dynamic talks. Start watching one of the talks below, and you might just find yourself watching them all!

1. The Art of Being Fully Human

In this one-hour talk called “The Art of Being Fully Human”, Buscaglia provides advice on living life to the fullest. His speaking style is infectious as he tells many tales about his life and others who have embraced a the art of being fully human. Frustrated with academic teachings that teach us about everything except how to love and live life, Buscaglia created his own method of teaching to personally reach his students. The talk is full of many truths that connect us as humans and that can motivate us to being more human to ourselves and others.

2. A Time to Live

Author and professor Leo Buscaglia gives his unique take on time management as he encourages his audience to act now on the things most important in life. He briefly breaks down the amount of time we do major activities in our lifetime such as working, eating, sleeping, watching TV, and even going to the bathroom. Through humorous anecdotes and quotes, Buscaglia invites us to take action on the important things in life and not waste it. He encourages us to take time for learning, for joy, for silence, for giving, and for love. He closes by asking, “If not now, when?” Enjoy this uplifting talk on the importance of time from Dr. Leo Buscaglia.

3. Loving Relationships

In this wonderful talk from Leo Buscaglia, he provides advice on all of the relationships in our lives. Starting with marriage and romantic relationships, he urges individuals to reach out and not build a wall around ourselves, waiting for the perfect person. Buscaglia outlines some of the key factors that lead to successful relationships. Expanding from our romantic relationships, he suggests ways to make deeper connections with everyone we know. An enormous advocate of hugging, Buscaglia points to the importance of physical contact for being fully alive. In a society full of loneliness, he passionately preaches that our connection and love for other people is one of the most important aspects of our lives.

4. Speaking of Love

In this talk from Leo Buscaglia, he shares the many ways we can express love in our lives. He tells stories of not just romantic love, but love for everyone and everything. From loving the elderly to loving food to loving nature, Buscaglia shares his passionate love for life. He is able to bring love to almost everything he does from waiting in airports to driving. He may change your perspective on loving what we otherwise might feel is mundane, bringing out the magic in our lives and ourselves. Tap into your own human potential by expanding your capacity to love!

5. A Love Class

This video differs from Leo Buscaglia’s other PBS specials in that he sits down and talks with a small group instead of delivering a talk before a large audience. The focus of the wide-ranging discussion is relationships. They talk about the challenges of starting relationships and keeping them growing. Buscaglia provides many insights to the points raised by the small group and you get a sense of what Buscaglia’s famous love class was all about.

6. Born For Love

At the age of 70, Leo Buscaglia delivered this talk on love throughout one’s lifetime. From the outset of the talk, he reminds us that love is a verb and you have to go out and get it! He tells tales of love from throughout his life from his first kiss to going to his homeland in Italy and the familial love he experienced there. Buscaglia talks about the high divorce rate in America and some of the reasons he thinks that exists. Throughout the talk he shares his love of connecting with all people from children to the elderly, and how he loves to bring a positive and joyous attitude to negative situations.

7. Stories of Christmas Love

Get in the Christmas spirit with Leo Buscaglia as he shares many stories from Christmastime in this talk. From his Christmas playing Santa Claus to a Christmas he spent in the hospital, Buscaglia brings joy to all his holiday gatherings. He acknowledges while we get caught up in shopping for gifts, we often lose sight of the story of Christmas and the love Jesus shared for everyone. He also wants us to create wonderful Christmas memories that we can look back on later in life. And he encourages us to give ourselves the gift of a new birth each year at Christmas and to begin life anew no matter what our age.

Enjoy these wonderful talks from the Leo Buscaglia Collection available to watch for free on YouTube for the first time!

And if you want to hear more of Buscaglia, check out our LearnOutLoud Author Page devoted to him:

Leo Buscaglia Love Talks and Audio Books on LearnOutLoud.com

September 5, 2024

50 Best Free Librivox Audiobooks Added in the Past 5 Years

The acoustical liberation of books in the public domain continues! Librivox.org is almost 20 years old with their first recording posted back in September of 2005. Since then, they’ve amassed a catalog of over 19,000 titles in the public domain read by volunteer narrators. We’ve been fans of theirs since the beginning, seeking to showcase some of the best of their audiobooks on LearnOutLoud.com. We went through their latest 4,000 titles from the past 5 years and picked out 50 free audiobooks that we thought would be of interest to our visitors and that have quality solo narrations. We also updated the versions for some of their classic audiobooks where we thought a better narration was available.

You can now browse over 3,500 free audiobooks from Librivox on our website right here:

3,500 Free Audiobooks from Librivox on LearnOutLoud.com

And check out our popular blog post pointing out some of the best narrators from their site:

The Best Librivox Narrators

The public domain keeps growing every year so a lot of these new free audiobooks are being recorded and offered for free for the first time. Here are 50 of their best audiobooks from the past 5 years:

The ABC of Relativity by Bertrand Russell – Popular science book explaining Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to the layperson, published in 1925.

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis – Novel that won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (which Lewis declined).

Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster – Book based on lectures given by Forster which he describes seven key aspects of the novel.

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft – 1936 novella by Lovecraft that is now considered one of his best stories.

Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten – You may have seen the Disney movie, but have you listened to the original story? Translated into English by Whittaker Chambers in 1928.

Big Sur by Jack Kerouac – Classic 1962 novel by Beat poet Jack Kerouac. It’s in the public domain because the copyright wasn’t renewed.

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann – Acclaimed 1901 novel that was Mann’s first.

Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau – Travel book by Thoreau about his time in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The final 12 short stories about Sherlock Holmes.

Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg – Collection of poems by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.

The Cinema of Orson Welles by Peter Bogdanovich – Short piece on the cinema of Orson Welles by the film critic and director Peter Bogdanovich. Covers briefly Citizen Kane through Touch of Evil.

The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft – Famous sci-fi/horror short story which was Lovecraft’s favorite of his stories.

Complete Holy Bible: American Standard Version – Librivox narrator Ron Altman has taken it upon himself to read the entire American Standard Version of the Bible.

Complete Holy Bible: Douay-Rheims Version – Librivox narrator Ron Altman also has narrated the entire Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible.

Dark Princess by W.E.B. Du Bois – 1928 novel by Du Bois that entered the public domain in 2024.

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann – Classic 1912 novella about Gustav von Aschenbach who becomes obsessed with the boy Tadzio on his trip to Venice.

Discourses of Epictetus by Epictetus – Plenty of Stoic philosophy to digest for the modern day Stoic.

Dymer by C.S. Lewis – Narrative poem by Lewis that he published in 1925.

The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Emile Durkheim – Book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon by the French sociologist that established sociology.

Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis – Satirical 1926 novel about Reverend Dr. Elmer Gantry who becomes corrupted by power and fame.

The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton – Chesterton’s 1925 Christian apologetics book.

Freedom’s Battle by Mohandas Gandhi – Writings and speeches by Gandhi during the British rule of India following World War I.

The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust – Volume Three of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past.

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne – The 1928 children’s book that was a follow-up to Winnie-the-Pooh (1926).

How They Succeeded by Orison Swett Marden – New Thought author Marden gives advice on how successful figures in history made their mark.

The Kingdom of Happiness by Jiddu Krishnamurti – The first publication of talks given by Indian philosopher Krishnamurti.

The Magic Mountain: Volume One and The Magic Mountain: Volume Two by Thomas Mann – 1924 novel regarded by many as one of the key literary texts of the twentieth century.

Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway – Hemingway’s second collection of short fiction includes famous stories like “Hills Like White Elephants” and “The Killers”.

Mosquitoes by William Faulkner – Faulkner’s second novel published in 1927, set in New Orleans.

The Mother by Pearl S. Buck – She’s best known for her book The Good Earth (1931), and her book The Mother (1934) also deals with peasant life in China.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf – 1925 novel about an upper-class woman in post-First World War England.

Notes on Democracy by H.L. Mencken – 1926 book by cultural critic Mencken in which he offers a critique of democracy.

Nuggets of the New Thought by William Walker Atkinson – More New Thought wisdom by this American pioneer of the New Thought movement.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf – Woolf’s 1928 novel about a poet who changes sex from man to woman and lives for centuries, meeting the key figures of English literary history.

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster – 1924 novel considered one of the 100 great works of 20th century English literature by the Modern Library.

Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill – Underhill was an expert on mysticism and published this 1914 book to explain it to everyday people.

Psychological Types by Carl Jung – Book by the great Swiss psychologist Jung which presents his ideas on the functions of consciousness and the various psychological types.

Selected Essays of Michel de Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne – Essays by the French Renaissance philosopher.

Self Help by Samuel Smiles – The man who coined the term “Self-Help” finally get his 1859 book on audio.

Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner – Faulkner’s first novel about a soldier coming back from World War I.

The Story of Aristotle’s Philosophy by Will Durant – Philosopher Will Durant wrote the popular book The Story of Philosophy (1926). He based that book upon some of his Little Blue Book contributions including this one on Aristotle.

A System of Logic by John Stuart Mill – 51 hours of John Stuart Mill narrated by Chris Greaves.

Thought Power: Its Control and Culture by Annie Besant – Socialist, theosophist, freemason, women’s rights activist, and more. Hear Besant’s Theosophical perspective on thought.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf – 1927 novel by Woolf was ranking #15 on the Modern Library’s 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway – This novella from 1926 is basically his first and preceded The Sun Also Rises.

Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton – 1927 novel by Edith Wharton covering the Jazz Age.

Voltaire and the French Enlightenment by Will Durant – Philosopher Will Durant wrote the popular book The Story of Philosophy (1926). He based that book upon some of his Little Blue Book contributions including this one on Voltaire.

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin – 1921 dystopian science fiction novel about a totalitarian state that was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988.

What I Believe by Bertrand Russell – Russell’s beliefs on nature and man, the good life, moral rules, individual and social salvation, and science and happiness.

Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust – Proust’s second volume of Remembrance of Things Past.

Along with those new books on Librivox, we’ve also updated the versions of many classics on their site that now have better narration. Here are some of the titles we updated:

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

The Science of Being Great by Wallace D. Wattles

The Science of Being Well by Wallace D. Wattles

The Iliad by Homer

The Aeneid by Virgil

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Emma by Jane Austen

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

The Red and the Black by Stendhal

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

Adam Bede by George Eliot

So many great works of classic literature to listen to, so little time!

August 21, 2024

Back to School with 200 Top Free Courses from Coursera

It’s back to school time and we wanted to add some new free courses to our LearnOutLoud.com Free Courses Collection, which now features over 1,100 free audio & video courses you can take online. For these new free courses, we turned our attention to the best massive open online course (MOOC) provider out there which is Coursera. If you’ve not heard of Coursera, in the past decade they’ve partnered up with more than 300 universities and companies to offer over 7,000 courses on their site (both free and paid courses). To get access to all 7,000 courses and earn certificates you can join Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial at the link below:

Check Out Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial

But if you want to dip your toe into this massive education resource, then there are hundreds of courses you can join and start taking immediately, absolutely free! Browsing the Coursera website can be a bit daunting as there are so many courses and subjects to explore. So we’ve done the work for you by browsing all 7,000 courses, going through them university by university, and picking out the free courses that are the highest rated and we thought would be the best for our LearnOutLoud audience.

Since we’re an audio and video learning website, we focused mostly on the courses that were primarily video learning. Coursera has great apps for iOS and Android to take their courses on and watch their videos, and you can also take them right through a web browser. Most of their courses combine videos, readings, and quizzes that walk you through the courses step by step. For our list of the top 200 free courses, we chose ones that had mostly video content.

Coursera offers tons of courses in the areas of data science, computer science, and information technology. While those are very popular courses on their site, we didn’t add many of them to LearnOutLoud currently, since our site isn’t really focused on these specific technical areas. Instead, we focused on their categories covering health, personal development, business, history, science, arts and humanities, religion, philosophy, social sciences, and language learning.

So let’s get back to school and show you this list! Note that to take Coursera’s free courses you’ll need to sign up with a free Coursera account. And we recommend downloading their free mobile apps for iOS and Android to take the courses. For many course pages on our site, we’ve added a video of the course trailer that tells you what it’s all about. We’ll list all 200 free courses by category below with the professor names and the university they’re from. We’ll start with the self development category:

30 Free Self Development Courses on Coursera:

The Addicted Brain by Professor Michael Kuhar (Emory University)

Alexander Technique by Professor Michelle Obrecht (University of Michigan)

An Introduction to the U.S. Food System by Professors Keeve Nachman, Robert S. Lawrence, & Pamela Rhubart Berg (Johns Hopkins University)

The Arts and Science of Relationships by Professor A. Ka Tat Tsang (University of Toronto)

Biohacking Your Brain’s Health by Professor Karima Benameur (Emory University)

Child Nutrition and Cooking by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success by Professor Peter Childs (Imperial College London)

Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions by Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks & Cheri Alexander (University of Michigan)

Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing by Professor Alan Kazdin (Yale University)

Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life by Professor Victor J. Strecher (University of Michigan)

Food Ethics by Professor Andrew Chignell (Princeton University)

From Sleep Disorders to Sleep Health by Professors Ronald Chervin, Shelley Hershner, and Megan Acho (University of Michigan)

Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action by Professor Marney White (Yale University)

Ignite Your Everyday Creativity by Professors Cyndi Burnett & John F. Cabra (The State University of New York)

Life 101: Mental and Physical Self-Care by Professor Mahtab Jafari (UC Irvine)

Major Depression in the Population by Professors William Eaton, Wietse A. Tol, and Ramin Mojtabai (Johns Hopkins University)

Mindfulness, Dignity, and the Art of Human Connection by Professor Ramaswami Mahalingam (University of Michigan)

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (McMaster University)

The Nature of Genius by Professor Craig Wright (Yale University)

Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health by Professor Sonia Kumar (The University of Sydney)

Psychological First Aid by Professor George S. Everly, Jr. (Johns Hopkins University)

Removing Barriers to Change by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

Schizophrenia by Professor Matt Kurtz (Wesleyan University)

Science of Exercise by Professor Robert Mazzeo (University of Colorado Boulder)

The Science of Generosity by Professor Femida Handy (University of Pennsylvania)

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know by Professor Paula Caproni (University of Michigan)

The Science of Well-Being by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

The Science of Well-Being for Teens by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society by Professor Ralph Lydic (University of Michigan)

The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness by Professor Charmaine Williams (University of Toronto)

Stanford Introduction to Food and Health by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Understanding Psychosis by Professor Adrienne Lapidos (University of Michigan)

15 Free Business Courses on Coursera:

Advertising and Society by Professor William M. O’Barr (Duke University)

Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand, and Behaviour by Professor Nader Tavassoli (University of London)

Connected Leadership by Professor Peter Boyd (Yale University)

Economics of Money and Banking by Professor Perry G. Mehrling (Columbia University)

Financial Planning for Young Adults by Professors Nicholas Paulson, Kathryn L. Sweedler, & Charles R. Chaffin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Finding Your Professional Voice by Professor Emmy Broomfield (University of London)

How to Network by Professor Klementina X. Sula (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Finance by Professor Xi Yang (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introduction to Negotiation by Professor Barry Nalebuff (Yale University)

Launch Your Online Business by Professor Joan Decollibus (The State University of New York)

The Manager’s Toolkit by Professor Chris Dewberry (University of London)

Microeconomics: The Power of Markets by Professor Rebecca Stein (University of Pennsylvania)

Narrative Economics by Professor Robert J. Shiller (Yale University)

The Strategy of Content Marketing by Professor Sonia Simone (UC Davis)

Successful Negotiation by Professor George Siedel (University of Michigan)

Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Philosophy Courses on Coursera:

Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Effective Altruism by Professor Peter Singer (Princeton University)

Introduction to Philosophy by Professor Duncan Pritchard (University of Edinburgh)

Know Thyself: The Examined Life by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 1 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 2 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Moralities of Everyday Life by Professor Paul Bloom (Yale University)

Philosophy and Religion by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Philosophy of Science by Professor Michael Weisberg (University of Pennsylvania)

Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato by Professor John Holbo (National University of Singapore)

Science and Philosophy by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, & J. Adam Carter (University of Edinburgh)

10 Free Religion Courses on Coursera:

The Bible’s Prehistory, Purpose, and Political Future by Professor Jacob L. Wright (Emory University)

The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem by Professor Oded Lipschits (Tel Aviv University)

A Journey through Western Christianity: From Persecuted Faith to Global Religion by Professor Bruce Gordon (Yale University)

Religion and Science by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Science & Religion 101 by Professor Denis Lamoureux (University of Alberta)

Soul Beliefs: Belief Systems by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: Historical Foundations by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: How Does It All End? by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction by Professor Barry Scott Wimpfheimer (Northwestern University)

10 Free History Courses on Coursera:

The American South: Its Stories, Music, and Art by Professor William Ferris (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The Ancient Greeks by Professor Andrew Szegedy-Maszak (Wesleyan University)

Big History: From the Big Bang Until Today by Professor Esther Quaedackers (University of Amsterdam)

The Holocaust, Part I: Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews, and the World by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust, Part II: The Final Solution by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry by Professors Murray Baumgarten & Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

Paradoxes of War by Professor Miguel A. Centeno (Princeton University)

Reconstructing America’s Story by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Russian History: From Lenin to Putin by Professor Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Understanding 9/11: Why 9/11 Happened & How Terrorism Affects Our World Today by Professor David Schanzer (Duke University)

Wonders of Ancient Egypt by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Politics Courses on Coursera:

America’s Written Constitution by Professor Akhil Reed Amar (Yale University)

Civic Engagement in American Democracy by Professors Bruce W. Jentleson, Deondra Rose, & more (Duke University)

How to Change the World by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Magna Carta and its Legacies by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

The Making of Modern Ukraine by Professor Timothy Snyder (Yale University)

Politics and Economics of International Energy by Professor Giacomo Luciani (Sciences Po)

Reducing Gun Violence in America by Professors Daniel W. Webster, Cassandra Crifasi, Alex McCourt, and Jon S. Vernick (Johns Hopkins University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Borders, Elections, Constitutions, Prisons by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Free Language Learning Courses on Coursera:

Chinese for Beginners by Professor Xiaoyu Liu (Peking University)

English for Business and Entrepreneurship by Professors Amy Nichols & James Riedel (University of Pennsylvania)

English for Career Development by Professors Brian McManus & Robyn Turner (University of Pennsylvania)

First Step Korean by Professor Seung Hae Kang (Yonsei University)

Learn to Speak Korean by Professor Sang Mee Han (Yonsei University)

Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics by Professor Marc van Oostendorp

Free Literature Courses on Coursera:

Greek and Roman Mythology by Professor Peter Struck (University of Pennsylvania)

Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare by Professor Ros Barber (University of London)

Modern & Contemporary American Poetry by Professor Al Filreis (University of Pennsylvania)

Modern American Poetry by Professor Cary Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction by Professor Bruce Holsinger (University of Virginia)

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community by Professors David Glimp & Kevin Rich (University of Colorado Boulder)

Words Spun Out of Images: Visual and Literary Culture in 19th Century Japan by Professor Robert E. Campbell (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Arts & Entertainment Courses on Coursera:

Age of Cathedrals by Professor R. Howard Bloch (Yale University)

Approaching Music Theory: Melodic Forms and Simple Harmony by Professor Marc Lowenstein (CalArts)

The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form by Professor Dariusz Terefenko (University of Rochester)

The Camera Never Lies: Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

Fundamentals of Music Theory by Professor Thomas Butler, John Philip Kitchen, & More (University of Edinburgh)

History of Rock, Part One by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

History of Rock, Part Two by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music as Biology: What We Like to Hear and Why by Professor Dale Purves (Duke University)

The Music of the Beatles by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

The Music of the Rolling Stones: 1962-1974 by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music’s Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock ‘n’ Roll by Professor David E. Carlson (University of Florida)

Postwar Abstract Painting by Professor Alex Roediger (Museum of Modern Art)

Understanding Memory: Explaining the Psychology of Memory through Movies by Professor John Seamon (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Music Business by Professor Jen Gunderman (Vanderbilt University)

Write Like Mozart: An Introduction to Classical Music Composition by Professor Peter Edwards (National University of Singapore)

15 Free Social Sciences Courses on Coursera:

Classical Sociological Theory by Professor Bart Heerikhuizen & Danny de Vries (University of Amsterdam)

Conspiracy Planet by Professor Matthew Lasar (UC Santa Cruz)

Feminism and Social Justice by Professor Bettina Aptheker (UC Santa Cruz)

From Freedom Rides to Ferguson: Narratives of Nonviolence in the American Civil Rights Movement by Professor Bernard LaFayette, Jr. (Emory University)

Indigenous Canada by Professor Paul L. Gareau (University of Alberta)

International Women’s Health and Human Rights by Professor Anne Firth Murray (Stanford University)

Introduction to Psychology by Professor Steve Joordens (University of Toronto)

Know Thyself: The Unconscious by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies by Professors Nancy Hodgson & Laura N. Gitlin (Johns Hopkins University)

Positive Psychology by Professor Barbara L. Fredrickson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Psychology of Popularity by Professor Mitch Prinstein (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Social Psychology by Professor Scott Plous (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life by Professor Peggy Mason (University of Chicago)

Understanding Violence by Professor Deb Houry & Pamela Scully (Emory University)

35 Free Science Courses on Coursera:

21st Century Energy Transition by Professor Brad Hayes (University of Alberta)

Analyzing the Universe by Professor Terry A. Matilsky (Rutgers University)

Animal Behaviour and Welfare by Professor Nat Waran, Fritha Langford, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Astro 101: Black Holes by Professor Sharon Morsink (University of Alberta)

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life by Professor Charles S. Cockell (University of Edinburgh)

Astrobiology: Exploring Other Worlds by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions by Professor Maya Evenden (University of Alberta)

Chimpanzee Behavior and Conservation by Professor Emily Boehm, Anne Pusey, & Kara Walker (Duke University)

Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy by Professor Adam Frank (University of Rochester)

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Emergence of Life by Professor Bruce W. Fouke (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Extinctions: Past, Present, & Future by Professor Anthony Martin (Emory University)

From the Big Bang to Dark Energy by Professor Hitoshi Murayama (University of Tokyo)

Game Theory by Professor Matthew O. Jackson, Kevin Leyton-Brown, & Yoav Shoham (Stanford University)

How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics by Professor Louis A. Bloomfield (University of Virginia)

Introduction to the Arctic Climate by Professor Paul G. Myers (University of Alberta)

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution by Professor Mohamed Noor (Duke University)

Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by Professor Keith Devlin (Stanford University)

Introduction to Reproduction by Professor Teresa K. Woodruff (Northwestern University)

Introduction to Statistics by Professor Guenther Walther (Stanford University)

Introduction to Sustainability by Professor Jonathan Tomkin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introductory Human Physiology by Professor Jennifer Carbrey & Emma Jakoi (Duke University)

Journey of the Universe: The Unfolding of Life by Professor John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale University)

Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Medical Neuroscience by Professor Leonard E. White (Duke University)

Mountains 101 by Professor Zac Robinson (University of Alberta)

Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes by Professor David M. Schultz & Rochelle Taylor (University of Manchester)

Our Earth’s Future by Professor Debra Tillinger (American Museum of Natural History)

Paleontology: Ancient Marine Reptiles by Professors Michael Caldwell & Halle P. Street (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Early Vertebrate Evolution by Professor Alison Murray (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Planet Earth and You by Professors Stephen Marshak & Eileen Herrstrom (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Roman Art and Archaeology by Professor David Soren (University of Arizona)

Understanding Plants, Part I: What a Plant Knows by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Understanding Plants, Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Welcome to Game Theory by Professor Michihiro Kandori (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Education & Professional Courses on Coursera Covering Medicine, Law, Teaching, Writing, and More:

Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers by Professors Jeanette M. Tetrault, Robert Krause, and More (Yale University)

AIDS: Fear and Hope by Professor Richard Meisler (University of Michigan)

American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice by Professor John L. Puckett & Michael Charles Johanek (University of Pennsylvania)

An Introduction to American Law by Professor Anita Allen, Shyam Balganesh, and More (University of Pennsylvania)

Applying to College 101 by Professor Whitney Soule, Sean Vereen, & Sara Woods (University of Pennsylvania)

Dentistry 101 by Professor Russell Taichman & Rogerio Castilho (University of Michigan)

English Composition by Professor Denise Comer (Duke University)

Essentials of Global Health by Professor Richard Skolnik (Yale University)

The History of Medicine by Professor Grant Hartzog & Greg Gates (UC Santa Cruz)

Hot Topics in Criminal Justice by Professor Christopher Slobogin (Vanderbilt University)

Introduction to Breast Cancer by Professor Anees Chagpar (Yale University)

Introduction to International Criminal Law by Professor Michael Scharf (Case Western Reserve University)

Introduction to Nonprofit Law by Professor John M. Bradley (University of Pennsylvania)

A Law Student’s Toolkit by Professor Ian Ayres (Yale University)

Learning How to Learn by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (Deep Teaching Solutions)

Overcoming Dyslexia by Professor Sally Shaywitz & Bennett Shaywitz (Yale University)

Understanding Clinical Research by Professor Juan H. Klopper (University of Cape Town)

Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us by Professor Connie B. Scanga (University of Pennsylvania)

Writing in the Sciences by Professor Kristin Sainani (Stanford University)

Free Biography Courses on Coursera:

Age of Jefferson by Professor Peter Onuf (University of Virginia)

Benjamin Franklin and His World by Professor Ezekiel J. Emanuel (University of Pennsylvania)

The Kennedy Half Century by Professor Larry Sabato (University of Virginia)

Luther and the West by Professor Christine Helmer (Northwestern University)

Patrick Henry: Forgotten Founder by Professor John Ragosta (University of Virginia)

Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity by Professor Larry Randles Lagerstrom (Stanford University)

Free Sports & Hobbies Courses on Coursera:

Dog Emotion and Cognition by Professor Brian Hare (Duke University)

The Horse Course: Introduction to Basic Care and Management by Professor Chris J. Mortensen (University of Florida)

Sports and Society by Professor Orin Starn (Duke University)

The Truth About Cats and Dogs by Professors Hayley Walters, Heather Bacon, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis by Professor John Buechsenstein (UC Davis)

Free Technology Courses on Coursera:

AI For Everyone by Professor Andrew Ng (DeepLearning.AI)

Internet Giants: The Law and Economics of Media Platforms by Professor Randal C. Picker (University of Chicago)

Internet History, Technology, and Security by Professor Charles Russell Severance (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Logic by Professor Michael Genesereth (Stanford University)

So many great free courses to choose from! We’ll be writing reviews of many of these courses as we take them. Time to go back to school today!