Go
          

SUBSCRIBE

BLOG CATEGORIES

BROWSE ARCHIVE

September 28, 2012

Best of the LearnOutLoud Free Directory

bestoffreedirectory.gif

It’s back to school time for everybody by now. Today in our annual Back to School Extravaganza we have selected the very best of our free directory of over 5000 audio & video titles. In preparation for our new site design (coming in October!) we’ve featured this extensive list of great free titles throughout our free directory.

LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory

But we’ll feature them all here in one place for you to browse through category by category. This time around we’re featuring the top 5-10 free resources from just about every single category on our site.

We’ll start off by featuring titles from some of our most popular categories including our subcategories of Self Development, Business, and Religion & Spirituality. Here’s the best of the best of those categories…

Self Development:

Aging Free Audio & Video:

The Aging Brain
A Course on Death Course by Prof. Shelly Kagan
Dan Buettner: How to Live to Be 100+
Generation Ageless: Longevity and the Boomers moderated by Tom Brokaw and featured John Hennessy, Laura Carstensen, Sandra Day O’Connor, Robert Sapolsky, Sheryl Sandberg, and Barry Rand
Immortality Institute: Anti-Aging by Aubrey de Grey

Creativity Free Audio & Video:

Art, Music, Emotion, Love, and Human Evolution by Antonio Damasio, Helen Fisher and Isabelle Peretz
Beyond Genre with Ken Wilber and Rick Rubin
Creative Mind: Conditions for Creative Work with psychologist Rudolf Arnheim, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and philosopher Milton Nahm
Music and the Brain Series
Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Diet & Nutrition Free Audio & Video:

A Conversation about Nutrition with Dr. Andrew Weil
Eric Schlosser on Fast Food Nation
Peter Singer: The Ethics of What We Eat
The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food Course by Prof. Kelly Brownell
Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Robert H. Lustig

Emotional Development Free Audio & Video:

A Conversation about the Science of Happiness with Claudia Wallis, Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Alan Krueger
Leading at Google: Andrew Bernstein on The Myth of Stress
The New Psychology of Depression by Danny Penman & Mark Williams
Understanding and Promoting Happiness in Today’s Society by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Zaadz Notes: Authentic Happiness by Brian Johnson

Goals and Motivation Free Audio & Video:

25 Life Purpose Lessons from Sounds True
An Interview with Stephen R. Covey
Joseph Grenny on Change Anything
Zaadz Notes: Writing Your Goals
Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar

Healing Free Audio & Video:

21 Self-Healing Exercises from Sounds True
The Alexander Technique by John Baron
Dr. Dean Ornish on Healing
The Healing Power of Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Kelly McGonigal on Yoga for Pain Relief

Health & Fitness Free Audio & Video:

Christopher McDougall on Born To Run
Dr. John Ratey on Spark
Health Matters from UCTV
Nutrition and Physical Activity for a Lifetime by Christina Economos
Tim Ferriss on The 4-Hour Body

Instructional Free Audio & Video:

The Best of Steve Pavlina’s Blog
How to Sing by Lilli Lehmann
Mental Efficiency by Arnold Bennett
Richard Thaler on Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Tim Ferriss: Accelerated Learning in Accelerated Times

Mind & Body Free Audio & Video:

The Alexander Technique
Balance, Stress, and Optimal Health by Emmett E. Miller
Dr. Mark Hyman on The UltraMind Solution
Dr. William Dement on Healthy Sleep and Optimal Performance
Mindfulness, Stress Reduction, and Healing by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Prayer & Meditation Free Audio & Video:

21 Meditation Exercises from Sounds True
Mindfulness as a Foundation for Health by Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness with Jon Kabat-Zinn
Sharon Salzberg’s Dharma Talks
Shinzen Young: Deep Concentration in Formal Meditation and Daily Life

Relationships Free Audio & Video:

The Brain in Love by Helen Fisher
Communication and Conflict in Families and Couples by Prof. Benjamin Karney
Face to Face: The Science of Reading Faces by Paul Ekman
Marriage: A History by Stephanie Coontz
Understanding Conversations Between Women and Men by Deborah Tannen

Spirituality Free Audio & Video:

23 Intuitive Development Exercises from Sounds True
Contemplative Dimensions of Human Experience by Thomas Keating
Eckhart Tolle on Living with Meaning, Purpose, and Wisdom in the Digital Age
Peace Through Inner Peace by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
A Spiritually Inspired Future: Chopra, Cohen & Huffington

Now for our very best from the categories of Business:

Business:

Business Leaders Free Audio & Video:

Whole Foods Founder Sketches Future of Capitalism by John Mackey
Jack Welch on Winning
Carly Fiorina: Tough Choices
A Discussion about the Future of E-Commerce with Jeff Bezos
Leading at Google: Tony Hsieh on Delivering Happiness

Economics Free Audio & Video:

Capitalism: Success, Crisis, and Reform Course by Prof. Douglas Rae
The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class by Elizabeth Warren
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet by Jeffrey Sachs
Financial Markets Course by Robert J. Shiller
Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
Human Action: A Treatise on Economics by Ludwig von Mises
In Depth with Milton Friedman
SuperFreakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner
The Wealth of Nations, Book 1 by Adam Smith
The World is Flat 3.0 by Thomas L. Friedman

Investing & Finance Free Audio & Video:

Bankrupt: Maxed Out in America
Daniel Solin on The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read
Financial Future of American Youth by Warren Buffett
Peter Schiff on Crash Proof
Suze Orman at Google

Leadership & Management Free Audio & Video:

An Hour with Management Consultant Jim Collins
Leadership Speaker Series at Harvard
Leading at Google: Jim Kouzes on The Leadership Challenge
Seth Godin on the Tribes We Lead
Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright

Sales & Marketing Free Audio & Video:

All Marketers are Liars – Seth Godin speaks at Google
Creating Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki
Marketing by Sharing by Jason Fried
MC Hammer: Role of Social Media in Marketing
Rory Sutherland: Life Lessons from an Ad Man

Strategy Free Audio & Video:

David Allen: Getting Things Done
Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods Course
Jack Welch: Create Candor in the Workplace
Leading at Google: Tony Schwartz on The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working

And now for some top selections from Religion & Spirituality categories.

Religion & Spirituality:

Buddhism Free Audio & Video:

Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior by Shantideva
Lama Surya Das on Buddha Is as Buddha Does
Asia Society President’s Forum with Thich Nhat Hanh
Rick Hanson on Buddha’s Brain
Teaching of the Dalai Lama: Introduction to Buddhism

Christian Living Free Audio & Video:

Charles Colson on How Now Shall We Live?
A Discussion with Pastor Rick Warren about Modern Religion
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Rediscovering Christian Faith by Brian McLaren

Christianity Free Audio & Video:

History of Christianity in America Course by Charles Edward White
Introduction to New Testament History and Literature by Dale Martin
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Quick History of Christianity from Jesus to the Crusades by Thomas F. Madden
Yale Divinity Bible Study Series

Comparative Religion Free Audio & Video:

Bruce Feiler – Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths
The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer
Religion’s View of Good and Evil by Huston Smith
Religious Pluralism: Seeing Religions Again by Marcus Borg

Islam Free Audio & Video:

Irshad Manji on The Trouble with Islam Today
Militant Islam with Daniel Pipes
Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time by Karen Armstrong
Muslim Women and Other Misunderstandings
Progressive Islam in America

Other Religions Free Audio & Video:

The Bahai Revelation by Thornton Chase
Christopher Hitchens at Politics and Prose
Real Vodou
The Story of Mormonism by James E. Talmage
The Tao Teh King by Lao Tzu

Prayer & Meditation Free Audio & Video:

21 Meditation Exercises from Sounds True
Contemplative Dimensions of Human Experience by Thomas Keating
A Short and Easy Method of Prayer by Madame Guyon
Sylvia Boorstein’s Dharma Talks
With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray

Religious Figures Free Audio & Video:

Billy Graham Videos on C-SPAN
An Hour with the Honorable Dalai Lama
John P. Meier: Jesus the Jew – But What Sort of Jew?
My Life with Paramhansa Yogananda
What Paul Meant by Garry Wills

Spirituality Free Audio & Video:

Huston Smith on MeaningOfLife.tv
Karen Armstrong: 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
Mysticism: A Study in Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill
Pentecostalism: A Spiritual Tidal Wave
A Talk for World Peace by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Philosophy, Social Sciences, Politics, & History

Now for selections of free audio & video titles from the categories of Philosophy, Social Sciences, Politics, & History.

Philosophy:

Ancient & Medieval Philosophy Free Audio & Video:

A Brief Biography of Thomas Aquinas by Peter Kreeft
The Heroic and the Anti-Heroic in Classical Greek Civilization Course by Gregory Nagy
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Plato’s Republic
Topics in Medieval Philosophy Course by Calvin Normore

Ethics Free Audio & Video:

Christianity and Ethics Course
Ethics for the New Millennium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Paul Root Wolpe: It’s Time to Question Bio-Engineering
Peter Singer: The Ethics of What We Eat
Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill

Modern Philosophy Free Audio & Video:

Alain de Botton on the Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant
A Course on Death by Shelly Kagan
Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Philosophy and the Habits of Critical Thinking by John Searle
Robert Kane: Are All Values Relative?
Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Friedrich Nietzsche
Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
What Was the Enlightenment? by Prof. James Schmidt
William James: What Makes a Life Significant? with Louis Menand, Cornel West, & Sissela Bok

Philosophers Free Audio & Video:

The Ayn Rand Multimedia Library
Dante in Translation by Prof. Giuseppe Mazzotta
Emerson: The Mind on Fire by Robert D. Richardson
William James: What Makes a Life Significant?
Zaadz Notes: Socrates by Brian Johnson

Political Philosophy Free Audio & Video:

Introduction to Political Philosophy by Steven B. Smith
Moral Foundations of Politics by Ian Shapiro
The Origins of Political Order with Francis Fukuyama
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Tocqueville Series on C-SPAN

And if you’re interested in the Social Sciences here are some top titles on psychology, sociology, and more.

Social Sciences:

Cultural Criticism Free Audio & Video

A Dissenting Voice with Christopher Hitchens
Eric Schlosser on Fast Food Nation
Matt Ridley on The Rational Optimist
The Millennials with Mark Bauerlein and Neil Howe
The Myth of the Rational Voter by Bryan Caplan
Neil Postman Videos on C-SPAN
Robert Reich: How Unequal Can America Get Before We Snap?
Slowing Down in a World Built for Speed by Carl Honore
The Ugly Americans: How Not to Lose the Global Culture War
What Prohibition Has Done to America

Current Events Free Audio & Video

Green Rush: Eco-Business
Gun Violence
Islam and the West, with John L. Esposito
Israel and Palestine After Disengagement Noam Chomsky vs. Alan Dershowitz
Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online

Gender Studies Free Audio & Video

Andrew Sullivan on Same Sex Marriage
Psychology of Gender Course by Herb Agan
Sheryl Sandberg: Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders
Tony Porter: A Call to Men
Women’s Health Today on UCTV

Multicultural Studies Free Audio & Video

Angela Davis & Toni Morrison on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Chinese in America: A Narrative History by Iris Chang
A Discussion about Race by Cornel West
East vs. West: The Myths that Mystify by Devdutt Pattanaik
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

Psychology Free Audio & Video

The Anxious Brain
Daniel Kahneman: The Riddle of Experience vs. Memory
A Discussion about the Legacy of Sigmund Freud
Dr. Aaron Beck on Cognitive Behavior Therapy
In Depth with Steven Pinker
Introduction to Psychology Course by Prof. Richard Kasschau
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation by Daniel Siegel
Robert Whitaker: Rise of Mental Illness in America
Stanford’s Sapolsky On Depression in U.S.
Understanding Happiness by Martin Seligman

Sociology Free Audio & Video

Global Problems of Population Growth by Prof. Robert Wyman
Global Sociology Course by Prof. Michael Burawoy
History of U.S. Urban Communities Course by Prof. Ryan M. Reft
Introduction to Sociology by Prof. Harvey Molotch
Nonviolence and Social Movements Course by Rev. James Lawson

And for the politically-oriented we’ve compiled this list top free audio & video learning titles in the categories of politics.

Politics:

Conservative Politics Free Audio & Video:

Bill O’Reilly Videos on C-SPAN
The Conservative Movement by William A. Rusher
In Depth with William F. Buckley Jr.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History: Lecture Series by Thomas E. Woods
Q&A with Mark Levin

Contemporary Issues Free Audio & Video:

America’s Drug War
Combating Global Poverty by Paul Farmer
Death Penalty Reflections
The Future of Nuclear Energy
Hans Rosling on Global Population Growth
Israel and Palestine After Disengagement Noam Chomsky vs. Alan Dershowitz
Robert B. Reich: The Next Economy and America’s Future
Shadow of the Iranian Bomb by Dan Schueftan
Terrorism, Immigration and Security Since 9/11
The Ugly Americans: How Not to Lose the Global Culture War

Global Politics Free Audio & Video:

Debating the Israel Lobby Bruce Feiler vs. John J. Mearsheimer
Ending Global Poverty by Muhammad Yunus
An Hour with Fareed Zakaria on Post-American World 2.0
An Interview with Benazir Bhutto
Latin American Briefing Series
Nelson Mandela Videos on C-SPAN
Nuclear Weapons: The Greatest Peril to Civilization by Ted Turner
A Talk for World Peace by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Thomas Friedman: The Global Marketplace and the Common Good
The War of the World with Niall Ferguson

Liberal Politics Free Audio & Video:

Arianna Huffington on Right Is Wrong
Bill Maher on When You Ride Alone You Ride with bin Laden
Eric Alterman on Why We’re Liberals
An Hour with the Host of “The Daily Show” Jon Stewart
Howard Zinn on A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present
In Depth with Cornel West
Michael Moore Videos on C-SPAN
Obama, the Middle East, and the Prospects for Peace by Noam Chomsky
Policy Talks at Google: Ralph Nader
Rabbi Michael Lerner: Taking Back Our Country From the Religious Right

Political Figures Free Audio & Video:

Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands
Henry Kissinger at Google
An Hour with Former President Jimmy Carter
John F. Kennedy Videos on C-SPAN
Lives of Our Presidents by W.A. Peters
Nelson Mandela Videos on C-SPAN
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Q&A with Ron Chernow on Washington: A Life
Teddy Roosevelt by Robert Dallek
Thomas Jefferson by David Saville Muzzey

Political Philosophy Free Audio & Video:

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Francis Fukuyama on The End of History and the Last Man
The History of Political Philosophy: From Plato to Rothbard by David Gordon
Introduction to Political Philosophy by Steven B. Smith
Moral Foundations of Politics by Ian Shapiro

U.S. Government Free Audio & Video:

The Case Against the Fed by Murray N. Rothbard
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
The Constitution of the United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt Speeches
Geography of United States Elections Course by Martin W. Lewis
History of the CIA by Tim Weiner
Jeffrey Toobin on The Nine
JFK Reads the Declaration of Independence
Understanding America’s Terrorist Crisis by Gore Vidal
The White House Series on C-SPAN
History:

American History Free Audio & Video

African-American History: Modern Freedom Struggle Course by Clayborne Carson
The American Revolution Course by Joanne Freeman
The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877 Course by David Blight
An Hour with Author David McCullough on 1776
Howard Zinn on A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present
In Depth with Shelby Foote
Martin Luther King Speeches and Sermons from the King Institute
New York City: A Social History Course by Daniel J. Walkowitz
The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History: Lecture Series by Thomas E. Woods
A Short History of the United States by Edward Channing

Ancient & Medieval History Free Audio & Video:

Evaluating Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox
Herodotus’ Histories, Volume 1
History of the World to 1500 CE Course by Prof. Richard Bulliet
Introduction to Ancient Greek History Course by Prof. Donald Kagan
The Vikings Course by Prof. Sally Vaughn

European History Free Audio & Video:

European Civilization, 1648-1945 by Prof. John Merriman
France Since 1871 by Prof. John Merriman
Holocaust Lecture Series
A Short History of England by G.K. Chesterton
Understanding the French Revolution by Donald M.G. Sutherland

Military History Free Audio & Video

Hiroshima and the Origins of the Cold War by Prof. David Painter
In Depth with Stephen Ambrose
Perspectives in Military History Lecture Series
War, Globalization, and Terror Course by Robert Buzzanco
World War and Society in the Twentieth Century: World War II by Charles S. Maier

Speeches Free Audio & Video


Barack Obama Speeches on AmericanRhetoric.com
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Farewell Address
Harvard University Commencement Address by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
John F. Kennedy Inauguration Speech 1961
Martin Luther King Speeches and Sermons from the King Institute
Newton Minow – “Television is a Vast Wasteland”
Say It Plain: A Century of Great African-American Speeches
Speech Cautioning Americans to Deal Justly with His People by Chief Seattle
The Speeches of Abraham Lincoln
A Time for Choosing (aka “The Speech”)

World History Free Audio & Video

David Christian: Big History
A Discussion about Formative Events of the 20th Century
History of the World to 1500 CE by Richard Bulliet
Jared Diamond on Guns, Germs and Steel
World Civilization 1500 to Present Course by Thomas O’Brien

A&E, Biography, and Literature

If love the arts and literature, or are interested in learning more about prominent figures in history then check out these features.

Arts & Entertainment:

Comedy Free Audio & Video:

Conan O’Brien Delivers Dartmouth’s Commencement Address
An Hour with Steve Martin
In Depth with P.J. O’Rourke
The Onion: Comedy’s Creative Power to Persuade
Tina Fey on Bossypants

Film, Music, Radio, TV, & Pop Culture Free Audio & Video:

A Discussion of the Music Wars on the Internet with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and rapper Chuck D
History and the Movies with Oliver Stone
Hollywood Movies with Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel
An Hour about the Life and Work of Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick with producer Jan Harlan, filmmaker Martin Scorsese, and wife Christiane Kubrick
An Hour with “U2” Frontman Bono
Jane McGonigal: Gaming Can Make a Better World
Newton Minow – “Television is a Vast Wasteland”
Robert Seigel: All Things Considered
Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street
Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination with Neal Gabler

Painting, Architecture, & Sculpture Free Audio & Video:

Art History Time Line by Prof. Jeanne Willette
Creative Mind: The Architect as Creator with Frank Lloyd Wright
Formations of Modern Art Course by Prof. William Norman Bryson
An Hour Panel Discussion about the Most Influential Artist of the Century
Roman Architecture Course by Prof. Diana E.E. Kleiner

Theater, Opera, & Classical Music Free Audio & Video:

Benjamin Zander on Music and Passion
Creative Method: Lee Strasberg on Acting
Listening to Music Course by Prof. Craig Wright
A Remembrance of Playwright Arthur Miller
San Diego Opera Talk

Want to know more about some of the greatest people in history? Here we’ve compiled talks and audio books about some of these folks.

Biography:

Artists Free Audio & Video:

C.S. Lewis: My Life’s Journey with David Payne
An Hour about the Life and Work of Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick
In Depth with Tom Wolfe
Mozart: The Man and the Artist as Revealed in His Own Words
Writings of Ernest Hemingway

Autobiography Free Audio & Video:

Author Christopher Hitchens on Hitch-22
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Frank McCourt on Angela’s Ashes
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar

Entertainers Free Audio & Video:

Alan Alda: Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself
An Hour with Musician Paul McCartney
The Life of P.T. Barnum by Joel Benton
My Life So Far with Jane Fonda
Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination with Neal Gabler

Everyday People Free Audio & Video:

Buffalo Bill Cody by Buffalo Bill
David Isay: Listening is an Act of Love
Simon Winchester on The Man Who Loved China
Studs Terkel Audio Galleries
Witness: Voices from the Holocaust

Military Figures Free Audio & Video:

A Conversation with General Colin Powell
Evaluating Alexander the Great by Prof. Robin Lane Fox
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
One Bullet Away: A Marine’s View from Afghanistan and Iraq by Nathaniel Fick
Remembering the Vietnam War with Neil Sheehan

Political Figures Free Audio & Video:

David Remnick: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama
An Hour with Author David McCullough on John Adams
Life Portrait of Thomas Jefferson
Lives of Our Presidents
Q&A with Ron Chernow on Washington: A Life

Scientists Free Audio & Video:

A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
Fathers of Biology by Charles McRae
Nobel Prize Winner James D. Watson
Oppenheimer’s Shadow: His Nuclear World and Ours by Martin J. Sherwin

And if you want to learn more about classic books or want to start listening to some of the greatest works of literature of all time then look no further.

Literature:

American Classics Free Audio & Video

American Literature I: From Beginnings to the Civil War by Prof. Cyrus Patell
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Writings of Emerson and Thoreau

Ancient & Medieval Classics Free Audio & Video:

Aesop’s Fables
Ancient Greek Drama by Peter Meineck
Dante in Translation by Prof. Giuseppe Mazzotta
Man, God, and Society in Western Literature by Prof. Hubert L. Dreyfus
The Odyssey by Homer

Authors Reading Free Audio & Video

Garrison Keillor: Christmas Blizzard
Gertrude Stein Poetry Readings
Margaret Atwood: Lannan Readings & Conversations
A Reading by Seamus Heaney
Tim O’Brien: The Things They Carried

Contemporary Literature Free Audio & Video:

The American Novel Since 1945 by Prof. Amy Hungerford
Anthem by Ayn Rand
A Discussion about The Kite Runner
An Evening with Ray Bradbury
The History of Literary Journalism by Prof. William McKeen
In Depth with Alice Walker
In Depth with Joan Didion
Kurt Vonnegut Videos on C-SPAN
Nobel Prize Winners in Literature Course by Prof. Irving Rothman
Wired for Books MP3 Page Author Interviews

Drama Free Audio & Video:

An Appreciation of Playwright Wendy Wasserstein
A Conversation about Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”
The Mercury Theatre on the Air
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare After All: The Later Plays

European Classics Free Audio & Video

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Cervantes’ Don Quixote Course by Prof. Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Introductions to Charles Dickens’ Novels by David Timson
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Masterpieces of British Literature from the Eighteenth Century to the Present by Prof. John McNamara
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Literary History & Criticism Free Audio & Video

American Writers Series on C-SPAN
Development of the Novel Course by Prof. Irving Rothman
Harold Bloom on How to Read and Why
Introduction to Theory of Literature Course by Prof. Paul Fry
Introductions to World Literature by Peter Whitfield

Poetry Free Audio & Video

Modern Poetry Course by Prof. Langdon Hammer
Poems by Emily Dickinson
Poetry Out Loud: Audio Guide
Rumi and the Play of Poetry by Coleman Barks
Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Short Stories Free Audio & Video

Aesop’s Fables
A Conversation with Author John Updike on The Greatest American Short Stories of This Century
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

World Classics Free Audio & Video:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Introduction to Modern Japanese Literature and Culture Course by John R. Wallace
Introductions to World Literature by Peter Whitfield
Nobel Prize Winners in Literature Course by Irving Rothman

Technology, Science, Education & Professional

We’ll close off our massive newsletter of free audio and video learning with titles from our categories of Technology, Science, and Education & Professional learning titles.

Technology:

Biotechnology Free Audio & Video

Aubrey de Grey Says We Can Avoid Aging
Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering Courses by Prof. Mark Saltzman
J. Craig Venter on A Life Decoded
Ray Kurzweil on The Singularity Is Near
Stem Cell Biology, Politics, and Ethics: Teasing Apart Issues Course

Computers Free Audio & Video

The Hundred Dollar Laptop-Computing for Developing Nations by Nicholas Negroponte
An Interview with Bill Gates
Introduction to Computer Science Course from Harvard
iWoz: From Computer Geek to Culture Icon
Ray Kurzweil on The Age of Spiritual Machines

Internet Free Audio & Video

Andrew Keen on The Cult of the Amateur
David Kirkpatrick on The Facebook Effect
A Discussion of the Music Wars on the Internet with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy
A Few Things Learned from Craigslist by Craig Newmark
Free Speech, Free Minds, Free Markets by Jimmy Wales
Inside the Google Machine with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Jeff Bezos on the Next Web Innovation
Salman Khan on the Khan Academy
What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
World Wide Web: Ten Year Anniversary by Tim Berners-Lee

Technology Leaders Free Audio & Video

Bill Gates on Energy: Innovating to Zero
A Discussion with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter
Guy Kawasaki Presents The Art of Innovation
Inside the Google Machine by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Steve Wozniak on iWoz

The Digital Age Free Audio & Video

The Future of Reading: Books Without Pages? by David Pogue
James Gleick on The Information
Jane McGonigal: Gaming Can Make a Better World
NASA’s Vision for Human Space Exploration by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Online Personas with Mark Zuckerberg, Reid Hoffman, Robin Harper
Ray Kurzweil on The Web Within Us
Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education
Using Audio Technology to Reduce Global Illiteracy, Poverty, and Disease by Cliff Schmidt
William Powers: Hamlet’s Blackberry
The World is Flat 3.0 by Thomas L. Friedman

Hear from top scientists and listen to talks from the cutting edge of our biology, physics, and more with this list of featured free titles.

Science:

Astronomy Free Audio & Video:

A Conversation with Carl Sagan on Pale Blue Dot
Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe by Alex Filippenko
Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics Course by Prof. Charles Bailyn
NASA’s Vision for Human Space Exploration by Neil deGrasse Tyson
What is a Star? by Prof. James Kaler

Biology Free Audio & Video:

Human Behavioral Biology Course by Prof. Robert Sapolsky
Darwin’s Legacy
E.O. Wilson on Saving Life on Earth
An Hour about DNA with Nobel Award-Winner James Watson
Human Evolution Symposia convened by Richard Leakey
Introduction to Dinosaurs by Prof. John Kricher
J. Craig Venter on A Life Decoded
Jane Goodall Videos on C-SPAN
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
Principles of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Course by Prof. Stephen Stearns

Environment Free Audio & Video:

The Book of the National Parks by Robert Sterling Yard
Daniel Goleman on Ecological Intelligence
Environmental Politics and Law by Prof. John Wargo
The Future of Nuclear Energy
Global Warming in Earth’s History by Michael B. McElroy

Mathematics Free Audio & Video:

Game Theory Course by Prof. Ben Polak
Geometry Playlist by Salman Khan
History of Modern Mathematics by David Eugene Smith
Ian Ayres on Super Crunchers
Oxford University Mathematics Lectures

Physics Free Audio & Video:

Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity Course by Leonard Susskind
Physics I: Classical Mechanics by Prof. Walter Lewin
Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein
Richard Feynman: The Messenger Lecture Series
Science in the Next Millennium by Stephen Hawking

Scientists Free Audio & Video:

Authors at Google: James Watson
In Depth with Edward O. Wilson
An Interview with Carl Sagan on The Demon Haunted World
J. Craig Venter on A Life Decoded
The Life of Charles Darwin by Chandak Sengoopta

And finally get some information about professions like journalism, medicine, law, and creative writing.

Education & Professional:

Journalism Free Audio & Video:

The American News Media: Liberal or Conservative Bias Eric Alterman vs. Tucker Carlson
An Interview with Walter Cronkite
Journalistic Ethics: Communications Course
Secrets: Uncovering Mysteries in the 21st Century by Bob Woodward
Tim Russert on Covering Politics

Law Free Audio & Video:

Catalyst to History: Why Dreyfus Matters by Alan M. Dershowitz
Introduction to Copyright Law Course by Prof. Keith Winstein
Q&A with Antonin Scalia on Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges
The Supreme Court: Home to America’s Highest Court, 2010 Edition
Environmental Politics and Law Course by Prof. John Wargo

Medical Free Audio & Video:

A Conversation about Alternative Medicine by Andrew Weil
Critical Condition: Health Care in America by Donald Barlett and James Steele
Ending the AIDS Epidemic with Bill Clinton and Bill Gates
Epidemics in Western Society Since 1600
Health Matters from UCTV
In Depth with Sherwin Nuland
Introduction to Human Anatomy with Prof. John K. Young
Siddhartha Mukherjee: A Biography of Cancer
The Skinny on Obesity with Robert H. Lustig
Stanford Mini Med School

Teaching Free Audio & Video:

Educational Psychology by Prof. Dov Liberman
Frank McCourt on Teaching in NYC
In Depth with Jonathan Kozol
Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education
Will College Learning be Transformed by Technology? with Andrew Ng

Writing Free Audio & Video:

Discussion on Writing with Stephen King
Everything I Know About Writing by Anne Lamott
William Faulkner at Virginia: An Audio Archive
How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin
William S. Burroughs Class on Writing Sources




July 11, 2011

Free Learning Guide

Free Audio Books

At LearnOutLoud.com we’re getting close to adding a lot more free titles to our site. We’ve taken inventory of the over 3500 free audio & video titles and over 2000 podcasts that we have and we’ve put together this free stuff guide to some of the best free titles from the best sources of free audio & video content on the Web. We’ll be updating most of these providers with the latest titles, but for now you can check out the ones we’ve featured. We’ll start by giving you a guide to the best free audio books.

FREE AUDIO BOOKS:

LibriVox.org – A great site which brings together volunteers to read books in the public domain that they then offer as free audio book downloads on MP3. We feature 1100 of their best audio books.

FORA.tv – Offers over 2000 free videos from over 115 different partners covering the world’s most interesting political, social and cultural issues. We’ve selected 500 of their top videos.

ThoughtAudio – Over 30 free downloadable audio books including Metamorphosis, Siddhartha, The Art of War, The Call of the Wild, and more.

ejunto.com – Free historical and philosophical audio books to download on MP3.

Literal Systems – LiteralSystems records free MP3 downloadable audio books of classic literary works that are in the public domain. All their audio books are featured on Gutenberg.org.

Audio Anarchy – Audio books and writings on the political philosophy of anarchism.

FreeAudio.org – A few classic free audio books including Common Sense and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Speak the Speech – Free full cast dramatizations of plays by William Shakespeare.

PennSound – Original recordings of poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Gertrude Stein.

Free Lectures & Talks

Beyond the free audio books we feature we also have 1000s of lectures and talks from 100s of authors and speakers. We’ve gone through many of the most popular sources for educational talks and tried to pick out the best and most interesting ones they have to offer. Here are some of the best of the best of online audio & video lectures.

LECTURES & TALKS:

TED Talks – Some of the best talks from the TED Conference. The Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference has been featuring talks from leading thinkers not only in technology, entertainment, and design, but also religion, science, literature, psychology, personal growth, and numerous other areas.

The Forum Network – Tons of free videos and audio downloads from the expansive WGBH Forum Network which records events at MIT, Harvard, Boston College, Cambridge, and many other colleges and institutions in the Boston area.

Barnes & Noble Media – Numerous audio & video programs through the Barnes & Noble Media section of their website. Their current programs are One on One (a weekly audio conversation with writers), Upstairs at the Square (a monthly video series featuring writers and musicians), Live from B&N (videos of readings, discussions and author Q&As), Meet the Writers (audio and video interviews with popular writers), and more.

Google Talks – Talks delivered at Google. Most of their @GoogleTalks are their series called Authors@Google, but they also have a few other series including Leading@Google (featuring leadership authors talking about their leadership books) and Women@Google (featuring outstanding women such as the world’s greatest female marathoner).

MIT Lectures – Links to over 100 free video lectures from MIT including ones from Jack Welch, Michael Dell and Noam Chomsky.

Naropa University – Free historic audio from this Buddhist-inspired university, focusing on lectures and poetry readings by Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs at their Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.

Ashbrook Center – Public affairs lectures from leading conservative thinkers and politicians.

Vega Science Trust – Links to 40 free video lectures on subjects like nanotechnology and physics.

The Cato Institute – Talks delivered at this libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Lannan Foundation – Readings and conversations with contemporary literature and poetry authors.

Conversations with History – UC Berkeley’s Harry Kreisler talks with major thinkers in the world of foreign policiy and global politics.

Dharma Seed – Free Dharma talks and meditations.

Intercollegiate Studies Institute – Talks delivered at this conservative educational organization.

MeaningOfLife.tv – Interviews with leading philosophers, scientists, and theologians conducted by Robert Wright.

Mises Institute – Top speakers at this center for the Austrian School of Economics.

UCTV – Lectures delivered at the many University of California campuses.

Free Speeches & Historical Audio

And even beyond that we have a lot of free audio of historical speeches and other historic audio you can listen to. Check out some of our top providers of this audio content:

SPEECHES & HISTORICAL AUDIO:

American Rhetoric – By far the internet’s largest provider of free historical speeches. Download many of the greatest speeches of all time on MP3.

American Memory from the Library of Congress – Some amazing audio projects including Voices from the Days of Slavery and the September 11th, 2001 Documentary Project

Free Sermons from Sermon Index and SermonAudio.com – We’ve posted links to sermons from people like Billy Graham and Billy Sunday

C-SPAN – Political events and interviews captured by the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network.

History and Politics Out Loud – Historic addresses and historic audio available to stream.

Nobelprize.org – Historic Nobel Prize acceptance speeches on audio & video.

Miller Center of Public Affairs – The largest collection of presidential audio on the web along with many talks delivered by historians.

Authentic History Center – Historic audio organized into specific time periods in American and World history.

Radio Diaries – Everyday people tell their stories in these diaries from American history.

Free Podcast Providers

And along with all of these free resources from our free directory we also have a lot of free providers in our podcast directory. You’ll probably recognize these popular podcasters so we’ll just list them here:

National Public Radio

American Public Media

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

PBS Podcasts

KCRW (Public Radio Station in LearnOutLoud’s hometown of Santa Monica, CA)

Personal Life Media (Podcasts with expert advice on personal growth, anti-aging, intimacy and relationships)

NASA Podcasts

New York Times Podcasts

CNET Podcasts

Oprah Winfrey’s Podcasts

The New Yorker Podcasts

Public Radio International

Quick and Dirty Tips Podcasts

CNN Podcasts

Stay tuned for way more free audio & video from LearnOutLoud.com!




July 29, 2010

List of Our Top Free Lists

In the past few years we’ve put together a lot of lists of the best free resources that we offer through our site in different categories that we feature. In case you missed any of those we wanted to offer you this list of those lists. We’ll start off with our top free resources from the past 4 years:

Top 25 Free Resources from 2006

Top 50 Free Resources from 2007

Top 25 Free Resources from 2008

Top 50 Free Resources from 2009

And here our some free resource lists that focus on specific topics. For many of these lists we have added new free resources and we’ve noted that below:

Top 40 Free Audio Books Online

Ten Famous Speeches in American History

Ten Top Audio & Video Debates

Top 25 Free Philosophy Books & Podcasts on Audio

Top Ten Free Meditations

Top 15 Free Online Psychology Audio & Video Resources (5 New Resources Added)

Top 25 Free History Audio Titles (5 New Resources Added)

Top 20 Free Self Help Titles (10 New Resources Added)

Top 20 Wealth Building & Economics Free Audio & Video Resources (5 New Resources Added)

Top 20 Best Contemporary Literature Author Interviews and Talks (5 New Resources Added)

Top 20 Free Christian Audio Resources

Top Ten Podcasts Featuring 100s of Thought Leaders

Top 25 World Religions Free Audio & Video Resources (5 New Resources Added)

Top 15 Free Liberal Speeches & Lectures

Top 20 Free Conservative Speeches & Lectures

Top 50 Free Motivational Resources

And our last group of lists is the best of resources from various spots on the web:

Best of Free Audio Downloads on TeachOutLoud

Best of LibriVox

Best of FORA.tv

That’s enough lists for now. Enjoy all of these free resources.




May 17, 2010

Free Pimsleur Downloads

SpanishPhase1Unit01blogfeature.jpgA few weeks ago we announced that for the first time ever you can download Pimlseur’s comprehensive language learning courses on MP3 audio download. To help introduce you to these programs we are now offering 50 free Pimsleur language learning lessons that you to download in 40 different languages. Each free lesson contains 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation, and isolated vocabulary and structures to learn.

If you’re traveling to faraway lands this summer and don’t know the language, then Pimsleur courses are the perfect way to comprehensively learn a language quickly. Browse all of the Pimsleur courses we currently have to offer. Each course includes a sample from the first unit of the course:

Browse Over 80 Pimsleur Language Learning Courses

And please download these free language learning lessons to try out the Pimsleur method and learn some basic language vocabulary as well:

Albanian, Unit 1 Free Download

Arabic – Eastern I, Unit 1 Free Download

Arabic – Egyptian, Unit 1 Free Download

Armenian Eastern, Unit 1 Free Download

Armenian Western, Unit 1 Free Download

Chinese – Cantonese, Unit 1 Free Download

Chinese – Mandarin I, Unit 1 Free Download

Croatian, Unit 1 Free Download

Czech, Unit 1 Free Download

Danish, Unit 1 Free Download

Dari – Persian I, Unit 1 Free Download

Dutch, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Arabic Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Chinese (Cantonese) Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Chinese (Mandarin) Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for French Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for German Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Haitian Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Italian Speakers I, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Korean Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Persian (Farsi) Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Portuguese (Brazilian) Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Russian Speakers, Unit 1 Free Download

English for Spanish Speakers I, Unit 1 Free Download

Farsi – Persian, Unit 1 Free Download

French I, Unit 1 Free Download

German I, Unit 1 Free Download

Greek (Modern) I, Unit 1 Free Download

Haitian – Creole I, Unit 1 Free Download

Hebrew – Modern I, Unit 1 Free Download

Hindi, Unit 1 Free Download

Hungarian, Unit 1 Free Download

Indonesian, Unit 1 Free Download

Irish, Unit 1 Free Download

Italian I, Unit 1 Free Download

Japanese I, Unit 1 Free Download

Korean I, Unit 1 Free Download

Lithuanian, Unit 1 Free Download

Norwegian, Unit 1 Free Download

Ojibwe, Unit 1 Free Download

Polish I, Unit 1 Free Download

Portuguese (Brazilian) I, Unit 1 Free Download

Portuguese – European, Unit 1 Free Download

Romanian I, Unit 1 Free Download

Russian I, Unit 1 Free Download

Spanish I, Unit 1 Free Download

Swahili, Unit 1 Free Download

Swedish, Unit 1 Free Download

Swiss German, Unit 1 Free Download

Tagalog, Unit 1 Free Download

Thai, Unit 1 Free Download

Turkish, Unit 1 Free Download

Twi, Unit 1 Free Download

Ukrainian, Unit 1 Free Download

Urdu, Unit 1 Free Download

Vietnamese, Unit 1 Free Download

Enjoy these free language learning lessons from Pimsleur. Learn a new language this summer!




March 9, 2010

Best of LibriVox

Along with it being our fifth anniversary, we have also reached our 1000th Free Resource of the Day Email. And for this free resource we wanted to do something special, so we’ve just added 1000 new free audio books from LibriVox. LibriVox.org is a great site which brings together volunteers to read books in the public domain that they then offer as free audio book downloads on MP3.

The last time we added titles from LibriVox was over two years ago and since then they have grown enormously with over 2500 titles now available. We sifted through all their audio books and picked out the best titles based on literary merit, quality of narration, and how interesting they sounded. The narrators and recording quality have definitely improved with great new readers like Cori Samuel and Mike Vendetti. For many of the major classics they have multiple versions now so we’ve chosen what sounds like the best edition. We’ve also added the podcast feeds of the all audio books so you can listen to and download them all through our site. To download zips, subscribe through iTunes, get the eBooks, see chapter headings, and more click on the links over to LibriVox.

Before you dive in please note that LibriVox is calling for donations to help them with the operating costs of their site so please do if you’re able to. We’ve kicked off our contributions with a $100 donation. Keep LibriVox alive by donating today:

Donate to LibriVox

Now you can browse over 1100 LibriVox titles on LearnOutLoud.com:

All LibriVox Titles on LearnOutLoud with 1000 New Titles

Among the 1000 new audio books there are 150 free audio books specifically for kids. All these new free audio books for kids can be found in our Kids Free Stuff Section:

Kids Free Stuff Section with 150 New Free Audio Books from LibriVox

And here are some of the great new audio books we’ve added by category:

Biographies:

Mozart: The Man and the Artist as Revealed in His Own Words by Friedrich Kerst

The World I Live In by Helen Keller

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography

Edison, His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer

The Life of St. Teresa by St. Teresa of Avila

History:

A Short History of the United States by Edward Channing

A Short History of England by G.K. Chesterton

Herodotus’ Histories, Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3

The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

The Book of the National Parks by Robert Sterling Yard

Literature:

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

John Barleycorn or Alcoholic Memoirs by Jack London

Walking by Henry David Thoreau

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain

The Aeneid by Virgil

2 B R 0 2 B by Kurt Vonnegut

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence

The Last Man by Mary Shelley

Candide by Voltaire

Poems of William Blake

Dubliners by James Joyce

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

Philosophy:

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

The Golden Sayings of Epictetus

The Sayings of Confucius

Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill

Introduction to The Philosophy of History by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Discourse on the Method by Rene Descartes

The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant

The Joyful Wisdom, or The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche

The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Discourse on Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith

Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein

Essays, First Series and Essays, Second Series by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Religion & Spirituality:

The Tree of Wisdom by Nagarjuna

In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? by Charles M. Sheldon

The People’s Idea of God by Mary Baker Eddy

The Large Catechism by Martin Luther

Conceptions of Divine Love by St. Teresa of Avila

The Golden Bough by James Frazer

Bhagavad Gita Translated by Sir Edwin Arnold

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran

Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg

The Bahai Revelation by Thornton Chase

The Story of Mormonism by James E. Talmage

Mysticism: A Study in Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill

Twentieth Century New Testament

Science:

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin

The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry by M. M. Pattison Muir

The Outline of Science by J. Arthur Thomson

Philosophy and Fun of Algebra by Mary Everest Boole

Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein

Curiosities of the Sky by Garrett Serviss

Self Development:

Supreme Personality by Delmer Eugene Croft

A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis by Melvin Powers

Mental Efficiency by Arnold Bennett

The Power of Concentration by Theron Q. Dumont

The Secret of Dreams by Yacki Raizizun

A Guide to Men: Being Encore Reflections of a Bachelor Girl by Helen Rowland

How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett

And this is just scratching the surface of what they’ve got! Enjoy 1000 new free resources as we reach Free Resource Email #1000!

UPDATE! As of November of 2014 we’ve added an additional 2500 new free audio books from Librivox!!! So of course we got to add the best to this blog post!!!

It was quite a task, but we have just added over 2500 new free audio book downloads from Librivox.org to our site! Believe it or not the Librivox catalog has over 8000 titles now, but we feel we’ve picked out the best, bringing our total to about 3500 Librivox audio books on LearnOutLoud.com. In this post we’ll highlight the best new free audio books we’ve added. To get you started check out the Librivox publisher page:

Browse Over 3500 Free Audio Books on the Librivox Publisher Page

Now we’ll go through category by category highlighting some of the great new free audio books we’ve added!

Arts & Entertainment:

Hollywood: Its Morals and Manners by Theodore Dreiser

The Letters of a Post-Impressionist by Vincent Van Gogh

The Rise and Fall of Free Speech in America by D.W. Griffith

Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky

The Art of the Moving Picture by Vachel Lindsay

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin

How to Appreciate Music by Gustav Kobbe

A Popular History of the Art of Music by W.S.B. Mathews

Biography:

The Education of Henry Adams

The Adventures of Buffalo Bill by William Frederick Cody

Representative Men by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant

Auguste Rodin by Rainer Maria Rilke

Geronimo’s Story of His Life

My Life and Work by Henry Ford

Saint Francis of Assisi: A Biography by Johannes Jorgensen

Business:

The Art of Money Getting by P.T. Barnum

Principles of Economics by Alfred Marshall

Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Vol. 1 by Karl Marx

The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes

Living on Half a Dime a Day by Sarah Elizabeth Harper Monmouth

Education & Professional:

Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey

Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook by Maria Montessori

Notes on Nursing by Florence Nightingale

The Elements of Style by William Strunk

History:

On War (Volume One) and On War (Volumes Two and Three) by Carl von Clausewitz

The Journal of Lewis and Clarke

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. I through VI by Edward Gibbon

History of the United States, Volume 1 – 7 by Charles Austin Beard & Mary Ritter Beard

Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 1 – 5 by Francois Guizot

A Popular History of Ireland by Thomas D’Arcy McGee

The French Revolution by Hilaire Belloc

Ten Days that Shook the World by John Reed

Languages:

French Self-Taught by Franz J.L. Thimm

My Very First Little German Book

An Introduction to the Greek of the New Testament by George Lovell Cary

Literature:

The Magic Skin by Honore de Balzac

Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie

Futuria Fantasia, Spring 1940 by Ray Bradbury

The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Faust Part I by Johann Wolfgang Goethe

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

A Rubaiyat Miscellany by Omar Khayyam

Anna Christie by Eugene O’Neill

Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott

Othello by William Shakespeare

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

The Trojan Women by Euripides

Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) by Sophocles

The Iliad of Homer, Rendered into English Blank Verse by Homer

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust

Charles Dickens by G.K. Chesterton

Poems: Series One and Poems: Series Two by Emily Dickinson

John Keats: Selected Poems

The Lady With the Dog and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov

Five Beloved Stories by O. Henry

Six Creepy Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Philosophy:

A Cynic Looks At Life by Ambrose Bierce

An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals by David Hume

The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant

An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding by John Locke

Essays: Book 1, Essays: Book 2, and Essays: Book 3 by Michel de Montaigne

Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche

The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Proposed Roads to Freedom by Bertrand Russell

The Art of Controversy (or: The Art of Being Right) by Arthur Schopenhauer

What is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain

The Analects of Confucius

The Republic by Plato

The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

Of Peace of Mind by Seneca

Pragmatism by William James

The Ethics by Benedict de Spinoza

Politics:

Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Friedrich Engels

Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann

Considerations on Representative Government by John Stuart Mill

The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses of Theodore Roosevelt

Essays on Political Economy by Frederic Bastiat

The Soul of Man by Oscar Wilde

Religion & Spirituality:

The Path of Light: The Bodhi-Charyavatara of Santi-Deva by Shantideva

The Universal Religion: Bahaism – Its Rise and Social Import by Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney

The Greatest Thing in the World and Other Addresses by Henry Drummond

The Mahabharata by Vyasa: The Epic of Ancient India Condensed into English Verse

The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther

Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray

The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer

The Profits of Religion by Upton Sinclair

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-madinah and Meccah by Richard Burton

The Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith

Torah (JPSA): Genesis

Science:

Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin

Opticks by Isaac Newton

Great Astronomers by Robert Ball

Anatomy of the Human Body, Part 1 – 5

Meteorology; or Weather Explained by J.G. M’Pherson

The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 – 3

Easy Lessons in Einstein by Edwin E. Slosson

Self Development:

Byways to Blessedness by James Allen

Self and Self-Management: Essays about Existing by Arnold Bennett

Your Psychic Powers and How to Develop Them by Hereward Carrington

Laugh and Live by Douglas Fairbanks

Creative Mind by Ernest Holmes

The Victorious Attitude by Orison Swett Marden

Creative Unity by Rabindranath Tagore

In Tune with the Infinite by Ralph Waldo Trine

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Thought Vibration, or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Atkinson

The Speaking Voice by Katherine Everts

The Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana

Social Sciences:

Two Years and Four Months in a Lunatic Asylum by Hiram Chase

The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

Winds of Doctrine: Studies in Contemporary Opinion by George Santayana

Woman and the New Race by Margaret Sanger

The Psychology of Alcoholism by George Barton

The Anatomy of Melancholy, Volume 1 – 3 by Robert Burton

Psychotherapy by Hugo Munsterberg

The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets by Jane Addams

Sports & Hobbies:

The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo

American Cookery by Amelia Simmons

Football Days: Memories of the Game and of the Men behind the Ball by William Hanford Edwards

The Flower Garden: A Handbook of Practical Garden Lore by Ida Dandridge Bennett

The Decoration of Houses by Edith Wharton

The Social History of Smoking by George L. Apperson

The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton

Dogs and All About Them by Robert Leighton

Cats: Their Points and Characteristics by W. Gordon Stables

Travel:

My Trip Abroad by Charlie Chaplin

A Traveller in War-Time by Winston Churchill

A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir

The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau

American Notes for General Circulation by Charles Dickens

The Worst Journey in the World, Vol. 1 and The Worst Journey in the World, Vol. 2 by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Letters of Travel by Rudyard Kipling

On a Chinese Screen by W. Somerset Maugham

Domestic Manners of the Americans by Frances Trollope

New Free Audio Books from Great Authors

Along with the great audio books listed above that we’ve added, we’ve also added many free titles from some of the greatest authors of all time. Librivox has dived deep into the public domain treasures of great authors to provide you some never before heard audio books. Check out this list of authors below which we have added many free audio books to.

Note: These are the full author results for these authors, so if you’re looking for just the free titles you can see (Free) next to the Audio Download format in the results now for free titles.

James Allen Audio – Numerous free self help classics from the author of As a Man Thinketh.

G.K. Chesterton Audio – Plenty from this English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist.

Wilkie Collins Audio – Many works from this English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories.

Joseph Conrad Audio – Many novels from the author of Heart of Darkness.

Philip K. Dick Audio – Some free short stories from this master of science fiction.

Charles Dickens Audio – Plenty of new free offerings!

Fyodor Dostoevsky Audio – More novels and short stories from this great Russian author.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Audio – 30 new free titles from the world’s greatest crime fiction writer.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Audio – New short stories from the The Great Gatsby author.

Thomas Hardy Audio – New free Thomas Hardy novels and short stories.

Henrik Ibsen Audio – Numerous dramatized plays from the major 19th-century Norwegian playwright.

Henry James Audio – Over 20 new free works from this great American writer.

Jack London Audio – Variety of works from the famous American author, journalist, and social activist.

Martin Luther Audio – Audio from the seminal figure of the 16th-century movement in Christianity known later as the Protestant Reformation.

George MacDonald Audio – Many free works from the Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.

William Shakespeare Audio – Basically all the plays of the Bard now free from Librivox.

George Bernard Shaw Audio – A dozen free plays from the Irish playwright.

Leo Tolstoy Audio – Over a dozen free works from this Russian giant.

Anthony Trollope Audio – Over 30 free novels!

Mark Twain Audio – Almost 30 new works to listen to!

H.G. Wells Audio – 20 new free titles from this prolific English writer best remembered for his science fiction novels.

Edith Wharton Audio – New free works from the first woman to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for literature.

Aristotle Audio – Over a dozen philosophical works from the great Greek philosopher.

Plato Audio – A great many dialogues and other works by the great Greek philosopher.

500 New Free Kids Audio Books

Of the 2500 free audio books we’ve added from Librivox about 500 of them are geared towards kids. We’ve sectioned these titles off in our Librivox kids publisher page which you can browse here:

Over 500 Free Librivox Audio Books for Kids on Kids.LearnOutLoud.com

Here are some great new free kids books you can grab:

Alice’s Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll

The Blue Lagoon by H. De Vere Stacpoole

The Box-Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Children’s Bible by Henry Sherman

The Children’s Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum

Grammar-Land by M.L. Nesbitt

Historic Adventures: Tales from American History by Rupert S. Holland

Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates

The Life of George Washington in Words of One Syllable by Josephine Pollard

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

Myths That Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

A School History of the Great War by Albert E. McKinley

The Story Book of Science by Jean-Henri Fabre

The Story of Young Abraham Lincoln by Wayne Whipple

Viking Tales by Jennie Hall

Zip, the Adventures of a Frisky Fox Terrier by Frances Trego Montgomery




April 4, 2009

Free Philosophy Books & Podcasts on Audio

freephilosophyblogkantfeature.gif
Check out 30 of the top free philosophy books, lectures, & podcasts available online. For years we’ve put an emphasis on showcasing philosophy as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. Now with this list of 30 hand picked titles, you can dive into political theory with Machiavelli or Jean-Jacques Rousseau, learn the Art of War with Sun Tzu, take a film class on Existentialism and ask the big questions of life’s significance. Other philosophers you’ll meet and learn about on this list include Plato, Frederick Nietzsche, Immanuel Kant, Bertrand Russell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Ayn Rand among many others. You can check them all out by clicking the titles below:

1. Existentialism in Literature and Film Podcast

This is a full college course from the University of California-Berkeley entitled “Existentialism in Literature and Film”. The “Existentialism in Literature and Film” course, taught by professor Hubert L. Dreyfus, cuts right to the roots of existentialist thought, looking at the works of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, and examining Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov in depth. It’s an excellent philosophy course and it’s free!

2. Plato’s Republic

The Republic by Plato is one of the most influential works of philosophy in history. In the form of Socratic dialogue, Plato’s teacher and protagonist Socrates sets out to find an answer to the question: “What is justice?”. Along the way Socrates discusses the ideal city-state and his theory of forms, which includes his famous allegory of the cave. This podcast contains all eleven books of The Republic unabridged. It is well read by narrator Doug McLeod and is available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

3. The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Listen to the ideas of the great 20th century philosopher Bertrand Russell on “The Value of Philosophy”, which comes from the final chapter of his 1912 book The Problems of Philosophy. In the essay he lays forth his conviction that although philosophy cannot come to any certain answers regarding the questions it asks, these questions are important in that they enlarge our views of the universe beyond the narrow viewpoints of practical men, who are concerned solely with the material world. The piece is well read by Paul Sunderland. You can now download this excerpt directly from LearnOutLoud on MP3!

4. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

ejunto.com is a site which features free mp3 downloads of historical and philosophical audio books (it’s named after Benjamin Franklin’s literary club called The Junto). They currently feature a free unabridged recording of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. This political philosophy classic describes how political leaders can obtain and maintain power. It is well narrated by Andrew Julow and available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

5. Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self Reliance is perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous essay. This version, narrated by Brian Johnson from Zaadz, is both thought-provoking and inspirational. Ralph Waldo Emerson pushes the listener to break free of the dependence on society and the masses of man and to rely solely upon oneself. Always pushing us to follow our own nature & intuition, Emerson denounces those who allow themselves to be victims of society or history. He wants great men to rise from the limitations of cultural institutions and stand as giants casting shadows over the ages. Throughout the essay there is wisdom loaded in every sentence and it can be listened to again and again. Download this free classic audio book on MP3 directly from LearnOutLoud.com.

6. Philosophy: The Classics Podcast

In this podcast, British author Nigel Warburton reads from his book Philosophy: The Classics (now in it’s 3rd edition). The book examines and summarizes 27 classic works of philosophy. Currently on the podcast feed, Warburton reads 5 chapters from his book summarizing Plato’s The Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy, Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Descartes’ Meditations. His introductions to these works are clear and concise, and his narration is adequate for the material. Subscribe to this work of philosophical generosity.

7. The Twilight of the Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche

Listen to one of Friedrich Nietzsche’s last and most mature works: The Twilight of the Idols. In this book Nietzsche confronts Socrates, morality, reason, and much else. It is a comprehensive summary of the ideas of this controversial 19th century German philosopher. Recorded for the first time on audio by LibriVox narrator D.E. Wittkower, this audio book is available on MP3 download through LibriVox.

8. Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

In this classic essay by Henry David Thoreau, he stresses that individuals should not allow governments to rule over their conscience by forcing them to contribute to injustices through taxes or other support. Thoreau advocates breaking laws in a civil manner if one believes they are unjust. This essay would go on to influence Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others. It’s available as an MP3 download from Voices in the Dark with fine narration by Dawn Keenan.

9. The Philosopher’s Zone Podcast

One of the best things about podcasting is that we can now download and listen to public radio from all over the world. And some of the best public radio comes from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. They’ve recently added The Philosopher’s Zone Podcast which “looks at the world of philosophy and at the world through philosophy”. It’s a very interesting podcast and one of the only philosophy podcasts out there.

10. The Treatise on Friendship by Cicero

Listen to this free audio book by the Roman statesman, lawyer, political theorist, philosopher, and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. In The Treatise on Friendship Cicero examines the qualities of good friends and bad friends through a philosophical dialogue between three prominent citizens of the Roman republic. Cicero ultimately arrives at the conclusion that nothing save virtue is more valuable than friendship. Enjoy this free MP3 download from ejunto.com.

11. Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do? by Professor Michael Sandel

In this complete, 12-lecture video course from Harvard University, Professor Michael Sandel presents his popular course which explores difficult moral dilemmas and how we respond to them. In the first lecture he presents a few complex moral dilemmas and asks his class how they would respond to these conundrums. Through the answers students give he brings into question the assumptions behind their moral reasoning. He briefly addresses the ideas of utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham and tells of a true case which brings into question Bentham’s creed of “the greatest good for the greatest number”. It seems to be an interesting course and it is being offered totally free from Harvard University on streaming video through YouTube.

12. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius

Listen to this classic work of philosophy written by Boethius in 524 AD. Boethius wrote this work while awaiting trial for which he was executed. The Consolation of Philosophy examines the problem of evil, free will, virtue, and much else as Boethius conducts a dialogue with Lady Philosophy. This audio book is available for free from LibriVox and is read by over a dozen of their volunteer narrators. It is available on MP3 download.

13. Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment? by Immanuel Kant

Download this essay by German philosopher Immanuel Kant. One of the last Enlightenment philosophers, Kant puts forth his definition of Enlightenment, in reference to the question about what had occurred during the Age of Enlightenment in 18th century Europe and America. Kant feels that it was not a social movement adopted by the masses, but rather an individual movement where certain persons gained the courage to think for themselves and to argue against the paternalism of institutions which were heretofore unquestioned. Kant sees the freedom of reasoning and argumentation as central to the Age of Enlightenment, but this revolution of independent thought can only be achieved through an individual’s striving for intellectual maturity. Download this free essay on MP3 exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

14. Thinking Out Loud Podcast

Listen to over twenty philosophical dialogues with everyday people covering a new topic in each podcast. Host Steve Donaldson is joined by about ten other citizen philosopher guests as they spend an hour talking about topics such as “What is Love?”, “What is Evil?”, “Is Free Will an Illusion?”, “What is Mysticism?”, and many other intriguing topics. These philosophical round table discussions really get one thinking about the topic and they’re entertaining as well. Currently they’re allowing internet guests to join in the discussion through VoIP technology. The audio quality of these podcasts varies, but the content is so consistently compelling that you’ll want to listen to them all. Enjoy.

15. Democracy in America, Vol. I & Democracy in America, Vol. II by Alexis de Tocqueville

Listen to Alexis de Tocqueville’s great work of political philosophy and history Democracy in America. Published in two volumes (in 1835 and 1840 respectively), the French political thinker Tocqueville wrote about America as a social scientist after his travels there, providing a wealth of observations and opinions which still hold true today. If you’ve never had a chance to read this book, then listening to this 30-hour audio book is a great way to get through this classic work of political philosophy. This audio book is read by a number of volunteer narrators at LibriVox.org and is available to download on MP3.

16. Francis Fukuyama: The End Of History Revisited

Fifteen years after the publication of his 1992 book The End of History and the Last Man, author Francis Fukuyama still believes in his thesis that political & economic history is reaching its end in liberal democracy and free market capitalism. In this talk delivered at the Long Now Foundation, Fukuyama defends his argument, pointing out the expansion of science, technology, and free market capitalism and how it has increased the wealth of much of the developing world over the past 15 years, which has in turn led to liberal democracy in many nations. He does point out some of the criticisms of his thesis such as Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations book, which argues that certain cultures will never conform to Western liberal democracy & free markets. Huntington argues this will lead to an ongoing clash of civilizations.

Fukuyama doesn’t believe that his “End of History” thesis is certain, and he still feels there is a lot of work to be done in building institutions in developing states, fighting global warming, organizing global cooperation, and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He fields a number of questions, including one regarding the second half of his thesis which addresses Nietzsche’s concept of The Last Man, which he feels is now being catered to under the system of the European Union. It is a fascinating lecture that is available on MP3 download and streaming video through FORA.tv.

17. What is Knowledge? by Professor Colin McGinn

It’s back to school time and before cramming our brains with new knowledge, let us ask, “What is Knowledge?” In this lecture, Professor Colin McGinn deciphers what we mean when we say we ‘know’ something to be true. He traces the history of philosophical skepticism, giving the listener several historical arguments for the theory of knowledge, and also touching on arguments made by the likes of Plato, Descartes, and other important philosophers. This lecture is a foundational exercise for the rest of the program, with McGinn arguing that for someone to begin thinking philosophically, he or she must first understand the methods of thinking that go into the pursuit of true knowledge.

18. The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Written by Sun Tzu in the 6th Century B.C., The Art of War now stands as a definitive distillation of ancient military strategy. The philosophies contained in this book have been applied in variety of settings throughout the centuries. Narrator Michael Scott brings his voiceover gusto to this reading, which is available on MP3 download from ThoughtAudio.com.

19. Authors@Google: John Searle

In a thought-provoking lecture provided by Authors@Google on streaming video, philosopher John Searle discusses the perennial problem of human free will. Starting with the historical arguments associated with free will, Searle then points viewers to how quantum mechanical theories of a chaotic and ultimately indeterminate universe may provide some solution to the problem. Delivered with a sense of fun and respect for the novice, Searle’s lecture is a must for anyone that wonders about the full nature of human choice and whether or not any of our decisions can truly be considered our own. It is available on streaming video through YouTube.

20. Peikoff.com Q&A on Ayn Rand Podcast

Dr. Leonard Peikoff was a long time friend Ayn Rand and she designated him as her legal and intellectual heir. Carrying on Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, Peikoff has been podcasting weekly for over a year with his Q&A format. In each episode he answers a number of questions that have been emailed to him and provides the answers that Ayn Rand had for many of the questions. Peikoff doesn’t answer all of the questions emailed to him, but he claims to read them all, and he will answer just about any question whether it be in regards to philosophy, politics, ethics, art, sexuality, etc. With each question answered you get a better idea of what Objectivist philosophy is and it’s the closest you’re likely to get to hearing what Ayn Rand would think of things if she were still alive today.

21. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Listen to one of the classic works of Stoic philosophy by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius written between 170 and 180 AD. Aurelius champions reason over passion in order to overcome the pains and pleasures of everyday life. In his practical and straightforward style Marcus Aurelius delivers his thoughts on what it is means to be good. This is an excellent translation by the English classical scholar George Long. The last two chapters are a biography and philosophical summary of Marcus Aurelius written by George Long. This audio book is read by a group of narrators at Librivox, some of which are better than others, but all of them are listenable. Download this unabridged 7-hour audio book on MP3 from Librivox.org.

22. William James: What Makes a Life Significant?

Join Harvard professor & Pulitzer Prize-winner Louis Menand, Princeton professor & author Cornel West, and philiosopher & writer Sissela Bok as they discuss the life and ideas of William James. Louis Menand starts the talk by giving a 20-minute introduction to the life of William James. Sissela Bok expounds on some of his ideas from James’s essay “What Makes a Life Significant?”, and Cornel West uses his trademark oratory skills to show how William James confronted American Empire and how we can still use James’s ideas to do so today. The three then answer a wide range of questions from the audience. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

23. A Discourse on the Passion of Love by Blaise Pascal

In this downloadable discourse from ejunto.com 17th century religious philosopher Blaise Pascal reflects on the passion of love. He expresses his views on love in relation to reason, beauty, and the other passions. This 30-minute discourse is well narrated by Andrew Julow and available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

24. The Law by Frederic Bastiat

Frederic Bastiat’s “The Law” produced by FreeAudio.org is one of the best free audio books available. Bastiat’s brief treatise on law is a passionate cry for his belief that law should only be put in place to maintain life, liberty, and property. He denounces legislators and philosophers who seek legalized plunder, moral coercion, and numerous other methods of force through law which encroach on liberties. The production quality is professional and Marvin Payne’s narration is superb. You can download this title through LearnOutLoud.com on MP3 or MPEG-4 (if you want to bookmark it in your iPod).

25. The Madman by Kahlil Gibran

It’s the last weekend to download our free audio book for the month of June: The Madman by Lebanese-American poet & philosopher Kahlil Gibran. Gibran also authored one of the bestselling books of the 20th century: The Prophet. The Madman was published in 1918, and this work introduced Americans to the thought-provoking poems and parables of Kahlil Gibran. This audio book is unabridged and, while only 45 minutes in length, it probably demands a second listen in order to better comprehend this clever, enigmatic work. It is available for free on MP3 download from ThoughtAudio.com

26. What Was the Enlightenment? by Professor James Schmidt

In this lecture Professor James Schmidt talks about what Immanuel Kant called “man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity”. The Age of Enlightenment began the elevation of science and reason in Western civilization. It was an era where great thinkers began to think for themselves and question the absolute rule of religious and political authorities. Professor Schmidt talks briefly about many of the key figures of the Enlightenment including Denis Diderot, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith, and Voltaire, and he talks about where the ideas of the Enlightenment prospered primarily in England, Germany, and France. This free lecture is available to download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com on MP3.

27. The Second Treatise on Government by John Locke

Listen to John Locke’s most famous work The Second Treatise on Government. This book is one of the all-time most influential works of political philosophy, outlining civil government as it has arisen from man’s former state of nature. The book also covers conquest & slavery, property, representative government, and the right of revolution. This audio book is generously made free by ejunto.com with clear narration by Philip Rose. It is available to download on MP3 from ejunto.com and also as a podcast from our site and iTunes.

28. Emerson and the Examined Life

Hear America’s former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky read passages from the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson in this special event commemorating Emerson’s 200th year. Pinsky and Emerson scholars Richard Geldard and David M. Robinson discuss the life and practical philosophy of Emerson and the ways in which his essays still speak to us today. Pinsky reads from classic essays such as Self-Reliance, The Oversoul, and The American Scholar. This tribute to Emerson is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

29. The Social Contract

This work of political philosophy by Jean-Jacques Rousseau begins with the famous saying: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” In this book the great 18th-century Enlightenment thinker proposes a form of government which maintains individual freedom and also represents the general will of a society. This audio book is well narrated by Jason Douglas at ejunto.org and is available on MP3 download through ejunto.org or as a podcast through iTunes.

30. Tete-a-Tete: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre

In this lecture from the WBGH Forum Network, author Hazel Rowley discusses her book Tete-a-tete: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. She discusses many aspects of this legendary 20th-century French couple, drawing off the voluminous writings of Sartre & Beauvoir as well as interviews and new primary sources. Famous for their existentialist philosophy & literature, Rowley probes deeper into the bold openness & unconventionality of their relationship. She also briefly discusses the difficulties of getting the book published in France. This lecture is available on streaming audio & video and MP3 download.

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.




April 2, 2009

Best Free Audio Books Online

LearnOutLoud invites you jump in and listen to 100 of the best free audiobook downloads available online. For many years now we’ve featured a Free Audio Book every Friday as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these emails, we’ve pulled out 100 of our favorites, including ancient classics, Shakespearean drama, key European & Russian novels, important political documents, poetry introductions, and the finest American literature. Whether you are a student or life-long learner, this selection covers just about everyone from Homer to Jane Austen, to Mark Twain and even an appearance by Sherlock Holmes! Click the titles below to get started on your free literary audiobook journey:

1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Listen to one of the all-time great works of American literature: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This newly published edition from LoudLit.org is professionally narrated by Mary Woods and available unabridged on MP3 download. Hear the tale of Hester Prynne who is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom after she commits adultery and becomes pregnant in the 17th-century Puritan village of Boston, Massachusetts. Download and listen to this American classic today!

2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Horse and His Boy; The Magician’s Nephew; The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Here’s a set of free audio books that is almost too good to be true. The C.S. Lewis estate has granted permission to Ancient Faith Radio to record and offer all seven books of the The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Currently Ancient Faith Radio is offering them all for free on MP3 audio download through a podcast feed. They are read by children’s radio host Chrissi Hart for her Readings from Under the Grapevine podcast. She has a pleasant British accent which is appropriate for the Narnia series and the audio books are well recorded. Download this classic collection of children’s literature including all 7 books: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Horse and His Boy; The Magician’s Nephew; The Last Battle. Amazing!

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Download Jane Austen’s undeniable classic Pride and Prejudice. Hear the story of the courtship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in early 19th century England. Published in 1813 this classic tale of love, reputation, and class remains one of the most beloved books of all time. This edition is well narrated by Karen Savage at LibriVox. She has a British accent and a nice flair for character narration. This unabridged novel has a running time of 10 Hrs. 25 Min. and is available on MP3 download from LibriVox.org.

4. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Here’s a great short story you can listen to. It is written by Washington Irving, one of the first acclaimed American authors. It tells the tale of a Dutch settlement called Sleepy Hollow which is haunted by the legend of a Headless Horseman. This story is read by Chip at LibriVox and his narration is magnificent. It’s available on MP3 Download.

5. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Podcast by Mark Twain

This edition of Mark Twain’s great American novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the top free audio books on the internet. It is professionally narrated by Marc Devine and offered as an unabridged, 9-1/2 hour mp3 audiobook from Literal Systems. Listen to the classic tale of Huckleberry Finn and the runaway slave Jim as they take a raft down the Mississippi River to escape the confines of civilized life. This audio book is available as a podcast and it can be downloaded or subscribed to. Enjoy this classic work of American literature!

6. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

It’s time to pursue some ambitious reading (and listening) goals. You may want to read one of the great American novels Moby Dick by Herman Melville. The Moby Dick Big Read project has now completed all 135 chapters of the novel with high quality recordings from great actors and everyday people. Some of the celebrities reading the chapters include Tilda Swinton, Stephen Fry, Simon Callow, Tony Kushner, John Waters, Sir David Attenborough, and British Prime Minister David Cameron. Ready to listen to a free unabridged recording of Moby Dick? Listen to Herman Melville’s epic whaling tale, available on MP3 download.

7. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Audiobooks.org is now offering a free unabridged recording of Stephen Crane’s Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage. Listen as the soldier Henry Fleming enters the American Civil War, and is forced to transform from fear to courage. Told in an unflinchingly realistic and journalistic style, this novel ranks among the best American war stories. It is professionally narrated by Scott Brick and available on MP3 download from Audiobooks.org.

8. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Listen to William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth on streaming audio and MP3 download. This full cast dramatization of the play is offered by Wired for Books. Hear all the drama of Macbeth’s bloody grab for power and his subsequent unraveling. The play stars Mark Mann as Macbeth and Laura Lee Parrotti as Lady Macbeth.

9. Free: The Future of a Radical Price (Unabridged) by Chris Anderson

Editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine Chris Anderson follows up his bestselling book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, with his new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price. And in practicing what he preaches, Anderson and his publisher Hyperion are giving away his new audio book for free! We’ve listened to the prologue and it sounds like a very interesting book regarding the future of business in the digital age. You can download this audio book unabridged on iTunes, Audible.com, and Wired.com. This version is narrated by Mr. Anderson himself.

10. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Ejunto.com presents this free unabridged edition of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Written by Benjamin Franklin over the course of 20 years, this autobiography follows major events of Franklin’s life including his publication of Poor Richard’s Almanac, his quest for “moral perfection”, and many other significant events reflecting life in 18th century America. The book is well narrated by Andrew Julow. Download this 6 hour audio book on MP3 from ejunto.com.

11. A Tale of Two Cities Podcast by Charles Dickens

Check out this free unabridged professional recording of A Tale of Two Cities, released by Literal Systems. Listen to this sweeping historical novel set in London and Paris around the time of the French Revolution. The audio quality is top notch and Jane Ayer’s narration is superb. This classic 14-hour audio book is available on MP3 download as a podcast from Literal Systems.

12. Poetry Out Loud: Audio Guide

Download and listen to this series of MP3s from the National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Out Loud program. This audio guide features some of the most famous poems of all time read by distinguished actors and writers.

13. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

Published in 1845, this autobiographical memoir written by the ex-slave Frederick Douglass tells of the treatment he endured as a slave and was a key work in promoting the abolition of slavery in America. This classic audio book is published by FreeAudio.org, and they’ve allowed us to offer it as a free MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

14. 12 Shakespeare Plays from Speak the Speech

We’ve just been informed of a great new resource for listening to Shakespeare’s plays on audio. Speak the Speech is a non-profit audio theatre company dedicated to providing freely available Shakespearean audio performances online. Collaborating with a full cast of actors in Portland, Oregon, they’ve recorded some of the best audio versions of Shakespeare’s plays available and they’ve made them available for free on MP3 download through their website. Here are the plays they’re offering:

As You Like It
Henry IV, Part One
Henry IV, Part Two
Romeo and Juliet
The Tempest
Twelfth Night
A Winter’s Tale
Sounds of Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra, King John, Cymbeline, King Richard II, and The Merry Wives of Windsor

15. The Republic by Plato

The Republic by Plato is one of the most influential works of philosophy in history. In the form of Socratic dialogue, Plato’s teacher and protagonist Socrates sets out to find an answer to the question: “What is justice?”. Along the way Socrates discusses the ideal city-state and his theory of forms, which includes his famous allegory of the cave. This is a new, freely available, unabridged edition of The Republic. It is well read by narrator Doug McLeod and is available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

16. Heart of Darkness Audiobook Podcast by Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad’s classic novella Heart of Darkness has recently been made available for free on audio download. LoudLit.org and LiteralSystems have produced this professional sounding audio book that is narrated by Tom Franks. Listen to the highly symbolic tale of Marlow’s journey down the Congo River. This unabridged audio book is available on MP3 Download from and can also be subscribed to as a podcast.

17. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka’s novella is a bonafide 20th century classic about a traveling salesman that wakes up one morning to find his body has been transformed into that of a giant dung beatle. This highly symbolic tale about the plight of the modern working man, human alienation, and the eternal need to fit in has gone on to be Kafka’s signature work. The audio version is brought to you through Thought Audio, and is narrated in a crisp performance by Michael Scott. If you’ve ever been interested in Kafka or have heard of the story’s premise but never checked it out, now is the time. This book really is as good as everyone says!

18. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Listen to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic American novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. One of the bestselling novels of its time, the book vividly depicts African American slavery and it had a profound influence on the abolitionist movement. This unabridged 18-hour audio book is dynamically narrated by John Greenman and available on MP3 download through LibriVox.org.

19. Anthem by Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand’s books are made for audio. In these busy times very few people have the time to sit down and read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. But get these audio books and pop them on in your car while you’re commuting and you can finish them up in a month or two. It’s a great testament to the opportunity represented by audio learning. If you would like to check start off with a more bite-sized portion of Rand’s wisdom check out ThoughtAudio’s production of Anthem, one of Rand’s earlier novels. Anthem sets the stage for what’s to come in Rand’s later works. It’s an entertaining science fiction novella and a great introduction to Ayn Rand’s philosophy. This audio book is available on MP3 download through ThoughAudio.com and narrated by Michael Scott.

20. The Iliad by Homer

Listen to Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem The Iliad, translated by Samuel Butler. Learn about the wrath of Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, along with a whole cast of Greeks, Trojans, and gods that battle throughout the final year of the siege of Troy. Attributed to Homer in the 8th century B.C., The Iliad stands as the oldest work of European literature still in existence. It is read by a number of different volunteer narrators at LibriVox and the quality sounds pretty good for each of them. It is unabridged with a running time of 14 Hrs. 30 Min. and is available on MP3 download through Librivox.org.

21. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

A volunteer narrator at Librivox.org has recorded The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. The book is a cornerstone of personal growth and wealth building. This 2-hour audio book is narrated by Diana Majlinger. About this audio book: This book is a practical manual. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward. It is for those who have, so far, found neither the time, the means, nor the opportunity to study this matter deeply, but who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of science as a basis for action, without going into all the processes by which those conclusions were reached.

22. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sign of the Four
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Valley of Fear

You can now download all four of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s great Sherlock Holmes novels from Gutenberg.org on MP3 audio download. They are being made freely available from AudiobooksForFree.com with professional narration from British thespian John Telfer. AudiobooksForFree.com offers many audio books for free at a low bit rate of 8 kbps which is not very listenable. But for these Sherlock Holmes audio books, AudiobooksForFree.com has donated them to be offered on Gutenberg.org at higher quality bit rates of 16 kbps and 32 kbps which are both listenable. To get the 32 kbps MP3 files click the “More Files…” link at the bottom of the list of MP3s on the page on Gutenberg.org and you’ll see links to the files at this quality.

23. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

From audiobooks.org comes this free edition of Daniel Defoe’s classic adventure tale Robinson Crusoe. The novel tells the story of an English castaway who spends 28 years on a remote island. This unabridged recording seems to be from a narration conducted in the 1970s, but the narrator and audio quality still sound good. This title is available on MP3 download.

24. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Listen to Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Gothic horror and science fiction. Written at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, this allegorical novel reveals the dark side of modern man’s irresponsible use of technology. This free unabridged audio book has been recorded by a group of narrators at LibriVox, and they all sound like quality readers with good audio recordings. Download Frankenstein on MP3 from Lit2Go.

25. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

ejunto.com is site which features free mp3 downloads of historical and philosophical audio books (it’s named after Benjamin Franklin’s literary club called The Junto). They currently feature a free unabridged recording of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. This political philosophy classic describes how political leaders can obtain and maintain power. It is well narrated by Andrew Julow and available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

26. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Listen to Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Age of Innocence. Brenda Dayne has narrated a very fine unabridged recording of the book and put it out in its entirety as a podcast. Immerse yourself into the upper class of New York City, in an age when “being things” was better than “doing things”!

27. Alice in Wonderland by Storynory Podcast by Lewis Carroll

Listen to Lewis Carroll’s fantastic tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland offered as a podcast by Storynory. Follow Alice down the Rabbit Hole as she meets the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and many other curious characters. The story twists logic in ways that have entertained both kids and adults since it was first published in 1865. This 12-chapter, unabridged audio book is professionally narrated by actress Natasha Gostwick, and is available on MP3 download.

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

Listen to 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.

29. Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Download the audio book version of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery. This book has now been adapted into the major motion picture 12 Years a Slave, and the movie has received widespread critical acclaim. Solomon Northup’s slave narrative covers the 12 years he was kept in bondage in Louisiana and provides a factual first-person account of slavery at that time. The book was a bestseller when it was published, but it fell into obscurity for almost 100 years before it was rediscovered in the 1960s. This book is read by Rob Board at Librivox.

30. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

Listen to German author Thomas Mann’s classic 1912 novella Death in Venice. In this story, Mann introduces us to Gustav Achenbach, a well respected man of letters, whose strict dedication to his craft has led him to the kind of solitary loneliness reserved for great thinkers. After deciding to take a vacation in order to reduce his stress, he finds his way to Venice and makes a discovery there that awakens a passion within himself that he’d suppressed his entire life. This novella was translated from the German 1912 edition by Martin C. Doeg and we sincerely thank him for his permission to record it as an audio book. It is well narrated by Tom Laskey. Note: The free version is a video we have posted to YouTube on this page. To download it you’ll need to purchase it.

31. The Call of the Wild (from ThoughtAudio.com)
The Call of the Wild (from Lit2Go)
The Call of the Wild (from Librivox) by Jack London

Listen to one of the all-time classic American books by writer Jack London: The Call of the Wild. This is the tale of the dog Buck who is sent to Alaska to become a sled dog where he quickly learns how to survive the cold winter nights. From there Buck goes on many adventures until he finally heeds the call of the wild. Listen to this 3 hour and 30 minute audio book to get you through these cold winter nights. We have three free versions to choose from.

32. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

Listen to an unabridged recording of W.E.B. Du Bois’ classic work of African-American literature The Souls of Black Folk. Published in 1903, Du Bois begins his collection of essays on race with the statement that “the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line.” The essays that followed were instrumental to the intellectual argument for the black freedom struggle in the twentieth century. This audio book is read in a straightforward manner by Torias Uncle at Librivox and is available on MP3 download.

33. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Travel into the future with H.G. Wells’ classic novel The Time Machine. Bear witness to Morlocks and more in the year 802,701 A.D. This audio book is available on MP3 Digital Download from Project Gutenberg. It is well narrated by Roy Trumbull who runs The Story Spieler site which features many other stories and interesting audio programs.

34. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

This free audio book comes from Lit2Go, which is the University of South Florida’s massive collection of free audio literature on MP3 download. They are all narrated by quality voice actors it seems and we’ve added a lot of their audio books to LearnOutLoud.com. Crime and Punishment by the great Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky is the second of his full-length novels. It tells the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov who is emotionally, physically, and financially stressed, but believes that he is an extraordinary man that does not have to follow the moral codes of ordinary people. Find out what this drives Raskolnikov to do in this classic Russian novel. It is translated by Constance Garnett and is available on MP3 audio download from Lit2Go!

35. Beowulf

Listen to the epic tale of Beowulf as he fights off Grendel and his venomous mother. Beowulf stands as one of the first and greatest works of English literature. Originally written in Old English, this translation by Francis Barton Gummere updates it to Modern English. A great story to be listened to, this audio book is well read by a group of seven narrators at LibriVox. It is available on MP3 Download.

36. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A new film version of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre comes out in theaters today. Whether or not you’re going to check out the film, you should definitely give a listen to this great novel if you never have before. In this first-person narrative you follow the title character as she matures from childhood to adulthood. Its portrayal of the development of a thinking and passionate young woman led it to sometimes be regarded as an important early feminist novel. Librivox.org offer three versions of this novel and we think we picked out the best one narrated by Elizabeth Klett, who is one of the most prolific and talented volunteer narrators at Librivox. Enjoy this novel on MP3 and now even M4B bookmarkable audiobook download.

37. Bleak House by Charles Dicken

Want to take on an ambitiously long novel that you may never get a chance to read? Try listening to Charles Dicken’s 43-hour novel Bleak House. This vast novel features an ensemble cast of Dickensian characters filling the novels numerous plots and subplots, with the focus being on the British judiciary system in the 19th century. This audio book is entirely narrated by Cynthia Lyons over at LibriVox and is available on MP3 download.

38. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

If you’re not ready to dive into the 1000+ page (60+ hours on audio) book War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, then Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina might be a better place to start. Maryann Spiegel at Librivox has just completed narrating this free unabridged, 36-hour version of the work which is translated by Nathan Haskell Dole. Listen to the tragic tale of married aristocrat Anna Karenina and her affair with the wealthy Count Vronsky. If William Faulkner called it “the best novel ever written” and Fyodor Dostoevsky said it was “flawless as a work of art”, then you know it must be pretty good. Download this free audio book from Librivox.org on MP3 or bookmarkable M4B (a lot of Librivox’s catalog is actually now available on M4B).

39. The Odyssey by Homer

Listen to Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey which follows the Greek hero Odysseus on his journey from Troy to his home of Ithaca after the Trojan War. This unabridged edition is a collaborative effort from LibriVox involving 16 narrators, and they all seem to have adequate sound quality and narrating ability. Download this 24-book, 11 hour audio epic on MP3 from LibriVox.

40. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

We thought we’d spice up our free audio book offerings with a bit of contemporary science fiction literature. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is the first novel by blogger and science fiction author Cory Doctorow and it was the first novel released under one of the Creative Commons licenses allowing for it to be recorded on audio and distributed for free. Sean Puckett at Voices in the Dark does a fine job of narrating this 4-hour audio book. The novel follows the story of the 100-year-old Jules as he fights to redeem the the artistic purity of Disney World in the 22nd century. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2004. This audio book is available for free on MP3 download from Voices in the Dark.

41. Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Listen to Thomas Paine’s classic political pamphlet published in 1776, during the American Revolution. This hugely popular book argued for independence from British rule and persuaded many to believe that revolution was necessary. We’d like to thank
FreeAudio.org for allowing us to offer this superb 2-hour unabridged audio book. Download this classic work of American political prose available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

42. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewell

Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time. It is the first and only novel written by the English author Anna Sewell and it was published shortly before she passed away in 1878. The story is written in the form of an autobiographical memoir told by a horse named Black Beauty. As we follow Black Beauty throughout her life the story contains many allegorical lessons that teach us to treat both people and animals with kindness and respect. The novel is narrated by one of Librivox.org’s best volunteer narrators Cori Samuel. It is available on MP3 download from Librivox.org.

43. The Law by Frederic Bastiat

Frederic Bastiat’s “The Law” produced by Mises Institute is one of the best free audio books available. Bastiat’s brief treatise on law is a passionate cry for his belief that law should only be put in place to maintain life, liberty, and property. He denounces legislators and philosophers who seek legalized plunder, moral coercion, and numerous other methods of force through law which encroach on liberties. The production quality is professional and Floy Lilley’s narration is superb.

44. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This F. Scott Fitzgerald story was recently adapted into a major motion picture. Hear the story behind the film, as Fitzgerald tells the fantastic tale of Benjamin who is born as a seventy-year-old man in 1860 and grows younger throughout his entire life. This audio book is available on MP3 download from ThoughtAudio.com.

45. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Listen to American author Edith Wharton’s classic novel Ethan Frome. Set in the wintry New England town named Starkfield at the turn of the 20th century, this novel tells the story of Ethan Frome as he seeks to escape his sickly wife Zeena for his young, beautiful cousin Mattie. Running a modest 3 Hrs. and 15 Min., it’s a great quick listen for newcomers and fans of the literature of Edith Wharton. This title is well narrated by Elizabeth Klett and is available to download on MP3 from LibriVox.org.

46. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Listen to the unabridged final edition of Walt Whitman’s seminal work of American poetry Leaves of Grass. First published in 1855, Whitman continued to expand and revise this work from 12 poems to nearly 400 poems in 1891 when he published his “deathbed edition”. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s The Poet essay, Whitman answered Emerson’s call to create a uniquely American poetry. This 19-hour unabridged edition is read by a collective of volunteer narrators over at LibriVox.org.

47. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Listen to this classic French novel about Emma Bovary who tries desperately to escape her provincial life in 19th century France. After her marriage to a French doctor, Emma finds him dull and through adulterous affairs she escapes the boredom of their marriage. She also buys luxuries outside of her means, but as her debts began to mount up she has to face reality. This novel is narrated by a troop of volunteers over at LibriVox.org and is available on MP3 download. The translation is by Eleanor Marx.

48. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Listen to Henry James’ classic Victorian ghost story of a governess and the children she cares for as the deal with the mysterious spirits of their estate. The ambiguous nature of the novel has kept literary critics guessing its meanings for over a century. This spellbinding tale is narrated by Nikolle Doolin over at LibriVox.org and is available on MP3 download.

49. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

We all know the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde”, but how many of us have read the book which created this classic example of a split personality? Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is full of mystery and intrigue as the lawyer Mr. Utterson seeks to discover who Mr. Hyde is after a series of bizarre crimes committed by Hyde. Utterson seeks out the advice of the respectable Dr. Jekyll who has an interesting relationship with Mr. Hyde. This novella has a running time of 3 Hrs. with a fine Brit narration by David Barnes. It is available on MP3 download from LibriVox. If you’re traveling somewhere this Labor Day weekend, then this is a perfect classic audio book to listen to on a long car ride.

50. The Aeneid by Virgil

With the Aeneid, the Roman poet Virgil provides his home country with a nationalistic origin grounded squarely in Homeric myth. The poem follows Aeneas, one of the few survivors of Troy’s destruction, as he leads the last of his men through a series of trials as they make their way to Italian shores. Once they reach their sacred Latium, the Roman Goddess Juno incites a war between the incoming Trojans and the local chieftains led by the Achilles-esque Turnus. A fight for national destiny ensues, and Rome is given a birth that befits its self-identified greatness.

51. Dracula by Bram Stoker

We thought you might want to listen to one of the greatest horror stories of all time: Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This classic vampire story examines modern Victorian culture and the gothic occult dimension that lies beneath it. Listen and you will meet not only Count Dracula himself, but heroes Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing, plus an array of madmen, psychiatrists, and fair maidens who cross paths with the fanged menace.

52. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Listen to this free unabridged edition of H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. Published in 1898, this classic science fiction novel depicts for the first time an alien invasion of Earth. Rebecca (a British man) delivers a splendid narration. This audio book is available from LibriVox on MP3 download.

53. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

No one else spins a Gothic tale of mystery & macabre quite like Edgar Allan Poe. In this collection of his stories you’ll hear such famous Poe stories as “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, and “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Poe’s popular stories and poems made him a living in his day and continue to be popular. These short stories are read by a group of volunteer narrators at Librivox.org.

54. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Listen to Emily Bronte’s only published novel Wuthering Heights. Emily decided to publish her novel after the success of her sister Charlotte’s novel, Jane Eyre. The novel Wuthering Heights tells the tale of the passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and how it affects the cast of characters around them. This unabridged audio book is narrated by Librivox volunteer Ruth Golding who has a lovely British accent.

55. Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Walden details Thoreau’s experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond in the woodlands near Concord, Massachusetts. Through simple living and self-sufficiency Thoreau developed his transcendentalist philosophy amongst nature. Loaded with wisdom, Thoreau reminds us in this book that “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”, and Thoreau tries to point us towards rising above this fate.

56. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton

Listen to G. K. Chesterton’s metaphysical thriller The Man Who Was Thursday. Chesterton sets this novel in turn-of-the-century London, as Scotland Yard sends a poet named Gabriel Syme undercover to investigate a group of anarchist poets. He is soon elected to the Central Council of Anarchists and given the code name Thursday. Chesterton includes many metaphysical and theological discussions in the book. This audio book is unabridged and well narrated by Zachary Brewster-Geisz. It is available on MP3 download.

57. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

Download one of the greatest Russian novels of all time: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. The 1862 novel portrays the clash of two generations of Russians, as the youthful Arkady returns to his father Nikolai’s estate after graduating from the University of Petersburg, and Arkady brings along his nihilist friend Bazarov. From there the story follows Arkady and Bazarov as their nihilism eventually falls apart in the face of human emotions. This unabridged novel is available for free on MP3 audio download from Librivox.org.

58. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Download Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. This classic work of Stoic philosophy by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius has been a source of guidance and self-improvement for thousands of years. This unabridged version is narrated by a number of volunteer narrators at LibriVox.org and is available on MP3 download. This Harvard Classics edition contains a biography and summary of Marcus Aurelius’ philosophy by George Long at the conclusion of the audio book.

59. Utopia Podcast by Sir Thomas More

Download Sir Thomas More’s famous work Utopia, published in 1515. This title refers to an imaginary society More developed in order to show the virtues of a place where private property does not exist, almost complete religious toleration is practiced, and other things took shape which More imagined would lead to societal perfection. This controversial novel is superbly narrated by Patrick Horgan and available as a downloadable podcast courtesy of SwitchPod.

60. Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners by Sigmund Freud

Download the audio book of Sigmund Freud’s Dream Psychology. This book distills Freud’s ideas on dream psychology into a compact manual. While Freud’s magnum opus The Interpretation Of Dreams can be overwhelming in its length and scientific language, this audio book attempts to convey Freud’s words on dream psychology in language fit for the lay reader through nine straightforward chapters. This book is presented on audio for the first time by Librivox.org and is narrated by a number of their volunteer narrators.

61. Paradise Lost by John Milton

Download an unabridged recording of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost for free on MP3 from Librivox. Listen as Milton seeks to “justify the ways of God to men” through the story of the fall of Man as the fallen angel Satan tempts Adam and Eve which leads to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This 12-book, 9 1/2 hour audio program is narrated by group of volunteer narrators at Librivox. And reading or listening to Milton is no walk in the park. To help guide you along with this audio book we are also featuring a free course from Yale University entitled “Milton” taught by Professor John Rogers. This course features an introduction to the poetry of Milton along with 10 lectures on Paradise Lost. It is available on streaming video through YouTube and downloadable audio & video on the Yale website: Milton Course from Yale.

62. The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.

The Elements of Style is a small guide written by William Strunk, Jr. that teaches the two fundamentals of good writing: how to choose the right words and how to compose them together without wasting space. The book was later revised by Strunk’s student, E.B. White into a second edition that has become a classic. Before expanding the book in 1959, White fondly remembered the 1918 edition as a “forty-three-page summation of the case for cleanliness, accuracy, and brevity in the use of English.” Since succinctness is one of the major points stressed in The Elements of Style, we recommend listening to this Librivox version of Strunk’s original text first before moving on to the later editions. Even at 43 pages, you get everything you need to begin writing clearly, economically, and powerfully. Download this free audio book from Librivox!

63. The Communist Manifesto (from Librivox) by Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto (from Thought Audio)
The Communist Manifesto (from ejunto.org)

Today we are featuring 3 free versions of Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto. This short work (with a running time of only 1 hour and 15 minutes) has been recognized as one of the world’s most influential political manuscripts. First published on February 21, 1848, the book lays out the class struggle between the “Bourgeois and Proletarians”, and how communists will arise from the working-class and overthrow the capitalist system. The work ends with the rallying cry of communism: “Workers of the world, unite!“. Download this free audio book on MP3 today!

64. Ulysses by James Joyce

Wit back and listen to Irish author James Joyce’s masterpiece of Modernist literature Ulysses. Archive.org features a free multi-voiced, professional recording of the unabridged audio book to play and download on MP3. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Ulysses first on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century! Listen to Joyce employ the stream-of-consciousness technique as he follows Leopold Bloom through Dublin during an ordinary day on June 16, 1904. This novel contains 265,000 words and has a running time of 32 hours.

65. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Download and listen to one of Charles Dickens’ greatest novels: Great Expectations! This coming-of-age Victorian novel follows a young orphan named Pip through his personal development into adulthood when he grows up to become a fine young gentleman. This novel is well read by one of the readers at Lit2Go and is available on MP3 audio download from their newly designed site.

66. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

A gentleman over at LibriVox has recently narrated James Joyce’s first novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. This classic tale of Stephen Dedalus follows the young man during his formative years as he breaks away from the Irish Catholic conventions of his past to become an artist who will “encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.” The narrator is Peter Bobbe and it sounds like he’s done a fine job with a high quality recording. Download this unabridged audio book on MP3 from LibriVox.

67. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View tells the story of two young lovers torn apart by extreme social divisions in early 20th century Europe. Lucy Honeychurch and George Emerson meet during a vacation in Italy and after a series of brief encounters, an unstated love affair develops that runs counter to the wishes of Lucy’s society and family. Forster’s characterization of Lucy offers an early, proto-feminist portrait of a newly self-empowered generation beginning to flourish in Europe in the years leading up to World War I. Her passionate time with George in Italy is contrasted with the hard restrictions imposed on her in her native England, offering a telling portrait of the era, its young people, and their dreams of greater freedom.

68. Candide by Voltaire

Listen to this French satire written by the Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire and published in 1759. In this short work with a running time of only 4 hours, Voltaire delivers a relentless, brutal assault on government, society, religion, education, and, above all, optimism. The novel follows the character of Candide after he is indoctrinated with optimism by his mentor, Pangloss, who teaches his pupils that they live in the “best of all possible worlds”. Candide then goes out into the world is lead through a slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships. Download this classic French novel narrated by Ted Delorme at Librivox.

69. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Download Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s final novel The Brothers Karamazov, which he published in 1880. Follow the story of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons Dmitri, Ivan, and Alexei as their stories involve ethical debates of God, free will, and morality. Listen to this unabridged 38-hour audio book that is translated by Constance Garnett and read by numerous volunteers at Librivox.org.

70. Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

Download and listen to this major work by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In this work Nietzsche sets out to transcend traditional morality and condemns much of Western philosophy for being subservient to this morality. Nietzsche wants to replace this morality with his idea of the “will to power”. By getting past universal ideas of good and evil, Nietzsche feels that modern man create new values and meaning to life. This work is also peppered with a collection of Nietzsche’s famous aphorisms. This 8-hour unabridged audio book is narrated by a group of volunteers and can be downloaded from Librivox.org.

71. How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin

Listen to this classic text on how to speak and write correctly in English. The author Joseph Devlin purports that the book “is merely an effort to help ordinary, everyday people to express themselves in ordinary, everyday language, in a proper manner.” Published in 1910 this book is still useful for learning how to create sentences, use figures of speech, write letters, and more. This download is available from Librivox.org on MP3 download and it is read by a number of their volunteer narrators including David Barnes, Kara Shallenberg, and Hugh McGuire. Start improving your writing and speaking today!

72. Les Miserables, Volume 1 by Victor Hugo
Les Miserables, Volume 2
Les Miserables, Volume 3
Les Miserables, Volume 4
Les Miserables, Volume 5

Download and listen to Librivox’s 5-volume, 50-hour unabridged recording of Victor Hugo’s epic historical novel Les Miserables. In the 1980s the novel was adapted into a hugely successful musical which ran for 6,680 performances from 1987 to 2003. And now that musical has been adapted into the 2012 film Les Miserables which is now in theaters across the USA! Get back to the source material with Victor Hugo’s story of ex-convict Jean Valjean and dozens of other characters in nineteenth century France. This entire audio book is available to download on Librivox.org.

73. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Librivox is offering a free download of The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. Listen to the amazing autobiography of the early life of Helen Keller as she broke through her deafblind isolation from language with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller would go on to be a prolific author, political activist, and lecturer. This 4 hour audio book is narrated by George Cooney.

74. The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James

The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James is now available for free on audio download Librivox. This classic work on the nature of religion is by the great American psychologist and philosopher William James. The book comes from a series of lectures that James delivered at the University of Edinburgh in 1901 on “natural religion”. The resulting work is considered one of the most important texts on psychology and spirituality, and is often cited as one of the best works of nonfiction written in the 20th century.

75. Middlemarch by George Eliot

With Middlemarch, George Eliot weaves several narratives together to make a coherent statement on the changing values, goals, and social dynamics of Britain during the 1830s. It follows Dorothea Brooke as she struggles to define herself chiefly within the confines of a stifling marriage, witnesses idealist Doctor Tertius Lydgate’s as his ambitions crumble due to personal vice, and chases after the wayward Fred Vincy as he tries to define his destiny in order to win the heart of his childhood friend. Throughout this huge novel, Eliot uses the peculiar dynamics of small-town life that are still recognizable to modern readers as a way to explore the status of women, the value of religion, the limits of ambition, and much more. Within the narrative, Eliot also sets up an oppositional structure that scrutinizes how rural England was grappling with national democratic reform after centuries of dominance by a landed elite. This deftly handled, delicately rendered masterpiece of English literature is still popular, yet sometimes may be overlooked when compared to more visible works by Dickens, the Brontes, or Austen. We feel Middlemarch deserves to be put at the top of the list for anyone interested in the English novel and especially for fans of the the aforementioned authors. Download this free unabridged audio book from Librivox.

76. Acres of Diamonds by Russell H. Conwell

Download Russell H. Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds. Originating from a speech that Conwell delivered thousands of times throughout the United States, this book provides wisdom on finding opportunity and fortune within one’s own community. Russell Conwell was a Baptist minister and an outstanding orator, and his words are well-narrated here by Scott Dahlem at Librivox. Listen to this classic work on how to find wealth and prosperity no matter where you are.

77. Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Before Dostoevsky wrote his classic novels The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment, he published this short novel which follows the thoughts and memories of the Underground Man in St. Petersburg, Russia. Through the novel Dostoevsky lays out the philosophy of the Underground Man and the themes in his ideas have established the book as one of the world’s first existentialist novels.

78. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence

D.H. Lawrence’s early masterpiece Sons and Lovers examines the complex relationship between a mother and her two sons as they come of age in a small mining town. After marrying a man of lower class, the mother Gertrude inherits a life she comes to feel is beneath her and transfers the passion she once had for her husband Walter over to her two sons, first William, and later Paul. As the sons grow and develop their own lives apart from Gertrude, their worlds begin to fall apart, and the younger Paul must decide if he will give his heart to a new lover, or stay loyal to a mother that craves his total attention. Librivox records Lawrence’s classic modern novel with appropriate passion, giving this potent story of one family’s disintegration the energy it deserves.

79. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

Download Mark Twain’s fantastic tale about a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut who, after a blow to the head, awakens to find himself inexplicably transported back in time to early medieval England at the time of the legendary King Arthur. Published in 1889, this is the novel Twain wrote right after Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Underneath the entertaining story is a sharp social satire. This novel is read by John Greenman who has voiced over a dozen Mark Twain books over at Librivox.org.

80. The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland may be the most important modern poem ever written, and marks a turning point in 20th century literature. Drawing from a dizzying array of literary references that allude to passages from the western canon, Buddhist thought, and Hindu scripture, this 434 line poem utilizes these historical texts to make comment on contemporary British society. Mundane details are crossed with ancient Sanskrit in a deliberately disjointed structural scheme that loosely follows Holy Grail folklore, particularly the story of the Fisher King. Eliot’s overriding themes explore the pervasive degeneration that has seeped into the culture of his era, depriving the modern mind of access to true meaning. Librivox offers a fine reading of the text, but we recommend bringing along a reference key to keep up with all of the literary allusions!

81. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Listen to a great love story in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Hardy himself thought it his finest novel and Tess the most deeply felt character he ever created. Hear the tragic tale as Tess is torn between the aristocratic Alec d’Urberville and her true love Angel Clare. This novel is being offered for free on audio download from Librivox and is narrated by Adrian Praetzellis.

82. The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie & Joseph B. Esenwein

Before Dale Carnegie penned How to Win Friends and Influence People, he co-author The Art of Public Speaking with Joseph B. Esenwein in 1915. This book has finally been recorded on audio by a group of volunteer narrators at Librivox. The unabridged audio book runs 19 hours and contains 31 chapters for how to improve your public speaking. The last 15 sections of this audio book are real speeches by famous men to function as a study aid. Download this free self help classic available on Librivox.

83. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Listen to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s debut novel published in 1920. The book follows young Midwesterner Amory Blaine who heads out for Princeton, serves in World War I, and then returns to New York where he falls in love. H.L. Mencken wrote that This Side of Paradise was the “best American novel that I have seen of late.” It was a popular novel that earned Fitzgerald renown and is in many ways autobiographical. The unabridged 10-hour novel is read by Mark F. Smith at Librivox and available for free on MP3 audio download.

84. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (from Librivox) by L. Frank Baum
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (from Lit2Go)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (also called simply The Wizard of Oz) was the basis for the well-known 1939 film version, but differs from the film in many ways as well. It is the first of the Oz books of which L. Frank Baum wrote 13 total. Follow the adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion as they journey to the Emerald City to seek the help of the Wizard of Oz, and then must confront the Wicked Witch of the West.

85. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling novel The Count of Monte Cristo is the perennially popular tale of one man’s determined quest for justice after he is wrongfully imprisoned for many years. This character’s dramatic fall and patient rise to new power examines the personal costs of taking revenge, not only for the person who was wronged, but for the people caught in his righteous wake. Now considered on equal footing with Dumas’ other classic novel, The Three Musketeers, Monte Cristo offers all of the adventure and romance of a blockbuster movie bundled with a recurrent, bittersweet note examining what we lose when an obsession comes to define our every waking moment. With the Librivox recording, Dumas’ fast-paced narrative is given a clean, well-performed reading that gives this exciting story a proper telling.

86. Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac

Balzac’s Father Goriot is the author and playwright’s most popular novel, a study of three individuals as they try to try to climb a shifting social latter during a period in French history where social structures were constricting and poverty often led to desperation. Balzac focuses his narrative on a boarding house in Paris, where the old man Goriot, a criminal in hiding, and an impressionable law student all find themselves living and sometimes struggling together towards a better life in the city. As they interface with each other, their families and fortunes intertwine with fatal results. Written in a realistic style that was cutting edge for its time, Balzac’s pessimistic exploration of city life and the compromises we make in order to gain upward mobility offers a timeless critique that still rings true to modern readers. James E. Carson narrates this recording and gives proper attention to the characters and world that make the book so memorable.

87. The Education of Henry Adams

In this free unabridged recording presented by Librivox, Henry Adams recounts his life and era, starting as the son of post-revolution aristocracy (he is the heir of two Presidents, no less) and moving through a time of bewildering change that rendered the American landscape of his youth unrecognizable. Adams was a man stuck between two eras, living in a region of the country that was one of the first to witness the effects of the industrial revolution first hand. From his unique perspective, Adams was able to comment on how America changed at a very important time and to reflect on what was both improved and what was lost as the world marched inexorably towards modernization. The autobiography also serves as a pungent critique of formal education in the 19th century, a system that left Adams unprepared for the scientific and technological innovations that fueled this new age and forced him to pursue self-education in order to keep up. This unabridged recording is read by Jeannie at Librivox.org.

88. The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy

Years after the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy had written War and Peace and Anna Karenina, he published this nonfiction work in 1894 entitled The Kingdom of God is Within You. This work is the culmination of thirty years of Tolstoy’s Christian anarchist thinking. The book was heavily influential on Mohandas Gandhi and his ideas of nonviolent resistance, and Gandhi and Tolstoy shared correspondence until Tolstoy’s death in 1910. This book is read by a host of volunteers at Librivox.

89. Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self Reliance is perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous essay. This version, narrated by Brian Johnson from Zaadz, is both thought-provoking and inspirational. Ralph Waldo Emerson pushes the listener to break free of the dependence on society and the masses of man and to rely solely upon oneself. Always pushing us to follow our own nature & intuition, Emerson denounces those who allow themselves to be victims of society or history. He wants great men to rise from the limitations of cultural institutions and stand as giants casting shadows over the ages. Throughout the essay there is wisdom loaded in every sentence and it can be listened to again and again. Download this free classic audio book on MP3 directly from LearnOutLoud.com.

90. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Listen to the classic gothic tale of Dorian Gray who sells his soul to embrace the new hedonism promoted by Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian Gray remains the same age, but a portrait of him serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form. Download this controversial work of gothic fiction on MP3.

91. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Written in 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract gave passionate voice to a moment in world history that saw the balance of power shift away from monarchy towards the rights of the individual. Stripping the question of government down to its essence, Rousseau begins by asking if it’s even possible for a group of people to govern themselves fairly. He uses examples from nature to argue that it may just be that man was never meant to work together in this way, citing the horrible state of European politics that he saw around him at the time. His solution is a two-part division of power based on the will of the people that the reader quickly realizes had a direct influence on the subsequent revolutions that rocked America and France beginning in the 1770’s. Librivox’s recording of this classic in political philosophy offers a good translation and wonderful performance emphasizing the righteous anger that fuels the entire text. For a good followup, we also recommend listening to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense to see how Rousseau’s ideas were directly applied during the American Revolution.

92. The Speaking Voice by Katherine Jewell Everts

Download and listen to this classic self development book for public speaking The Speaking Voice: Principles Of Training Simplified And Condensed by Katherine Jewell Everts. This audio book “contains practical directions accompanied by simple and fundamental exercises, first for the freeing of the voice and then for developing it when free”. Everts deals with speaking in terms of tone, pitch, inflection, and much more. The unabridged 5-hour audio book is read entirely by one of Librivox’s best narrators, Ruth Golding.

93. Pragmatism by William James

Pragmatism is a philosophical approach that tests any belief or theory by virtue of it’s practical use. In this recorded summary of lectures provided by Librivox, groundbreaking psychologist, philosopher and religious thinker William James, lays Pragmatism out in clear detail, with arguments given for why the system excels when compared to other competing theories. Developed in the late 19th century by a group consisting of James and chief advocate Charles Sanders Pierce, Pragmatism was was designed to test theoretical concepts against the final authority of actual experience, thus making it easy to adapt or reconfigure a hypothesis if it couldn’t be applied in a practical way. In short, the usefulness of an idea was paramount to these thinkers, with a verification process that influenced the development of other fields in the 20th century, such as psychology and social science theory. Download this unabridged audio book from Librivox today!

94. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Listen to the story of Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up! This classic story was first written as a play by J. M. Barrie, and then revised and expanded into a novel in 1911. Join Peter Pan as he whisks Wendy and the darling children off to Never-land where they encounter the dastardly Captain Hook and magical adventures happen everyday. This audio book is being offered for free by Librivox.

95. The Greatest Thing in the World and Other Addresses by Henry Drummond

Listen to this free audio book about The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond. This classic book on love is our free audio book for February. Written in 1880 by Scottish evangelist Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World draws its message from the Apostle Paul’s argument that love is man’s true path to God. Using a key text from 1st Corinthians, Drummond argues that while there are many virtuous emotions we all must practice cultivating in order to live a fuller life, none is more paramount than a loving outlook. With an urgent passion that bespeaks the era in which he lived, Drummond testifies that if we only take a little more time each day to operate from a basis of loving kindness, others will notice and be attracted to our living example.

96. Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville

Far from Melville’s sea-faring novels, is this short story which is set on Wall Street. A lawyer hires a peculiar scrivener who soon begins living in the law office. Similar to themes in many Kafka stories, this short story is one of the most famous in American literature.

97. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

One of the high watermarks of 19th century Russian literature, Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls is the author’s lacerating critique of the flaws he saw running rampant in his society. The book follows the protagonist Chichikov as he journeys through the countryside purchasing “Dead Souls”, or deceased serfs owned on paper by the various landowners he encounters. Thinking this shifty goal of acquiring quick “wealth” will work splendidly, he soon encounters a few snags due to the greed, suspicion, and distrust of their former owners. After initial success, he returns home only to find himself buried in rumors that his new-found wealth is based on false, or deceased “property”, leading to a rumor-fueled disaster that sheds light on a long, shady past. What’s obvious is Chichikov himself is the truest dead soul depicted, and that the culture surrounding him is in a similar state of decay. Librivox’s recording offers a great rendition of this Russian masterpiece, bringing Gogol’s characters and world to new life.

98. Typee by Herman Melville

Listen to Herman MelvilleÂ’s first book Typee available from Americana Phonic on MP3 download. The narrative recounts Melville’s real life experiences when he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands in 1842, and became a captive of a cannibal island tribe. This 11 1/2 hour audio book is available unabridged with excellent narration by Michael Scherer, who doesn’t overdramatize yet still does a great sailor’s voice!

99. Spirits in Bondage by C.S. Lewis

Download C.S. Lewis’ first book “Spirits in Bondage” available from LibriVox. It was published in 1919 and consists of 40 poems that the 20-year-old Lewis wrote shortly after his service in World War I. Written before Lewis’ conversion to Christianity, these poems contain a pessimistic outlook on religion, God, and nature along with numerous references to mythology. This audio book is well narrated by Robert Garrison and available on MP3 download through LibriVox.

100. Leo Tolstoy – What Men Live By and Other Tales

Listen to this collection of four short stories by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, entitled What Men Live By and Other Tales, published in 1885. The stories included are “What Men Live By”, “The Three Questions”, “The Coffee-House of Surat”, and “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” These stories focus on how men should live and what is most important in life. These stories are well read by David Barnes and Alan Davis Drake. Download these classic stories today!

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.




February 27, 2009

Top 25 Free Resources

We’ve been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for three 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 next year.

Here’s a top 25 list we put together of the best of the best that we’ve featured in the last year:

25. Edward O. Wilson

Watch this streaming video from MeaningOfLife.tv featuring two-time Pulitzer Prize winning biologist Edward O. Wilson. Host Robert Wright questions Wilson on many of his ideas including his once controversial thesis of sociobiology in which he argued that the human mind is shaped as much by genetic inheritance as it is by culture. Wright questions Wilson on his beliefs as a materialist, a biological determinist, and a secular-humanist. Wilson provides his opinions on intelligent design, free will, and how science and religion can potentially come together in order to save life on earth. This interview serves as an excellent introduction to the ideas of this highly influential biologist.

24. A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality and the Transformation of Christianity

Controversial religious firebrand Matthew Fox details his ideas for a New Religious Reformation in this lecture delivered at Cody’s Books. When he found himself expelled from the Dominican Order by the man would become the latest pope, Matthew Fox emerged to become one of the most visible proponents of the Creation Spirituality movement. Drawing from a deep knowledge of theological history and taking Martin Luther’s example to heart, Fox envisions a modern religious shakeup that will acknowledge a more varied society while remaining true to religious truth. A must for anyone interested on how religion is coping with new 21st century challenges. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

23. 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. Recently the literary world mourned the death of Updike whose 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.

22. The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Podcast

Steven Novella leads an eclectic panel of Skeptics in an effort to bring a dose of reality to the news of the weird. Each week the hosts go over several prominent news items dealing with fringe science, paranormal happenings and other fantastics claims that defy logic. Rounded out by in-depth interviews and a special weekly segment featuring elder-skeptic James Randi, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is ongoing counter-argument to the many belief claims that often make major headlines.

21. Nutrition and Physical Activity for a Lifetime

Get some sound health advice from professor Christina Economos of Tufts University as she delivers this hour-long lecture at the Chautauqua Institution. First she addresses some of the health issues facing the United States focusing primarily on obesity and the improper balance of bone, muscle, and fat as people age. She then talks about actions individuals can take in regards to their nutrition and physical activity that can lead to dramatic improvements in all areas of one’s health. Professor Economos references many studies and provides specific recommendations for the human body’s need of exercise and nutrition. She recommends strength training, fruits & vegetables, and many other natural ways for people to live healthy into old age. This lecture is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

20. Is Abortion Morally Justifiable in a Free Society?

Listen to this 90-minute debate offered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. It’s a well-organized debate with interesting arguments for pro-life advocate & philosophy professor Peter Kreeft and pro-choice advocate and author of A Defense of Abortion David Boonin. Boonin argues for the right of a woman to not keep the fetus on “life support” in the womb, while Kreeft that abortion is wrong by moral and religious standards. This debate is available on MP3 download and streaming video.

19. The Masters of The Secret Podcast

This podcast features conversations with teachers that were featured in the movie The Secret. Bill Harris, director of the Centerpointe Research Institute, conducts the conversations which cover the spiritual and practical applications of the law of attraction by the teachers that are interviewed. The teachers included in this podcast so far are John Assaraf, Hale Dwoskin, Joe Vitale, Jack Canfield, Dr. Michael Beckwith, Lisa Nichols, and James Ray.

18. An Hour with the Honorable Dalai Lama

Listen to this hour-long conversation with the Honorable Dalai Lama on the Charlie Rose Show. In this interview Charlie Rose talks with the Dalai Lama about the political situation in Tibet and China, and what the Dalai Lama’s hopes are for the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama then talks about exercising compassion on a global scale and the ways in which he feels this will make the 21st century a better century than the 20th century. This talk is available on streaming video.

17. Barnes & Noble.com’s Meet the Writers Podcast

Listen to this series of 15-minute interviews offered by Barnes & Noble. Host Steve Bertrand talks with authors of many of the most popular books available asking questions about their writing career and their latest books. Some of the authors interviewed include Arthur Agatston, M.D., Simon Winchester, Cokie Roberts, Arianna Huffington, Jimmy Carter, Martha Beck, Marilu Henner, Samantha Power, Dean Ornish, John Gray, Ph.D., Newt Gingrich, Tommy Lasorda, Madeleine Albright, David Sedaris, Anne Geddes, Yann Martel, Paula Deen, Anthony Bourdain, Judy Blume, Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor, Joyce Carol Oates, Tony Dungy, Michael Beschloss, Michael Ondaatje, Khaled Hosseini, Robert Kurson, Michael Chabon, Chuck Palahniuk, Elaine Pagels, Anne Lamott, Thomas Ricks, Tavis Smiley, Mireille Guiliano, Eric Schlosser, Chuck Klosterman, Joan Didion, Augusten Burroughs, Frank McCourt, Tim Russert, David Maraniss, and Sarah Vowell. Plenty of podcasts to choose from!

16. The Neuroscience of Consciousness, Perception, and Self

While covering the Iraq war in 2006, TV news Journalist Bob Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury after nearly losing his life to a roadside bomb. In this fascinating discussion from the Aspen Institute, Woodruff traces how he rebuilt his ability to comprehend the world step by step; showing the viewers video of his first few days of rehabilitation through to his still ongoing attempts to recover lost brain functions. Woodruff offers a prime case study for scientists that are attempting to uncover the many mysteries of human consciousness. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download through FORA.tv.

15. 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.

14. Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac Podcast

The Writer’s Almanac Podcast hosted by Garrison Keillor is a wonderful way to start your day. Though well known already for being the figurehead of NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion”, Keillor has been offering this daily dose of poetry and history for many years as well. Each episode typically begins with a note on a person or event that has shaped a given day in history, followed by a poem rendered in Keillor’s peerless style.

13. Music: Heart, Soul and Dollar – Robert Greenberg

Listen to this thrilling lecture delivered by charismatic professor Robert Greenberg and offered by the Chautauqua Institution. Dr. Greenberg has recorded more than 500 lectures on a range of composers and classical music genres for The Teaching Company. In this lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, Dr. Greenberg provides his definition of music and gives examples of what constitutes as music that deserves our attention. He also talks about three performances that were forthcoming at the Chautauqua Institution, covering pieces by Dmitri Shostakovich and Johannes Brahms. This lecture is available through FORA.tv on streaming video and MP3 audio download.

12. Voices of Wisdom Podcast

Check out key audio excerpts from the most popular personal and spiritual growth titles offered by the publisher Sounds True. This podcast features Dr. Steven Gurgevich talking about the basics of the The Self-Hypnosis Diet, Jack Kornfield discussing Meditation for Beginners, David Deida elaborates on what he means in his title Enlightened Sex, Jon Kabat-Zinn summarizes mindfulness, Dr. Andrew Weil discusses the benefits of walking, Cynthia Bourgeault looks into what Jesus meant when he mentioned the kingdom of heaven, and many more interesting excerpts from other Sounds True authors including Adyashanti, Pema Chodron, Ken Wilber, Eckhart Tolle, and others. Subscribe to and download this podcast of spiritual and personal wisdom.

11. Francis Fukuyama: The End Of History Revisited

Fifteen years after the publication of his 1992 book The End of History and the Last Man, author Francis Fukuyama still believes in his thesis that political & economic history is reaching its end in liberal democracy and free market capitalism. In this talk delivered at the Long Now Foundation, Fukuyama defends his argument, pointing out the expansion of science, technology, and free market capitalism and how it has increased the wealth of much of the developing world over the past 15 years, which has in turn led to liberal democracy in many nations. He does point out some of the criticisms of his thesis such as Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations book, which argues that certain cultures will never conform to Western liberal democracy & free markets. Huntington argues this will lead to an ongoing clash of civilizations. Fukuyama doesn’t believe that his “End of History” thesis is certain, and he still feels there is a lot of work to be done in building institutions in developing states, fighting global warming, organizing global cooperation, and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He fields a number of questions, including one regarding the second half of his thesis which addresses Nietzsche’s concept of The Last Man, which he feels is now being catered to under the system of the European Union. It is a fascinating lecture that is available on MP3 download and streaming video through FORA.tv.

10. Bill Moyers Journal – PBS Podcast

In this podcast provided weekly by PBS, Billy Moyers draws from his deep historical and journalistic experience to get a better handle on what Americans are concerned with most in the here and now. Each hour-long episode features interviews with a wide range of guests as they discuss politics, religion, economics, and prominent social issues. Guided by Moyers unbiased, yet passionate approach to the material, The Journal is a great resource for anyone that wants to see how the headlines are affecting everyday life.

9. Constitutional Conversations Podcast

Listen to dozens of podcasts from the National Constitution Center many of which involve discussing the Constitution and the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens. You’ll find podcasts from such speakers as Jeffrey Sachs, Valerie Plame Wilson, Newt Gingrich, Bill Bradley, Ken Burns, Tom Brokaw, StoryCorps founder Dave Isay, Tom DeLay, Walter Isaacson, Tavis Smiley, Dinesh D’Souza, John McCain, David Brooks, Gordon Wood, Justice Stephen Breyer, John Bogle, Richard Clarke, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Cornel West, Pat Buchanan, and many others! This 4th of July weekend, enjoy some free podcasts from the National Constitution Center.

8. The Republic

The Republic by Plato is one of the most influential works of philosophy in history. In the form of Socratic dialogue, Plato’s teacher and protagonist Socrates sets out to find an answer to the question: “What is justice?”. Along the way Socrates discusses the ideal city-state and his theory of forms, which includes his famous allegory of the cave. This is a new, freely available, unabridged edition of The Republic. It is well read by narrator Doug McLeod and is available on MP3 download from ejunto.com.

7. President’s Forum with Thich Nhat Hanh

Watch or listen to this talk delivered by Vietnamese-born Buddhist teacher, scholar, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh delivered at the Asia Society with questions from Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai. The 81-year-old Thich Nhat Hanh begins with a brief meditation followed by an extended talk about his life as a Buddhist monk and teacher, including his recent return trips to Vietnam. Vishakha N. Desai asks some difficult questions such as how to deal with violent terrorists like Osama bin Laden. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

6. Barack Obama: Presidential Inaugural Address

Listen to President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address which he delivered today, January 20, 2009. In this speech President Obama sets forth the challenges that America faces and his confidence in the American people to rise to meet these challenges. He clearly states his intention to usher forth a new political era where politicians can “set aside childish things.” This 22-minute speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio & video through American Rhetoric.

5. Tribal Leadership

Zappos.com (a popular online retailer specializing in footwear) is currently offering a free audio download of the book Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright (published by Harper Collins in 2008). The book is a result of an eight-year study of approximately 24,000 people in over two dozen corporations focusing on how tribes (groups of 20 to 150 people in which everyone knows everyone else, or at least knows of everyone else) drive organization’s to success. The book examines the five stages of employee tribal development and how an effective tribal leader can drive an organization to success. This audio book is available on MP3 download through Zappos.com. Note: Registration is required on the Zappos.com site in order to download this audio book.

4. 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 day. This free audio download was published through our TeachOutLoud service and is available on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

3. The Scarlet Letter

Listen to one of the all-time great works of American literature: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This newly published edition from LoudLit.org is professionally narrated by Mary Woods and available unabridged on MP3 download. Hear the tale of Hester Prynne who is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom after she commits adultery and becomes pregnant in the 17th-century Puritan village of Boston, Massachusetts. Download and listen to this American classic today!

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.

1. Poetry Out Loud: Audio Guide

The Poetry Out Loud audio guide hosted by Dana Gioia offers a valuable educational overview of the art, history and overwhelming social importance of poetry. Throughout the series, Gioia collects crucial insight from writers, teachers and actors that can help the student gain a better understanding of how to understand and appreciate a given poem. In what is perhaps the most satisfying treat of this collection, listeners are given the chance to hear famous voices such as Anthony Hopkins and Angela Landsbury as they recite classics from Shakespeare, Yeats, Frost to Eliot and many more. Download and listen to this series of MP3s from the National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Out Loud program.




January 7, 2009

Top 100 Free Motivational Speeches, Lectures, & Podcasts

To give you a boost for the year, we’ve updated our top 100 free motivational audio & video learning resources that we have featured on our site. For the past years we’ve featured a Monday Motivation email every week as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we’ve selected the top 100 free motivational audio & video resources. You can check them all out by clicking the titles below. We’ve attempted to order them according the best of the best, but they are all highly motivational free resources to inspire you to greater health & wealth in all areas of your life. Also we now feature over 10,000 free audio & video learning titles in our free directory. You can check them all out here:

LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory

Here are our Top 100 Motivational Free Resources:

1. I Have a Dream Audio and Video

From our first edition of the Free Resource of the Day e-mail we wanted to start out with a special one. One of our favorite free titles in the 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.

2. 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.

3. Steve Jobs Commencement Address at Stanford University

Steve Jobs delivered this commencement address at Stanford University and it’s one of the more inspiring commencement addresses we’ve ever had a chance to hear. Jobs tells three stories of endurance through his education, his career, and his diagnosis with cancer, and through it all his advice is: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” This address is available on streaming video and video download from YouTube.

4. Zig Ziglar’s Inspiring Words of Encouragement Podcast

There’s not much motivational content on our site that can rival Zig Ziglar’s Inspiring Words of Encouragement Podcast. Ziglar passed away at the age of 86 in 2012. His podcast includes over 250 individual podcast episodes from the audio archives of Zig Ziglar! Listen to podcasts on Wisdom, Hope, Faith, Gratitude, Overcoming Fear, Discipline and Commitment, Success, Emotions and Attitudes, Values, Persistence, Happiness, Goals, Positive Thinking, Relationships, Forgiveness, Sales Advice, Parental Wisdom, Ethical Leadership, Love and Romance, and we could go on and on and on. Each of the podcasts has a description below it, so it should be easy to pick out ones in the areas you need motivation. Listen to one of the greatest motivators of all time with over 5 years of podcasts from Zig Ziglar! Note: It may take a moment to load because the podcast feed is quite massive.

5. Stephen R. Covey on Living a Principle-Centered Life

Dr. Steven Covey passed away in 2012. He was the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and a few years back he gave an outstanding address at Montana State University on living a principally-centered life. He explains how those who live without principles tend to evaluate themselves according to what others think. He also encourages the incoming freshman he is addressing to not cram their studies in order to just get by in college, as that is a bad habit that Covey confesses he had which robbed him of much of the value of his early college education. This streaming video lecture is available on YouTube.

6. 50 Things I’m Going to Do Today

One of our all-time favorite audio downloads is 50 Things I’m Going to Do Today. Written and narrated by Brian Johnson, CEO of Zaadz, Inc., “50 Things” is a great collection of tips to live your life by. Ranging from “Hit The Rock” and “Pay Your Bills with a Smile” to “Act ‘As If'” and “Embrace Opposites,” you’re in for a real treat if you haven’t listened to this already. And if you have it’s probably time for another listen. Enjoy!

7. Dalai Lama on Ethical Self-Awareness & Personal Transformation

In this free video from UCTV, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses a packed crowd at UC-Irvine on the topic of “Ethical Self-Awareness & Personal Transformation”. With humor and humility the Dalai Lama speaks on the importance of awareness in overcoming anger and other negative emotions. This event is available on streaming video from YouTube. For over 75 talks and audio books by the Dalai Lama go to our Dalai Lama Audio & Video Page.

8. The Best of Steve Pavlina’s Blog

Steve Pavlina’s popular blog “Personal Growth for Smart People” gets over 2 million visitors per month. Writing on topics as diverse as sleep optimization, natural food diets, relationships, and time management, Pavlina has displayed a fascinating willingness to adjust his lifestyle for the better. We’ve been avid readers of his blog for years and are excited to present his ideas on audio for the first time!

Our free audio book for May features six of his most popular blog posts of all time. Download this free 1-hour audio book as an introduction to his unique take on personal growth. Included in this free sampler program are audio renditions of these classic Pavlina blog postings: How to Discover Your Life Purpose, 30 Days to Success, How to Become an Early Riser, Ten Reasons Not to Get a Job, How to Decide When to End a Long-Term Relationship, and The Law of Attraction.

9. John Wooden on True Success

The legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden passed away in 2010 at the age of 99. Under Coach Wooden, UCLA won a record ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period. John Wooden left a legacy of leadership wisdom through his numerous books including his conception of “the Pyramid of Success”. In this talk delivered at the TED conference a few years ago, Wooden talks about true success being the satisfaction of knowing you that put forth your utmost effort in the game despite whether you win or lose. He readily quotes poetry and other sources of his inspiration throughout his life. This 20-minute talk is loaded with wisdom from a lifetime of success, and it is available on streaming video and video download from TED.com.

10. 1993 ESPY Award Address

Listen to this truly inspiring address by legendary American college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, delivered just a few months before he died of cancer in 1993. Valvano encourages us to laugh, think, and cry everyday and to never give up which is the motto of The V Foundation which he established as a charitable organization dedicated to saving lives by helping to find a cure for cancer. This 13-minute speech is available on streaming video through YouTube and MP3 Download through American Rhetoric.

11. Time Management

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch is best known for his talk “The Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” which he gave while he had terminal cancer about a year before he passed away on July 25, 2008. After that lecture he gave another great lecture at the University of Virginia in November 2007 on “Time Management”. Pausch clearly learned from the best when it came to time management and in this hour long talk he packs in advice on time management for almost every area of your life such as prioritizing tasks, managing meetings & phone calls, delegating assignments, dealing with email, and also taking time to say thank you. He ends the lecture with a poignant reminder that the more efficient you are the more you can spend time with the ones you love because some day you might wake up and find out you don’t have much time left.

12. 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 from Google Video.

13. Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: PBS Special

Author and motivational speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer has been writing bestselling books for years and with many of his bestsellers he has done a PBS special sharing some of the ideas in his latest book. A few years back he wrote the book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao which covered ideas in Lao-tzu’s classic text, the Tao Te Ching. In his “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life” PBS Special, Dyer shares many of the ideas from the Tao Te Ching and how they impacted his life. While Dyer has always taught the importance of changing your thoughts to create change in your life, he explains how meditating on the Tao Te Ching clarified for him the new thoughts that one should be thinking. Watch this free PBS special available on YouTube.

14. How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Listen to this short motivational audio book by British author Arnold Bennett. Written in 1910 this manual for managing your time contains ways to not only increase your productivity but also improve the quality of your daily life. Bennett addresses white-collar workers who begrudgingly work the standard 40 hours per week and see little time for anything else. He points to ways people can take advantage of the extra time they have away from work to improve the quality of their lives. He suggests waking up earlier, reading or reflecting on the train to work (or in today’s case listening to audio books during your commute!), and taking advantage of the evenings and weekend time to improve yourself through reflection, the arts, and literature. It is a great examination on how we use our time and it’s only 1 Hr. 30 Min. long. It is well narrated by Mark F. Smith at LibriVox.org.

15. 25 Life Purpose Lessons from Sounds True

Sounds True has launched a wonderful new section of their site that features 25 Life Purpose Lessons to help you grow in your passions, your career, and your wealth in the coming year. With 5-15 minute audio lessons from Sounds True’s best business & wealth teachers such as Rick Jarow, Mark Albion, John Mackey, Fred Kofman, and Vicki Robin, these 25 life lessons will propel you towards your goals with vision & motivation. Note: These exercises are streaming audio only and not downloadable.

16. Inside Personal Growth Podcast

Host Greg Voisen at www.insidepersonalgrowth.com has created over 200 podcasts interviewing top authors in the area of personal growth. Past interviews include: Brian Tracy, Byron Katie, Dan Millman, Daniel G. Amen, David Allen, Gary Zukav, Gay Hendricks, Guy Finley, Joan Borysenko, John Robbins, Lisa Nichols, Marshall Goldsmith, Michael Gerber, Ram Dass, Robin Sharma, Rick Hanson, Sharon Salzberg, Shawn Phillips, Sylvia Browne, Thomas Moore, Tony Alessandra, and many others. The podcast feed always has the latest 10 interviews and the entire archive of podcasts can be accessed on www.insidepersonalgrowth.com. Enjoy these podcasts from this exceptional collection of personal growth author interviews.

17. Yes You Can

In this free downloadable audio program author and motivational speaker Jim Donovan demonstrates in dozens of ways how our thoughts become the outcomes of our life. Through positively shifting what our focus is we inevitably move toward our goals and become happier, healthier, and wealthier. This motivational program is available on MP3 digital download through LearnOutLoud.com.

18. Millionaire Upgrade

Download this free audio book of wealth advice by Richard Parkes Cordock. Drawing off some of the ideas of Napoleon Hill’s Think & Grow Rich and inspired by the true story of a flight with Sir Richard Branson, Millionaire Upgrade tells the story of man who gets on a plane and sits next to a self-made millionaire who lets him in on the secrets of his business success. The book contains entrepreneurship advice for anyone looking for something more than being a standard employee at a job they aren’t passionate about. It’s narrative structure provides for very enjoyable listening with key lessons emphasized along the way. This audio book is available to download for free from Audible.com, and it’s also available on MP3 audio download from the Millionaire MBA website. We’ve provided links to both on our page.

19. Tim Ferriss: Accelerated Learning in Accelerated Times

Watch this recent talk from Tim Ferriss, who is the bestselling author of The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4-Hour Body. Through his ongoing learning experiments, Ferriss has developed a method for learning things quickly. He encourages people to disregard conventional knowledge when it comes to learning just about anything as most conventional learning strategies are slow and ineffective. He describes the rapid methods he used to learn languages and to accomplish some of the physical feats he accomplished in his book The 4-Hour Body. He closes the talk with giving people the best behavioral techniques for carrying out his methods until your goals are accomplished. It’s great condensed knowledge from accelerated learner Tim Ferriss. This talk was delivered at the Long Now Foundation and is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

20. 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.

21. David Allen: Getting Things Done

In this Google Talk David Allen introduces some of the ideas in his bestselling book and time management system Getting Things Done. He provides advice on dealing with email, creating to-do lists, and getting into the right quadrant in order to get the most done. He includes many nuggets of wisdom from the decades he has spent studying and perfecting his system of time management. This 45-minute talk is available on streaming video on YouTube.

22. Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self Reliance is perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous essay. This version, narrated by Brian Johnson from Zaadz, is both thought-provoking and inspirational. Ralph Waldo Emerson pushes the listener to break free of the dependence on society and the masses of man and to rely solely upon oneself. Always pushing us to follow our own nature & intuition, Emerson denounces those who allow themselves to be victims of society or history. He wants great men to rise from the limitations of cultural institutions and stand as giants casting shadows over the ages. Throughout the essay there is wisdom loaded in every sentence and it can be listened to again and again. Download this free classic audio book on MP3 directly from LearnOutLoud.com.

23. The Surprising Science of Motivation

Learn how to better motivate yourself and others in this recent popular TED Talk. In this talk writer Daniel H. Pink lays out the facts about what drives the best results in business. In study after study any work that requires creative problem solving does not benefit from external rewards such as money. Only mechanical tasks benefit when there is reward and punishment, but when creative solutions are required, workers are more motivated when they feel there is intrinsic value to what they are doing. Pink lays out some of the ways businesses have benefited by implementing policies to encourage the best in right brained, creative thinking. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming video from TED.com.

24. The Art of Original Thinking

Author Jan Phillips is currently offering her audio book The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader for free on MP3 audio download directly through LearnOutLoud.com. This unabridged 6-hour audio book sets out to inspire new thought leaders for the new global paradigm we are entering. She provides many insights from her own life and quotes other unique thought leaders to aid us in creatively thinking outside of the box. She also explores the new thinking that is emerging in the areas of business, politics, religion, the environment, and more. Download this free audio book generously offered by author Jan Phillips and feel free to check out her website: www.janphillips.com.

25. Dr. John Ratey on Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

We all know exercise is great for the body, but in this lecture Dr. John Ratey talks about the many ways neuroscience is discovering how great exercise is for the brain. His book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain lays out the research and amazing case studies that show how exercise can improve brain function. In this 50-minute talk at Google Dr. Ratey summarizes his findings showing how exercise improves performance in schools and the workplace and its effectiveness at overcoming disorders like ADHD, depression, Alzheimer’s, and more. Learn the latest findings on exercise and the brain with bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey.

26. Introduction to Your Mind: Two Guided Meditations

Before you plunge into action, start things 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!

27. Quotations of Mahatma Gandhi

Listen to these humble words of wisdom from Mahatma Gandhi. This inspiring audio title from ThoughtAudio.com features quotes from Gandhi on his various methods of living out his quest for truth. These quotes are well narrated by Michael Scott and available on MP3 Download.

28. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation

In this hour-long talk delivered at Google, author and brain researcher Dr. Daniel Siegel explains his definition of the what the mind is. He takes us on a quick overview of the functions of the brain, from the spinal cord all the way up to the prefrontal cortex where he argues that the uniqueness of humans stems from. From his research and experience Siegel lays out nine integral functions of this part of the brain including reflective awareness, empathy, morality, and more. He then talks about his discovery of mindfulness and how the practice of mindfulness cultivates all these functions of the middle prefrontal brain. Dr. Siegel expresses his hope that along with reading, writing, and arithmetic, the 4th of reflection would be taught in education to help cultivate mindfulness and healthy brain function. This talk is available from Google and can be watched on YouTube.

29. Dan Buettner: How to Live to Be 100+

Dan Buettner talks about the findings of his team as they studied the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. He talks about a culture in Okinawa where the elderly were seen as the peak of society and they don’t have a concept such as retirement. There they stay in close knit communities and have a strong sense of purpose, they make it a rule to eat only up to the point that they are 80% full, and they have physical activity built into their everyday lives. In America one of the communities that lives the longest are a group of Seventh Day Adventists in Southern California who take a whole day every week to worship God, to be in nature, and to socialize within their faith-based communities. For more tips on living to 100 definitely listen to this talk from TEDxTC available on streaming video and MP3 audio download.

30. John F. Kennedy Inauguration Speech 1961

50 years ago, on January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States and he delivered his famous Inauguration Speech encouraging Americans to: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”. This 13-minute speech confronted the Cold War, and Kennedy called for Americans and all global citizens to take responsibility for the freedom of mankind. At a time when the threat of nuclear war was looming, President Kennedy called for a new generation to rise up and seek peace while at the same time be willing to fight to defend freedom. It’s an inspiring speech delivered at a precarious time in our nation’s history. It’s available on streaming video courtesy of C-SPAN on YouTube and on MP3 download from AmericanRhetoric.com.

31. 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.

32. Monday Again?!: Four Essentials For A Healthy Lifestyle

Start your week with this free audio book titled Monday Again?!: Four Essentials For A Healthy Lifestyle by Marquese Martin-Hayes. In the 1-hour book Marquese lays out strategies to use thinking in order to change our perspective on Mondays and on everyday. Marquese published this titles through our TeachOutLoud service. It’s a very good listen.

33. Mindfulness with Jon Kabat-Zinn

Watch this popular talk with Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and many other books on the benefits of mindfulness. In this talk at Google Kabat-Zinn discusses what mindfulness meditation is and then he leads the group on a mindfulness meditation practice where he provides guidance into the practice. After the meditation is over he fields questions about the experience and covers things such as the issue of falling asleep and much more. This talk is 1 Hr. 15 Min. and is available on streaming video through YouTube.

34. 21 Meditation Exercises from Sounds True

Learn how to meditate! Our good friends at the publisher Sounds True recently launched a section of their site which is their Guide to Meditation, designed for people who have heard about meditation but don’t know where to begin. The site features 21 free streaming audio meditations from many of Sounds True’s best teachers including Shinzen Young, Adyashanti, Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, and more.

35. 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.

36. Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight

In this moving talk delivered at the TED conference, brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor provides a first-person account of her own stroke and the experience of losing control of her bodily functions as well the functions of the left side of her brain. Instead of it being a painful or frightening experience, she said the stroke put her in a intense state of bliss and nirvana. Sharing this experience became her motivation for recovery. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

37. Change Nation Podcast

The Change Nation Podcast features interviews with leading experts and inspirational speakers about ways individuals can make positive changes in their personal and professional lives. Host Ariane De Bonvoisin talks with authors and speakers such as Les Brown, Gay Hendricks, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Tim Ferriss, Jack Canfield, Mike Dooley, David Bach, and dozens of other great teachers of change. Topics covered include getting orgranized, starting a business, finding a job, nurturing a relationship, getting fit, eating right, and much, much more. Ariane is an excellent host and many recent interviews are available as both audio & video podcasts.

38. UCSF Mini Medical School Audio Podcast

In this series from the University of California, San Francisco, faculty members and other nationally-recognized experts give the latest findings on a variety of health and medical related topics. Topics include “Fad Diets: Do They Really Work?”, “Nutrition in a Bottle: A Scientific Review of Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements”, “The Biology of Depression: How Stress Affects the Brain and the Body”, “Staying in the Now: Maintaining Mental Health Through Mindfulness”, “The Science of Healthy Aging: Living Better Not Just Longer”, “Back Pain and its Management: Myths and Misconceptions”, and many more interesting lectures. Learn the latest in medical research from the University of California, San Francisco with these audio podcasts.

39. Martin Seligman on Positive Psychology

In this TED talk Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology and the author Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism, looks at ways healthy people can lead happier, more engaged, and more meaningful lives. While Seligman acknowledges that psychology has done a pretty good job over the past 50 years of making miserable people feel less miserable, he shows that there is a whole other realm of positive psychology which he and a group of other psychologists are only beginning to study. Seligman tells some of his findings on what contributes to healthy states of mind and what fosters genius. Going beyond the conventional, pleasure-seeking form of happiness, Seligman points to practices that truly give life meaning. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 audio download from TED.com.

40. The Masters of The Secret Podcast

This podcast features conversations with teachers that were featured in the movie The Secret. Bill Harris, director of the Centerpointe Research Institute, conducts the conversations which cover the spiritual and practical applications of the law of attraction by the teachers that are interviewed. The teachers included in this podcast so far are John Assaraf, Hale Dwoskin, Joe Vitale, Jack Canfield, Dr. Michael Beckwith, Lisa Nichols, and James Ray. Start your week with these inspirational talks!

41. 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 was published through our TeachOutLoud service and it is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

42. Six Nightingale-Conant Self Development Podcasts

Download hundreds of podcast episodes from six new podcasts offered by the world leader in personal development since 1960: Nightingale-Conant. Each podcast covers a specific area of growth for your personal and professional life. And Nightingale-Conant has provided each podcast with a specific title and description so you can find exactly the podcasts you are looking for. Here they are with some descriptions of each podcast:

Mind and Body by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – On this podcast you’ll learn from world-renowned experts about ways to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. Teachers on this podcast include Luanne Oakes, Ph.D., author and inventor Doug Hall, American psychiatrist Gerald Epstein, and many other mind/body experts.

Wealth Building by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Wealth wisdom from popular authors such as Joe Vitale, Dr. Dolf de Roos, Napoleon Hill, David Bach, Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham, Robert Kiyosaki, Robert G. Allen, and other teachers with tips for building wealth.

Spiritual Growth by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Nourish your soul and energize your spirit with the wisdom of respected spiritual teachers such as Wayne Dyer, Gregg Braden, Byron Katie, Marianne Williamson, Stuart Wilde, Debbie Ford, Sonia Choquette, Richard Carlson, Dan Millman, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Deepak Chopra, Joan Borysenko, and more.

Business Strategy by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Get the edge in business with top strategies from authors like Jay Abraham, Jay Conrad Levinson, Michael E. Gerber, Roger Dawson, Seth Godin, and other leading business speakers.

Sales Training by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Boost your sales and learn some of the most effective strategies and techniques ever developed for prospecting, relationship building, negotiating, closing, increasing referrals and more. This podcast features advice from teachers like Zig Ziglar, Jeffrey J. Fox, Roger Dawson, Brian Tracy, and other sales leaders.

Personal Development by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Master the critical skills of time management, communication, self-discipline, attitude and more, under the guidance of Earl Nightingale, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Vic Conant, Jim Rohn, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, Roger Love, Tony Alessandra, Denis Waitley, Marc Victor Hansen, and many, many more great authors. Note: This podcast is massive with 300 podcasts on the feed, but for some reason only four podcast episodes are showing on our site. Click through on the feed or over to iTunes to see all the podcasts for this one.

Enjoy this great collection of podcasts from a personal growth company with 50 years experience: Nightingale-Conant!

43. Eckhart Tolle on Living with Meaning, Purpose, and Wisdom in the Digital Age

Spiritual teacher and Power of Now author Eckhart Tolle visited Google headquarters last week to give a talk entitled “Living with Meaning, Purpose and Wisdom in the Digital Age”. In this 90-minute conversation with Google’s Bradley Horowitz, Tolle talks about technology and the Internet. While he feels no technology is good or evil in itself, Tolle is concerned that our digital age is ramping up the “doing” and “thinking” mind at the expense of paying attention to “being” in the present moment. He provides many helpful suggestions to take time out for “being” for anyone that spends a lot of time at the computer and on the internet. At the end of the talk he fields questions from Google employees. This talk is available on streaming video through YouTube.

44. A Peaceful Warrior Brings His Zaadz to Life: Brian Johnson Chats with Dan Millman

In this special LearnOutLoud.com interview Entheos Academy Founder Brian Johnson chats with Way of the Peaceful Warrior author Dan Millman. The discussion is around finding your life’s purpose and finding ways to get paid doing what you love. Brian and Dan share many stories about their path including a number of the setbacks they experienced along the way. Dan talks about the many teachers he has had including the person he met which is the character of “Socrates” in his book Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Enjoy this free conversation exclusively on LearnOutLoud.com.

45. Inside Out Weight Loss Podcast

Listen to this podcast from Personal Life Media hosted by leading diet and weight-loss coach Renee Stephens. Renee features dozens of podcasts on her feed and she encourages listeners to start with the first podcast which covers her personal story of how she overcame compulsive overeating along with the methods of weight loss she’ll be using in the podcast. Instead of focusing on a diet plan or what you should or shouldn’t be eating or doing, Renee focuses on transforming the mind so that you can in turn transform your body. Using techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnotherapy, and Positive Psychology, Renee teaches listeners how to lose weight from the “inside out”.

46. Change your Mind, Change your Brain: The Inner Conditions for Authentic Happiness

French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard talks about his interesting life in which he left his career as a scientist after getting a Ph.D. degree in molecular genetics and he went to practice Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas. He talks about the Tibetan Buddhist practices for achieving happiness. Since his 35 years of practicing as a Buddhist monk he has returned to the science of the mind and the brain to study happiness and presents many of the recent scientific findings. This hour-long Google Talk is available on streaming video from YouTube.

47. Change Your Life with Cheryl Richardson Podcast

Listen to these podcasts hosted by inspiring author and life skills coach Cheryl Richardson as she talks with other personal growth experts on ways to change your life for the better. In more recent podcasts (which are on the bottom of the podcast feed on our page) she talks with Iyanla Vanzant about her remarkable life, Julia Cameron about the challenge of creativity and writing, and Geneen Roth about the new outlook on food which she conveys in her bestselling book Women Food and God. In past episodes you can listen to, she interviews Dr. Joan Borysenko, Gregg Braden, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Louise Hay, Debbie Ford, Natalie Goldberg, Harville Hendrix, and many others. Listen to some of these great interviews on how to change your life.

48. Dan Ariely: The Upside of Irrationality

Use irrationality to help you overcome bad habits and achieve your goals. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s bestselling book Predictably Irrational showed how people frequently make irrational decisions regarding their health, their spending habits, and much more. In this lecture Ariely talks about his latest book The Upside of Irrationality where he shows the negative and positive effects of irrationality and how we can use irrational means towards our own rational objectives. He tells of experiments and examples where irrational incentives were used to help fight global warming, to motivate people to take care of their health, and to prevent people from texting while they’re driving. It’s one of the most fun lectures we’ve watched to all year.

49. Herbert Benson: The Relaxation Revolution

Learn about the science behind the beneficial effects of mind/body relaxation! Dr. Herbert Benson is an American cardiologist, a bestselling author on health and well-being, and the founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In this talk Dr. Benson discusses his latest book Relaxation Revolution which details the science behind the benefits of relaxation practices such as meditation, yoga, and repetitive prayer. While traditional medicine focuses on surgery and medication, Dr. Benson explains that more and more studies are showing the significance of stress and the importance of relaxation when it comes to holistic mind/body health.

50. Wealth Wisdom Podcast

Listen & subscribe to LearnOutLoud’s Wealth Wisdom Podcast where we showcase classic wisdom on business & finance from many wealth & success classics. To start off with we’re offering Benjamin Franklin’s The Way to Wealth, which is an essay written by Franklin that contains a condensed collection of the wealth advice he had presented in Poor Richard’s Almanac during its first 25 years of publication.

51. Dr. William Dement on Healthy Sleep and Optimal Performance

Dr. William Dement is one of the leading authorities on sleep, sleep deprivation, and sleep disorders. In the 1950s he was part of the sleep research team that discovered REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and connected it to dreaming. Since then he has founded the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University and authored numerous papers and books on sleep, and he teaches one of Stanford’s most popular courses called “Sleep and Dreams”.
In this one hour talk at Google, Dr. Dement presents many of the findings he has made throughout his career. He talks about studies that reveal that healthy sleep is key to high-level performance and productivity, and that the sleep debt of numerous nights without enough sleep causes significant reduction in the quality of performance of physical and mental activities. Dr. Dement also speaks about sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Learn more about something you do everyday with this enjoyable talk on sleep.

52. John Selby: Tapping The Source Videos

Start your week with some free, short video meditations from personal & spiritual growth author John Selby. On his YouTube channel Selby has added over a dozen videos that introduce you to his mindfulness techniques. In recent videos he introduces his latest book Tapping the Source which has also been made into a movie featuring dozens of self help authors. The book elaborates on the ideas of Charles F. Hanel and his classic self help manual The Master Key System. You can check out more from Selby here: John Selby Audio. Enjoy these free videos from John Selby. We’ve posted a few of the best meditations to our page and the rest can be viewed on YouTube.

53. The New Psychology of Depression

From Oxford University comes this 3-hour series covering “The New Psychology of Depression”. Dr. Danny Penman and Professor Mark Williams (co-authors of the book Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World) discuss the global health problem of depression and the current methods for treating it including medication and therapy. They then discuss Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) which Professor Williams co-developed. They describe what MBCT is and the success that it has had in preventing relapse of depression in the many studies that have been conducted throughout the world. Anyone who has experienced depression or knows someone who has should listen to this great series on the latest information about treating depression. Note: To play the podcasts click the Download File links.

54. Overcoming Life’s Disappointments

Start your week off with this talk from Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Rabbi Kushner discusses one of his latest books Overcoming Life’s Disappointments. He uses stories of Moses to illustrate ways of confronting moments in our lives which don’t live up to our dreams. He emphasizes that without failures we can’t really have successes, and that those who fail to have disappointments in life are often those who failed to try to realize their dreams. This talk is available on streaming video through FORA.tv.

55. Success.com Interviews Podcast

Listen to the Success.com Interviews Podcast with host & founder of Success.com Robert Stuberg. Podcasts include Brian Tracy discussing “Million Dollar Habits”, Michael Gelb discussing his book Discover Your Genius, and many other interviews with success industry leaders. Get motivated and inspired with these free audio interviews.

56. J.K. Rowling Speaks at the 2008 Harvard Commencement

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling delivers some wise words of wisdom during her Harvard Commencement address in 2008 which she entitled “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination”. She talks about how failure in her life after a divorce and when she was living in poverty helped her to eliminate everything that wasn’t most important to her. And she talks about what she learned of human good and evil in her work for Amnesty International. She points out how fortunate the graduates of Harvard are and encourages them to succeed and fail and live rich lives.

57. Mental Efficiency

Listen to this audio book on how to exercise one’s mind for maximum efficiency. English novelist Arnold Bennett uses his wit to convey how we work hard at the up keep of our physical bodies, while we often do little to workout our minds. He gives examples of ways to give the mind a workout. He also features essays that explore the presentation of self, breaking free from the past, relationships and marriage, and how to achieve success. This audio book is well narrated by Ruth Golding at Librivox who has a lovely British accent. It has a running time of 3 Hrs. and is available on MP3 download.

58. The Perils of Indifference

In this speech, holocaust survivor, author, and activist Elie Wiesel speaks of indifference as the worst possible response to atrocities that have occurred throughout the 20th century and continue to occur. Speaking before President Clinton, he denounces indifference of American leaders with the knowledge they had of the holocaust during the war. At the end he points to signs of hope that the world is no longer allowing indifference as a response to crimes against humanity.

59. 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 was published through our TeachOutLoud service and is available on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

60. Authors@Google: Dr. Mark Hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman has written a series of books focused on optimal health such as Ultraprevention, Ultrametabolism, and his latest The UltraMind Solution. In this talk delivered at Google, Dr. Hyman talks about The UltraMind Solution and how to look at brain & mind health through the lens of the health of the whole body. While many psychiatrists like to have one medication for a disease (such as Prozac for depression), Dr. Hyman argues that these diseases need to be looked at in a personalized and all-encompassing way. First the symptoms need to be evaluated and then all of the possible causes of these symptoms need to be considered. He focuses a lot on how diet & nutrition affect the mind & body and how improving the health of the body can lead to an UltraMind! This talk is available on streaming video from YouTube.

61. Brendon Burchard Video Presentations

Brendon Burchard is the founder of Experts Academy which teaches people how to share their expertise and get their message out there, and earn money while doing so. He has authored Life’s Golden Ticket and his latest bestselling book that just came out is The Millionaire Messenger: Make a Difference and a Fortune Sharing Your Advice. On his website BrendonBurchard.com, Brendon offers a lot of free video presentations and he currently includes a free 12-minute walk through of a chapter from his book which contains 10 steps on how to become a Millionaire Messenger. In other videos he shares inspiring stories including talking about the near fatal car accident he was in when he was 19 years old that turned his life around. Brendon Burchard has worked closely with personal growth guru Tony Robbins, and he’s got a very dynamic way of presenting his advice. Watch some of his videos today!

62. Jason Fried: Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work

37signals co-founder and Rework author Jason Fried makes some provocative suggestions regarding why work doesn’t get done in the workplace. He suggests that interruptions are the key component contributing to the lack work accomplished in the workplace and that managers and meetings are to blame. He relates the stage of work to the stages of sleep and in order to get the best work done one needs to go through these stages without interruption. This talk was delivered at the TEDxMidwest Conference and is available on streaming video and MP3 audio download.

63. A Conversation with Anthony Robbins

Watch this hour-long Charlie Rose interview with motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. In this interview Charlie Rose seeks to understand what makes Tony Robbins tick and how he has been able to motivate millions of people to make positive changes in their lives. Robbins provides answers about what drives him and also what drives most people in their everyday lives. He covers the importance of certainty, spontaneity, contribution, and love in creating a meaningful life and achieving one’s goals. Charlie Rose asks Tony some tough questions and Tony responds confidently about his life’s work. This interview is available on streaming video through CharlieRose.com.

64. Zencast

Zencast has been offering Zen Buddhism teachings on podcast for many years now and the great thing is they’ve kept all their podcasts up on their feed so each of them can still be downloaded. Included on this feed is an unabridged recording of the key Buddhist text The Dhammapada translated and read by Zencast host Gil Fronsdal. Fronsdal also teaches a five part “Introduction to Meditation” class. Other frequent speakers on Zencast include Thich Nhat Hanh and Eckhart Tolle. Latest on the feed is a Mindfulness Meditation Course. These podcasts are essential listening for anyone looking to learn more about Zen Buddhism.

65. Karen Armstrong: 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life

Comparative religion author Karen Armstrong talks about her latest book Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life in this talk delivered at the New York Public Library. Armstrong cites the “golden rule” as a central tenet to all the major world religions and argues that compassion needs to be at the forefront of all religious practice in our globalized and interconnected world. She emphasizes that compassion is not pity and that true compassion requires action and also practice. She gives some of the steps in her book which is a self help manual of sorts for people who wish to live more compassionately. During the Q&A Armstrong discusses her own current religious beliefs. This talk is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

66. Do What You Fear & Grow Stronger

Download this free 13-minute podcast by Project Management trainer & author Michael Greer. In this podcast Michael Greer begins with some quotes on overcoming fear and the importance of facing your fears. He tells a personal story of how he went from singing in the shower to singing for a rock band as a teenager, and the various steps he took to overcoming his fear of singing in front of a crowd. He also relates these methods of tackling fear to leadership & management and the ways leaders can encourage their teams to overcome fear.

67. Law of Attraction Podcast

Listen to this podcast from Exceptional Wisdom Radio featuring interviews with teachers of the Law of Attraction popularized in the book and the movie The Secret. In this podcast you’ll hear an interview with contributor to The Secret and bestselling author Mike Dooley as he discusses the system he calls “The Matrix” which reveals the interconnectedness of your dreams and how they flow together. Also on the podcast is another contributor to The Secret, Joe Vitale, who tells of how he went from being a homeless man in Dallas to a bestselling personal growth author with titles such as The Attractor Factor and Expect Miracles. There are over 20 other podcasts on the feed covering the Law of Attraction. And if you like this podcast check out over 250 podcast episodes from all the different shows on Exceptional Wisdom Radio on their massive personal growth podcast: Exceptional Wisdom Radio Podcast.

68. Dare to Live Without Limits: The 10 Basic Principles

Bryan Golden, author of the book Dare to Live Without Limits, offers his ten basic principles for living a limitless life. These principles are:

# You are what you think about
# Set goals
# Plan how to reach your goals
# All we have is today
# Never ever give up
# Education never ends
# Control your own emotions
# Guard your time
# Have an attitude of gratitude
# What you project you receive

In this 15 minute MP3 download, Golden provides the detailed advice and motivation about these ten principles. This title was created and offered for free through our TeachOutLoud service. For more information about the book Dare to Live Without Limits visit www.DareToLiveWithoutLimits.com.

69. Escape Self-Absorption through Positive Emotions

Barbara Fredrickson is a social psychologist and researcher on positive emotions. Her recent book Positivity details her research in the area of positive emotions and in this talk Fredrickson defines and describes the positive emotions which she studies and the greater impact they have on health and social relations. Moving past the fight or flight psychology of negative emotions such as anxiety, she discusses her broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions which broaden one’s awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions. This talk is available on streaming video Boston University’s BUniverse website and if you like it there are a number of other videos on the site with Professor Fredrickson.

70. Authors@Google: Dean Karnazes on Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days

In this inspirational talk ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes speaks about his book 50/50 in which he writes about his experience of running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Karnazes tells motivational stories from his experience and the ups and downs that he faced. In the Q&A he gives info about his weekly running and workout routine, what he eats on a daily basis, and many other fascinating tidbits about his mega endurance. Asked what he does while he’s running for so long, he responds that he listens to music, dictates his writings into a voice recorder, and listens to audio books! For anyone pursuing goals, this is a great motivational talk that will help you to seek to defy your limitations. The 45-minute talk was delivered at Google and is available on streaming video from YouTube.

71. A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

If you’ve ever been interested in hypnotizing yourself, this audio book might be a good place to start. This book by Melvin Powers covers the history and applications of self-hypnosis. The book purports to explain how self-hypnosis can alleviate distressing symptoms, substitute strong responses for weak responses, help overcome bad habits, create good habits, and help one’s power of concentration. Find out for yourself how effective self-hypnosis is. This book is adequately narrated by Andrea Fiore and is available on MP3 download from LibriVox.org.

72. The Jillian Michaels Show Podcast

Personal trainer Jillian Michaels is best known for being a trainer on the TV show The Biggest Loser where she pushes obese people to lose a significant amount of weight. This is a podcast of Jillian’s radio show where she talks about a number of topics related to diet & nutrition along with health & fitness. She also provides some personal growth and motivational advice. In these 45-minute shows she talks off the cuff with another host named Janice and the shows are entertaining and informative. The last 15 minutes of the show she answers questions from callers. Enjoy these podcasts from this popular personal trainer.

73. Jack Kornfield’s Dharma Talks

Listen to dharma talks by Buddhist meditation teacher Jack Kornfield offered through DharmaSeed.org. On the Dharma Seed website you can stream and download any of the 50 talks and we also feature the latest to stream and download on our page. In recent talks Kornfield discusses lovingkindness, the importance of joy in spiritual practice, and the freedom from attachment. He tells many wise stories throughout the talks. They’re all available on streaming audio and MP3 download from DharmaSeed.org.

We’ve also added a handful of other teachers who have dharma talks on DharmaSeed.org:

Over 350 Dharma Talks by Joseph Goldstein

Over 200 Dharma Talks by Sylvia Boorstein

Over 70 Dharma Talks by Sharon Salzberg

Over 15 Dharma Talks by Dr. Rick Hanson

And they even offer a few Dharma Talks from our friend: Dr. Dan Siegel

74. The Steve Chandler Podcast

For motivational success coaching check out The Steve Chandler Podcast, which features book excerpts and interviews from Steve Chandler on improving relationships, creating wealth, and managing business. Chandler narrates his audio books and their sound quality is professional. Download this podcast on MP3 today.

75. Alain de Botton: A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success

In this talk at TEDGlobal philosopher Alain de Botton looks at the contemporary notion of success and why he feels it is such a source of anxiety for so many people. He finds that in today’s world the appearance of equality, such as Bill Gates dressing just like everybody else, makes most people feel they too can be rich & successful. He also relates contemporary success to the meritocracy that exists today when people are made to feel that they own their successes and failures. And he looks at how failure is treated today by referencing the tabloids that often portray failures without any empathy, whereas in past societies tragedy was often used to encourage empathy of people that might’ve failed at something. Ultimately Alain de Botton encourages you to try to not live according to the models of success around you, but to instead make success your own! An excellent TED talk available on streaming video and MP3 download.

76. Dr. Deepak Chopra on Spiritual Solutions

Author Deepak Chopra recently stopped by at Google and gave this talk on his latest book Spiritual Solutions. The thesis of his book is that no problem can be solved at the level of awareness in which it was created. In this hour-long talk he discusses some of the ways we can overcome contracted awareness and enter the realm of spiritual solutions. The last half of the talk he answers questions about being overwhelmed with global problems, remote viewing, and near-death experiences.

77. Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More Podcast

The Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less Podcast offers weekly ideas on how to enhance productivity. Whether you are trying to organize your desk, want help prioritizing your workload, or need advice on how to fit in exercise time, these podcasts offer clever solutions to everyday obstacles. The host delivers his valuable insight with a snappy sense of humor and a knack for finding clear solutions that you can begin applying immediately to your work and life.

78. Dr. Dean Ornish on Healing

In this talk from the TED conference, holistic healing physician Dr. Dean Ornish prescribes easy and effective ways that you can prevent heart disease and other illnesses through changes in lifestyle and diet. He also points to the numerous ways in which diet and exercise can actually help to treat existing illnesses including cancer. Dr. Ornish addresses carbohydrates and fats and their relation to the obesity epidemic in America, along with ways people can lose weight and still be healthy. This talk is full of great pointers for improving your health. It is available on MP3 download and streaming video from TED.com.

79. Worrying Well: How Your Brain Can Turn Anxiety and Stress Into Calmness and Confidence

In this audio & video presentation from UCTV Martin L. Rossman, MD takes a look at good worry and bad worry and the stress and anxiety bad worry can cause. He examines what is going on in the brain with these emotions and how we can use the power of the healing mind to reduce stress and anxiety. At the end he leads the group on a guided imagery meditation for reducing stress. This talk is available on MP3 download from the UCTV website and on streaming video from YouTube.

80. The Skinny on Obesity

For great motivation on losing weight, watch this new series from UCTV Prime called “The Skinny on Obesity”. This 7-episode series (lasting one hour total) features Dr. Robert Lustig and two of his UCSF colleagues who look at the obesity epidemic and what has been driving it in the last 30 years. Dr. Lustig’s previous UCTV video Sugar: The Bitter Truth went viral and has received over 2.5 million views to date.

In this new series Lustig’s message is presented in an even clearer and more powerful way with the help of animations and documentary footage. He presents the science of obesity, debunking the idea that “a calorie is a calorie” and showing how the massive increase in fructose and sugar into our daily diets has led to a skyrocketing obesity epidemic which contributes to our most common diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. These short videos explain how sugar consumption and obesity have now become a major public health concern in the same way that drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol are through their unavoidability, toxicity, abuse, and negative impact on society. A must-watch from UCTV!

81. Oprah Winfrey’s 2008 Stanford Commencement Address

Oprah Winfrey packs as much advice as she can into this 30 minute Commencement Address which she gave to the Stanford graduating class of 2008. Through stories in her own life, she relays life lessons like: “Grow into being more of yourself”, “Listen to your gut”, “If it doesn’t feel right don’t do it”, “If you’re not sure what to do, get still”, “If you struggling, then help others who are struggling”. And there are many more lessons relayed here in Oprah’s wonderful speech.

82. Letting Go with Guy Finley Podcast

From Contact Talk Radio comes the Letting Go with Guy Finley Podcast featuring hour-long talks 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 over a dozen podcasts from Guy Finley on the Letting Go with Guy Finley Podcast.

83. Extraordinary Leadership

Audible.com is exclusively offering a free audio book to you by Robin Sharma, author of the bestselling book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. The title they’re offering is called Extraordinary Leadership, and this inspirational program is aimed at bringing out the leader in all of us. Sharma fills this audio book with anecdotes and words of wisdom regarding what it takes to be a great leader in all aspects of life. Extraordinary Leadership is available from Audible.com on audio download.

84. 23 Intuitive Development Exercises from Sounds True

Listen to 23 Intuitive Development Exercises from Sounds True. In these exercises you’ll hear teachers such as Judith Orloff, Caroline Myss, Cyndi Dale, Laura Alden Kamm, and many more. These teachers cover what intuition is and how you can further develop it. Note: These exercises are streaming audio only and not downloadable.

85. The Game of Life and How to Play It

This free audio book download from Librivox is a self help classic. Florence Scovel Shinn was a New Thought spiritual teacher and in this book she teaches of the game of giving and receiving. With chapters on prosperity, love, karma, intuition, and more, she teaches how to apply the game of life to these areas. Throughout the book she gives real life examples of these principles in action. This 3-hour audio book is available on MP3 download from Librivox!

86. Mindfulness as a Foundation for Health

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh recently led a 3-hour workshop on mindfulness at the Googleplex and this entire workshop can be viewed on YouTube. After about an hour of music and introductions, Thich Nhat Hanh gives a talk and answers questions for two hours. He provides many insights of how people can incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives from walking to eating to washing the dishes. Listen to the wisdom of 85-year-old monk Thich Nhat Hanh and his message of mindfulness and peace.

87. Leading at Google: Tony Hsieh on Delivering Happiness

Tony Hsieh is the CEO of the online shoe retailer Zappos.com and the author of the recent book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.. He spoke at Google on his book and the ways he has made Zappos one of the top rated places to work in the U.S. along with delivering some of the best customer service of any company. From their unconventional hiring methods to developing their unique corporate culture, Tony Hsieh shows how he grew Zappos to become an online retail giant that was bought in 2009 by Amazon.com for $1.2 billion. Hsieh also gives insights into his studies of the science of happiness and how he applied his findings to his business. Whether you’re a business leader or a regular employee, learn how you can create happiness in the workplace and deliver happiness to your customers. This Google Talk is available on streaming video from YouTube.

88. 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.

89. Theatre of the Mind Podcast

Listen to this podcast on the mind and many aspects of consciousness. Host Kelly Howell (creator of brainsync.com) has interviewed over 100 guests since she started podcasting in 2006. In more recent interviews she talks with Peter A. Levine on “Healing Trauma” and James S. Gordon, M.D. who talks about “Healing Depression” and “Getting Unstuck”.

Past interviews include Caroline Myss, Michael Gelb on “Wine Drinking for Creative Thinking”, Colin Tipping on “Radical Forgiveness”, Richard Bandler who is the co-developer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Michael Bernard Beckwith on “Spiritual Liberation”, Dan Millman on “The Life You Were Born to Live”, Gary Renard on “The Disappearance of the Universe”, Dr. Gay Hendricks on “Five Wishes”, Byron Katie on “Four Questions to Change Your Life”, Gregg Braden on “The Divine Matrix”, Bruce Lipton on “How Beliefs Control Biology”, and many other self help authors. Kelly Howell proves to be a good interviewer for this large collection of authors who focus on the mind and the body and where consciousness is headed. Download some of these interviews today.

90. Balance, Stress, and Optimal Health

Dr. Emmett Miller is known as one of the pioneers of holistic mind/body medicine. In this Google Talk he describes how he came to study holistic medicine and get beyond the specialization of most doctors. He eventually looked at stress and the far reaching implications it has on a variety of diseases. Dr. Miller dynamically demonstrates how humans have maladapted to the stresses of modern civilization and he suggests ways that we can release and relax from the ongoing stresses we face. He ends the talk with an excellent guided relaxation complete with music. Learn to maintain balance and reduce stress in your own life. This talk is available on streaming video on YouTube.

91. Seth Godin on Standing Out

Seth Godin feels that days of status quo marketing through the television industrial complex are coming to an end. People are too busy to pay attention to the nonstop advertising of average products for average people. What grabs people’s attention is something remarkable, or rather something worth making a remark about. And their remarks spread the ideas or products to the world and make it a success. Learn about the cutting edge of spreading ideas with this talk by Seth Godin.

92. The Think Thank Tank: 3 Powerful Principles To Increase Effectiveness!

In this motivational speech, international speaker Al Argo encourages listeners to think more about their actions, relationships, goals, and obstacles before proceeding with each day. Above all he motivates people to be grateful and of service to everyone. Much like Zig Ziglar, his inspired delivery uplifts listeners. This free speech was uploaded through our TeachOutLoud service, and is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com. This title includes a downloadable worksheet to help listeners follow along with his speech.

93. Authors@Google: Marion Nestle on What to Eat

Nutritionist and author Marion Nestle looks at food from the angle of politics and business in the United States in this talk delivered at Google. She briefly discusses her book Food Politics which looks at how the food industry was deregulated in the 1980s which led to the production of more food and greater portions and eventually to the obesity epidemic we have today. She also discusses her latest book What to Eat where she examines the marketing tactics of the food business from how grocery stores are laid out to how junk food is marketed to kids. She offers signs of hope for healthier eating in America in the movements for organic food, locally grown fresh food, and other grassroots movements related to food. This talk includes slides and is available on streaming video from YouTube.

94. Living Green Podcast: Effortless Ecology for Everyday People

In this podcast brought to you by Personal Life Media, host Meredith Medland interviews guests who are practicing and preaching eco-friendly ways of living. Shows cover healthy eating, eco-conscious entrepreneurialism, enviromentally-friendly shopping, energy conservation, and more. Listen to interviews with the founder of the Burning Man festival Larry Harvey, American mycologist Paul Stamets, and visionary green event planner Sarah Haynes, among many others. Enjoy this podcasts from Personal Life Media!

95. Relationships for Revenue Growth

Master networker and Never Eat Alone author Keith Ferrazzi delivers a talk at the “YES WE CAN” Avon Global Summit on the power of building great relationships in business. While many people have casual business associates, Ferrazzi demands that the business relationships we build need to go deeper and that we need to seek to enable others to contribute. When many people in the business world today don’t have time to focus on networking and relationship building, Ferrazzi tries to show how connecting to business associates on a personal level can open doors which we’d never thought existed, and he provides many examples of this in action. His talk gets a great response from the ladies of Avon. It’s available on streaming video from YouTube on the “keithferrazzi” channel and if you enjoyed it there are a number of other hour long talks which he delivered available on his YouTube channel.

96. Extra Tips for The Freeway Guide to Maximizing Your Money

In this downloadable offering from the The Freeway Guides, financial expert Peter Bielagus gives tips to maximize your money. He covers ways to improve your credit score, to pick your financial advisor, to choose the right loan for a home. and how to get the most out of applying for financial aid. This title is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

97. Q&A with Dr. Amen

Dr. Daniel G. Amen is a psychiatrist and the bestselling author of Making a Good Brain Great. In this media resource on his site he answers some of the most popular questions he has been asked over the years covering many points on brain health. He answers questions about the best supplements to take for the brain, methods of treatment for various psychological conditions, and addresses many other interesting brain inquiries. Enjoy these answers from a doctor who has dedicated his life to looking at the brain. This Q&A audio is available on streaming audio from the Amen Clinics website.

98. Living and Working On Purpose Podcast

Listen to this podcast from Exceptional Wisdom Radio hosted by Life On Purpose author Brad Swift. In the podcast Brad interviews nearly 100 people who are living a life with passionate purpose. There’s a podcast where Brad Swift is interviewed by his wife and he presents his ideas about what it means live life “on purpose”. In other interviews he talks with developmental biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton who presents the ideas in his book The Biology of Belief about how our experiences and our minds are shaping our genes all the time. He also interviews Rev. Michael Dowd about his book Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World. Browse these and many more interviews on the “Living and Working On Purpose Podcast”.

99. Suze Orman at Google

Bestselling author and financial advisor Suze Orman spoke at Google last year delivering a lot of great financial advice with candor and wit. She starts the talk by telling her rags to riches story from living in a van in Berkeley, California and working as a waitress to learning about finance and becoming a top employee at Merrill Lynch. Orman’s advice focuses on the current state of the economy and what to do and not to do when it comes to credit cards, real estate, retirement plans, and a lot of other big personal finance issues. Watch this one hour talk of Suze Orman at Google.

100. Simon & Schuster Health, Diet, & Fitness Video Podcast

The publisher Simon & Schuster puts out a number video podcasts and one of their strongest categories is self development. Currently on their Simon & Schuster Health, Diet, & Fitness Video Podcast they feature over 140 brief video podcasts with interviews of their authors and book introductions to their numerous books in this area. Dr. Mike Moreno reads from Chapter 1 of his book The 17 Day Diet Essentials in which he introduces his system of dieting cycles designed to allow you to lose weight quickly and keep losing weight over a period of time by “confusing your body” with a continually new diet plan. You can also watch a podcast interview with author Geneen Roth in which discusses her book Women Food and God and how food is intertwined into every aspect of our lives. Other video podcasts feature Dr. Mehmet C. Oz and Dr. Michael F. Roizen, and many more of their bestselling authors.

Is that enough free motivation for you? 🙂




April 24, 2008

Top 50 Free Resources

We’ve been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for two 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 next year!

Here’s a top 50 list we put together of the best of the best that we’ve featured in the last year:

50. CWU Counseling Center (Unfortunately this is no longer available through our site as iTunes U will not allow us to link to them, but you can search it in iTunes U)

The Central Washington University Counseling Center offers nine free mindfulness and relaxation exercises to listen to through iTunes U. These short exercises are conducted with a soothing voice and most feature relaxing music.

49. The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth

Listen to this free audio book entitled The Fundamental Principles of Personal Wealth. This motivational, one-hour audio book examines the methods for gaining wealth in all aspects of one’s life. It covers how to shape one’s thoughts and emotions in order to thrive in the area of wealth. This audio book is available on MP3 download from TFPPW.com.

48. Parts of a Whole

In this downloadable audio program conducted by New Dimension’s Michael Toms, physicist David Bohm discusses how Quantum Physics has the potential to expand our understanding of human consciousness. Bohm observes here that at the quantum level, matter moves in an erratic manner similar to the way the brain moves from thought to thought. The deep implications of these findings led Bohm to work for many years with J. Krishnamurti in the study of how science can help broaden our spiritual horizons. Could the brain’s functions mirror a wider universal law that connects the human race? This interview is offered by New Dimension Media and is available on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

47. Thinking Out Loud Podcast

Listen to over twenty philosophical dialogues with everyday people covering a new topic in each podcast. Host Steve Donaldson is joined by about ten other citizen philosopher guests as they spend an hour talking about topics such as “What is Love?”, “What is Evil?”, “Is Free Will an Illusion?”, “What is Mysticism?”, and many other intriguing topics. These philosophical round table discussions really get one thinking about the topic and they’re entertaining as well. Currently they’re allowing internet guests to join in the discussion through VoIP technology. The audio quality of these podcasts varies, but the content is so consistently compelling that you’ll want to listen to them all.

46. Peter Singer

Peter Singer’s controversial views on biological ethics are openly debated by a panel of experts on this downloadable audio program released by the University Channel. Singer starts by stating his case on the welfare of animals, which leads more controversially to his views on euthanasia and the ethical treatment of the severely disabled. His argument is examined point by point by a varied panel of experts hailing from both religious and scientific backgrounds. This program is a probing examination of how we must treat one another in a civilized world. It’s available on streaming audio and MP3 download.

45. Authors@Google: Elizabeth Gilbert

In this free half-hour talk delivered for the Authors@Google program, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, reads an excerpt from her bestselling book which gives a background to the quest she undertook to Italy, India, and Bali, to explore her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. After the reading she fields questions about her experiences traveling and writing the book. This free video is available to watch through YouTube.

44. Eleonora

A classic short story by Edgar Alan Poe is given a dramatic reading in this digital download provided by Voices in the Dark. In what many observers have suspected is a semi-autobiographical tale, Poe’s hero recounts his memory of a lover taken prematurely from him in youth and how he must later come to terms with a promise he made to her before she died. Ending on a note of rare optimism for the author, this reading showcases Poe at the height of his poetic talent. This title is available on MP3 download from Voices in the Dark.

43. NPR: StoryCorps Podcast

The StoryCorps Podcast features Americans across the country telling their own stories as they are interviewed by family and friends. The StoryCorps organization was established in the hopes of creating an oral history through the tens of thousands of interviews that are conducted in their StoryBooths everyday. The stories are typically only 2-3 minutes in length so they’re a great way to learn about the variety of American life in a short period of time.

42. 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.

41. Commonwealth Club Radio Program Podcast

The Commonwealth Club of California has been bringing fascinating speakers to their forum since 1903. Their podcast feed currently features almost two years of speaking events. Many of the podcasts feature authors such as actor Alan Alda on his book Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, humorist P. J. O’Rourke on his book On the Wealth of Nations, and author Barbara Ehrenreich talking about her book Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy. This forum also features panel discussions on a variety of topics such as the Summer of Love, America’s Budget Crisis, Religion in U.S. Culture and Society, Moving Forward in Iraq, Capitalism 3.0, The Politics Of Food, Health of Africa, and Digital Health. Scroll down the list of their podcasts and you’re sure to find something that interests you.

40. Case of the Negro & Awakening of the Negro

Download two of Booker T. Washington’s most famous essays “Case of the Negro” (1896) and “Awakening of the Negro” (1899). Confronting the New South after the Civil War, Washington argues with eloquent prose for African Americans to embrace self reliance, hard work, and education in order to advance toward a better future in their communities. He opposed violent and confrontational protesting and felt that angry mobs could not overcome racism in the long run. Download these two essays on MP3 from LearnOutLoud.com, courtesy of FreeAudio.org.

39. Extra Tips for The Freeway Guide to Maximizing Your Money

In this downloadable offering from the The Freeway Guides, financial expert Peter Bielagus gives tips to maximize your money. He covers ways to improve your credit score, to pick your financial advisor, to choose the right loan for a home. and how to get the most out of applying for financial aid. This title is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

38. Dare to Live Without Limits: The 10 Basic Principles

Bryan Golden, author of the book Dare to Live Without Limits, offers his ten basic principles for living a limitless life. These principles are:

  • You are what you think about
  • Set goals
  • Plan how to reach your goals
  • All we have is today
  • Never ever give up
  • Education never ends
  • Control your own emotions
  • Guard your time
  • Have an attitude of gratitude
  • What you project you receive

    In this 15 minute MP3 download, Golden provides the detailed advice and motivation about these ten principles. It’s a great listen to start the week. This title was created and offered for free through our TeachOutLoud service.

    37. Ron Paul Envisions Smaller Government, Less Global Intervention

    In this interview conducted by Judy Woodruff on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul lays out his platform for increasing liberty, reducing the size of the federal government, bringing the troops home from Iraq and throughout the world, and many more of his ideas which set him apart from the other Republican presidential candidates. This 20-minute interview is an excellent introduction to a conservative and libertarian candidate that has gained a loyal grassroots following. It is available on MP3 download and streaming audio & video from the Online Newshour.

    36. Building Healthy Lifestyles Conference (Unfortunately this is no longer available through our site as iTunes U will not allow us to link to them, but you can search it in iTunes U)

    The Building Healthy Lifestyles Conference is held at Arizona State University and hosted by their department of Exercise, Wellness and Nutrition. At the conference numerous doctors and health professionals discuss best practices that have proven results for a healthier life. Topics lectured on include Mindfulness Practice Programs, Surviving Cancer through Exercise and Nutrition, the effects of Sleep on Wellness, and the keynote address “Physical Inactivity as a Major Public Health Problem in the 21st Century”. These lectures provide great insight into methods for building a healthy lifestyle. Lectures from this conference are available to download on audio & video from iTunes U.

    35. Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?

    Download this essay by German philosopher Immanuel Kant. One of the last Enlightenment philosophers, Kant puts forth his definition of Enlightenment, in reference to the question about what had occurred during the Age of Enlightenment in 18th century Europe and America. Kant feels that it was not a social movement adopted by the masses, but rather an individual movement where certain persons gained the courage to think for themselves and to argue against the paternalism of institutions which were heretofore unquestioned. Kant sees the freedom of reasoning and argumentation as central to the Age of Enlightenment, but this revolution of independent thought can only be achieved through an individual’s striving for intellectual maturity. Download this free essay on MP3 exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

    34. Einstein & the Mind of God

    In these downloadable episodes presented by American Public Media, various experts go in depth on Albert Einstein’s religious views and how they informed his incredible achievements. Topics discussed include the Einstein’s concept of time and eternity, his belief in a non-personal God and how all of this has contributed to modern science. This series is a great way to reacquaint yourself with Einstein’s massive contribution to human understanding and the underlying spirituality that infused every breakthrough. It is available on audio download from the Speaking of Faith website.

    33. HumanMedia.org Podcasts

    HumanMedia.org produces Public Radio Programs featuring voices of vision, conscience and compassion. Most of the programs are written and produced by David Freudberg and they feature hundreds of programs for sale on download and CD on their website at HumanMedia.org. Their podcast series provides captivating excerpts from their programs. In recent shows they’ve featured programs with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, The Unabomber’s Brother, Ken Burns, along with shows on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, and Helen Keller. Enjoy these free podcasts from HumanMedia.org.

    32. 60 Second Lectures from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences (Unfortunately this is no longer available through our site as iTunes U will not allow us to link to them, but you can search it in iTunes U)

    Listen to 60 Second Lectures delivered by the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences. These one-minute lectures are always entertaining and often quite impressive in regards to how much knowledge the professors can pack into 60 seconds. Some of the best lectures are “Human History” w/ Professor Alan Charles Kors, “The Unknown” w/ Professor Peter Struck, and “The Nature of Nature” w/ Professor Rebecca Bushnell. There’s about 20 lectures so it’ll only take you about 20 minutes to get through them all. These lectures are offered through iTunes U on Audio & Video Download.

    31. Jung Podcast

    This podcast is devoted to the understanding of the analytical psychology of the great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Jungian analyst John Betts (who graduated from the International School of Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland) introduces listeners to Carl Jung’s theories of archetypes, the structure of the psyche, the Shadow, the Anima & Animus, the Persona, Jungian dream interpretation, and he’s just getting started! John Betts is incredibly lucid and articulate in describing these theories, providing real life examples and quoting Jung and other Jungians as he goes along. It’s basically a course on Jung, and one would do best to start with Betts’ first podcasts and work his or her way through them.

    30. Jane Goodall: Blessing the Animals

    Listen to this talk at the Forum at Grace Cathedral as the the Very Rev. Alan Jones interviews Dr. Jane Goodall. Goodall is best known for her study of chimpanzee social and family life which she conducted for 45 years. In the interview she answers a range of questions regarding the relationship between science and religion, the benefits of the bonds with animals, vegetarian diets, confronting overpopulation, and other topics. This program is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from the Grace Cathedral Forum, and on streaming video from FORA.tv.

    29. The Red Badge of Courage

    Audiobooks.org is now offering a free unabridged recording of Stephen Crane’s Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage. Listen as the soldier Henry Fleming enters the American Civil War, and is forced to transform from fear to courage. Told in an unflinchingly realistic and journalistic style, this novel ranks among the best American war stories. It is professionally narrated by Scott Brick and available on MP3 download from Audiobooks.org.

    28. The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap

    In this fascinating lecture from the University Channel, author Stephanie Coontz shows how the good old days of marriage weren’t always as happy as we’d like to believe, and that marriage has had its difficulties throughout history. Her main point is that because marriage is based on choosing who you love in contemporary society, it has the potential to be more satisfying than in the past, but it has also made the institution more unstable. This lecture is available on streaming & downloadable video and MP3 audio download.

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

    This past year 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.

    26. Kofi Annan Farewell Speech

    After serving for ten years as U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan delivered his final address on December 11, 2006. Annan calls on the legacy of Harry Truman who helped found the United Nations and urges international cooperation with an emphasis on human rights. He quotes Truman’s credo that “the responsibility of the great states is to serve and not dominate the peoples of the world”. This speech is offered by C-SPAN and available through Audible.com on audio download.

    25. 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.

    24. JimCollins.com Lecture Hall

    Listen to over 50 MP3 downloads in the JimCollins.com Lecture Hall. Jim Collins (author of Good to Great & Built to Last) provides succinct advice for leadership both in business and in the social sectors in this series of MP3 downloads. Everyone can benefit from these lecture snippets which include great ideas such as how to make a “Stop Doing” list and how to evolve into a “Level 5” leader. Enjoy these free MP3 downloads from JimCollins.com.

    23. Macbeth

    Listen to William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth on streaming audio and MP3 download. This full cast dramatization of the play is offered by Wired for Books. Hear all the drama of Macbeth’s bloody grab for power and his subsequent unraveling. The play stars Mark Mann as Macbeth and Laura Lee Parrotti as Lady Macbeth.

    22. 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.

    21. Conversations with Masters Podcast

    Listen to these podcast interviews conducted by life coach Mary Allen as she talks with top authors and speakers in the self development world. This podcast features in-depth, hour-long interviews with authors such as Les Brown, Caroline Myss, Dr. Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks, Adyashanti, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Byron Katie, Jim Rohn, and others. The interviews cover key teachings and biographical stories from these leaders in personal growth.

    20. KCRW’s The Treatment Podcast

    Elvis Mitchell’s The Treatment Podcast is a weekly discussion with some of the film industry’s most interesting creators. With each episode, Mitchell sits down and discusses a director’s body of work, argues with actors over their craft and discusses film history with various authors. A must for anyone interested in the scholarly aspects of filmmaking, this podcast is a concise resource on what it takes to make compelling movies.

    19. The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

    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.

    18. 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.

    17. A Public Debate On The Limits of Intelligent Machines

    Can we Create conscious machines that are every bit as self-aware as a human being? Ray Kurzweil and David Gelertner debate the feasibility of this question in this downloadable audio released by WGBH. Kurzweil argues that future technology will allow humans to mechanically simulate consciousness, to which Gelertner counters that mere replication doesn’t necessarily lead to self- awareness. Listen in on this lively and thought provoking discourse on what makes the human brain unique. This debate is available on streaming audio & video and MP3 download.

    16. Modern Art History

    Download audio lectures of this Modern Art History course which is being offered through iTunes U from the Otis College of Art and Design. In these lectures Jeanne Willette covers many schools of modern art including (in the order they developed) Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Art Nouveau, Fauvism, German Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Bauhaus, Surrealism, and a few other schools and movements. Jeanne Willette is an excellent lecturer who’s able to describe the styles and themes of the movements without visual accompaniments. She also provides the political and social context which these art movements arose from. Enjoy this free introduction to Modern Art from the Otis College of Art and Design. (Unfortunately this is no longer available through our site as iTunes U will not allow us to link to them, but you can search it in iTunes U)

    15. Entitled Opinions from Stanford University

    In this downloadable series from iTunes U, professor Robert Harrison hosts discussions with other academics on variety of philosophical and literary topics. These hour-long conversations probe into the areas of expertise of many of Stanford’s top professors and scholars. Listen to Harrison debate with American philosopher Richard Rorty about what contemporary philosophy can be applied to, or hear the author of The Population Bomb, Paul R. Ehrlich, discuss the fate of Earth in the 21st century, or learn about French philosopher René Girard’s concept of Mimetic desire in relation to literature. Through other discussions, many literary figures are covered including Albert Camus, Marcel Proust, Martin Heidegger, Henry David Thoreau, Vladimir Nabokov, and Virgil. Download these audio talks available through iTunes U.

    14. 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 was published through our TeachOutLoud service and it is available on MP3 download directly through LearnOutLoud.com.

    13. Start Cooking Video Podcast

    One of the most well-produced cooking video podcasts out there, Start Cooking Video Podcast provides very clear and essential instructions for how to cook over 40 different recipes of food. Host Kathy Maister narrates over the efficiently-edited visual guides to cooking the various recipes. No matter what level of cooking you’ve done, these video podcasts are perfect for helping you to start cooking something new.

    12. Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing Podcast

    Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing is a podcast devoted to helping listeners improve their writing skills. Taking a nuts and bolts approach, these short podcasts clarify common errors in English grammar in precise detail. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you should use lie or lay in a sentence, or if that comma splice was used correctly, this podcast will give you the answers. Listen to over forty podcasts from Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty.

    11. Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast

    Choose from 100 short stories to listen to on Miette’s Bedtime Story Podcast. This mysterious woman with a French accent has been reading short stories as podcasts every since early 2005. Listen to classic stories by Nikolai Gogol, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Kate Chopin, Franz Kafka, Jack Kerouac, George Orwell, Graham Greene, and many other masterful writers of short fiction. Take your pick from this growing collection of classic short stories.

    10. American RadioWorks presents Say It Plain: A Century of Great African-American Speeches

    This hour-long audio documentary from American RadioWorks celebrates the great African American speakers of the last century. In chronological order it covers speeches all the way back to Booker T. Washington’s address at the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition up to Barack Obama’s recent speech at the Democratic National Convention. The hour-long documentary features excerpts of the speeches with interviews and commentary on their significance, and if you liked a particular speech American RadioWorks offers each speech individually as streaming audio so you can listen to it in its entirety or you can download each individual speech through iTunes U. The hour-long audio documentary is free to listen to on streaming audio from the American RadioWorks site.

    9. 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.

    8. Oprah and Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth Online Class Podcast

    Over the course of ten weeks Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle teach an online class covering Tolle’s book A New Earth, which was featured in Oprah’s Book Club. These classes are being webcasted on Oprah.com and they’re being offered as a free podcast on both audio & video. Oprah and Tolle also field questions from viewers through the internet call service Skype.

    7. U.S. Presidents Podcast

    LearnOutLoud.com’s U.S. Presidents Podcast features biographies of some of the most reknowned American presidents from the past. It is unique in that we have drawn our biographies from the free web-based encyclopedia Wikipedia. To start off the podcast we chose to feature four of the most highly ranked presidents according to historians, political scientists, and popular opinion polls. This podcast currently features the complete Wikipedia entries for:

  • George Washington
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt

    6. 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.

    5. 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.

    4. The Bhagavad Gita

    Listen to one of the great spiritual texts of all time. The Bhagavad Gita is revered as sacred by Hindu traditions, and the teachings that the divine Krishna gives to Arjuna act as a guide to much of Hindu philosophy.

    3. The Value of Philosophy

    Listen to the ideas of the great 20th century philosopher Bertrand Russell on “The Value of Philosophy”, which comes from the final chapter of his 1912 book The Problems of Philosophy. In the essay he lays forth his conviction that although philosophy cannot come to any certain answers regarding the questions it asks, these questions are important in that they enlarge our views of the universe beyond the narrow viewpoints of practical men, who are concerned solely with the material world. The piece is well read by Paul Sunderland. You can now download this excerpt directly from LearnOutLoud on MP3!

    2. I’ve Been to the Mountaintop

    Listen to Dr. King’s final speech which he delivered the night before his assassination. In this prophetic speech, Dr. King looks back over his life and thanks God that he was able to take part in the victories of the civil rights era. He makes a passionate cry for nonviolence and freedom throughout the world, and confesses that no matter what happens to him that humanity will make it to the Promised Land. This speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio & video from American Rhetoric.

    1. Lit2Go

    By far one of the largest collections of free literature to be released for free on MP3 download is the University of South Florida’s Lit2Go collection, now available through directly through their site. This treasure trove of free downloadable audio books, poetry, and short stories is aimed at K-12 educators, but most of its resources can be enjoyed by literature listeners of all ages. We’ve added the best audio books to our site.

    And that’s it for our Top 50 Free Resources from the past year!!!