Random Loyal Books Podcasts

Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women is one of the many self help books that Bennett wrote, the most famous of these being How to Live 24 Hours a Day. It is highly readable, amusing and offers wisdom in an extremely palatable form. Bennett’s gift for analysis and his knowledge of philosophy and psychology make this book a valuable treasure trove of handy hints to improve our lives. Though it was first published in 1911, it remains as relevant, wise and useful as it did more than a hundred years ago. Originally intended for American audiences, the book opens with a discussion on the nature of mental efficiency as opposed to physical efficiency that was, and still is, worshiped in America and many other countries today. The author presents his ideas in the form of correspondence between himself and various readers who have asked him certain questions regarding the problems they face in life. He recommends keeping a journal that will help people to perform what he calls “mental calisthenics.” Bennett defines mental efficiency as the ability to read, write and think. He considers it to be one of the keystones of human contentment. Some of the other chapters deal with topics like “Expressing One’s Individuality” “Breaking with the Past” “Settling down in Life” “Marriage” “Books” “Success” and many more such interesting subjects. The counsel and wisdom offered here are garnished by anecdotes and the author’s own thoughts and opinions, making it an interesting read for young and old. Arnold Bennett’s wonderful use of the English language, his witty and humorous asides, his easy conversational style and practical tips add to the appeal of the book. Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women is indeed a timeless classic that can benefit readers of all ages. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: advice, Arnold Bennett, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women, Non-fiction, Psychology

The Getting of Wisdom tells the story of Laura Rambotham, a 12-year-old girl who is just starting at her boarding school. This is based on Henry Handel Richardson’s experiences of her own school, the Prebysterian Ladies College in central Melbourne. The story goes through her friends and enemies and all the life of a boarding school in early 20th century Australia, and all the subjects and learning too. Laura learns a lot but her education does not satisfy her, and her social life is thrown upon her as very different from her peers. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Henry Handel Richardson, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Getting of Wisdom

The extraordinary child-adult Prince Myshkin, confined for several years in a Swiss sanatorium suffering from severe epilepsy, returns to Russia to claim his inheritance and to find a place in healthy human society.The teeming St Petersburg community he enters is far from receptive to an innocent like himself, despite some early successes and relentless pursuit by grotesque fortune-hunters. His naive gaucheries give rise to extreme reactions among his new acquaintance, ranging from anguished protectiveness to mockery and contempt.But even before reaching the city, during the memorable train journey that opens the novel, he has encountered the demonic Rogozhin, the son of a wealthy merchant – who is in thrall to the equally doomed Nastasia Filippovna: beautiful, capricious and destructively neurotic, she joins with the two weirdly contrasted men in a spiralling dance of death…

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Languages, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Idiot

A Murder Whodunit!Location: Hampstead, England.Victim: Sir Horace Fewbanks, a distinguished High Court judge. Cause of death: gun shot wound.Investigator: Private Detective Crewe, a wealthy bachelor who has taken up crime detection as a hobby, because it provides intellectual challenges more satisfying even than playing twelve simultaneous boards against Russian chess champion Turgieff.His sidekick: Joe is a fourteen year old Cockney boy, whom Crewe saved from a life of crime by hiring him as a messenger-boy and shadower.Other whodunit elements: clues galore, suspects in abundance, an inquest, a trial, and an elegant resolution.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, John R. Watson, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, The Hampstead Mystery

In Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, philosopher David Hume examines whether belief in God can be rational. The work takes the form of a debate between three characters: Cleanthes, who argues that the existence and nature of God can be empirically verified; Demea, who argues that God is completely beyond human knowledge; and Philo, a philosophical skeptic widely thought to represent Hume’s own beliefs. Much of the debate centers around Cleanthes’ presentation of the analogical argument from design. According to this argument, the complexity and beauty of the universe can only be explained by inferring an intelligent designer, in the same way that one would infer a designer if one came across an intricately complicated machine. Philo presents several objections to this argument, with rejoinders by Cleanthes and occasional interjections by Demea.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, religion

The Way of Peace is your guide to the power of meditation; self and truth; the acquirement of spiritual power; the realization of selfless love; entering into the infinite; saints, sages, and saviors; the law of service; and the realization of perfect peace. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, instruction, James Allen, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, religion, The Way of Peace

This story opens with a young woman who voyages alone into the wilds of Alaska to escape her tragic past. It then continues on to a young man who passionately protects the pristine environment, people and way of life in this snowbound country. Finally, a greedy profiteer arrives in the narrative whose only aim is to fill his pockets. When these three characters encounter each other on the stark and snowy plains, it’s a clash of ideals and the sparks begin to fly. The Alaskan by James Oliver Curwood is one of his very engaging adventure romance conservationist stories and was an instant bestseller, like most of his books, when it was first published in 1923. Curwood was a highly successful writer in the early part of the twentieth century and was in fact, the best paid writer in the world at his time. His books were wildly popular and have been adapted for screen, stage, television and radio. Though he was a high school drop out, he wrote and passed a university entrance exam that gave him entry into the University of Michigan’s English department. He studied journalism and discovered his writing talents when he worked on a Detroit newspaper. He fell in love with Alaska when he traveled there on a story and decided that he would settle there once he’d saved enough. He continued to write and travel often to his dream destination. His books proved extremely successful and allowed him to retire early to devote himself to his writing. From 1903 until his death in 1927, he produced novels, essays, short stories and articles dealing mainly with his favorite subjects: Alaska and adventure. Though he was fond of hunting in his early years, he soon became a conservationist like many before him and died at the young age of 49. His former studio in Ossowo, Michigan is now a museum. Curwood’s writing style follows the great adventure story tradition of writers like Jack London who also used the Arctic and Arctic animals as heroes of their tales. His books have been translated into many world languages, including Swedish and Polish. The Alaskan is a typical Curwood tale, with wonderful descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, the wildlife, vegetation and local populations. The plot is studded with exciting twists and turns, memorable characters and is indeed a great read for young and old alike. Recent film adaptations of his 1916 book The Grizzly King and titled The Bear have led to a renewed interest in the work of this writer who was famous in his day, but is little known to modern readers.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, James Oliver Curwood, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, The Alaskan, travel

A fairy has become bored with her life, and convinces some young girls to transform her into a human boy so she can go on adventures. The adventures come fast and furious, as the newly-named Prince Marvel explores the surrounding kingdoms. A masochistic squire accompanies Marvel, helping him with assorted kings, knights, dragons, and other medieval menaces along the way. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Kids, L. Frank Baum, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Enchanted Island of Yew

Most readers of Stephen Leacock’s works are familiar with his witty and humorous writings, but few may be aware that he was also a gifted teacher, political ideologue, economist and fiction writer. Though he wrote six books on Canadian history, none of them attained the status of a standard text on the subject and were regarded more as opinion pieces without much academic foundation. Yet, the Chronicles of Canada series by Stephen Leacock remains an interesting and entertaining read. In this volume, Dawn of Canadian History: Aboriginal Canada, which is part of a thirty-two book series of short and simple essays, Leacock explores the little known origins of Canada’s past. Leacock begins with his theories on the geological formation of the country and the beginnings of the earth’s structures. The emergence of human beings and the original settlers of the North American Continent, the Native Americans as we know them today, is also well described, though in terms that may seem outdated to modern readers. The “Canadian aborigines” and their culture is also described in terms of the different tribes and their relationship to the Eskimos in the extreme northern part of Canada. The advent of the white races like the Vikings or Norsemen is also one of the important events in Canada’s history, as it changed the course of civilization in this country. Legends of Greenland and Iceland are well retold in the chapter entitled The Legend of the Norsemen. Another crucial event was the arrival of John Cabot of Bristol somewhere on the Labrador coast in the sixteenth century. Politics in the sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe and the rivalry between nations like Spain, Portugal, England and France, seeking to explore new worlds and enrich their own countries is also well described. Leacock ends his book with the arrival of French explorer Jacques Cartier, known today as the Father of Canada. In historical terms, this would be set in the seventeenth century, when another great French explorer, Samuel de Champlain was making the first accurate map of the country. For present day readers, Chronicles of Canada…, is a pleasant blend of facts with myths and legends. It is this quality which makes it much more entertaining than a pure historical account.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Chronicles of Canada -- Dawn of Canadian History: Aboriginal Canada, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Stephen Leacock

A king and queen are in despair. After years of marriage, they are yet to be blessed with a child. Finally a lovely daughter is born to them. They plan a grand christening ceremony for the baby, but as destiny would have it, they forget to invite the nastiest lady in the kingdom, who also happens to be the king’s sister, the evil Princess Makemnoit. Now if all that seems distinctly familiar to you, it was meant to! Using the Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose fairytale as a starting point, Scottish writer George MacDonald creates a story that’s even more enchanting and gives it a nice little twist. In The Light Princess, published in 1864, the cruel aunt Makemnoit curses her hapless niece to become bereft of gravity! The spell she chants says, “Light of spirit, by my charms. Light of body, every part. Never weary human arms. Only crush thy parents’ heart!” by which the child begins to float all over the place. The slightest breeze could cause her to fly away. Her parents and the entire palace are exhausted trying to keep her rooted to the ground. The princess grows into a lovely, but very tall young woman. She discovers that swimming keeps her on earth, but soon her wicked aunt decides that she didn’t deserve even this small enjoyment. Finally, as in all fairytales, it is a handsome prince who succeeds in bringing our heroine down to earth. George MacDonald was a playwright, poet and Christian minister. He deeply influenced many people and was mentor to children’s writer, Lewis Carroll, whom he encouraged to publish Alice after it was first written. He also had a great impact on other writers like Mark Twain, Tolkein and Walter de la Mare. His circle of friends included Ruskin, Tennyson, Trollope, Dickens and Wilkie Collins. In America he was admired by Walt Whitman and Longfellow. Though his works concern fantasy themes, he didn’t intend them to be read only by children. He said, “I write not for children, but for the child-like, whether they be five or fifty or seventy-five.” He was deeply humanist in thinking and his theology was of a compassionate and optimistic variety. He used fantasy more as a medium for exploring the real human condition and his works are tinged with wit and humor. The Light Princess has been adapted as a very successful musical and the story lends itself wonderfully to fantastic stage innovations and techniques. It is a great addition to your bookshelf and should be thoroughly enjoyed by both children and grownups.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, George MacDonald, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, The Light Princess

One of the first instances of science fiction, Wells’ classic tale published in 1986 examines various controversial philosophical issues active at the time of its publication, most notable being the implications of vivisection and degeneration. Narrated by its everyman protagonist Edward Prendick, the novel follows the events of his stay at a mysterious island, home to ghastly secrets, horrors, and incomprehensible experiences. Furthermore, the novel features innovative themes which have become iconic in the modern science fiction genre, including moral and ethical responsibility, evolution, and man’s interference with the course of nature. The novel begins when Edward Prendick, an educated gentleman is shipwrecked in the middle of nowhere, and is taken aboard a passing ship where he is revived by a man later introduced as Montgomery. The man explains to Prendick that he is headed to a private island where he works, along with the animals on the ship. While on board, Prendick also meets a gruesome brute by the name of M’ling, whom he believes to be Montgomery’s manservant. When Montgomery reaches his destination he initially refuses to accommodate Prendick after the captain demands he leave the ship, but later takes pity on his bleak circumstance and agrees to put him up. The protagonist is subsequently introduced to the cold and intense Dr. Moreau, whom Prendick recognizes as a former distinguished physiologist in London, whose horrific experiments in vivisection had been publicly exposed. Prendick is housed in an outer room of the enclosed compound, and is cautiously locked out of the inner part. Conquered by curiosity, he decides to explore the jungle where he comes face to face with a startling figure that marks the beginning of his task to unearth the shocking truth behind the segregated island and its beastly population. The Island of Dr. Moreau brilliantly intrigues readers with its generous serving of ingenuity, abominable imagery and chilling hypothesis of the possible dangers of scientific progression. A literary classic, the novel imposes many ethical questions still relevant to modern society, and certain to provoke reaction.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H. G. Wells, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Island of Dr. Moreau

Civil Disobedience (Resistance to Civil Government) is an essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. In it, Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican–American War. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Henry David Thoreau, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Philosophy, Politics

If you thought history was dull, dry and boring, you haven’t read Bill Nye’s books! He brings wit, humor, satire, irony and sheer nonsensical fun into the subject, making it both entertaining and memorable. The Comic History of England was published posthumously in 1896 after the writer’s tragic and untimely death half-way through the project. Hence it remains incomplete and covers the history of the island nation only up to the Tudor period. However, beginning with Julius Caesar, the Roman invasion of Britain, the Druids and Stonehenge, this book is still a rib-tickling ride through the centuries. Some of the humor is extremely topical and readers may in fact have to actually know some of the facts to get the jokes, but one thing is certain; this is no serious and scholarly tome to be pored over in a dusty library! Delightfully illustrated by W. W. Goodes and AM Richards, the book is embellished by truly hilarious illustrations which add to the comic element. Edgar Wilson (“Bill”) Nye was an American journalist. He was a trained to be a lawyer and was admitted to the bar. However, his interest lay in humor and writing and he soon began to contribute short sketches and humorous pieces to local newspapers. His works were well received and he was also popular on the lecture circuit as a comic speaker along with fellow writer James Whitcomb Riley. His brand of humor was uniquely American and he not only poked fun at people from all over the world, but also at himself and his fellow Americans. He once remarked that true humor rose from a “pathetic philosophy” of hunger and deprivation, making it all the more keen and hard hitting. His earlier book, Comic History of the United States had met with a rousing reception. The Comic History of England contains some droll and ludicrous takes on events like the advent of the Danes, the Norman Conquest and the Feudal System. Some of the humor is quite trenchant, as when he speaks of the Roman invasion of Caledonia (modern Scotland) and says one of the generals, Agricola, took some Scotchmen home and “domesticated” them! He also uses puns and word-play to enhance the humor, especially in the chapter that describes the advent of the Angles; the paragraphs are filled with “obtuse angles” “right angles” and the like! For a light-hearted, rollicking account of the centuries gone by, the Comic History of England is indeed unmatched! More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Bill Nye, Comic History of England, ebooks, free audio books, History, humor, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

“THE study of history, like the study of a landscape, should begin with the most conspicuous features. Not until these have been fixed in memory will the lesser features fall into their appropriate places and assume their right proportions. The famous men of ancient and modern times are the mountain peaks of history. It is logical then that the study of history should begin with the biographies of these men. Not only is it logical; it is also pedagogical. Experience has proven that in order to attract and hold the child’s attention each conspicuous feature of history presented to him should have an individual for its center. The child identifies himself with the personage presented. It is not Romulus or Herecules or Alexander that the child has in mind when be reads, but himself, acting under similar conditions.”(Excerpt from the Preface of “Famous Men of the Middle Ages”) More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, Famous Men of the Middle Ages, free audio books, History, John H. Haaren, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

One of the earliest examples of literature written in the science fiction genre, From the Earth to the Moon is a part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series by French novelist Jules Verne. Written more than a century before the Apollo mission, Verne’s classic is somewhat a prophetic novel of man’s travel to the moon with its thorough and descriptive detail. A remarkable blend of action, humor, science, and audacious schemes, the timeless classic is sure to fascinate with its unique vision of lunar exploration. The story unfolds at the Baltimore Gun Club, a society of American Civil War veterans and weapon enthusiasts, who are in the midst of adjusting to a post-war environment and left feeling superfluous. During deliberations on how to deal with the declining need for artillery, club president Impey Barbicane puts forward his idea to build a giant cannon and launch a projectile to the moon. After the initial chaos the proposal causes, the members of the club unite in support of the idea. As the project receives public recognition, the Baltimore Gun Club gains even more courage to proceed with its endeavor, with significant donations pouring in from all over the world. However, Captain Nicholl of Philadelphia, an armor plate designer and old rival of Barbicane, contradicts the venture and makes a series of wagers with him about the success rate of such a feat. Accordingly, the members of the Baltimore Gun Club are busy at work with the formation and scientific calculations for their lunar expedition. Furthermore, a cheerful French adventurer appears and volunteers to be a passenger on board the projectile, and even convinces Barbicane and Nicholl to join him. An unforeseen array of characters and their cooperation brings together elements of comedy and suspense, leaving readers engrossed in the novel’s development. Verne uses his characters to present humorous stereotypes and a caricature representation of American nationalism. Nevertheless From the Earth to the Moon offers adventure, humor, and a range of comical and eccentric personalities. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult

Bulfinch’s Mythology, first published in 1855, is one of the most popular collections of mythology of all time. It consists of three volumes: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and Legends of Charlemagne. This is a recording of the tenth edition of the first volume, The Age of Fable. It contains many Greek and Roman myths, including simplified versions of The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as a selection of Norse and “eastern” myths. Thomas Bulfinch’s goal was to make the ancient myths accessible to a wide audience, and so it is suitable for children. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, religion, Thomas Bulfinch

Mary Mapes Dodge created an instant bestseller with “Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates.” She wanted the book to be partly a book of travels and partly a domestic story. It is a tale written for children that adults also find interesting and uplifting. Dodge writes as if she is sending a series of letters from Holland to children in America, and her you-are-there perspective is aided by a nice attention to detail and vivid imagery.The Brinkers are a poor but stoic family under a dark cloud – Raff, the man of the house, fell from the dikes while reinforcing them during a bad storm, and for ten years he has been in a vegetative state. With no steady income, the family’s lot is grinding poverty. Despite their unfortunate circumstances, Hans and Gretel are cheerful children, yet always attentive to the needs of their mother and their present-but-not-really-there father. Their social standing is very low, but they both attract firm friends, even among the gentry, for their honesty, industry, and good-heartedness.Then a glorious skating race is proposed for the town of Broek, with the prize a pair of silver skates for both the winning boy and girl. In the weeks leading up to the race, we follow the adventures of five of the local boys who are showing a visiting relative from England the sights of the Netherlands. Hans improbably meets the one man who might be able to heal his father, and somehow Hans finds a way to afford some skates so that he and Gretel can enter the race.This all leads up to a dramatic, moving, and entirely satisfactory conclusion. “Hans Brinker” hits a series of high notes and encourages children to cultivate and display their finer qualities. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Hans Brinker, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Mapes Dodge, Teen/Young adult

In The Adventures of Ulysses, Charles Lamb re-tells the story of Ulysses’s journey from Troy to his own kingdom of Ithaca. The book uses Homer’s The Odyssey as the basis for the story, but it isn’t a direct translation of the Greek classic. The book is considered a modern version of the epic tale when it was published in 1808. In the preface of the book, Lamb said that he made the narration of the story faster so that more readers would be attracted to it. To begin with, Homer’s Odyssey is already a classic and in re-telling this story, Charles Lamb aimed to make this epic poem more comprehensible to the average person. And he was successful in doing what he aimed for. The book became very popular not just to adults but also among children because it was well-written and can be easily understood. Lamb was really talented in bringing deep, hard to understand works of literature close to the masses. Before The Adventures of Ulysses, Lamb also wrote Tales From Shakespeare in which some of Shakespeare’s plays were retold as short stories, so like Ulysses, they can also be easily read. The Adventures of Ulysses is filled with interesting characters including sirens, giants, warriors and enchanters. Each chapter is filled with new adventures and challenges which Ulysses must face and overcome. Lamb was able to retell the story of Ulysses’s adventures in a light and entertaining way without losing any of the important details of the original story. Readers who are into Greek mythology and are also looking to read a version of Homer’s Odyssey will surely enjoy reading this book. The original version of the Odyssey may not be easy to read for everyone. If you’re looking for a book that will let you understand the story of the epic tale with great accuracy this is the book for you.

Categories: Arts, Education, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Charles Lamb, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Teen/Young adult, The Adventures of Ulysses