Random Non-fiction Podcasts

Awaiting his trial on charges of impiety and heresy, Socrates encounters Euthyphro, a self-proclaimed authority on matters of piety and the will of the gods. Socrates, desiring instruction in these matters, converses with Euthyphro, but as usual, the man who professes to know nothing fares better than the man who claims to be an expert. One of Plato’s well-known Socratic Dialogues, Euthyphro probes the nature of piety, and notably poses the so-called Euthyphro Dilemma: Do the gods love a thing because it is holy, or is a thing holy because it is loved by the gods? More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education, Society & Culture

Tags: Ancient Texts, audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, Euthyphro, free audio books, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Plato

A podcast for the curious mind

Categories: Comedy, Society & Culture, True Crime

Tags: 33, 420, aliens, am, Biden, bildeburg, bohemian, bunker, coast to coast, Colorado, Conspiracy, Crowder, facts, fan, fantom, ffs, fiction, History, howdy, interviews, jordan peterson, kamala, nick cage, noagenda, Non-fiction, norad, phantom, Podcast, pontious piolot, Pyramids, red eye, science, secret, secret society, shapiro, SPorts, Super, supernatural, talk, things i never knew, Trump, Truth, Unknown, yourmom

These pages record some of the adventures of the First South Carolina Volunteers, the first slave regiment mustered into the service of the United States during the late civil war. It was, indeed, the first colored regiment of any kind so mustered, except a portion of the troops raised by Major-General Butler at New Orleans. These scarcely belonged to the same class, however, being recruited from the free colored population of that city, a comparatively self-reliant and educated race. (From the text) More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Army Life in a Black Regiment, audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, War stories

When you dive into Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) The Innocents Abroad, you have to be ready to learn more about the unadorned, ungilded reality of 19th century “touring” than you might think you want to learn. This is a tough, literary journey. It was tough for Twain and his fellow “pilgrims”, both religious and otherwise. They set out, on a June day in 1867, to visit major tourist sites in Europe and the near east, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, “the Holy Land”, and Egypt. What Twain records, in often humorous, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating detail, are the day-to-day ups and downs of discovering the truth about people and places. The truths they learn are often far different than their education and rumor have made them preconceive. This is a voyage of discovery. It’s long and, in places, tiresome. But it’s revelatory about so much. As with some of his other works, Twain includes popular prejudices of his time, which are today considered socially unacceptable. His references to “Indians”, “Negroes” and “infidels” come to mind. Beyond the lows, though, there are the highs of Twain’s cutting wit and insight as he guides us along the bumpy and often dangerous voyage. No need to buckle up. Just take it slow, and steady…like the journey itself.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mark Twain, Memoirs, Non-fiction, The Innocents Abroad, travel

This collection is part of an initiative to create a language learning resource. The Language Learning Collections contain readings from various language learning books, grammars, primers, phrasebooks, dictionaries, readers and even other works which contain information on various languages, recount experiences of language learning and encountering new languages or provide guides for correct pronunciation, writing or discourse in a language. These works could describe English or any other language whatsoever, from Latin to Sumerian, Chinese to Wampanoag, Esperanto to Swahili (etc.).This Volume includes a treatise by Sir Arthur Cotton, author of an “Arabic Primer”. His daughter, Lady Hope, on page 523 of her biography of her father, writes that he “had very strong theories on the subject of learning “Living Languages,” his opinion being that, as every child who comes into the world learns its mother tongue orally, and at first without grammar… so the learning of all modern languages would be very much facilitated by a similar process.” Also included are the orientalist E.G. Browne’s opinions on language learning (taken from the introduction to A Year Amongst the Persians), the first lesson from Dr. Emil Otto’s “French Conversation-Grammar”, a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the need for a universal auxiliary language, Samuel Johnson’s “A Grammar of the English Tongue”, several sections from Henry Sweet’s “First Steps in Anglo-Saxon”, Lessons 1 – 5 from “Esperanto in Twenty Lessons”, two sections on language by Varro, a story in Latin from “Fabulae Faciles”, “Greek Lessons: 1-10”, the Phonology Section from a “Primer of Persian” and Lessons 1 – 19 from “A Practical Arabic Course”. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, instruction, Language Learning Collection, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, various

Famous Men of Rome is a series of biographical sketches written for the purpose of making the study of history lively and interesting by giving insight into the men who lived during this time.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

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

Inventor, author, printer, scientist, politician, diplomat—all these terms do not even begin to fully describe the amazing and multitalented, Benjamin Franklin who was of course also one of the Founding Fathers of America. At the age of 75, in 1771 he began work on what he called his Memoirs. He was still working on it when he died in 1790 and it was published posthumously, entitled An Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The book had a complicated and controversial publication history. Strangely enough, the first volume only was first published in French, in Paris in 1791. Later in 1793 a couple of English translations appeared containing the second volume as well. In 1818 Franklin’s grandson brought out a three volume edition, which left out the last unfinished fourth volume. William Temple Franklin also took great liberties with the text and made his own revisions. However, in 1868, publisher John Bigelow purchased the original and complete manuscript and brought out the most complete edition so far. The 20th century saw several scholars bring out more definitive and complete versions. An Autobiography… was written apparently to apprise his son about the events of his life and also meant to be a treatise that would lead to the self betterment of the younger generation. As a book, it is a difficult and complex read. The tone is often meandering, arrogant and condescending in turn and does not have a consistent feel. Written over an extended time period, there are large gaps in sequence and often the author contradicts his own recounting of events. In fact, it ends abruptly, without a shred of information about Franklin’s seminal role in the American Revolution. Yet, two centuries after its debut, it remains widely read and acclaimed, valued for its being almost the first autobiography to have been written in English. Its extensive advice on how to go about achieving a list of virtues is probably the first ever self-help book. As a glimpse of life in 18th century America, it is unrivaled. An Autobiography… also provides readers with the immense possibilities that the New World holds. A poor middleclass youth, one of 10 children, whose parents could hardly afford to send him to school, who attains learning and honest employment by dint of sheer hard work can even today be said to represent the American Dream. With the publication of An Autobiography… it was possible for this new and emerging superpower to establish a history and tradition of its own. As a slice of history, An Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is indeed an interesting and riveting read.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Benjamin Franklin, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, philosopher, visual artist, playwright, composer, and novelist whose work reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He became Asia’s first Nobel laureate when he won the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature. Sadhana is a collection of essays, most of which he gave before the Harvard University, describing Indian beliefs, philosophy and culture from different viewpoints, often making comparison with Western thought and culture. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Essay/Short nonfiction, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Rabindranath Tagore, religion, The Sadhana: Realisation of Life

First published in 1894, this wonderful travelogue by a famed naturalist and conservationist still remains a book that delights and informs its readers. The Mountains of California by John Muir recounts the author’s exploration of the Yosemite Valley, Mount Whitney, the famed sequoia forests and King’s Canyon among other places of immense natural beauty. Written in his characteristic zestful style, with a deep understanding and respect for nature, the book is a treasure trove of geography, geology, botany, biology and sheer love of the magical planet we live in. His descriptions of the flora, fauna and magnificent scenery around him are amazing word pictures that bring this fabulous landscape to life for the reader. John Muir was of Scottish-American origin and one of the first environmentalists who believed in preserving nature above the claims of trade and commerce. He believed that we human beings must save the wilderness and habitat of others we share this earth with. Some of his writings have had a deep and lasting impact on modern ecological and environmental studies and he is today widely regarded as one of the patron saints of this branch of philosophy. His considerable body of work includes letters, essays, books, writings on Nature and conservation and also several important academic works. There are many monuments in America in his memory, including the famous John Muir hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the John Muir College, the Muir Woods National Park etc. His mission was to raise the consciousness of the ordinary person on the street so that they could recognize the importance of living in harmony with their environment and prevent them from sinking into complete materialism and disaster. In The Mountains of California, Muir recounts his visits to the Cascades Peaks – Mt St Helens and Mt Shasta. The original edition includes some wonderful illustrations of trees, glaciers, insects, plants and several maps of the Yosemite Valley. His intrepid mountaineering skills, the hardships he endured in this harsh and lonely landscape, punctuated only by crystal clear lakes and wonderful native species of plants and animals are described with great skill in the book. His early views on destruction of indigenous species and their transformation into orchards and pastures for domestic animals are well documented here. His lyrical descriptions of the Golden Gate through the Central Valley of California, the fathomless canyons and chasms, the valley where the California Gold Rush took place and above all the splendid stands of pine trees of different varieties make this book an interesting and delightful read for young and old readers alike.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, John Muir, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, Non-fiction, The Mountains of California

A Universalist book, The Age of Reason advocates for the existence of natural religion and challenges the structure of all organized religion. First written and distributed as pamphlets, the book was later published into two parts. Paine puts forward his personal beliefs, debating reason and revelation, while analyzing the Bible and the influence organized religion has on society. Exploring topics including natural religion, criticism of corrupt religious institutions, and distinction between rationality and blind faith in the supernatural, the book presents a guide for the conscious and free spiritual thinkers. Following the style and influence of the Enlightenment ideals of logic and reason, the first part of the book focuses on the Paine’s personal creeds about God and the established religion which he believes is manipulated by organized religious institutions. He further goes on to exemplify his critical view of established religion by illustrating the inconsistencies in the Christian Bible, while examining both miracle and prophecy. He questions the legitimacy of the Bible as an accurate account of Christian beliefs and classifies it to be a word of man and not of God. Paine uses the book to outline his analytical objections to theism and as a means to support his belief in deism. Distinctive for its clear and straightforward linguistic style, Paine’s political language was aimed to bring politics to a mass audience, not just the educated population. Incorporating rhetorical questions and repetition throughout the piece, Paine encourages the audience to independently complete the views and arguments he presents rather than impose his creeds upon them. The Age of Reason supports the idea that in order to discover the true grandeur of God, one should worship individually and without dictation from society. A compelling, meticulous and notable critique, Paine’s work is marked as a theological eye-opener and an insight into deism, whilst also regarded as a pervasive influence even in present secular society.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Politics, religion, The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine

The Critique of Pure Reason, first published in 1781 with a second edition in 1787, has been called the most influential and important philosophical text of the modern age. Kant saw the Critique of Pure Reason as an attempt to bridge the gap between rationalism (there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently of sense experience) and empiricism (sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge) and, in particular, to counter the radical empiricism of David Hume (our beliefs are purely the result of accumulated habits, developed in response to accumulated sense experiences). Using the methods of science, Kant demonstrates that though each mind may, indeed, create its own universe, those universes are guided by certain common laws, which are rationally discernable. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Immanuel Kant, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, The Critique of Pure Reason

“…if I should talk to a stenographer two hours a day for a hundred years, I should still never be able to set down a tenth part of the things which have interested me in my lifetime.” The words of Mark Twain in his introduction to Chapters from my Autobiography provide a tantalizing glimpse of what is in store for the reader! Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens was still working on his reminiscences when he died in 1910. This book is really only a portion of the complete work. The interesting part of his autobiography is that the first volume of 700 odd pages was published exactly 100 years after his death, in 2010 by the University of California in keeping with his last will and testament. It achieved wild popular success. This made Twain the only best seller writer to be famous in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries! Twain also intended that his autobiography should serve as a model for future writers because of its unique form and method. He sought to constantly bring the past and present face to face so that the resultant sparks would light a fire of interest in his readers. With this aim in mind, the book is structured in an extremely loose chronological order, switching back and forth in time, relating episodes that are not connected sequentially with each other yet remaining wonderfully interesting, like a colorful mosaic of experiences. Which is how Twain felt life should be portrayed. Brimming with Twain’s own brand of irreverent humor, the book begins with an attempt to trace his ancestors, the Clemenses, to Civil War England. He plunges next into a hilarious account of his early experiences as an author in New York in 1867 and then leaps into a wonderfully evocative retelling of his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri in 1849, on the banks of the Mississippi. These experiences formed the basis of his immortal Tom Sawyer/ Huckleberry Finn books. Further chapters describe meeting writers like Bret Harte, Robert Louis Stevenson and others. Twain himself had an extremely eventful and colorful life. He worked variously as a newspaper hack, silver miner, inventor, printer’s apprentice, steamboat pilot and typesetter. He was also a famous anti-war thinker, pacifist, vegetarian and anti-imperialist. He used humor and satire effectively to convey his ideas in novels, plays and historical fiction. Chapters from my Autobiography is a delightful jumble of recollections. Some of them are poignant and moving like the chapter that deals with the death of his daughter Susy while others are memorable like the brilliant portrait of his older brother Orion. For Mark Twain enthusiasts, humor fans and anyone who simply loves a great read, Chapters from an Autobiography is a great read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, Chapters from my Autobiography, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mark Twain, Non-fiction

Up From Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of Booker T. Washington detailing his slow and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton University, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, Booker T. Washington, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Politics, Up From Slavery

Almost History. Always incredible. What if … ? Almost History tells the amazing true stories behind the aborted missions, cancelled plans, utopian dreams, failed revolutions and hubristic designs that didn’t quite make it from the drawing board to change the real world. Rescued from the footnotes, archives and passing references, each episode explores what almost happened and explains why it didn’t.

Categories: History, Science, Society & Culture

Tags: american history, British History, Counterfactual, History, Non-fiction, nonfiction, spoken word, world history

The Critique of Practical Reason (Kritik der praktischen Vernunft) is the second of Immanuel Kant’s three critiques, first published in 1788. It follows on from his Critique of Pure Reason and deals with his moral philosophy. The second Critique exercised a decisive influence over the subsequent development of the field of ethics and moral philosophy, becoming the principle reference point for ethical systems that focus on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions. Subsequently termed “deontological ethics”, Kant’s ethical system also laid the groundwork of moral absolutism, the belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, devoid of the context of the act.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Immanuel Kant, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, The Critique of Practical Reason

Karl Marx’s Capital: A Critical Analysis of Capitalist Production is a critical analysis of the political economy or the capitalist system. In this 3 volume work, he says that a capitalist economy can only survive by exploiting the working class. The concepts discussed in this book laid the foundations of the political doctrine that would later be known as communism. This book has three volumes, the first volume is Marx’s critical analysis of the capitalist mode of production and how it’s effects on poor people. The second volume of Capital was subtitled “The Process of Circulation of Capital.” It contains his analysis of the marketplace, how value and surplus value are made and his views about what a capitalist or entrepreneur is. The last volume of the work was actually just a collection of notes by Karl Marx compiled by his close friend Friedrich Engels. There are seven parts in this volume which basically summarize the important points of the first two parts of the book. It’s the most read part of the book today. Capital was very critical of the different principles of classical economics which was the prevailing school of thought at that time. It was published when Karl Marx already had a well established reputation thus provoking a big debate among academics after its release. The principles explained in this book had a big influence in the development of the communist doctrine. This book was written in a academic way and is meant to be read by someone with a foundational knowledge of economics. Although, communism has long faded in the stage of world politics, this book is still a very important reference to people who study political science and economics or those who are just interested in knowing more about the different types of economies.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Capital: A Critical Analysis of Capitalist Production, ebooks, Economics/Political Economy, free audio books, Karl Marx, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Politics

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 is a collection of public domain works either published in 1912, or written in 1912 and published before 1923. The accent is on non-fiction but a few short stories are included. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: 1912: Short Works Collection, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Essay/Short nonfiction, fiction, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Unknown