Random Non-fiction Podcasts

The book provides an introduction to the subject of mysticism, presenting it from the point of view of metaphysics, psychology, and symbolism. It examines the different stages of development a mystic typically experiences.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Evelyn Underhill, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mysticism: A Study in Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness, Non-fiction, religion

Published in 1859, On Liberty is a libertarian philosophical work by English philosopher John Stuart Mill that endorses his view on the importance of individuality for the constant progression and improvement of society. The work also supports economic and moral freedom, and openly criticizes the influence of social authority that in one way or another imposes a predefined set of acceptable attitudes and opinions. Highlighting issues including the incongruity between authority and liberty, the oppressive requisites of society, self-regarding conduct, education, and religious influence, Mill effectively proposes the means to preserve the rights of the individual, while at the same time appealing for the restriction of government coercion. Dividing his philosophy in five chapters, Mill delivers his view on liberty through a utilitarian approach and accordingly depicts an overview of the concept of liberty. Consequently, he evaluates the significance of liberty to both individual and state. The piece opens with a description of the conflict between authority and individual freedom, as Mill reports the oppression of the government which restricts the right of free expression. According to Mill, the power of the state should be dependent on the liberty of its citizens, because it is they who essentially put them in such an influential position. Subsequently, he distinguishes between two types of oppression, government tyranny and the tyranny of the majority. Though disapproving of both, he considers the latter to be more destructive, as it is easier to stand against political beliefs than it is to defy the prevailing mindset and opinions of the social majority. In addition, Mill points out the benefits of having contrasting perspectives and opinions, and the importance of exercising one’s basic right to liberty. Furthermore, he prescribes the adequate level of interference from authority, and eventually exemplifies the proficiency of his theory. Nevertheless, an enduring piece of philosophy, whose concepts can be studied, analyzed and put into practice, as they are relevant even more so in present societies. Although the treatise has received its fair amount of criticism for its encouragement to rebel against conformity, On Liberty is still highly valuable for its evaluation of the nature of liberty and its position in a democratic society. Moreover, the work is an essential element for those interested in learning more about the principles of government, political philosophy, political science, and the importance of liberty itself.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, John Stuart Mill, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, On Liberty, Philosophy

Challenges can feel like a definitive ending, but they can actually be a new beginning. Part narrative non-fiction and part memoir, Season 1 of Initiate explores the resilience of women through authentic, intergenerational conversations on a monthly basis. Join storyteller and purpose-seeker Sarah Kyo as she meets women of a certain age, a.k.a. “experienced women,” who’ve taken a self-reflective, proactive approach to their life transitions. Words of wisdom will not only inspire listeners, but also empower our host, as she navigates her early 30s. Sometimes, the best way to find your path is to learn from someone who has already blazed a trail.

Categories: Business, Society & Culture

Tags: initiate, life transitions, Memoir, narrative, new beginnings, Non-fiction, resilience, storytelling, women, womxn, womyn

One of the most prolific and multi-talented geniuses the world has ever seen, Thomas Alva Edison’s life is indeed an inspiration for each new generation. Today we live in a world that would not have been possible if not for several of his important inventions – the electric light bulb, the motion picture camera, electric power distribution, the phonograph, and a host of other things that we take for granted today. In fact, he still holds the world record for the maximum number of patents, numbering 1093 in all! Edison – His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, published in 1910 was in fact a biography commissioned by Edison himself. Dyer was a patent attorney who worked for Edison, while Commerford was a technical magazine editor who published many of Edison’s papers. There is consequently a great deal of focus on the technical aspects of his inventions and not so much on his personality and nature. However, as a chronological account of his life, the biography does full justice to its title. This brilliant scientist, businessman and inventor had in fact, practically no formal education. He actually went to school only for three months in his life. His mother provided support and motivation for the hearing-impaired child, who taught himself to read and discovered his love for science by reading books like Parker’s The School of Natural Philosophy, etc. A notable feature of the book is that it was written in Edison’s own lifetime and hence captures the feel of being very contemporary. There are many anecdotes and stories which the great man himself has contributed or has directly conveyed to the authors, hence the flavor is very authentic and realistic and conveys the excitement and thrill of the life and times of this master inventor. A great inspiration for all ages!

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, Edison, Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, free audio books, His Life and Inventions, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

Mary Everest Boole (1832-1916) was born Mary Everest in England and spent her early years in France. She married mathematician George Boole. She was the author of several works on teaching and teaching mathematics in particular. This short book, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, is meant to be read by children and introduces algebra and logic. She uses the word “algebra” broadly, defining it as a “method of solving problems by honest confession of one’s ignorance”. Using this definition, Boole introduces, in a conversational manner, the concepts of logic and algebra, illustrating these concepts with stories and anecdotes, often from biblical sources. At times, her discussion seems somewhat mystical, speaking of the imagination and angels as messengers which guide one toward the next step in a logical investigation. Boole ends the book with a reminder that algebra’s essential element is “the habitual registration of the exact limits of one’s knowledge” and a call for the public to keep this principle in mind when encountering any situation.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Everest Boole, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra, science

The Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is a shortened and simplified version of Hume’s masterpiece A Treatise of Human Nature. It sought to reach a wider audience, and to dispel some of the virulent criticism addressed toward the former book. In it, Hume explains his theory of epistemology, and argues against other current theories, including those of John Locke, George Berkeley, and Nicolas Malebranche. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, audio books, audiobook, David Hume, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy

Make It Make Sense with Sureka Thanenthiran-Dharuman is a podcast that aims to demystify the publishing industry by speaking with historically excluded authors. Every week a new interviewee shares what they had to make sense of on their route to publication. I will also be joined by agents and editors to help create a more transparent and complete picture of the industry. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @mimspod so you can ask some of your own questions.

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Categories: Arts, Business, Education

Tags: Authors, Books, fiction, fiction writing, how to, literary agents, literary fiction, Literature, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, middle grade, Non-fiction, publishing, Writer, writing, ya

Is there intelligent life on Mars? Why are there starless gaps in the Milky Way? What creates the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights? These and more are the interesting questions that are asked and sought to be answered in the 1909 book, Curiosities of the Sky by Garrett P. Serviss. Garrett Putnam Serviss was an American astronomer and popular sci-fi writer. He believed that science should be understood and enjoyed by everyone, not just by scientists. Though he was trained as a lawyer, he went to work as a newspaper reporter with The New York Sun in 1867. Here he discovered that he had an innate talent for explaining and describing scientific matter in a way that made it accessible to the ordinary public. Andrew Carnegie was struck by the talent of the young reporter and invited him to deliver a series of lectures on different subjects like cosmology, geology, astronomy and other such topics. Carnegie funded a country wide lecture tour and supplied Serviss with magic lantern slides and material to supplement his talks and make them more interesting. After the two year long lecture tour, Serviss decided to dedicate his life to the cause of popularizing science. He wrote more than fifteen books on different aspects of science. However, astronomy remained his favorite subject and he devoted eight books to this topic. Science fiction writing and short stories were also his forte. Curiosities of the Sky went on to become an extremely popular astronomy classic. It has been constantly revised and updated over the years as new discoveries are made and our knowledge of the universe expands. What makes the book so delightful is the engaging, poetic style and its wonderful eye for descriptive details. He also speculates about life on Mars and the Moon and the possible benefits of engaging with life forms on other planets and stars. Serviss’ preface to the book itself makes interesting reading. What the author has attempted to do in Curiosities of the Sky is to convey the mystery and celestial beauty of the universe in a way in which readers understand not just the insignificance of the tiny planet we inhabit, but he also seeks to stimulate interest and curiosity about everything around us. He ends with the frank confession that we really know very little about astronomy, but the theories and knowledge that we do have should spur us to explore further.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Curiosities of the Sky, ebooks, free audio books, Garrett P. Serviss, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, science

For the Irish historian John Bagnell Bury, history should be treated as a science and not a mere branch of literature. Many contemporary histories written in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were poetic and heroic in tone, blending fact and fiction, myths and legends. They sometimes relied on sources from Shakespeare and classical poets. For Bury, the facts of history may be legendary or romantic in nature, but they should be recounted in a scholarly and non-judgmental manner, without the accompanying emotions. His aim was simply to “tell history as it happened.” A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great was first published in 1900. It went on to become a standard text in many colleges and was used as a definitive guide to our understanding of the pre-Hellenistic kingdoms. Richly supplemented with maps and columnar notes, the book deals with its subject in an academic manner, but it is a work which is easily accessible to the ordinary reader as well. There are many interesting illustrations from antiquities in the British Museum and photographs of busts from various art galleries. There are 18 chapters, portraying the beginnings of Ancient Greece in the Heroic Age. The author is also concerned about how previous histories of Ancient Greece have largely ignored the Greek presence in Persia, Asia Minor, Italy and Sicily while emphasizing the Greek history of Sparta and Athens. Later chapters deal with Athenian democracy, Pericles and the Golden Age, the advance of the Persians, the Peloponnesian war and the decline of Athenian Greece, the rise of Thebes, the Syracusan empire, the rise of Macedonia and the final conquest of Persia and East Asia. There is also an interesting chapter on Aristotle and Alexander. Aristotle’s background and how he became Alexander’s teacher, the differing visions that tutor and pupil held about the ideal city-state and the ultimate influence that these ideas had on the development of Europe are discussed in the last chapter. Bury was a young genius who became a Fellow at Trinity College Dublin at the young age of 24 and a professor at Cambridge, where he taught both history and Greek, before he was forty. His interests included medieval studies and philology. His works cover a range of subjects including Greek and Byzantine history and the role of the Church and the Papacy in the 19th century. Though some of the information in this book may be a little dated following new studies, technological advances and discoveries uncovered by the latest research, it is extremely readable and interesting. A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great is a historical and interesting read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, History, John B. Bury, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

In 1894, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) published two short collections of aphorisms: “A Few Maxims For The Instruction Of The Over-Educated”, in the Saturday Review newspaper, and “Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young”, in the Oxford student magazine The Chameleon. By turns witty, intellectual, counter-intuitive and obtuse, the collections came to be seen by many as emblematic of Wilde’s style, and countless collections of Wildean aphorisms have since been published. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Kids & Family

Tags: Aphorisms, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, humor, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Oscar Wilde, satire, Teen/Young adult

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, written in 1789, is the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano. It discusses his time spent in slavery, serving primarily on galleys, documents his attempts at becoming an independent man through his study of the Bible, and his eventual success in gaining his own freedom and in business thereafter. The book contains an interesting discussion of slavery in West Africa and illustrates how the experience differs from the dehumanising slavery of the Americas. The Intereresting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is also one of the first widely read slave narratives. This work was produced to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, science, The African, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

An autobiography of Helen Keller published when the author was still in her early 20’s. The narrative reveals how her mind developed and matured until she began her studies at Radcliffe College

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, Helen Keller, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, science, The Story of My Life

The Communist Manifesto was conceived as an outline of the basic beliefs of the Communist movement. The authors believed that the European Powers were universally afraid of the nascent movement, and were condemning as “communist,” people or activities that did not actually conform to what the Communists believed. This Manifesto, then, became a manual for their beliefs.In it we find Marx and Engel’s rehearsal of the idea that Capital has stolen away the work of the artisan and peasant by building up factories to produce goods cheaply. The efficiency of Capital depends, then, on the wage laborers who staff the factories and how little they will accept in order to have work. This concentrates power and money in a Bourgeois class that profits from the disunity of workers (Proletarians), who only receive a subsistence wage.If workers unite in a class struggle against the bourgeois, using riot and strikes as weapons, they will eventually overthrow the bourgeois and replace them as a ruling class. Communists further believe in and lay out a system of reforms to transform into a classless, stateless society, thus distinguishing themselves from various flavors of Socialism, which would be content to have workers remain the ruling class after the revolution.The Manifesto caused a huge amount of discussion for its support for a forcible overthrow of the existing politics and society. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Economics/Political Economy, free audio books, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, The Communist Manifesto

Published in 1912, The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell is one of his most popular books. It renders philosophical issues and questions in a way in which they become relevant and accessible to the man or woman on the street, provoking them to devote time and effort into thinking about these aspects of life. Here, the great philosopher and humanist thinker Bertrand Russell examines the importance of empirical (that which can be verified by observation or experience rather than deduced from logic or reasoning) thinkers like David Hume and George Berkeley the Anglo-Irish philosopher and scientist. Both these men were proponents of empiricism and idealist philosophies. The book also holds great relevance for us in today’s world. Our education systems today focus largely on making us ready for employment. There are very few courses which delve into the inner workings of our minds and help us to engage with the fundamental aspects of our lives. In The Problems of Philosophy, Bertrand Russell presents readers with some of the issues that philosophers have grappled with throughout the ages. He then presents these through his own viewpoints and breaks them down to their core principles. Most Western and Eastern philosophical questions have been centered around the issues of personal and public experiences, identity, the consciousness of self and the awareness of others, time and space relationships and finally the question of knowledge itself. In The Problems of Philosophy, Russell describes in detail one of his most famous theories of knowledge, the distinction between “knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description.” He argues that anything which is known through means of a direct causal experience is fundamentally different (and perhaps superior) to knowledge gained through secondhand descriptions and through the reports of other people. In today’s Age of Information, knowledge by description is often mistaken for “true knowledge” and many of us proceed on the premise that such knowledge is indeed the truth. Russell was a philosopher who believed in the dynamism and evolution of thought. He frequently revised his positions on fundamental issues throughout his life, moving from liberalism to socialism. He was also a famous pacifist and prominent anti-war, anti-imperialism activist. Imprisoned for his views on the evils of World War II, he was also an outspoken critic of Hitler and Stalin. He strongly condemned the actions of the United States in the Vietnam War and lent his voice to support nuclear disarmament. The Problems of Philosophy examines the questions that lie deep in the hearts and minds of all human beings and provides a compassionate yet objective attempt at finding the answers to some of them.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Bertrand Russell, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, The Problems of Philosophy

The Koran (Qur’an) is regarded by Muslims as the word of God (Allah) as revealed to the prophet Muhammad. It is divided into 114 chapters (surahs), arranged roughly by length. This version, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, is a widely used English translation of the Koran by a Muslim Englishman. Many Muslims, however, including Pickthall, believe that true translations of the Koran from the original Arabic are impossible, and see translations into other languages only as useful interpretations.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, religion, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, Unknown

YOU NEED THIS PODCAST IN YOUR LIFE! In every show, I will take a book that has a lot to give and then dig deep into the best gems in an entertaining and fast-paced show. It’s part book review, part variety show, and all fun! If you’re big into books, love learning new things, and you’re always looking for something to read, let this show take you where you want to go!

Categories: Education

Tags: Authors, book review, Books, Education, fiction, learning new things, Non-fiction, rating, self help, Self-Improvement, Tom, what's tom reading

More than two thousand years ago, the great Greek philosopher Socrates was condemned to death for making seditious comments against the city state of Athens. His followers and disciples were legion. Ranging from Xenophon, the mercenary warrior and historian of the Peloponnesian War to the scholarly Plato, Socrates was described as the conscience-keeper of the nation, or the “gadfly” who would not let the massive machinery of the state rest in complacence. The Apology of Socrates by Plato was thought to have been written following Socrates trial and death in 399 BC. It is one of many such accounts of this infamous trial. It is only through the Apology that we are today able to learn more about this most venerable Greek philosopher, Socrates, as he left very little written work himself. As a teacher and mentor to hundreds of young students, his thoughts and ideas were conveyed mostly through oral teachings. His method of teaching was though a series of dialogues with his students and he never lectured to them. One of his most famous quotes, “The unexamined life is not worth living…” forces us to introspect on our own motives and desires. In the Apology, Plato describes the trial in detail and also Socrates defense of his every word, deed and action. He describes how he was inspired to conduct his search for the truth by the Oracle at Delphi and the consequent discovery that there were no wise men in this city. He considered it his duty to awaken the conscience of those in power. Straddling the thin line between philosophy and literature, the Apology is a brilliant and thought-provoking work, which examines themes like freedom of speech that are still plaguing our consciences today. It also teaches us that knowledge and humility should go ever hand in hand. A deeply engrossing and inspiring work for every generation to read and ponder over.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Plato, The Apology of Socrates

The expedition was given the grand title of The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Due to be launched in 1914, two ships were to be employed. The first, the lead vessel, fittingly named the Endurance was to transport the team to the Weddell Sea from where the great explorer Ernest Shackleton and five others would cross the icy wastes of Antarctica on foot. The second ship, the Aurora was to approach the continent from the other side and put down supplies at various points to help the explorers. The nearly 3000 km expedition was funded largely on the strength of Shackleton’s formidable reputation. Many private individuals contributed along with some funds from the British government. However, the shadow of war was looming across Europe. The expedition also included more than 70 dogs who were kept in the charge of an experienced veterinary doctor. However, the Endurance soon ran into problems. Within a month of its departure, it hit an ice floe and was completely trapped in frozen ice. It began to drift northwards, dashing Shackleton’s hopes of an early culmination. South! The Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Ernest Shackleton is a brilliant portrayal of this doomed enterprise told by the leader himself. What makes the book so interesting is Shackleton’s own matter of fact courage and his extreme sense of responsibility for his crew. The book which was published long after the actual events took place, was released just a year before Shackleton’s death. His physical and mental health were completely broken and the outbreak of war had also taken its toll. Though he suffered from serious ill-health, he insisted on being conscripted and also undertook several diplomatic missions on behalf of the British Government. He was an extremely charismatic figure, worshipped by his crew members and deeply admired by statesmen like Winston Churchill. He died of a heart attack in the South Georgia Islands near South America and he was buried there on the request of his wife. This was indeed a fitting end to his life, “on a island far from civilization, surrounded by stormy tempestuous seas and in the vicinity of one of his great exploits,” as his physician noted in his personal diary. South… is mainly compiled from the logs of the Endurance and the Aurora, with plenty of observations and descriptions by Shackleton himself. The harsh and terrible beauty of the snowy continent are wonderfully and passionately described. For readers who love the drama of an expedition to the least known ends of the earth, led by a figure of such heroic proportions, this is indeed a great read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, art, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Ernest Shackleton, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, science, Sea stories, South! The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917, travel