July 22, 2010

Free Conservative Speeches & Lectures

If you are looking for audio and video resources with a right-leaning political perspective, look no further than this list of 20 free conservative speeches and lectures. For years we’ve been showcasing hundreds of free audio & video resources as a part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails, and from these we’ve whittled it down to the best material in our database, including archival recordings from past Republican National Conventions and some of Ronald Reagan’s best speeches. You’ll also hear from leading conservative thinkers, such as Dinesh D’Souza, Milton Friedman, Andrew Sullivan, Condoleezza Rice, and many others with strong opinions on how the country should be led. Whether you wish to learn more about America’s rich history of conservatism, or want to get an idea of where Republican leadership is headed in the 21st century, we think the links below will get you on your way:

1. A Time for Choosing (aka “The Speech”) by Ronald Reagan

Listen to this famous speech delivered by Ronald Reagan during the 1964 U.S. presidential election campaign on behalf of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater. In the speech Reagan delivers a powerful message against socialism and the expanding influence of the U.S. government in many sectors of American life. He also presents his case for using “peace through strength” to win the Cold War and defend democratic freedom against the expanding communism of the Soviet Union. This speech contains the backbone of Reagan’s political philosophy which he carried out as president into the 1980s. The speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio through American Rhetoric.

2. The Role of Government in our Society with Milton Friedman

The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 94. Listen to a historical debate between Friedman and Democratic Senator Joseph S. Clark recorded in the early 1960s. Friedman comes through loud and clear in advocating his belief in laissez-faire capitalism and the disadvantages of government intervention. Friedman’s ideas on economics have become highly influential in America and throughout the world. This debate is available on MP3 digital download and streaming audio from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. (The audio is a little rough at the start of this recording, but it improves and is understandable.)

3. 1964 Republican National Convention Address by Barry Goldwater

In this classic Republican speech, 1964 Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater lays forth many of the principles of modern conservatism. Goldwater is especially adamant in his stance for use of force against Communism with his statement “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice”. He also confronts bureaucracy and centralization of government power as major problems facing the politics of his day. This speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

4. Is This Still the Age of Socialism? by Alan Charles Kors

In this lecture from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, award-winning professor and historian Alan Charles Kors delivers an impassioned denouncement of socialism and ponders why the United States and other liberal democracies do not denounce socialism with the same fervor that is used in attacking Nazism. Professor Kors points out the atrocities of socialist and communist regimes throughout the 20th century and how they cost many more innocent lives than Hitler’s Nazi government. He feels it is appalling that the crimes of Communist regimes are not taught along side the crimes of the Nazis in schools, and that the collapse of Communism is not commemorated with the same reverence as the victory over Nazi Germany. This lecture is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

5. Conservatism by Karl Rove

In this speech from the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs, Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove addresses the Twenty-First Annual John M. Ashbrook Memorial Dinner and lays out the accomplishments of the modern conservatism movement. Delivered in early 2005, shortly after the re-election of President George W. Bush, Rove speaks a lot about the character of President Bush. Rove also lays forth some of the areas which he feels conservatives must push forward on such as spreading liberty, reforming welfare and social security, and committing to traditional conservative values. This hour-long streaming audio program is available from the Ashbrook Center.

6. Why America Is So Great by Dinesh D’Souza

Listen to Dinesh D’Souza’s lecture “Why America Is So Great”, as he discusses why he feels America is a great nation, and he defends the nation against its many critics around the world. This lecture is a brief introduction to D’Souza’s book What’s So Great About America. This 17 minute lecture is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

7. Winning the Cultural War by Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston delivers this dramatic speech against the political correctness that he feels is creating a new civil war in the United States. He cites extreme examples of the madness of our times and encourages students to practice civil disobedience against the oppression of political correctness that is plaguing our culture. This speech is available from American Rhetoric on streaming audio and MP3 download.

8. Decadence: Ancient and Modern by Russell Kirk

In this online audio lecture, Russell Kirk, author of The Conservative Mind, compares the decadence of our time to the decadence of the Greek and Roman civilizations that preceded us. Kirk tosses in a plethora of references to ancient cultures and it’s an amusing and interesting lecture.

9. In Depth: Francis Fukuyama

In this interview with political philosopher and author Francis Fukuyama, he discusses many of his books including America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy. Much of the discussion is over Iraq which Fukuyama opposed and he has since openly criticized Neoconservatives even though Fukuyama is a conservative himself. He fields many questions from callers across the political spectrum. This free interview is available on streaming video.

10. Shelby Steele on Why Barack Obama Cannot Win

Even though Barack Obama did win, author Shelby Steele provides some interesting criticisms of Obama and of the issue of race in America. In this talk delivered at Cody’s Books, author Shelby Steele talks about his book A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can’t Win. Steele contends that presidential candidate Barack Obama is a politician unto which people are projecting all of their various political hopes, but that Obama is not expressing his true convictions and if he does so, he risks losing the election. As a black conservative author, Steele points out the various masks that African-Americans have worn throughout the past century for white Americans and argues that Obama is also wearing the mask of a “black identity”. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

11. The Conservative Soul by Andrew Sullivan

In this talk offered by the Cato Institute, blogger and author Andrew Sullivan discusses his book The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back. Known as a gay, Roman Catholic conservative, Sullivan confronts the conservatives in power today warning against the religious certainty on which their policies are often based. Political commentator David Brooks has read Sullivan’s book and gives a brief critique of it, noting that religion in the United States is not as uniform as Sullivan proposes. Listen to this talk available on streaming video from FORA.tv, and on MP3 download through the Cato Institute website.

12. Intellectuals Then and Now with Norman Podhoretz and Sanford Pinsker

In this streaming audio presentation from Boston University’s World of Ideas show, noted speakers Norman Podhoretz and Sanford Pinsker discuss the historical role of the intellectual in American society. Starting in 1952 and going to the present, these speakers explain how America became more hospitable in the post-war years to its artists and scientists. Both lecturers give arguments on how these intellectuals in turn have responded to America, and how their influence has shaped modern culture.

13. Condoleezza Rice at Princeton

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered this keynote address at the 75th Anniversary of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. She puts the contemporary issues of foreign policy within the context of American history, especially in relation to post-World War II foreign policy and the Cold War. Rice affirms her conviction that the quest for democratic governance and political freedom in the Middle East is a continuation of the ideals exercised throughout American history. This address is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the University Channel.

14. Federalist Society Audio Podcast

Listen to dozens of podcast from the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. These podcasts examine legal and political issues from a conservative or libertarian viewpoint with panels of diverse opinions addressing the issues. Currently on the feed you’ll find podcasts covering direct democracy, property rights, religion and the public square, America’s role in the world, morality & the law, controversies involving lawyers and attorneys, gay marriage, voting rights, and a whole lot of other issues. You’ll also be able to hear addresses from prominent conservatives such as Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Clarence Thomas, and many others. Listen to and download these free podcasts from the Federalist Society.

15. Is Manliness A Virtue? by Harvey Mansfield

Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield delivers a talk that is sure to get you thinking about the role of manliness in our society. Just as feminism has been studied and had a profound influence in the world particularly in the last half century, so too Mansfield believes that the virtue of manliness should be studied to determine what it characteristically is and is not. This lecture is available from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and is available as on streaming audio and video as well as MP3 download.

16. Hollywood and the Three Lies by Michael Medved

In this streaming audio lecture released by the Ashbrook Center, film critic Michael Medved explains the three lies that he feels Hollywood has foisted onto American culture. He argues that the films produced in Hollywood reflect values that run counter to that of most Americans. Medved does feel this problem can be remedied, but this change can only come about if more audience members said “no” to something they don’t like.

17. Faith in America Address by Mitt Romney

In this speech which former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney delivered at The George Bush Presidential Library on December 6, 2007, he focused on the role of religion in American life and politics. Romney speaks of the importance of religious freedom as being essential to American life. He talks about his own Mormon faith, emphasizing that as president he is not in office to promote any one faith, but to be the voice of the people he is representing. This address is available from American Rhetoric on MP3 download and on streaming audio & video.

18. George W. Bush: Farewell Address to the Nation

Listen to President George W. Bush’s Farewell Address to the Nation which he delivered last Thursday, January 15, 2009. In the speech President Bush refers to many of the major events which happened during the eight years that he was Commander in Chief. He talks about some of the tough decisions he made and the sacrifices that were made over the past seven years to defend America from another terrorist attack. And President Bush emphasizes that America must lead the cause of freedom abroad and never let down its guard. This 13-minute speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio & video.

19. Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity by John Stossel

In this book forum from the Cato Institute, John Stossel (Co-Anchor of ABC’s 20/20) discusses his latest book Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel-Why Everything You Know is Wrong. In his entertaining, no-nonsense style Stossel advocates opening up K-12 education to the free markets because he feels American public schools are falling behind the rest of the world and competition would give school systems the necessary kick they need to get America’s schools back on top. This audio program is available on MP3 download as well as streaming audio and video.

20. 1980 Republican National Convention Acceptance Address by Ronald Reagan

The Republican National Convention is going on this week. Listen to Ronald Reagan’s address at the 1980 Republican National Convention. He confronts the major issues of his day including the energy crisis and the stagnant economy, and he offers his conservative ideas for resolving these issues. Reagan also addresses the threat of the Soviet Union and what his foreign policy platform is in regards to the Soviet Union. He ends his speech with a moment of silent prayer. This speech is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from American Rhetoric.

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.

July 15, 2010

Top 50 Free Audio & Video Resources from the Past Year

At LearnOutLoud.com we’ve been offering our Free Resource of the Day Email for four years now highlighting the best free audio & video you can learn from with over 1000 free resources featured. From this fourth year of free resources we made a list of the top 50 free resources which we’ve covered in our daily emailings.

And now here is the entire top 50 list of free audio & video resources with reviews counting down from number 50:

50. Richard Dawkins: The Universe is Queerer Than We Can Suppose

In this mind-bending lecture from TED.com, biologist Richard Dawkins examines the universe from the standpoint of contemporary science and finds that our universe is much stranger than we are capable of supposing. He provides many examples in the biological world about how assumptions such as a rock being solid and our bodies being the same throughout our life are incorrect. Stretch your perspective with Dawkin’s case for “thinking the improbable”. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

49. The Inner Life of Democracy

In this talk from the WGBH Forum Network, the late author & activist Howard Zinn discusses his optimistic view of the future of American democracy and how activism by the people can lead to positive change. Zinn points out some of his heroes throughout history that have spoken truth to power. This talk serves as a brief summation of the ideas of the late Howard Zinn as he urges people to get involved in their democracy. It is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

48. PM Dreamtime Session

Listen to this 22-minute visualization & relaxation process for winding down in the evening from Dr. Patrick Porter. Combined with soothing music, this audio program is a great way to relax at end of the day. This free audio download was published through our TeachOutLoud service and is available on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com. Check out Over 20 Downloads by Dr. Patrick Porter, which he has published through our TeachOutLoud service.

47. Critical Condition: Health Care in America

In this hour-long lecture from the Chautauqua Institution, award-winning investigative journalists Donald Barlett & James Steele offer their findings on the current state of the American health care system. They present the data of how America is behind almost every major developed nation in terms of its health care rank, and yet Americans spend more than almost every major developed nation for their health care. Barlett & Steele conclude that the reason for this is that a for-profit health care system contains many factors that work against affordable, quality health care for all and they mention dozens of examples of irrational, profit-driven motives at work in the system. They propose a single payer health care plan like most other developed nations have, but they acknowledge that the prospects for such a plan are bleak when $2 trillion are at stake and the health insurance lobby is the largest in Washington. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download through FORA.tv.

46. 25 Life Purpose Lessons from Sounds True

Just in time for the New Year, 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 into 2010 with vision & motivation. They’ve thoughtfully divided these lessons up into three sections.

45. The Life of Charles Darwin

In this lecture professor Chandak Sengoopta discusses the life of Charles Darwin covering the major events in Darwin’s life including his voyage on the HMS Beagle and his eventual publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859. Professor Sengoopta covers a lot of Darwin’s life in a short amount of time while providing many interesting facts about the man whose theory of evolution by natural selection revolutionized biology and greatly affected many other areas of society from the late 19th century up to the present day.

44. The Soul in Depression

Listen to this podcast from American Public Media’s Speaking of Faith program covering the topic of depression. Nearly ten million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression, and if you have experienced depression or know someone who has then this audio program is a helpful resource covering the spiritual side of depression. In this podcast host Krista Tippett interviews author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression Andrew Solomon, Quaker author & activist Parker Palmer, and poet Anita Barrows about their experiences with depression. Each author discusses some of the life-affirming, spiritual qualities that can come from someone who has survived a bout of depression. This podcast is available on MP3 download and streaming audio from the Speaking of Faith website.

43. Hiroshima and the Origins of the Cold War

In this lecture professor David Painter discusses the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 during the World War II. Professor Painter establishes how the groundwork for nuclear warfare was established by President Franklin Roosevelt. He then provides reasons why the new President Harry Truman decided to use nuclear weapons against Japan, and provides some criticisms that have been brought forward since then which argue that dropping the atomic bomb was not necessary and was not for the purpose of winning the war against Japan. In the aftermath of dropping the bomb, professor Painter shows how it created the origins of what would come to be known as the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

42. Learn French with Alexa Podcast

Learn French with Alexa is a fun french-language learning series of Podcasts designed for absolute beginners. With an enthusiastic style, Alexa bring 15 years of experience to a system that starts with hello and goodbye and carefully moves students further into more advanced territory. If you choose to subscribe on her site after listening to these free episodes, you not only continue the lesson plan but also get access to video and text supplements.

41. Doris Kearns Goodwin on Learning from Past Presidents

In this short lecture provided by TED Talks, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explores what we can learn about life from the lives of the Great Presidents. In trying to balance work, love, and play, we see how the ambitious Lincoln was always trying to find respite in Shakespeare, and how Lyndon Johnson found it difficult adjusting to family life after the fast pace of the Presidency. Viewed through the prism of the Presidents, Goodwin demonstrates that even our most celebrated leaders had a hard time sustaining a balanced, happy life. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download.

40. Do What You Fear & Grow Stronger

Listen to 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. At the end of the podcast Greer recommends to get the audio book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers on LearnOutLoud.com (thanks Michael!) and to check out the wisdom he’s gained from PhilosophersNotes.com.

39. Understanding the French Revolution

In this lecture esteemed professor Donald M.G. Sutherland sets out to define revolution and how the French Revolution has in turn changed the definition of revolution. He then examines a number of the proposed causes of the French Revolution that have been debated since then. He concludes that no one could’ve predicted in summer of 1789 that in a few years King Louis XVI would be executed, over 16,000 people would be killed by the guillotine during the Reign of Terror, and that a military officer named Napoleon Bonaparte would rise to become the dictator and emperor of France.

38. 18 Self-Healing Exercises from Sounds True

Listen to 18 Self-Healing Exercises from Sounds True with their Guide to Energy Healing. In these exercises you’ll hear teachers such as Andrew Weil, Cyndi Dale, Caroline Myss, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and many more. Listen to Andrew Weil teaches his most powerful breathing technique for relaxation or to Shiva Rea as she leads a 20-minute yoga relaxation exercise covering the entire body. Enjoy these free self-healing exercises on streaming audio from Sounds True.

37. Einstein’s Creativity

Author Walter Isaacson summarizes the life of Albert Einstein in this 1-hour talk from the Aspen Ideas Festival. Isaacson’s book Einstein: His Life and Universe focuses on the creativity of Einstein which went far beyond the dry experiments we often associate with scientific practice. Isaacson attempts to present Einstein’s life and ideas in a way that is accessible to the layperson, and in this talk he comes very close to doing just that. It’s a great intro to Einstein. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming video from FORA.tv.

36. A Time for Choosing (aka “The Speech”)

Listen to this famous speech delivered by Ronald Reagan during the 1964 U.S. presidential election campaign on behalf of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater. In the speech Reagan delivers a powerful message against socialism and the expanding influence of the U.S. government in many sectors of American life. He also presents his case for using “peace through strength” to win the Cold War and defend democratic freedom against the expanding communism of the Soviet Union. This speech contains the backbone of Reagan’s political philosophy which he carried out as president into the 1980s. The speech is available on MP3 download and streaming audio through American Rhetoric.

35. Joel Osteen Audio Podcast

One of the most popular podcasts on our site is Joel Osteen’s Audio Podcast. Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church, the nation’s largest and fastest growing church in the nation. Pastor Osteen is also the author of the bestselling book Your Best Life Now along with numerous other inspirational audio books. Each week on the podcast Pastor Osteen delivers a half-hour sermon. Enjoy this podcast from Joel Osteen.

34. Global Warming in Earth’s History

In this lecture professor Michael B. McElroy introduces the worldwide experiment we have embarked on through the increase in global temperature. He covers some of the basics of global warming such as the greenhouse effect, the gases that contribute to global warming, and what creates the climate on Earth. He then puts humanity and global warming in the context of Earth’s entire history going back 4.5 billion years ago. He uses a calendar year as a reference for Earth’s history and places global warming at the last few seconds before midnight on December 31st. It’s an excellent introductory lecture for placing global warming in global history.

33. Jimmy Wales and Andrew Keen Debate Web 2.0

In this debate from the Commonwealth Club of California journalist David Ewing Duncan moderates a debate over Web 2.0 between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and author Andrew Keen. Keen brings up many interesting objections to Web 2.0 and its user-based sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, and Craigslist. He feels these sites are undermining the ability for creative professionals to make a living because they give everything away for free. He also criticizes Wikipedia because the authors are anonymous and he feels an individual author is required in order to evaluate their writing. Wales feels that Web 2.0 has contributed to a growing creative class and that while the new Internet paradigm has created disruptions in the economy it ultimately leads to a better knowledge-based economy and a better world. This debate is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

32. Benjamin Zander on Music and Passion

Lift your spirits with the power of classical music! Conductor Benjamin Zander shares his passion for classical music in this TED talk. While the statistics say 3% of the population are classical music lovers, Zander attempts to prove that we are all lovers of classical music. He takes listeners on a journey of what he calls one-buttock playing where the pianist is moved with the music and in turn moves the audience. He then plays a Chopin prelude and proves that nobody is tone deaf. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

31.Earth and the Universe

In this lecture Professor James Kaler puts Earth in perspective within the solar system, the galaxy, and the whole universe. He covers what makes a planet and the diversity of planets in our solar system discussing their size and their distance from the sun. Professor Kaler provides dozens of awe-inspiring facts about our solar system in this fascinating introductory astronomy lecture. This lecture is available for MP3 download on LearnOutLoud.com.

30. 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. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

29. Is This Still the Age of Socialism?

In this lecture from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, award-winning professor and historian Alan Charles Kors delivers an impassioned denouncement of socialism and ponders why the United States and other liberal democracies do not denounce socialism with the same fervor that is used in attacking Nazism. Professor Kors points out the atrocities of socialist and communist regimes throughout the 20th century and how they cost many more innocent lives than Hitler’s Nazi government. He feels it is appalling that the crimes of Communist regimes are not taught along side the crimes of the Nazis in schools, and that the collapse of Communism is not commemorated with the same reverence as the victory over Nazi Germany. This lecture is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

28. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow

Check out this TED talk from psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who authored the book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Csikszentmihalyi talks about how he became interested in psychology after World War II when he heard a lecture by Carl Jung. Csikszentmihalyi eventually began his psychological study of how average people become extraordinary which he attributes to the idea of “flow” when one become completely involved in an activity for its own sake. Csikszentmihalyi provides many examples of individuals who have tapped into this “flow” state. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

27. 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.

26. 21 Meditation Exercises from Sounds True

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. Listen to some of these great free meditations today!

25. Teddy Roosevelt

In this first lecture in a series touching on how the U.S. Presidency changed during the 20th century, noted historian Robert Dallek begins with his take on Theodore Roosevelt. In this concise biographical sketch, Dallek describes Roosevelt as the great president that arrived at the turn of the century, painting the portrait of a charismatic visionary that cast a long shadow on his successor, President William H. Taft. In this introduction, Dallek develops themes that run throughout the course, providing students with an unparalleled view of how modern America was shaped by the men that led it.

24. Anton Chekhov Select Stories Podcast

This podcast is a compilation of over 20 short stories written by the great Russian short-story writer Anton Chekhov. Most of the stories are fifteen minutes long or less, so you can listen to a number of them and take in the insightful moments in the everyday lives of 19th Century Russians that Chekhov captures. With classic translations by Constance Garnett, Marian Fell, and others, this podcast serves as an excellent introduction to Chekhov’s stories. They are all wonderfully narrated by Alan Davis Drake, and you can browse hundreds of other recordings by him at: http://drakesdoor.org/blog/.

23. Introduction to Macroeconomics and Microeconomics

In this lecture Professor Navarro talks about the basics of macroeconomics and microeconomics. He provides numerous real life examples about how both macroeconomics and microeconomics affect our personal and professional lives. Professor Navarro is able to articulate a number of economic principles in a clear and concise way that is relevant to everyday life. This lecture is available for MP3 download on LearnOutLoud.com.

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

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

21. Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Pluto Files

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses his newest book on Pluto’s recent demotion in this humorous interview conducted at the Los Angeles Public Library. In a style all his own, Tyson describes the uproar created when he helped demote Pluto to a new class of planetoid, even going as far as to cite letters from school children decrying his stance. He also goes on to answer many pressing (and not so pressing) scientific questions; including the role science has played in the Bush administration, and whether or not the world will end in 2012. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

20. Beyond Genre: Making Space for Greatness

Rick Rubin has produced an unbelievable number of hit records with talented artists ranging from LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys to Johnny Cash and Tom Petty. What’s his secret? Ken Wilber tries to get to the bottom of it in this interview from Integral Naked. Rubin provides some great insights into creativity that can be applied to artists in any medium. This title is being offered for free on MP3 download through our partnership with Integral Naked.

19. How to Speak and Write Correctly

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!

18. Sounds True: Insights at the Edge Podcast

Listen to the best podcast yet from the publisher Sounds True! In this podcast Tami Simon, Founder of Sounds True, interviews spiritual teachers, visionary writers, and living luminaries about their newest work and current challenges of their inner inquiry and outer contribution to the world. She interviews Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Tami asks him questions about his life as a peace activist. Other authors she interviews include Ken Wilber, Caroline Myss, Jack Kornfield, Geneen Roth, Dr. Ervin Laszlo, Sharon Salzberg, and more. Subscribe to this great podcast today!

17. The Foundations of Language

In this lecture Professor Michael Drout focuses on language as a whole and how it develops and is learned. He points out the amazing ability that children have for speaking and comprehending a language they are immersed in until they reach about six years old without having to “learn” the language at all. While the origins of human language are endlessly debated, he does provide some interesting examples of how languages develop such as through mixing of people speaking different languages in the case of Hawaiian Creole, and through the isolation of people developing different languages over time in the case of the over 850 indigenous languages spoken in Papua New Guinea.

16. 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.

15. Romeo and Juliet

In this audio lecture provided as part of the Modern Scholar Series, noted author and literary critic Harold Bloom provides his unparalleled analysis of Shakespeare’s tragic love story. Focusing his attenion squarely on the role Juliet plays in the drama, Bloom argues that it is her characterization and dialogue that marks the beginning of Shakespeare’s maturity as an artist. In this tale we see what may be the definitive portrait of a woman in love, and indeed, Juliet’s ability to find words for complicated emotions is a major reason Romeo and Juliet have become the romantic ideal. This lecture is available on MP3 Download from LearnOutLoud.com.

14. Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice VS. Malcolm Gladwell: What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce

In this free resource we’re featuring two free talks from TED.com because they fit so well together. Malcolm Gladwell and Barry Schwartz ruminate on the positives and negatives of having such as vast array of choices in our advanced capitalist societies. Do more choices provide us with more happiness or not? You decide.

Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice: Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, discusses some of the observations he makes in his book in this talk from the TED conference. He argues that the vast explosion of choices in advanced capitalist societies has led to increased paralysis in terms of decision making and ultimately decreased satisfaction. He provides a number of examples to back up his thesis that more choice and individual freedom is not always best. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

Malcolm Gladwell: What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce: In this interesting talk delivered by bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, he explores how the food industry went from looking for the perfect single spaghetti sauce recipe to a more diverse approach of creating a variety of spaghetti sauces to suit the desires of shoppers. He examines this trend through one of its main proponents Howard Moskowitz who used the field of psychophysics to create a variety of original sauces for Prego in the 1980s. Once this variability was proven to be successful it spread to the rest of the food industry, and Gladwell feels we are all happier for this increase in choices. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

13. What is Knowledge?

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.

12. The Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

You can now watch Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture on “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” in its entirety on YouTube. If you’ve not heard of this lecture it was a lecture delivered on September 18, 2007 by Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch who had been diagnosed with a terminal case of pancreatic cancer. In this lecture Professor Pausch talks about how to live your life through the many lessons he had learned in his quest for achieving his childhood dreams. With humor and upbeat energy, he also talks about the many ways in which he inspired his students to achieve their dreams, many of which he lived to see come true. Professor Randy Pausch passed away on July 25, 2008, yet this lecture continues to inspire millions through Pausch’s enduring lessons about life.

11. The Novella Podcast

We’ve recently launched a new podcast called The Novella Podcast. It will feature one audio book at a time that is longer than a short story, but shorter than your typical novel. In the past we’ve featured on the podcast the classic German novella Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Please listen to and subscribe to our latest podcast so you don’t miss a novella!

10. A Beautiful Mind: Genius, Madness, Reawakening

Listen to the truly inspiring story of mathematician John Nash as told by the author of A Beautiful Mind Dr. Sylvia Nasar. In this amazing one-hour lecture Dr. Nasar tells of the rise of John Nash as a genius in mathematics and his eventual downward spiral into paranoid schizophrenia which was followed by an amazing resurgence from his mental illness in his later years culminating in winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. It’s a remarkable story and a must-watch lecture if you’ve never seen it before. Dr. Nasar delivers the story with clarity and heartfelt emotion. It is available on streaming video from MIT World.

9. CBC Radio: Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies in 9 Days Podcast

In this podcast from Canadian public radio, host Bill Richardson has nine conversations with the Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Bramwell Tovey about the nine symphonies composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. With a piano by his side to play certain sections of the symphonies, Bramwell Tovey breaks down each symphony into its specific movements and demonstrates the ingenious innovations that Beethoven brought to this type of musical composition. Tovey also tells the stories behind each symphony, including the famous Symphony No. 5 and the Symphony No. 9 with its “Ode to Joy” finale that Beethoven composed when he was completely deaf. This outstanding podcast basically serves as a free audio course covering all of Beethoven’s Symphonies.

8. 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.

7. Introduction to Human Anatomy

Learn about your body with this lecture delivered by Professor John K. Young on the axial skeleton of the human. Professor Young starts the lecture with some definitions of basic human anatomy terms. He then proceeds to cover the axial skeleton of a human starting with the cranium and proceeding down the spinal cord with many interesting tidbits along the way. Professor Young proves that studying human anatomy doesn’t require diagrams as we have our own human anatomical specimen right at our fingertips. He points out many of the bones along the way which you can touch while listening (just keep one hand on the wheel if you’re driving!).

6. Israel and Palestine After Disengagement: Where Do We Go From Here?

Listen to one of the liveliest debate we’ve ever heard between Noam Chomsky and Alan M. Dershowitz over ways to find peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been going on for almost a century now. These two prominent intellectuals have been writing on the conflict for a number of decades and it makes for a very engaging debate regardless of where you stand or how much you know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dershowitz argues that the Palestinians should’ve accepted the terms during the Camp David Summit in 2000, and that now is a critical time for reaching a peace agreement. Chomsky feels that the terms offered the Palestinians at Camp David were unreasonable and that a two-state solution should follow the ideas presented at the Taba Summit in 2001. The debate goes into many other areas surrounding maps, human rights, and terrorism, along with lots of interesting questions asked from the audience. This debate was conducted at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics in 2005, and it is available streaming video through Real Player on the University Channel website.

5. 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.

4. 12 Shakespeare Plays from Speak the Speech

We found a great 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. Thanks to Speak the Speech for informing us of their great audio dramas of Shakespeare’s plays!

3. 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. 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.

2. Introductions to World Literature

Download these outstanding, brief introductions to classic literature written and read by Peter Whitfield and offered on MP3 download from NAXOS AudioBooks. Derived from his book A Universe of Books, Whitfield offers glimpses of the significance of a number of classic literary works from throughout history and around the world. We suggest starting with his introductory essay “The Life of Man – The Life of Books” in which he argues for the importance of reading the classics in contemporary life. From there you can pick and choose from a list of superb intros that are sure to spark your interest into reading some of the all-time classics of literature. Enjoy these free introductions from best publisher of classic literature: NAXOS AudioBooks.

1. Free: The Future of a Radical Price (Unabridged) and Free (Abridged)

And how could we not make our top free resource of 2009 to be the audio book of Chris Anderson’s FREE: The Future of a Radical Price. Chris Anderson is the Editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine and the author of The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. In practicing what he preaches, Anderson and his publisher Hyperion are giving away his new audio book for free!

We’ve all listened to it here at LearnOutLoud.com and it truly is a fascinating look into the history of the free economy. Going back to the early 1900s he talks about how the creators of Jell-O boosted their product to worldwide success by giving away enormous numbers of free Jell-O cookbooks. He gives many such examples of how businesses leveraged “free” throughout the 20th century, and then examines when the free economy really took off in the digital age. Anderson explores free open source software, free Google products, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia, free classified ads on Craiglist, free music downloads both legal & illegal, and much more. He shows how the idea of free in the digital age has disrupted whole industries while at the same time creating a massive new “free” economy. Throughout the book Anderson explores countless ways that businesses are monetizing “free” in every industry. The audio book is a comprehensive exploration of the history, business, technology, and economics of “free”. You can download this audio book unabridged on iTunes, Audible.com, Wired.com, or right off our site as a podcast. And you can download the abridged version from the Hyperion website if you enter in your email address. Both versions are narrated by Mr. Anderson himself.

Enjoy these free resources and be sure to subscribe to our Free Resource of the Day Email.

June 30, 2010

Browse 150 LearnOutLoud Newsletters

We now feature 150 newsletters in our LearnOutLoud.com E-Magazine going all the way back to our first newsletter which we sent out five years ago in June of 2005. We have now renamed the newsletters so they’re easier to browse through and find what you are looking for. Throughout the newsletters you will find an impressive collection of audio books, podcasts, and free audio & video that you can learn from. Check out all our newsletters right here:

Browse 150 Newsletters in Our Archive

And we’ll also highlight a few of our most popular and most clicked through newsletters which you’ll want to check out:

Top 40 Free Audio Books on the Internet – The best 40 audio books we’ve featured in our free resource emails.

Thoreau’s Disobedience, Dr. Daniel Amen Audio, & TeachOutLoud Newbies – Psychology audio from Daniel Amen and newly self-published audio from TeachOutLoud.

Top 50 Books, Lectures, & Speeches on Audio – A top 50 list compiled from titles we’ve featured in our free resource emails.

Classics of Western Philosophy – Featuring the third volume of our popular philosophy audio books.

Learn About Famous Paintings on Audio – Announcing our unique audio book Art Masterpieces which features famous paintings along with commentaries.

Law of Attraction Teachers on Audio – Featuring teachers in the movie The Secret and other authors who’ve taught on the law of attraction.

Academic “101” Introductions On Audio and Video – Our Back to School Special with introductions to major academic subjects.

Download Think and Grow Rich & Other Napoleon Hill Titles – Showcasing the audio books of Napoleon Hill and the only version of Think & Grow Rich endorsed by the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

Audio Book Subscriptions – Offering 40 free audio books to subscribers.

World Religions Special – Featuring religion courses, Templeton Foundation audiobooks, and the top 20 free resources to learn about World Religions.

New Literature from NAXOs, 10 Free Lectures, 10 Free Debates – Featuring NAXOs classic literature audio, 10 free Modern Scholar lectures, and the top ten free debates on audio & video.

Ten Famous Speeches in American History – Featuring ten great American speeches, a free download of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and American classics to download.

Best Self Help Books from Simon & Schuster Audio – Classic and contemporary self development books with titles by Tony Robbins, David Allen, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Joel Osteen, Donald Trump, Thomas J. Stanley, and more.

Spiritual Courses from Sounds True – New downloadable courses from Sounds True along with free self-healing & meditation exercises.

Top 50 Free Motivational Resources – 50 great motivators from our New Year special along with downloads from Made For Success.

1000 Free Audio Books on MP3 – We celebrate our 5th anniversary and our 1000th Free Resource of the Day Email by featuring the best of 1000 new free audio books from LibriVox.

Audio Courses from UC-Berkeley and Modern Scholar – Showcasing 25 new free courses from UC-Berkeley and 8 new courses from Modern Scholar.

TeachOutLoud Free Stuff Section – Recently sent out newsletter highlighting over 700 free downloads and podcasts published through our TeachOutLoud section.

Enjoy the breadth and depth of audio and video learning resources in these 150 LearnOutLoud newsletters.

May 17, 2010

Free Pimsleur Downloads

A 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!

May 12, 2010

Free Audio Downloads Section on TeachOutLoud

Over 700 free educational titles have now been published through our self-publishing TeachOutLoud service. So we’ve now added a new section to our TeachOutLoud site devoted entirely to free audio downloads and podcasts that have been published there. You can now browse over 700 free titles in our TeachOutLoud Free Stuff Section:

TeachOutLoud Free Stuff

You can browse by all our categories. Here are the categories along with how many free titles we have in each category:

Arts & Entertainment (152 items)

Biography (11 items)

Business (110 items)

Education & Professional (90 items)

History (16 items)

Languages (27 items)

Literature (31 items)

Philosophy (38 items)

Politics (29 items)

Religion & Spirituality (170 items)

Science (15 items)

Self Development (231 items)

Social Sciences (25 items)

Sports & Hobbies (68 items)

Technology (22 items)

Travel (26 items)

To access this new free section you can now click FREE STUFF tab which is always at the top of all TeachOutLoud pages on www.teachoutloud.com.

With over 700 free titles to choose from we wanted to give you some guidance as to some of the best free titles we’ve discovered over the course of TeachOutLoud publishing history. Here are some the best free audio downloads on TeachOutLoud that you may want to check out:

Book Writing for Fun and Profit & The Book Author’s Copyright Protection by Brian Scott

Free Motivational Audio Book: Monday Again?! by Marquese Martin-Hayes (which has been download over 1500 times now!)

10 FREE Audio Downloads by Evangelist Ron Mitchell – Covering numerous aspects of Christian living.

Free Business Law Lectures by Prof. Jay Garrett with Texas A & M University – Commerce

35 Free Excerpts from The Laugh Makers: A Behind-The-Scenes Tribute To Bob Hope’s Incredible Gag Writers by Robert L. Mills

Ten Language Learning Podcasts from LingQ.com

15 FREE Audio Downloads by Michael Greer – Including numerous inspirational and motivational titles.

Destroy Your Self-Defeating Voice & Your Neuroplasticity Mindset by Raj Gavurla

Developing Emotional Power (Free Download) by Nationally Acclaimed Speaker John Santangelo

30 Wasted Years: A Journey in Self Motivation (Free Download) by Jeff Grundy

AM Focus for Free! by Patrick Porter, Ph.D.

PM Dreamtime Session for Free! by Patrick Porter, Ph.D.

Billy Brown And The Mystery Package for Free!

Over 30 Titles from Law of Attraction teachers Beth and Lee McCain including 20 free podcasts titles

Over 30 Free Titles from Lorman Educational Services including discussions of: Physicals: Should Physicians Know?, Fairness Between Departments with Different Standards, and Corporate Code of Ethics

Sweeney Todd Audio Tour For Free!

50 Audio Titles by Dr. Leslie M. Moore, as she teaches in the areas of yoga and metaphysical studies including 20 free titles.

The Science Of Being Great by Wallace Wattles; special edition put together by Michele Blood

Three Free Titles from Success Coach Steve Chandler: Desire, Freedom, and The Owner/Victim Choice

Dare to Live Without Limits and The Power of Attraction – Free inspirational downloads from author and motivational speaker Bryan Golden.

Free Hindi Scriptures including a 4-Part Audio Book of the Krishna Leela and a 6-Part Audio Book Valmiki Ramayana narrated by Prati Dhwani

Spiritual and Personal Growth Titles from Dr. Maurice Turmel including 2 free downloads

Free Personal Finance Audio from the Northern Trust Corporation

Sales success programs from Al Argo, including a free title The Think Thank Tank.

Albert Anderson on Human Nature & World Community – Free downloads on philosophical topics delivered by Philosophy Professor Albert Anderson

Meditatio Talks (Meditation Talks): To the Monks of Gethsemani Abbey by Fr. Laurence Freeman

Introduction to Your Mind (Two free guided meditations)

Two great free titles by professional freelance writer Brian Scott Go Ahead, Make Me Laugh! Comedy Writing and How To Plan A Home Office That Works For You

14 Downloads on Jewish Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Glick (Now All Free!)

Lisa Hendey on The Handbook for Catholic Moms (Free Download)

17 Downloads Including Over 10 Free Downloads from Life & Business Soul Coach Michelle Casto

Six Audio Programs by Robert Rabbin (Including Three Free Downlaods – He is the creator of RealTime Speaking and a renowned public speaking guru, message master, and communication strategist

Over 300 Free Downloads from Unleavened Bread Ministries! – A committed group of self-sacrificing Christians offering teachings to empower true disciples to walk in the steps of Jesus

Six Downloads (Including Three Free Downloads) by the Possibility Diva Kim Harris Including Free Downloads 7 Prosperity Principles and Best of Dialogues w/Kim

Two Free Meditations by Wellness Coach Patty McLucas: Body Scan and MBSR Meditation

15 Free Audio Downloads from Clear Web Services – with advice on SEO services, cost per click, web design and online marketing

Free excerpts from Free Trade Doesn’t Work: What Should Replace It and Why by Ian Fletcher of the U.S. Business & Industry Council

Hey que tal? Podcast – Free Spanish Lessons from Argentina by Pablo Apiolazza

26-Week Internet Marketing Plan Podcast – Host David Bain interviews successful internet marketers

WIN Without Competing! Podcast with Dr. Arlene Barro – author of WIN Without Competing! which explains step-by-step how to implement the Right Fit Method to achieve career success

Jennie HK’s Podcast where she encourages you to decide what your lifestyle priorities are first, and then craft a business that will enable you to live into those priorities – whether it is around your kids, a thirst for travel or simply being able to work from home

Kids Stories and Fairy Tales – The Palace of Stories Podcast

Managing Thought: Forward Thinking Gentle Reminders Podcast by speaker & author Mary J. Lore offering gentle reminders and advice on how to manage your thoughts in everyday circumstances

Untether.tv Video Podcast with host Rob Woodbridge featuring Casual Conversation with Mobile Industry Rock Stars

Heritage in Focus Podcast from the Heritage Foundation

The Art of Retouching Video Podcast – Host John Ross Conducts Video Tutorials of Adobe Photoshop Image Manipulation and Retouching

History of Japan Podcast – Cameron Foster leads a tour through the best and most important bits of Japanese history

Addiction Education Blog Podcast – Howard LaMere and Dr. Darryl Inaba on addiction education, recovery and addiction in the news

French Flashcard Podcast with host Lexis Rex

PhotoTips Video Podcast Hosted by Pro Photographer James Beltz

Two New Podcasts from the Meditation Society of Australia: Learn to Meditate Podcast and the Childrens Meditation Podcast

5 Podcasts on Dog Arthritis by Chris Durin

The Gnostic Podcast – Host Jay Forrest Proclaims and Explains a Modern Gnostic Christianity

Better You Radio Podcast with Professional Certified Coach Terri Zelenak-Hase

The Partially Examined Life Podcast – Philosophy Podcast featuring Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, & Seth Paskin discussing many different philosophers and their ideas

Live Wire! Radio Podcast – featuring music, scintillating conversations, sketch comedy and performances from the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, Oregon

Help! My Business Sucks! Video Podcast – with Andrew Lock helping entrepreneurs to “get more done and have more fun”

Law Advice Now Podcast – Free Legal Advice to All with David Sibert

Smart Simple Marketing Podcast by Marketing Consultant Sydni Craig-Hart

Little Things Matter Podcast – Todd Smith Teaches How to Improve Your Life One Thing At A Time

Think and Grow Rich Podcast

And we could go on and on with the fascinating free stuff that has been published. You can check it all out here:

Over 700 Free Audio Downloads on TeachOutLoud

April 23, 2010

Download Pimsleur Language Programs

LearnOutLoud.com is very excited to announce that for the first time ever you can download Pimlseur’s comprehensive language learning courses on MP3 audio download. We are now offering over 80 of their comprehensive Pimsleur courses in over 50 languages!

The comprehensive courses feature thirty 30-minute lessons along with a reading booklet and one hour of audio reading lessons for a total of 16 hours of language learning on audio. In just 30 minutes a day you’ll go from being a beginner to a proficient speaker of the language in about a month. And as you progress up each up each level you will become a fluent speaker mastering pronunciation, accent, and even cultural knowledge. The pricing for the comprehensive courses starts at $119.95, a full 65% off the CD list price of $345.00.

Browse all of the Pimsleur courses we currently have to offer. Most courses include the first unit of the course for free as an audio sample:

Browse Over 80 Pimsleur Language Learning Courses on MP3 Audio Download

Here are their most popular comprehensive courses to download:

Mandarin Chinese Comprehensive Courses:

Chinese – Mandarin I

Chinese – Mandarin II

Chinese – Mandarin III

French Comprehensive Courses:

French I

French II

French III

French Plus

German Comprehensive Courses:

German I

German II

German III

German Plus

Italian Comprehensive Courses:

Italian I

Italian II

Italian III

Italian Plus

Japanese Comprehensive Courses:

Japanese I

Japanese II

Japanese III

Spanish Comprehensive Courses:

Spanish I

Spanish II

Spanish III

Spanish Plus

And here are all the other comprehensive Pimsleur language courses we feature on audio download:

Arabic – Eastern I

Arabic – Eastern II

Arabic – Eastern III

Arabic – Egyptian

Chinese – Cantonese

Croatian

Czech

Dari

Dutch

Farsi – Persian

Greek – Modern I

Greek – Modern II

Haitian Creole

Hebrew – Modern I

Hebrew – Modern II

Hebrew – Modern III

Hindi

Hungarian

Korean I

Korean II

Norwegian

Ojibwe

Polish

Portuguese (Brazilian) I

Portuguese (Brazilian) II

Portuguese (Brazilian) III

Portuguese – European

Romanian

Russian I

Russian II

Russian III

Tagalog

Thai

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Here are all the ESL comprehensive courses we’ve added on audio download which are targeted at speakers of various languages that want to learn English:

English for Arabic Speakers

English for Chinese (Cantonese) Speakers

English for Chinese (Mandarin) Speakers

English for French Speakers

English for German Speakers

English for Haitian Speakers

English for Hindi Speakers

English for Italian Speakers I

English for Italian Speakers II

English for Korean Speakers

English for Persian (Farsi) Speakers

English for Portuguese (Brazilian) Speakers

English for Russian Speakers

English for Spanish Speakers I

English for Spanish Speakers II

English for Spanish Speakers III

English for Vietnamese Speakers

Along with the comprehensive courses, we’ve also added a number of their compact courses on download which cover the basics of a language in 10 lessons and feature a reading booklet along with an audio reading lesson. Here are the Compact Courses:

Albanian

Armenian Eastern

Armenian Western

Danish

Indonesian

Irish

Lithuanian

Swahili

Swedish

Swiss German

Twi

Start learning a new language today!

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

February 12, 2010

100s of Leading Thinkers on 10 Great Podcasts

Check out over a 1000 interviews and talks with 100s of leading thinkers on these 10 great podcasts featuring thought leaders from across the spectrum of ideas. For the past five years we’ve featured hundreds of podcasts as part of our Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these resources we’ve selected the top 10 best podcasts that feature an abundant amount of interviews and talks with today’s leading thinkers. Here are podcasts we’ve selected, along with some suggested audio books that we offer on download from authors featured in each podcast:

1. 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 four years of speaking events! Recent speakers include Timothy Ferriss, Simon Winchester, Arianna Huffington, Robert Reich, Andre Agassi, Deepak Chopra, Taylor Branch, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Noam Chomsky, Chris Anderson, Michael Moore, Christopher Hitchens, Madeleine K. Albright, and literally hundreds of other speakers with podcasts going back to 2006!

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.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
Supercapitalism by Robert Reich

The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss

The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever Edited by & with Commentary by Christopher Hitchens

2. NPR Series: Books That Changed the World Podcast

This podcast is certain to get you interested in some of the books that have had the most impact in global history. Grove/Atlantic published a series of books by prominent writers focusing on the most significant works of literature that introduced groundbreaking ideas and altered the course of human history. This NPR series features 30-minute interviews that were conducted over time with the authors of all these books on NPR’s Talk of the Nation program hosted by Neal Conan and featuring live callers from across the United States. In this series you’ll hear:

• Francis Wheen talks about Das Kapital and separates the ideas of Marx from the many applications of Marxism throughout history.
• Karen Armstrong discusses how The Bible has been used historically in the traditions of Judaism and Christianity.
• Christopher Hitchens speaks about Thomas Paine’s views on the rights of man, religion, and the revolutions of his time.
• Military historian Hew Strachan discusses Napoleonic military theorist Carl von Clausewitz’s On War and how it influenced much of military strategy going into World War I & II.
• Philosopher Simon Blackburn talks about Plato’s The Republic including Plato’s controversial arguments against art and democracy.
• Darwin scholar Janet Browne talks about Darwin’s theory of evolution and the significance of his book Origin of Species in science history.
• Islamic studies professor Bruce Lawrence talks about The Koran and tries to explain its many interpretations throughout history.
• Conservative author and satirist P.J. O’Rourke talks about Adam Smith’s 900-page tome The Wealth of Nations and some of the brilliant ideas that Smith came up with about free markets while living in a largely agrarian society.

Listen to these podcasts on Books That Changed the World!

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
On the Wealth of Nations by P.J. O’Rourke

The Qur’an: A Biography by Bruce Lawrence

Darwin’s Origin of Species: A Biography by Janet Browne

Plato’s Republic by Simon Blackburn

Clausewitz’s on War by Hew Strachan

Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man by Christopher Hitchens

The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong

Marx’s Das Kapital by Francis Wheen

Homer’s the Iliad and the Odyssey: A Biography by Alberto Manguel

3. We The People Stories Podcast

From the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comes this podcast featuring politicians, historians, journalists, authors, and other notable figures discussing issues related to the U.S. Constitution and other contemporary issues facing America. Each podcast is typically an hour long and features an interview or a panel discussion on a specific topic. Their podcast feed goes all the way back to 2004 with over 150 podcasts available!

Political figures featured on the podcast include Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, Bill Bradley, Justice Stephen Breyer, John McCain, Pat Buchanan, George McGovern, Justice Antonin Scalia, and more. Authors, historians, & journalists featured include Cornel West, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Brooks, Dinesh D’Souza, Tavis Smiley, Walter Isaacson, Dave Isay, Tom Brokaw, Ken Burns, Naomi Wolf, Jon Meacham, John C. Bogle, and others. There’s also a number of panels discussing various constitutional issues throughout U.S. history. Enjoy this podcast, loaded with capitivating talks from the National Constitution Center.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism by John C. Bogle

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The New American Story by Bill Bradley

4. Seminars About Long Term Thinking Podcast

From The Long Now Foundation comes this fascinating series of Seminars About Long Term Thinking. These dozens of podcasts with leading thinkers go back all the way to 2003! Podcasts on the feed include CEO Philip Rosedale talking about the game Second Life, Chris Anderson talking about The Long Tail, founder and president of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales speaking on vision, author Jared Diamond discussing his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, writer Bruce Sterling speaking about The Singularity, musician Brian Eno chatting with Will Wright (creator of the video game “The Sims” and forthcoming “Spore”), and dozens of other interesting podcasts on topics like climate change, human life extension, etc. Have a listen. Recent podcasts feature anthropologist Wade Davis, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, Michael Pollan, Niall Ferguson, Francis Fukuyama, Sam Harris, and Chris Anderson.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson (FOR FREE OF COURSE!)

5. TEDTalks Podcast

The TEDTalks Podcast features key talks from the TED Conference covering the latest ideas in Technology, Entertainment, Design, Business, Science, and other areas. Now on their podcast feed they feature podcasts going back six months and some of the leading thinkers they currently feature include William Ury, Jason Fried, Barry Schwartz, Bruce Feiler, David Brooks, and many more. They’re featuring new talks every week so you may want to subscribe to this one.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
Rework by Jason Fried

Getting to Yes by William Ury

The Social Animal by David Brooks

6. After Words – C-SPAN Podcast

Each week C-SPAN airs and podcasts their After Words program which features the authors of the latest nonfiction books being interviewed by journalists, public policy makers, and legislators. It’s a podcast worth subscribing to as they almost always have an interesting guest who’s recently finished their book pitted against an interviewer who often has opposing view points and isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions.

In past podcasts they’ve featured Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz on his book Freefall, Jane Goodall on her book Hope for Animals and Their World, Greg Mortenson on his book Stones into Schools, Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner on their book SuperFreakonomics, Peter Schweizer on his book Architects of Ruin, Chris Hedges on his book Empire of Illusion, and a number of authors talking about their latest works. After Words proves to be another brain-stimulating podcast from C-SPAN.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

Hope for Animals and Their World by Jane Goodall

War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges

7. 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. Currently on the feed they feature shows with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, comedian Sid Caesar, mind-body researcher Herbert Benson, and many other interested guests. Enjoy these free podcasts from HumanMedia.org.

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
The Breakout Principle: Maximize Creativity, Athletic Performance, Productivity and Personal Well-Being by Herbert Benson & William Proctor

When God Smiles by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

And we also feature over a dozen titles from the Human Media archive available on audio download:

Human Media Audio Downloads

8. 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. Their list of podcasts extends back to 2006 with over 200 interviews! Some of the authors interviewed include James Bradley, John Hodgman, Sarah Vowell, Naomi Wolf, 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, and David Maraniss. Plenty of podcasts to choose from!

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
The South Beach Diet Supercharged by Dr. Arthur Agatston & Dr. Joseph Signorile

Word by Word by Anne Lamott

The Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels

9. BMA: Black Media Archive Podcast

Listen to hundreds of podcasts from notable African and African-American speakers. The Black Media Archive Podcast has collected a wide range of multi-media including speeches, archival video, movies, music, and more. They feature speeches from Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, James Baldwin, Barbara Jordan, Ossie Davis, Langston Hughes, and dozens of other influential black leaders over the course of the past 100 years. (Note: They have quite a large podcast feed so it may take a moment for it to load on our site, but it’s worth the wait.)

Audio books by leading thinkers on this podcast:
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Voices of Black America: Historical Recordings of Speeches, Poetry, Humor & Drama 1908-1947

10. NPR: Fresh Air Podcast

NPR has been podcasting their popular radio show Fresh Air for free as a podcast for a number of years now and it continues to be one of the top podcasts in iTunes. Host Terry Gross has been interviewing persons in arts & entertainment and other fields for over 30 years now. Currently on the feed the podcasts go back two weeks and they generally feature 2-3 stories per episode with great interviews in each segment.

Enjoy this massive collection of audio downloads from leading thinkers!

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. Who knows what magnificent free audio & video learning resources we’ll dig up in the future.