March 31, 2011

Top 100 Free Downloads & Videos for Audio & Video Learning

At LearnOutLoud.com we’ve been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Email for five years now! We can hardly believe it. For five whole years we’ve been highlighting the very best free audio & video titles on the internet that you can learn from. And every year the stuff we discover gets better and better. So much so, that in the past year we found such a wondrous amalgam of free educational audio & video that we’ve put together a top 100 list of all the amazing stuff we’ve featured.

Before you dive into our top 100 free resources from this past year check out our “best of” lists from the past four years:

Top 25 Free Resources from 2006

Top 50 Free Resources from 2007

Top 25 Free Resources from 2008

Top 50 Free Resources from 2009

And now, counting down from #100 to #1, we present to you the greatest audio and video learning talks, lectures, podcasts, audio books, speeches, debates, courses, and much, much more from the past year:

100. The Social Contract

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

99. Robert Whitaker: Rise of Mental Illness in America

Journalist and author Robert Whitaker takes time to talk about his book Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America in this talk delivered at the Harvard Book Store. Whitaker shows how mental illness has been rising in America in the past 50 years despite the development of numerous psychiatric drugs to treat various mental illnesses. While Whitaker acknowledges that using these drugs selectively can be effective in the short term, he presents studies that suggest that many of these psychiatric drugs are not effective in curing mental illness in the long term. Going against the status quo of what psychiatry practices today, Whitaker shakes up many commonly held assumptions about treating mental illness and suggests ways of treatment that are more selective in regards to prescribing drugs and that have also proven to be more effective. His talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

98. What is a Star?

Professor James Kaler shares his genuine awe and lifelong fascination with the stars in this opening lecture. He describes what a star is and provides a lot of info about our closet star, the Sun. Kaler covers the colors, brightness, and sizes of stars, the history of stars, and the number of visible stars in our night sky. The lecture will help you put things in perspective in relation to our vast universe. This free lecture is available to download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com on MP3.

97. Tony Blair on A Journey: My Political Life

In this hour long interview presented by Forum Network, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair discusses his political career which he addresses in his new memoir Journey: My Political Life. This candid interview touches on his relationships with both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, his take on the current state of progressive politics, and why he took a hard-line approach to foreign policy in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Blair also gives some insight on what he thinks current leaders in the United States and Europe must consider in this new era of what he terms “low predictability”. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

96. Escape Self-Absorption through Positive Emotions

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

95. 10 Free Short Stories by L. Ron Hubbard from Galaxy Press

You can now get 10 free short stories by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard directly on LearnOutLoud.com on MP3 download. These free short stories are being offered by Galaxy Press, which publishes all the fiction of L. Ron Hubbard. These 10 stories span the genres of adventure, sci-fi, western, and fantasy and can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. Each story lasts 1 hour and is well narrated by actor R.F. Daley.

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

Dr. William Dement is one of the leading authorities on sleep, sleep deprivation, and sleep disorders. In the 1950s he was part of the sleep research team that discovered REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and connected it to dreaming. Since then he has founded the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University and authored numerous papers and books on sleep, and he teaches one of Stanford’s most popular courses called “Sleep and Dreams”.

In this one hour talk at Google, Dr. Dement presents many of the findings he has made throughout his career. He talks about studies that reveal that healthy sleep is key to high-level performance and productivity, and that the sleep debt of numerous nights without enough sleep causes significant reduction in the quality of performance of physical and mental activities. Dr. Dement also speaks about sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Learn more about something you do everyday with this enjoyable talk on sleep.

93. The Business Beat Podcast

The Business Beat Podcast features interviews with authors of the latest business book releases from Penguin’s business book imprint Portfolio. Each podcast focuses on a specific topic in business and hosts Courtney Young and Laura Clark interview a few authors that have something to say on the topic. Some of the authors interviewed about their books include author Bob Burg on his books The Go-Giver and Go-Givers Sell More, author John Jantsch on his books Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine, and CNBC news anchor Maria Bartiromo on her book The Weekend That Changed Wall Street. Also in each podcast 800-CEO-READ’s Jack Covert covers a classic business book from his own book The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. It’s an excellent podcast if you’re interested in learning more about the best business practices of today.

92. Online Personas: Defining the Self in a Virtual World

Did you see the movie The Social Network? Get to know what Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg’s real thoughts and motivations are regarding social networking. In this round table discussion at the Commonwealth Club of California Wired editor David Ewing Duncan moderates a panel featuring Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, former head of marketing for MySpace Shawn Gold, VP of Community Development for Second Life Robin Harper, and the founding CEO of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman. Delivered in 2006 when social networking and online personas were hitting the mainstream, this discussion covers a wide range of topics surrounding the implications of social media. All the panelists insist that these platforms are great ways to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. While Zuckerberg and Hoffman claim that their sites provide more efficient ways for relationship maintenance, the issue of addiction to these social sites and the possibility that they reduce productivity is also addressed. This discussion is an interesting starting point for considering what social networking actual means for humanity. It’s available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

91. William James: What Makes a Life Significant?

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

90. A Guide to Men: Being Encore Reflections of a Bachelor Girl

We thought we’d feature this funny little audio book penned in 1922 by American journalist and humorist Helen Rowland. In the book she offer 100s of truisms and witticisms about being single, falling in love, being married, getting divorced, and everything in between. She pokes fun at both men and women so the book can be enjoyed both sexes. The book has a running time of 1 Hr. 30 Min. and is remarkably well read by probably the best narrator Librivox has ever had: Cori Samuel. It’s available on MP3 download from Librivox.org.

89. Developing Emotional Power

This free 30-minute interview with NLP trainer John Santangelo was published through our TeachOutLoud service. Host Barbara Shiffman interviews nationally acclaimed speaker John Santangelo about how to develop awareness and control over one’s emotions. He argues that by identifying where in the body emotions are felt and by using neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques to alter the thoughts that cause emotion, we can develop our unique emotional power. Throughout the interview he quotes many inspiring motivational speakers including Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, and Brian Tracy. Download this interview on MP3 through LearnOutLoud.com.

88. Richard Dawkins on Militant Atheism

In this TED talk, Oxford professor and author Richard Dawkins calls for atheists to step forward and join forces against religions unquestioned dominance of politics and culture. Dawkins argues that the majority of intelligentsia are atheists and yet in American political and social life their voices are seldom heard because of their reluctance to stand up for atheism. Dawkins suggests some alternatives to the taboo word atheist such as agnostic, humanist, naturalist, and he finally settles on “non-theist”. Since 9/11 Dawkins feels it is time for all atheists to stop being respectful and to start being militant with their beliefs. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

87. In Depth: Temple Grandin

In this three-hour interview from BookTV’s In-Depth series, Animals in Translation author Temple Grandin discusses her autism and the wide spectrum of autism, and how she has used her insights into autism to help her relate to the inner worlds of animal. Her autism leads to hypersensitivity to noise and other sensory stimuli and she correlates it to how animals perceive the world through their senses. She talks about how she has used this correlation to improve animal welfare in the agricultural industry. In the interview Grandin also provides a host of insights into what it is like to live as an autistic person. This talk is available on streaming video from C-SPAN’s BookTV.

86. The Teachings of Lama Surya Das Podcast

Listen to this podcast from American-born Buddhist teacher Lama Surya Das. In these podcasts he focuses on the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism which seeks through meditation to reach a natural condition of the mind. Born and raised in New York, Lama Surya Das speaks fast and to the point in a fashion that isn’t what you’d typically expect from a Buddhist teacher. Through his direct style and clear teachings Lama Surya Das has become one of the key teachers of Buddhism in the West. Subscribe to this podcast today.

85. John Gray: Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice

In this talk the #1 bestselling relationships author of all time John Gray talks about his latest book Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice. This book focuses on how stress affects relationships and things that both men & women can do to manage their own stress and help out their partner. He goes into the importance of two hormones: testosterone for men and oxytocin for women. He explains how these hormones work to maintain healthy emotions in men and women and how couples can reinforce the production of these hormones in a relationship. He discusses many other differences between men and women and how knowing these differences can increase understanding for both sexes. This talk is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

84. What Was the Enlightenment?

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

83. John F. Kennedy Inauguration Speech 1961

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

82. Think and Grow Rich Podcast

In this podcast, TeachOutLoud author Juddha Fitzgerald introduces the basic teachings of the Napoleon Hill classic Think & Grow Rich. He provides his personal story of how Napoleon Hill’s book transformed his life. He also provides many quotes from the book which relate to the more recent phenomenon of The Secret. Download these intros to Think & Grow Rich on MP3.

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

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

80. The History of Literary Journalism

In this lecture Professor William McKeen discusses the history of journalism in America and specifically journalism which took on a literary quality of storytelling. Through his research Professor McKeen unearths journalism which resembles what would become the late 20th century art form of literary journalism espoused by authors such as Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson, and other creative nonfiction writers. The last half of this lecture focuses on Mark Twain and the literary merit he brought to his journalistic efforts. McKeen reads an extensive excerpt from Mark Twain’s amusing report on the state of journalism in Tennessee in 1869. This lecture is available on streaming audio and MP3 download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

79. Seth Godin on the Tribes We Lead

In this talk from the TED conference, best-selling business author Seth Godin shows how revolutionary business ideas have changed over time. Over the course of history we have moved from a factory model of business to a mass marketing model and now to a model based on tribes. A tribe model of business requires a leader who can connect all the people who are passionate about a specific product or movement and unite them to promote their passion. Godin provides examples of leaders who through the internet and other means of mass communication have arisen and created lasting change in business and society through the power of leading their tribes. This 20-minute talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download through TED.com.

78. How Words Can Change Reality

In this lecture Professor Michael Drout introduces rhetoric through the Speech-Act Theory outlined in John L. Austin’s influential work How to Do Things With Words in which Austin posits the locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary speech acts. Professor Drout provides examples of how these speech acts are used in everyday life to influence reality. He also shows how people misuse these speech acts to get what they want such as when politicians make promises about things they don’t have any control over. It’s an introduction to the world of rhetoric.

77. The 20th Century on Trial: Norman Mailer

In one of Norman Mailer’s last public appearances (he passed away a few months later in November of 2007), this acclaimed author talks about his complex relationship with America. He looks back at his own literary career and offers his ideas on existentialism. Towards the end of the interview German author Gunter Grass joins him in conversation and they discuss Adolf Hitler who was the subject of Mailer’s final novel The Castle in the Forest. In this interview Mailer conveys his sharp wit and clear insights that were with him until the end. This talk was moderated by Andrew O’Hagan and conducted at the New York Public Library. It is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

76. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

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

75. My Life with Paramhansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and yoga through his bestselling book Autobiography of a Yogi. In this lecture one of Yogananda’s direct disciples Swami Kriyananda talks about his spiritual path which led him to become Yogananda’s disciple in Los Angeles, CA. Kriyananda tells many stories and teachings which he recalls from the four years he spent with Yogananda until his passing in 1952. This talk is available on MP3 download from Ananda.org and on streaming video from blip.tv.

74. Quick History of Christianity from Jesus to the Crusades

If you’re curious about the Crusades, this lecture from professor Thomas F. Madden sets the stage for what became a 400 year war between Christians and Muslims over the Holy Land and between competing sects within these religious ideologies. This lecture focuses on the history of Christianity from its humble beginnings to its rise to prominence in the Roman Empire with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, the development of the Papacy, and the formation of the Byzantine Empire. It’s an informative lecture covering a lot of Christian history from the time of Christ to the start of the First Crusade in the 11th century.

73. Suze Orman at Google

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

72. Mental Efficiency

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

71. Marketing by Sharing

Jason Fried is the co-founder and President of web-based tools company 37signals and the author of the recent book Rework. He gave this talk at the Chicago Convergence conference about how companies need to stop hiding their secrets to success and start sharing the expertise knowledge they have about their field of business. He uses the example of chefs on television who give away all their recipes and cooking secrets, and who then become enormously successful. And he gives other examples of companies that have shared their knowledge to help market themselves instead of keeping their trade secrets behind closed doors. This talk is available on streaming video from YouTube.

70. A Spiritually Inspired Future: Chopra, Cohen & Huffington

This talk from the Urban Zen Foundation, features author Deepak Chopra, EnlightenNext magazine founder Andrew Cohen, and political activist Arianna Huffington discussing the role of spirituality in our current global situation. Chopra & Cohen describe how to bring together spiritual practice with active participation in working to create the change in the world that one envisions. Huffington adds her practical and political insights into how spirituality can be applied towards bringing about positive change. They also discuss the role of technology and its potential to connect people throughout the globe in uniting for common causes. This talk is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

69. Fitness Workout – Twin Peaks

Jump start your day with this free 20-minute workout from iDownloads2go.com. This workout features short bursts of exercises, including power walking, jogging, shuttle runs and star jumps. A motivational personal trainer guides you through the exercises with nice Latin music in the background. This excellent free MP3 download was published through our TeachOutLoud service.

68. Emerson and the Examined Life

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

67. The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions

Comparative religion author Karen Armstrong discusses her book The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions. In this book she explores the axial age of religion in which Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and other religions were laying their spiritual foundations. She talks about how focusing on compassion for all people became a central tenet of all of these religions. She quotes from many religious teachers of the time including the Buddha, Christ, Confucius, and others. This talk was delivered at Books, Inc. and is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

66. Rick Steves’ Britain Audio Tours Podcast, Rick Steves’ Italy Audio Tours Podcast, & Rick Steves’ France Audio Tours Podcast

Through his public radio and public TV shows and his numerous travel guides, Rick Steves has established himself as one of the leading travel authorities when it comes to Europe. He currently has three podcasts dedicated to Britain, France, and Italy which lead listeners on walking tours of famous sites. While the walking tours give directions for people who are going to the sites, they also can be listened to by anyone who wants to learn about famous places in Europe. The podcasts are enhanced MPEG-4 files which embed images of the various sites described in the audio tour. Each podcast also contains a PDF map. Note: Since the tours are enhanced MPEG-4 files it won’t play through our flash player so you’ll need to click “Download File” and then it should open in Quicktime. Or you can click over to iTunes to listen to the tours while viewing the embedded images.

The Britain tours cover the British Library, the British Museum, famous sites in London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Westminster. The Italian tours cover the Rome’s Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica, Jewish Ghetto, Trastevere, Ostia Antica, and Pompeii, along with Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Square, a Grand Canal Cruise, and Frari Church, and also Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, Accademia and Michelangelo’s David, and a Renaissance Walk. And the French tours cover a Historic Paris Walk, Versailles, the Orsay Museum, and the Louvre. Enjoy these free audio tours from Rick Steves.

65. The Surprising Science of Motivation

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

64. The Soul of Rumi: A Conversation with Coleman Barks

Listen to this discussion of the life and poetry of Rumi, the great 13th-century Sufi mystic. In the past 15 years Rumi has arisen as one of the most widely read poets in America, and one of the primary reasons for this is the English interpretations of Rumi’s poetry by Coleman Barks which have sold more than half a million copies. In this talk at the Grace Cathedral Forum the Rev. Alan Jones talks with Barks about the spiritual life of Rumi, and Barks reads a number of Rumi’s poems. This hour-long talk is available on streaming audio through Real Player.

63. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

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

62. The Buildup to World War I

Learn how the “The Great War” started in this lecture from Professor John Ramsden on the buildup to World War I. He talks about the rise of Germany as an imperial power which sought to rival Britain. Ramsden also describes the alliances that had formed at the dawn of the 20th century such as the Franco-Russian Alliance which the British would eventually join and the alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. As these alliances began to entangle, Germany saw itself as being threatened and when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in June of 1914 it lead to a series of events which triggered the world’s first truly global war. At the end of the lecture Ramsden examines which nation was most responsible for the war and he cites that most contemporary historians blame Germany.

61. John Selby: Tapping The Source Videos

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

60. How Cancer Begins

In this video lecture from MIT World, Professor Robert Weinberg gives a overview of adult cancer and how it develops over time. He charts the rise and fall of certain cancers in America over the past hundred years ago and attributes most of these changes to lifestyle rather than any genetic predisposition or environmental pollutant. He sees cigarette smoking and eating a high fat, red meat diet as the two most influential factors towards the rise of lung cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers in America. He shows that it is much easier to dramatically reduce the likelihood of many cancers than it is to rely upon any form of cancer treatment. Professor Weinberg also shows the stages a tumor goes through before they become malignant and develop into cancer. This lecture is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in how cancer develops and how one might take action to prevent it.

59. Authors@Google: Michael Lewis

In this video from the Google Talks, Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liar’s Poker, and numerous other books, discusses these works and tells interesting stories about how they all came to be. He also gives advice to aspiring writers (e.g. “Don’t be writer!”), and gives humorous anecdotes about how he stumbled in the profession. It’s an enjoyable talk with one of America’s most popular non-fiction writers. This talk is available on streaming video and video download through YouTube.

58. Asia Society President’s Forum with Thich Nhat Hanh

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

57. A Brief Biography of Thomas Aquinas

In this introductory lecture to the Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, Prof. Peter Kreeft provides a brief biography of a theological titan. Kreeft views Aquinas’ prolific body of work as an important bridge between Greek philosophy and the early western philosophers such as Descartes. Seeing no division between Faith and Reason, Kreeft describes Aquinas as a quintessential truthseeker who was willing to take from secular and religious sources alike in the formation of an inclusive philosophy that is still vibrant and alive to this day.

56. Dr. Dean Ornish on Healing

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

55. The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class

Check out this popular lecture from YouTube EDU featuring distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren. Delivered six months before the peak of the financial crisis, professor Warren sets out to explain why maintaining a middle class living is a much riskier proposition than it was 40 years ago despite the fact that women have entered the work force. She goes through the hard data of what Americans are spending their money on and sees financial debt, housing costs, and health care as major factors which have led to this age of financial anxiety for middle class families. This lecture is available on streaming video from UCTV through YouTube.

54. Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcast

Since 2005 a group at Stanford University has been podcasting talks from some of the most successful people in business and technology. The speaker generally gives an overview of their experiences as an entrepreneur along with advice for anyone looking to start a business. On this podcast you’ll hear from such thought leaders as former AOL CEO Steve Case, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, sustainability architect & co-author of Cradle to Cradle William McDonough, Former CEO of HP Carly Fiorina, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and people from Google, Yahoo, and dozens of other companies you’re probably familiar with. They have all their podcasts up on the feed going back five years. Learn from these successful business & technology thought leaders.

53. Herbert Benson: The Relaxation Revolution

Learn about the science behind the beneficial effects of mind/body relaxation! Dr. Herbert Benson is an American cardiologist, a bestselling author on health and well-being, and the founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In this talk Dr. Benson discusses his latest book Relaxation Revolution which details the science behind the benefits of relaxation practices such as meditation, yoga, and repetitive prayer. While traditional medicine focuses on surgery and medication, Dr. Benson explains that more and more studies are showing the significance of stress and the importance of relaxation when it comes to holistic mind/body health. This talk is available on the Forum Network on streaming video and MP3 download.

52. Essentials of the Supreme Court

In this introductory lecture Professor Kermit Hall lays out the basics of the Supreme Court from its origin in the U.S. Constitution. He focuses on how it developed from the limited early role it played in the United States to the powerful force it plays in American society today where it interprets the constitution and provides rulings on the legalities of major issues such as slavery, abortion, and more. If you want to learn about the Supreme Court or refresh what you might’ve learned in the past, then this lecture is a good place to start.

51. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation

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

50. Veterans Chronicles Podcast

Listen to the stories of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the first Gulf War on the Veterans Chronicles Podcast. Host Gene Pell and others do in depth interviews with veterans who participated in specific moments of America’s military history. The most recent interview is with Adrian Cronauer who was the inspiration for the hit movie “Good Morning, Vietnam” from when he served in the Air Force in the Vietnam War hosting a radio program on the American Forces Vietnam Network. Other interviews include members of the “Band of Brothers” who were documented by historian and biographer Stephen Ambrose and featured in an HBO series. The podcast also features documentaries on specific battles in America’s 20th century wars, and it showcases “Profiles in Valor” which are short interviews with decorated service members of today’s generation. It’s a great way to learn more about the veterans who have served the United States of America.

49. Roots of American Order

In this lecture from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, the modern “godfather of American conservatism” Russell Kirk talks about the tension between freedom and order that has always existed in America. He criticizes what he sees as the anarchic freedom taught in the universities of the 1960s, and how without a moral and social order this radical freedom leads to chaos. He also talks about the ideas of liberty which were established by philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. And he argues for his belief that “order is the first need of all”. Enjoy this lecture from the great conservative author Russell Kirk.

48. Alain de Botton on the Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Philosophical writer Alain de Botton discusses his latest work The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. For writing the book he surveyed ten different jobs and came up with many interesting observations about working in today’s society. For instance he found that much of the time at work people aren’t actually working, but that they are still working long hours. He also found that highly specialized work forces often perform the best, but when it comes to the individual they tend to lack a sense of meaning. Watch Alain de Botton make many more of these observations on this streaming video from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation available on FORA.tv.

47. A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

Learn how to hypnotize yourself and make positive changes in your life through the power of suggestion. This guide was written by self-help and inspirational book publisher Melvin Powers in 1961. Because it is more modern it includes a information on the medical uses of hypnosis which is now used in many forms of psychological treatment. Powers introduces his hypnosis to the newcomer interested in what it can do. He then gives detailed instructions on methods to achieve various levels of self-hypnosis. Listen to this unabridged four hour audio book on the methods and benefits of self-hypnosis. It is suitably narrated by Andrea Fiore and available on MP3 download from Librivox.org.

46. Leadership Podcasts from LeaderNetwork.org

We recently stumbled upon this podcast gem for those of you interested in leadership in any area of your life. Host Brian McCormick from LeaderNetwork.org conducts interviews with some of the greatest leadership experts in business today including Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, and Patrick Lencioni. He also interviews some of the all-time great coaches such as Lou Holtz and the late John Wooden who both provide a lifetime of knowledge about how they achieved success and inspired their teams. The podcast even features a lengthy excerpt from Earl Nightingale’s “Acres of Diamonds” audio program. Enjoy this excellent leadership podcast from LeaderNetwork.org.

45. Sebastian Junger on War

Bestselling author Sebastian Junger sits down with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert to discuss Junger’s book War and his Oscar-nominated documentary based on the book Restrepo. In the book and the film he chronicles a year in the life of a platoon in the Korengal valley in Afghanistan from June 2007 to June 2008. In this talk Junger tells many stories about the soldiers and their day to day experiences and the emotions they felt from the excitement of combat to the boredom and fear of waiting for the next attack. In his writings Junger tried to remain apolitical focusing solely on the experiences of the troops he was with. In the Q&A Junger does provide some his own personal beliefs about the mission that the troops were fighting and the Afghanistan war as a whole. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 audio download from the Forum Network.

44. 11:11 Talk Radio Podcast

Browse 100 podcasts on the 11:11 Talk Radio Podcast hosted by Simran Singh who also publishes the 11:11 Magazine. She interviews many key authors in the areas of personal empowerment. In a recent interview author and Inner Visions Institute founder Iyanla Vanzant talks about her book Peace From Broken Pieces. Iyanla tells some of her remarkable story about how she rose to be the guru from the ‘hood’ and about the healing process she recently went through after the death of her daughter.

Also on the podcast feed you’ll hear from Marianne Williamson who talks about her bestselling book A Course In Weight Loss. The feed gets cut off on our page but if you click over to iTunes you’ll find podcasts from authors like Gay Hendricks, Julia Cameron, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Sonia Choquette, Joan Borysenko, Thomas Moore, Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola-Estes, Sylvia Browne, Don Miguel Ruiz, Neale Donald Walsch, Debbie Ford, and many other living luminaries.

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

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

42. What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

William Powers: Hamlet’s Blackberry

Today we have two free resources about what the digital age is doing to our brains. One thing that probably no one thinks enough about is the effect that the internet and our wired lifestyles are having on our thought processes and our inner lives. In these two talks from the Forum Network two authors discuss their books which examine our relationships to the internet and the digital age. Nicholas Carr authored The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains and he argues that the internet is basically a medium of distraction and interruption that gives us bite size pieces of information that are sometimes important and often trivial. While the stimulation of being interrupted by the wide variety of information and entertainment the internet has to offer can be very pleasurable, Carr posits that it is leading away from the in-depth contemplation and reflection that the world of books has to offer.

William Powers argues many of the same points as he discusses his book Hamlet’s BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. Powers looks at philosophers such as Seneca and Thoreau who sought to escape the busyness of everyday life and he applies their thinking to our digital age. He talks about his family’s experiments with disconnecting from the internet on weekends and how stepping away from being wired has been a revelatory experience. Both talks are sure to get you thinking about your own relationship to the new technologies that our changing our world. They are available on streaming video and MP3 download from the Forum Network.

41. Oprah.com’s Spiritual Channel Podcast

In 2008 Oprah Winfrey launched a series of podcasts. Her first and most popular podcast featured Eckhart Tolle teaching a 10-part course on his book A New Earth. That podcast has since become Oprah.com’s Spiritual Channel Podcast and she continues to update it with interviews she conducted on her Soul Series on Oprah Radio and other spiritual audio programs from Oprah.com. Now on the podcast you’ll find hour-long Oprah interviews with spiritual teachers such as Wayne Dyer, Elizabeth Lesser, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Larry Dossey, Byron Katie, and many other teachers and bestselling authors in the field of spiritual growth. And of course the Eckhart Tolle 10-part course is still on the podcast. These podcasts are available on MPEG-4 audio & video and can be played through Quicktime or iTunes.

40. The World is Flat 3.0

New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas L. Friedman talks about the genesis of his book The World Is Flat and the core ideas in it along with some of the updates he made to the 3.0 edition of the book. He then gives examples of our “flat” world which he has encountered since he published the book. Friedman ends the talk with a call for a new green revolution which is the subject of his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded (at that time called Green is the New Red, White, & Blue).

39. John Lennon: The Rolling Stone Interview Podcast

John Lennon was assassinated 40 years ago. This podcast is an audio book on John Lennon unto itself. It’s a 2 Hrs. 30 Min. extensive interview with John Lennon conducted by Rolling Stone magazine founding editor and publisher Jann S. Wenner in December of 1970. Through the interview John Lennon answers questions about everything related to the Beatles and to his own philosophy on music and life. He talks about the breakup of the Beatles which happened shortly before the interview, the inspiration behind many of his songs, his dealings with the Maharishi, his experiences with drugs, and much, much more. Yoko chimes in on the interview too. Essential listening for any fans of The Beatles or John Lennon. Caution: John Lennon uses quite a lot of vulgar language in this one.

38. Authors@Google: Dr. Mark Hyman

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

37. Nietzsche v. Jesus Christ

In this lecture delivered at Stanford University philosophy professor and Christian author Dallas Willard looks at the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche and Jesus Christ in relation to our current worldview. He summarizes some of the core ideas of Nietzsche such as the death of God and the will to power and how they were exemplary of the trends in philosophy in the late 19th century. He contrasts Nietzsche’s thinking with the ideas of objective truth and the existence of a world created by God which have been the tradition of Christian thinking. He posits that no individual has ever found fulfillment through the practice of Nietzsche’s will to power and encourages listeners to take seriously the intellectual ideas of Jesus and find out if their truth applies to reality. This talk is available on streaming and downloadable audio & video from the Veritas Forum. To download the audio or video you must create an account on the Veritas Forum website.

36. Brian Greene on String Theory

Try wrapping your mind around string theory with this TED talk delivered by physicist Brian Greene. He starts the talk with the story of the German mathematician and physicist Theodor Kaluza who proposed that the universe might have more dimensions than the three-dimensional space apparent in of the physical world. This led much later to the attempt at discovering a unified theory through string theory and superstring theory which proposes 10 dimensions. Brian Greene ends the talk with describing some experiments which are being conducted that could lead to proving the existence of other dimensions. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download from the TED.com website.

35. Personal Development for Smart People Podcast

One of our favorite personal development bloggers is Steve Pavlina. His popular blog at www.stevepavlina.com attracts over two million monthly readers. He also has a podcast featuring over 20 episodes which address many different areas of personal growth. Pavlina does not believe in any quick solutions to personal growth and knows that it takes a lot of time and hard work to improve in any area of your life. In his first podcast he presents his own story of personal growth which began over 15 years ago in a jail cell when he was 19 years old. These early podcasts can be played at www.stevepavlina.com/audio. In recent podcasts that are on the podcast feed he talks about finding your purpose, achieving your goals, nurturing loving relationships, and more. Enjoy these free podcasts from www.stevepavlina.com.

34. The Future of Nuclear Energy

Get ready for a great debate on the future of nuclear energy in America. Andrew Kadak is an MIT Professor of the Practice of Nuclear Engineering and he argues that in the face of global warming we need to face the “second inconvenient truth” that in order to deal with global warming all non-CO2 emitting energy sources must be used, including nuclear energy. Victor Reis was the Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Energy and he argues in favor of growing nuclear power with recycling in order to reduce nuclear waste.

Allison Macfarlane is a Professor of Environment Science and Policy at George Mason University. While she acknowledges that nuclear power is a safe energy source compared to the perceived dangers it posed 40 years ago, she still feels that there are too many problems with nuclear power including what should be done with the highly toxic nuclear waste and also how to deal with the threat of developing countries attempting to acquire nuclear energy and nuclear weapons since the path to reaching them is basically the same. It’s an interesting debate on an important topic in the national quest to curb global warming. It’s available on streaming video from MIT World.

33. OSHO International Podcast

OSHO International features a podcast that has the teachings of the Indian mystic and spiritual teacher Osho. They only have one talk on the podcast feed currently but it is definitely worth listening to. The talk is entitled “The Attachment to Misery” and in the talk Osho expresses that people are attached to misery because it encourages other people to care for them and allows them to cling to their egos. He relates this to saints and ascetics who pursue suffering as a means of gaining respect. Osho thinks happiness and bliss are often unknown territory and that they often can lead to others being jealous of a happy person. Osho feels that creativity is happiness and in creativity a person breaks free from conformity of society. It’s a radical and amusing talk from this unique spiritual teacher.

32. Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate by Ronald Reagan

Listen to this famous speech from President Ronald Reagan delivered on June 12, 1987 in West Berlin, Germany. In this speech President Reagan makes an impassioned call for the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall which separated East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall had come to symbolize communism and the division between the Eastern and Western worlds during the Cold War. Reagan called for greater freedom and openness throughout the Eastern bloc and to end the arms race. Less than three years later the Brandenburg Gate was opened and the Berlin Wall had begun to be dismantled. This speech can be downloaded on MP3 and streamed on audio from American Rhetoric and can be watched on streaming video from C-SPAN.

31. Tim Ferriss: The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss presents some of the findings in his latest book The 4-Hour Body in which he used himself as a guinea pig to find out the fastest way to the best results when it comes to the human body. He talks about his diet & nutrition as well as his fitness best practices. He also covers how he dealt with insomnia and the impact of cell phone use on male sperm count (which generates a lot of questions in the Q&A). Ferriss also addresses some of the skeptics when it came to his first bestselling book The 4-Hour Workweek. This talk is available on streaming video from FORA.tv.

30. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

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

29. Change Nation Podcast

The Change Nation Podcast features interviews with leading experts and inspirational speakers about ways individuals can make positive changes in their personal and professional lives. Host Ariane De Bonvoisin talks with authors and speakers such as Les Brown, Gay Hendricks, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Tim Ferriss, Jack Canfield, Mike Dooley, David Bach, and dozens of other great teachers of change. Topics covered include getting orgranized, starting a business, finding a job, nurturing a relationship, getting fit, eating right, and much, much more. Ariane is an excellent host and many recent interviews are available as both audio & video podcasts. Definitely check out this podcast and you might also want to check out Ariane De Bonvoisin’s site: www.first30days.com.

28. America’s Changing Religious Landscape

In this insightful program presented on NPR’s Speaking of Faith, host Krista Tippet interviews historian Martin Marty about America’s changing religious focus. With a firm command of the subject based on years of research, Marty identifies where and when Protestant values became politicized, and how this gave rise to the modern fundamentalist movement in the 1980s. Marty’s carefully cultivated data reveals a country that is still quite spiritual, and a future that is difficult to predict now that religion has become so central to the national discourse. This program is available on streaming audio and MP3 download on the Speaking of Faith website.

27. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse

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

26. Jack Kornfield’s Dharma Talks

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

25. Frontline Audiocast – PBS Podcast

The PBS Frontline series are some of the best documentaries available on public television, but it’s often difficult to carve out time to sit down and watch them. Now Frontline has released a group of their documentaries as audio podcasts and they actually work really well as just audio. Since most of the Frontline documentaries feature talking heads interviews along with narration they don’t really require the visual component. Also Frontline has done the service of inserting audio of the name of the person who is talking before each interview. Each podcast runs about an hour.

In recent podcasts they cover topics such as facing death & life extension, the BP oil spill, a six-hour series on God in America, the rise of for-profit colleges, Obama’s health care deal, and a lot more. Superb documentaries that can now be listened to on-the-go!

24. Sugar: The Bitter Truth

In this popular video from YouTube EDU, Professor Robert H. Lustig attempts to explain the American obesity epidemic as being due to the rise of sugar and fructose consumption over the past 30 years. He examines the history of high-fructose corn syrup and how it has made its way into drinks like soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks, along with many foods. He goes into a detailed biochemistry explanation of how fructose is converted into fat, and why he feels fructose is a poison with many of the same effects of alcohol. Lustig links these findings to the childhood obesity epidemic since children are drinking more and more high-fructose corn syrup beverages. He closes by advocating the elimination of sugar beverages, the increase of fiber in the diet, and more exercise. Caution: After watching this video you might never drink soda again. Enjoy!

23. Healthy Living Radio Podcast

Browse over 400 podcasts covering just about every imaginable aspect of health! This podcast from the Cooper Aerobics Center and Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas features over 400 healthy living podcasts going to back to 2005. Many of them feature Dr. Ken Cooper, also known as the “father of aerobics”, who introduced the world to the concept of aerobics with his 1968 book Aerobics. Since that time he’s authored dozens of books and created the Cooper Aerobics Center and Cooper Institute for health and wellness research.

This podcast features numerous members of the Cooper Institute including Dr. Cooper, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, Dr. Abram Eisenstein, and Dr. Nina Radford talking about a wide variety of topics including cancer prevention, vitamins, exercise, weight loss, heart disease, depression, and many, many more health topics. They also interview a lot of experts on health. For example on Oct. 8, 2007 they interviewed Dr. John J. Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. And on Feb. 27, 2006 they interviewed Dr. Daniel G. Amen on brain health. Dr. Amen authored the bestselling book Making a Good Brain Great. So much amazing healthy living information on one podcast that we are embarrassed we haven’t featured yet!

22. The King’s Speech

The film The King’s Speech brought home the Oscar for best picture at the 83rd Academy Awards. It was truly the most inspirational film of the best picture nominees. In the film actor Colin Firth plays King George VI who had problems stuttering while public speaking, but with the help of a speech therapist, King George is eventually able to make a key speech at the declaration of war with Germany during World War II.

Today we feature the original recording of that historic speech available for free on MP3 download from Tantor Media. The speech is located on Tantor Media’s product page for their audio book The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy. The MP3 audio file for this 5 minute speech is located under their audio book cover art image where it says “HEAR THE KING’S ORIGINAL SPEECH”.

Also we’ve provided a link to a video newsreel film of a speech King George VI delivered at an exhibition in Scotland in 1938. This video shows the King stuttering and stammering very badly and gives you an idea for what he had to overcome.

21. Vanity Fair’s Writers Reading Podcast

Vanity Fair’s Writers Reading Podcast features many of today’s best authors reading from their latest books. Currently on the podcast feed you’ll hear award-winning prison journalist Wilbert Rideau read from his book In the Place of Justice, Norris Church Mailer reading from her memoir about her life with her husband Norman Mailer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills reading from his new book Bomb Power: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State, Jonathan Safran Foer on his first nonfiction work exploring factory farming entitled Eating Animals, and many other highly respected writers including Augusten Burroughs, Tracy Kidder, Taylor Branch, Gay Talese, Jay McInerney, and more.

20. The Uniqueness of Humans

Check out this popular lecture from YouTube EDU featuring neurobiologist and Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky. Delivered to the Stanford University graduating class, Professor Sapolsky sets out in just 35 minutes to describe the ways in which humans are separate from the rest of the animal kingdom. Topics discussed include aggression, theory of mind, and the golden rule. He ends the lecture on an inspiring note sharing how humans are the only species that can view a seeming impossibility and dedicate their lives to making it happen. This lecture is available on streaming video and downloadable MP4 video (click on the description on the YouTube page to access the MP4).

19. Centrality of Compassion in Human Life and Society

His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently visited Stanford University and spoke on the centrality of compassion for the future of human society. In this talk he addresses the importance of educating all people about practicing compassion and using the mind to understand the views of others. He talks about his interest in science and how neuroscience is connecting with religion on the importance of mind in relation to holistic health. The Dalai Lama feels that cultivating compassion in the mind should no longer be confined to religion, but needs to be taught in the secular arena and backed up with scientific research. At the end of the talk he answers a number of questions from the audience. This talk is available on streaming video and video download from YouTube.

18. Law of Attraction Podcast

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

17. Spanish I, Unit 1

Download this first lesson from Pimsleur’s Comprehensive Spanish I language learning course. Spanish Phase 1, Unit 1 contains 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation, and isolated vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. The lesson contains full practice for all vocabulary introduced in this unit. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension, and on learning to speak Spanish. Enjoy this free MP3 download from the worldwide leader in audio language learning: Pimsleur.

16. Catalyst Podcast

The Catalyst Podcast features an impressive collection of 100 podcast interviews with leadership authors and experts in the areas of business and church ministry. It stems from the Catalyst Conference which is a Christian leadership conference that features many of the speakers that are interviewed on the podcast. Interviewees include Seth Godin discussing his latest book Linchpin, Patrick Lencioni discussing his book The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, Guy Kawasaki talking about his book Reality Check, Tim Sanders talking about his book The Likeability Factor, and John C. Maxwell providing his sage leadership advice. The podcast features Christian leaders like Mark Driscoll, Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Rob Bell, and many others. On the podcast you’ll also hear from a diverse range of other leaders in other areas such as Jimmy Wales, Tony Dungy, Malcolm Gladwell, Dave Ramsey, Mike Huckabee, and more. A true gem of a podcast that we just discovered. Become a better leader in every area of your life with the Catalyst Podcast.

15. Evaluating Alexander the Great

Professor Robin Fox begins a thorough biographical portrait of Alexander the Great in this first lecture for The Modern Scholar Series course: Alexander of Macedonia. Describing his subject right off that bat as probably the greatest king and conqueror the world has ever seen, Fox offers a brief sketch of Alexander as a historical figure and then provides the context of Alexander’s time, place, and the most important people in his life. Throughout Alexander’s short yet eventful reign, he was chronicled by court historians, and this has proven to be a mixed blessing for modern analysts when it comes to separating fact from fiction. This lecture is available on MP3 download exclusively through LearnOutLoud.com.

14. Breakthrough with Tony Robbins

Watch Tony Robbins’ new TV show which aired on NBC in the past few weeks. It was cancelled from network TV after two episodes, but fortunately you can now watch all six episodes through Hulu.com up until September 18th, 2011. The show features Tony working with families who have fallen on hard times as he pushes them to change their perspective and turn their lives around. Throughout the show Tony teaches valuable lessons about how we can quickly change our lives through changing our thoughts and taking massive action.

In the first episode he works with Ron & Marie Stegner. After Ron invested their money into a failed business venture their marriage has become strained and Tony works with them to bring them closer together and back into the workforce. In the second episode Tony helps Frank & Kristen Alioto after a tragic accident rendered Frank a paraplegic on their wedding night. Tony pushes them both to find a breakthrough in the aftermath of tragedy and to move on with their marriage. Enjoy these inspiring shows with self help master Tony Robbins.

13. Millionaire Upgrade

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

Note: If you’re getting it from the Millionaire MBA website you have to enter in your email address, then confirm your email address, and then they’ll email you a link to the get the free audio book. The page they send you to has a bit of a sales pitch but at the bottom you’ll see “No thanks, I just want to download a free copy of Millionaire Upgrade” and then you can download a zip file of the MP3s.

12. Douglas Adams: Parrots, the Universe, and Everything

Immerse yourself into the mind of Douglas Adams. The author The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy graced the world with one final appearance just days before his tragic death from a heart attack on May 11, 2001. Delivered at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Adams discusses his own personal favorite of his books Last Chance to See about his travels to faraway lands to see firsthand many endangered animal species such as the Aye-aye lemur of Madagascar, the Komodo dragon on the island of Komodo in Indonesia, and the Yangtze River Dolphin in China. With his own hilarious insights he describes these animals and his wild travels to observe them. He ends the talk by urging humanity to envision their place in the world in a way that can sustain all species including humans. This talk is available through YouTube on streaming video and video download.

11. Jane Eyre

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

10. Nightingale-Conant Podcasts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Personal Development by Nightingale-Conant.com Podcast – Master the critical skills of time management, communication, self-discipline, attitude and more, under the guidance of Earl Nightingale, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Vic Conant, Jim Rohn, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, Roger Love, Tony Alessandra, Denis Waitley, Marc Victor Hansen, and many, many more great authors.

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

9. 23 Intuitive Development Exercises from Sounds True

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

8. Faulkner at Virginia: An Audio Archive

Take writing classes from the great American author William Faulkner! In 1957 and 1958 Nobel Prize-winning American novelist William Faulkner served two terms as the University of Virginia’s first Writer-in-Residence. During this time Faulkner spoke and answered questions at many of the writing and literature classes and these lectures were recorded on audio. In these classes Faulkner speaks about his craft and what he feels the role of the writer is. He also answers questions about his novels and comments on many writers of the 20th century. Throughout the talks he reads a dozen times from eight of his works. Also featured in the archive are addresses he gave at numerous university events. This audio archive is available from the University of Virginia on streaming audio through Quicktime. The audio quality varies, but for the most part it is very listenable. An invaluable resource for anyone interested in literature!

7. Dan Ariely: The Upside of Irrationality

Use irrationality to help you overcome bad habits and achieve your goals. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s bestselling book Predictably Irrational showed how people frequently make irrational decisions regarding their health, their spending habits, and much more.

In this lecture Ariely talks about his latest book The Upside of Irrationality where he shows the negative and positive effects of irrationality and how we can use irrational means towards our own rational objectives. He tells of experiments and examples where irrational incentives were used to help fight global warming, to motivate people to take care of their health, and to prevent people from texting while they’re driving. It’s one of the most fun lectures we’ve listened to all year. This lecture is available on MP3 download and streaming video from the Forum Network.

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

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

5. Inside Personal Growth Podcast

Host Greg Voisen at www.insidepersonalgrowth.com has created over 200 podcasts interviewing top authors in the area of personal growth. As an example of podcast, Greg hosts author John Robbins who talks about his book The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less. Robbins recounts his story of rejecting his famliy fortune as the son of the founder of Baskin-Robbins to live a simple, self-sustaining, Thoreau-esque life, to then becoming a bestselling author with is book Diet for a New America, and then to losing most of his money in the stock market crash of 2008. He talks about how he has maintained balance through his ups and downs financially and how we can put our own financial situations into perspective. There are many more interesting interviews on the feed and all of the archive podcasts can be accessed on www.insidepersonalgrowth.com. Enjoy these podcasts from this exceptional collection of personal growth author interviews.

4. 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!

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

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

2. Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do?

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

1. John Wooden on True Success

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

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