October 28, 2024

Watch Book Talks on These 10 YouTube Channels

When a book is released from a major book publisher, it is still quite common for the author to go on tour, talking about their book at literary events. The author will often give a talk on their book at bookstores, libraries, or other venues and do a book signing. The author may also go on TV shows, radio shows, or podcasts to promote their book. These book talks can be in the form of readings, lectures, or interviews and often include a Q&A from the audience at the end of the talk.

Since the ascent of YouTube for easily distributing long-form videos, these book talks have become increasingly popular on many YouTube channels in the past 15 years. When a new book comes out that may interest you, watching or listening to a book talk on YouTube is a great way to learn about the book and see if it’s something you might want to purchase as a full book or audiobook. With the best authors, these book talks are well-prepared and can provide a lot of the main ideas from a book.

On LearnOutLoud.com, we’ve been featuring these book talks for over 15 years now, as they are such a great way to learn. We’re subscribed to dozens of YouTube channels that regularly feature book talks and we’ve added and reviewed hundreds of these book talks on our site with authors talking about their most popular books. In this blog post, we’ll highlight 10 of the best YouTube channels for watching book talks. If we’ve added these channels as publishers on our website, we’ll link to those as well.

1. Talks at Google YouTube Channel – Since Google owns YouTube, it is no surprise that they were pioneers in featuring talks from authors delivered at their many Google offices around the world. Since 2006 their speaker series has been going on with authors and leading thinkers giving talks on all sorts of topics. To date, they feature over 5,000 talks on their YouTube channel, which has over 2 million subscribers. On LearnOutLoud.com, we’ve tried to pick out some of their most popular talks to feature on our site and we currently showcase about 600 Google Talks on our site, many with reviews of the talk:

600 of the Best Talks at Google on LearnOutLoud.com

2. Politics and Prose YouTube Channel – Politics and Prose is one of the top independent bookstores in the country located in Washington, D.C. For the past 12 years, they’ve featured high-quality video recordings of talks by authors about their books recorded at their bookstore. Because of where they’re located and their name, you might have guessed that a lot of the authors that speak there talk about books related to politics. But their talks cover a whole lot more than that. With over 3,000 videos on their YouTube channel and over 200K subscribers, they’re one of the top destinations on YouTube for book talks. We’ve added about 100 of these book talks to our site covering many of their most popular talks:

100 Politics and Prose Bookstore Events Videos on LearnOutLoud.com

3. University of California Television (UCTV) YouTube Channel – The University of California Television channel on YouTube is vast with over 10,000 videos and 1 million subscribers. They’ve been broadcasting on YouTube since 2007, with talks delivered at many University of California campuses. Many of these talks are from UC faculty covering research in the areas of science, tech, and health. But they also feature talks from authors often talking about books they’ve written. We’ve added over 250 of their best videos to our site which you can browse here:

Over 250 of the Best University of California Television Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

4. The 92nd Street Y YouTube Channel – The 92nd Street Y in New York City has been a cultural and community center for 150 years! They’ve been recording their talks there even long before YouTube existed. Their YouTube channel features over 3,500 videos with over 350K subscribers. Their talks are often done in conversation format, and for their book talks sometimes feature readings from the books. Some of their historic talks go back decades and feature audio recordings of authors. We’ve gone through their whole channel and featured over 100 of their best talks on LearnOutLoud:

Over 100 92nd Street Y Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

5. GBH Forum Network YouTube Channel – WGBH is Boston’s primary PBS television station. They’ve been recording book talks around the Boston area for over a decade now and posting them to their YouTube channel. Their channel has over 4,000 videos with over 100K subscribers. Learn from authors of all sorts of books on their YouTube channel. We feature over 200 of their best talks on our website:

Over 200 of the Best WGBH Forum Network Talks on LearnOutLoud.com

6. The Commonwealth Club of California YouTube Channel – This public affairs forum features many authors discussing their books on their YouTube channel. Their YouTube channel has over 2,500 videos with over 200K subscribers. Many of their talks are politically related, but they cover other categories including science, religion, technology, and much more. We feature over 50 of their best talks on our site:

Over 50 of The Commonwealth Club of California’s Best Videos on LearnOutLoud.com

7. Library of Congress YouTube Channel – The Library of Congress has a ton of videos on their YouTube channel from historical films to musical performances to talks of all kinds. Many of their talks are authors talking about their books. A lot to explore here!

8. Author Events from the Free Library of Philadelphia – The Free Library of Philadelphia has offered over 900 book talks on its YouTube channel over the past 6 years. These public events are often done in the form of interviews.

9. Barnes & Noble YouTube Channel – The Barnes & Noble YouTube Channel features a lot of content, but more recently a lot of book talks. Many of these are interviews conducted on Zoom which isn’t ideal, but some of them are book talks delivered at one of Barnes & Noble’s 600 bookstores nationwide.

10. BookTV YouTube Channel – And we must mention C-SPAN’s BookTV. They feature a YouTube channel with over 5,000 clips of their book talks dating back decades since C-SPAN has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, they don’t post full book talks on their YouTube channel. To watch their full book talks, you’ll need to go to their website at www.c-span.org/bookTv. On the website, they have an astounding 21,000 book talks to choose from dating back to the 1990s. We feature over 300 of the best Book TV Interviews on our site:

Over 300 of the Best Book TV Interviews on LearnOutLoud.com

And these channels are just scratching the surface of the book talks that are on YouTube. Search about any major book from the past 15 years and you’re likely to find a book talk about it on YouTube from some channel. A great way to learn!

September 18, 2024

7 Free Motivational Talks by Author Leo Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia was a University of Southern California professor who taught a popular course called Love 1A. The popularity of his course and of his book Love, led to a series of motivational talks that he delivered on public television in the 1980s and 1990s. Recently seven of these talks have become available through the PBS KVIE YouTube Channel. While his books are great, maybe the best way to experience Buscaglia is through his dynamic talks. Start watching one of the talks below, and you might just find yourself watching them all!

1. The Art of Being Fully Human

In this one-hour talk called “The Art of Being Fully Human”, Buscaglia provides advice on living life to the fullest. His speaking style is infectious as he tells many tales about his life and others who have embraced a the art of being fully human. Frustrated with academic teachings that teach us about everything except how to love and live life, Buscaglia created his own method of teaching to personally reach his students. The talk is full of many truths that connect us as humans and that can motivate us to being more human to ourselves and others.

2. A Time to Live

Author and professor Leo Buscaglia gives his unique take on time management as he encourages his audience to act now on the things most important in life. He briefly breaks down the amount of time we do major activities in our lifetime such as working, eating, sleeping, watching TV, and even going to the bathroom. Through humorous anecdotes and quotes, Buscaglia invites us to take action on the important things in life and not waste it. He encourages us to take time for learning, for joy, for silence, for giving, and for love. He closes by asking, “If not now, when?” Enjoy this uplifting talk on the importance of time from Dr. Leo Buscaglia.

3. Loving Relationships

In this wonderful talk from Leo Buscaglia, he provides advice on all of the relationships in our lives. Starting with marriage and romantic relationships, he urges individuals to reach out and not build a wall around ourselves, waiting for the perfect person. Buscaglia outlines some of the key factors that lead to successful relationships. Expanding from our romantic relationships, he suggests ways to make deeper connections with everyone we know. An enormous advocate of hugging, Buscaglia points to the importance of physical contact for being fully alive. In a society full of loneliness, he passionately preaches that our connection and love for other people is one of the most important aspects of our lives.

4. Speaking of Love

In this talk from Leo Buscaglia, he shares the many ways we can express love in our lives. He tells stories of not just romantic love, but love for everyone and everything. From loving the elderly to loving food to loving nature, Buscaglia shares his passionate love for life. He is able to bring love to almost everything he does from waiting in airports to driving. He may change your perspective on loving what we otherwise might feel is mundane, bringing out the magic in our lives and ourselves. Tap into your own human potential by expanding your capacity to love!

5. A Love Class

This video differs from Leo Buscaglia’s other PBS specials in that he sits down and talks with a small group instead of delivering a talk before a large audience. The focus of the wide-ranging discussion is relationships. They talk about the challenges of starting relationships and keeping them growing. Buscaglia provides many insights to the points raised by the small group and you get a sense of what Buscaglia’s famous love class was all about.

6. Born For Love

At the age of 70, Leo Buscaglia delivered this talk on love throughout one’s lifetime. From the outset of the talk, he reminds us that love is a verb and you have to go out and get it! He tells tales of love from throughout his life from his first kiss to going to his homeland in Italy and the familial love he experienced there. Buscaglia talks about the high divorce rate in America and some of the reasons he thinks that exists. Throughout the talk he shares his love of connecting with all people from children to the elderly, and how he loves to bring a positive and joyous attitude to negative situations.

7. Stories of Christmas Love

Get in the Christmas spirit with Leo Buscaglia as he shares many stories from Christmastime in this talk. From his Christmas playing Santa Claus to a Christmas he spent in the hospital, Buscaglia brings joy to all his holiday gatherings. He acknowledges while we get caught up in shopping for gifts, we often lose sight of the story of Christmas and the love Jesus shared for everyone. He also wants us to create wonderful Christmas memories that we can look back on later in life. And he encourages us to give ourselves the gift of a new birth each year at Christmas and to begin life anew no matter what our age.

Enjoy these wonderful talks from the Leo Buscaglia Collection available to watch for free on YouTube for the first time!

And if you want to hear more of Buscaglia, check out our LearnOutLoud Author Page devoted to him:

Leo Buscaglia Love Talks and Audio Books on LearnOutLoud.com

September 5, 2024

50 Best Free Librivox Audiobooks Added in the Past 5 Years

The acoustical liberation of books in the public domain continues! Librivox.org is almost 20 years old with their first recording posted back in September of 2005. Since then, they’ve amassed a catalog of over 19,000 titles in the public domain read by volunteer narrators. We’ve been fans of theirs since the beginning, seeking to showcase some of the best of their audiobooks on LearnOutLoud.com. We went through their latest 4,000 titles from the past 5 years and picked out 50 free audiobooks that we thought would be of interest to our visitors and that have quality solo narrations. We also updated the versions for some of their classic audiobooks where we thought a better narration was available.

You can now browse over 3,500 free audiobooks from Librivox on our website right here:

3,500 Free Audiobooks from Librivox on LearnOutLoud.com

And check out our popular blog post pointing out some of the best narrators from their site:

The Best Librivox Narrators

The public domain keeps growing every year so a lot of these new free audiobooks are being recorded and offered for free for the first time. Here are 50 of their best audiobooks from the past 5 years:

The ABC of Relativity by Bertrand Russell – Popular science book explaining Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to the layperson, published in 1925.

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis – Novel that won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (which Lewis declined).

Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster – Book based on lectures given by Forster which he describes seven key aspects of the novel.

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft – 1936 novella by Lovecraft that is now considered one of his best stories.

Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten – You may have seen the Disney movie, but have you listened to the original story? Translated into English by Whittaker Chambers in 1928.

Big Sur by Jack Kerouac – Classic 1962 novel by Beat poet Jack Kerouac. It’s in the public domain because the copyright wasn’t renewed.

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann – Acclaimed 1901 novel that was Mann’s first.

Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau – Travel book by Thoreau about his time in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The final 12 short stories about Sherlock Holmes.

Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg – Collection of poems by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.

The Cinema of Orson Welles by Peter Bogdanovich – Short piece on the cinema of Orson Welles by the film critic and director Peter Bogdanovich. Covers briefly Citizen Kane through Touch of Evil.

The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft – Famous sci-fi/horror short story which was Lovecraft’s favorite of his stories.

Complete Holy Bible: American Standard Version – Librivox narrator Ron Altman has taken it upon himself to read the entire American Standard Version of the Bible.

Complete Holy Bible: Douay-Rheims Version – Librivox narrator Ron Altman also has narrated the entire Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible.

Dark Princess by W.E.B. Du Bois – 1928 novel by Du Bois that entered the public domain in 2024.

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann – Classic 1912 novella about Gustav von Aschenbach who becomes obsessed with the boy Tadzio on his trip to Venice.

Discourses of Epictetus by Epictetus – Plenty of Stoic philosophy to digest for the modern day Stoic.

Dymer by C.S. Lewis – Narrative poem by Lewis that he published in 1925.

The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Emile Durkheim – Book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon by the French sociologist that established sociology.

Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis – Satirical 1926 novel about Reverend Dr. Elmer Gantry who becomes corrupted by power and fame.

The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton – Chesterton’s 1925 Christian apologetics book.

Freedom’s Battle by Mohandas Gandhi – Writings and speeches by Gandhi during the British rule of India following World War I.

The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust – Volume Three of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past.

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne – The 1928 children’s book that was a follow-up to Winnie-the-Pooh (1926).

How They Succeeded by Orison Swett Marden – New Thought author Marden gives advice on how successful figures in history made their mark.

The Kingdom of Happiness by Jiddu Krishnamurti – The first publication of talks given by Indian philosopher Krishnamurti.

The Magic Mountain: Volume One and The Magic Mountain: Volume Two by Thomas Mann – 1924 novel regarded by many as one of the key literary texts of the twentieth century.

Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway – Hemingway’s second collection of short fiction includes famous stories like “Hills Like White Elephants” and “The Killers”.

Mosquitoes by William Faulkner – Faulkner’s second novel published in 1927, set in New Orleans.

The Mother by Pearl S. Buck – She’s best known for her book The Good Earth (1931), and her book The Mother (1934) also deals with peasant life in China.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf – 1925 novel about an upper-class woman in post-First World War England.

Notes on Democracy by H.L. Mencken – 1926 book by cultural critic Mencken in which he offers a critique of democracy.

Nuggets of the New Thought by William Walker Atkinson – More New Thought wisdom by this American pioneer of the New Thought movement.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf – Woolf’s 1928 novel about a poet who changes sex from man to woman and lives for centuries, meeting the key figures of English literary history.

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster – 1924 novel considered one of the 100 great works of 20th century English literature by the Modern Library.

Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill – Underhill was an expert on mysticism and published this 1914 book to explain it to everyday people.

Psychological Types by Carl Jung – Book by the great Swiss psychologist Jung which presents his ideas on the functions of consciousness and the various psychological types.

Selected Essays of Michel de Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne – Essays by the French Renaissance philosopher.

Self Help by Samuel Smiles – The man who coined the term “Self-Help” finally get his 1859 book on audio.

Soldiers’ Pay by William Faulkner – Faulkner’s first novel about a soldier coming back from World War I.

The Story of Aristotle’s Philosophy by Will Durant – Philosopher Will Durant wrote the popular book The Story of Philosophy (1926). He based that book upon some of his Little Blue Book contributions including this one on Aristotle.

A System of Logic by John Stuart Mill – 51 hours of John Stuart Mill narrated by Chris Greaves.

Thought Power: Its Control and Culture by Annie Besant – Socialist, theosophist, freemason, women’s rights activist, and more. Hear Besant’s Theosophical perspective on thought.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf – 1927 novel by Woolf was ranking #15 on the Modern Library’s 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway – This novella from 1926 is basically his first and preceded The Sun Also Rises.

Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton – 1927 novel by Edith Wharton covering the Jazz Age.

Voltaire and the French Enlightenment by Will Durant – Philosopher Will Durant wrote the popular book The Story of Philosophy (1926). He based that book upon some of his Little Blue Book contributions including this one on Voltaire.

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin – 1921 dystopian science fiction novel about a totalitarian state that was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988.

What I Believe by Bertrand Russell – Russell’s beliefs on nature and man, the good life, moral rules, individual and social salvation, and science and happiness.

Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust – Proust’s second volume of Remembrance of Things Past.

Along with those new books on Librivox, we’ve also updated the versions of many classics on their site that now have better narration. Here are some of the titles we updated:

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

The Science of Being Great by Wallace D. Wattles

The Science of Being Well by Wallace D. Wattles

The Iliad by Homer

The Aeneid by Virgil

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Emma by Jane Austen

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

The Red and the Black by Stendhal

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

Adam Bede by George Eliot

So many great works of classic literature to listen to, so little time!

August 21, 2024

Back to School with 200 Top Free Courses from Coursera

It’s back to school time and we wanted to add some new free courses to our LearnOutLoud.com Free Courses Collection, which now features over 1,100 free audio & video courses you can take online. For these new free courses, we turned our attention to the best massive open online course (MOOC) provider out there which is Coursera. If you’ve not heard of Coursera, in the past decade they’ve partnered up with more than 300 universities and companies to offer over 7,000 courses on their site (both free and paid courses). To get access to all 7,000 courses and earn certificates you can join Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial at the link below:

Check Out Coursera Plus with a 7-day Free Trial

But if you want to dip your toe into this massive education resource, then there are hundreds of courses you can join and start taking immediately, absolutely free! Browsing the Coursera website can be a bit daunting as there are so many courses and subjects to explore. So we’ve done the work for you by browsing all 7,000 courses, going through them university by university, and picking out the free courses that are the highest rated and we thought would be the best for our LearnOutLoud audience.

Since we’re an audio and video learning website, we focused mostly on the courses that were primarily video learning. Coursera has great apps for iOS and Android to take their courses on and watch their videos, and you can also take them right through a web browser. Most of their courses combine videos, readings, and quizzes that walk you through the courses step by step. For our list of the top 200 free courses, we chose ones that had mostly video content.

Coursera offers tons of courses in the areas of data science, computer science, and information technology. While those are very popular courses on their site, we didn’t add many of them to LearnOutLoud currently, since our site isn’t really focused on these specific technical areas. Instead, we focused on their categories covering health, personal development, business, history, science, arts and humanities, religion, philosophy, social sciences, and language learning.

So let’s get back to school and show you this list! Note that to take Coursera’s free courses you’ll need to sign up with a free Coursera account. And we recommend downloading their free mobile apps for iOS and Android to take the courses. For many course pages on our site, we’ve added a video of the course trailer that tells you what it’s all about. We’ll list all 200 free courses by category below with the professor names and the university they’re from. We’ll start with the self development category:

30 Free Self Development Courses on Coursera:

The Addicted Brain by Professor Michael Kuhar (Emory University)

Alexander Technique by Professor Michelle Obrecht (University of Michigan)

An Introduction to the U.S. Food System by Professors Keeve Nachman, Robert S. Lawrence, & Pamela Rhubart Berg (Johns Hopkins University)

The Arts and Science of Relationships by Professor A. Ka Tat Tsang (University of Toronto)

Biohacking Your Brain’s Health by Professor Karima Benameur (Emory University)

Child Nutrition and Cooking by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success by Professor Peter Childs (Imperial College London)

Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions by Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks & Cheri Alexander (University of Michigan)

Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing by Professor Alan Kazdin (Yale University)

Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life by Professor Victor J. Strecher (University of Michigan)

Food Ethics by Professor Andrew Chignell (Princeton University)

From Sleep Disorders to Sleep Health by Professors Ronald Chervin, Shelley Hershner, and Megan Acho (University of Michigan)

Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action by Professor Marney White (Yale University)

Ignite Your Everyday Creativity by Professors Cyndi Burnett & John F. Cabra (The State University of New York)

Life 101: Mental and Physical Self-Care by Professor Mahtab Jafari (UC Irvine)

Major Depression in the Population by Professors William Eaton, Wietse A. Tol, and Ramin Mojtabai (Johns Hopkins University)

Mindfulness, Dignity, and the Art of Human Connection by Professor Ramaswami Mahalingam (University of Michigan)

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (McMaster University)

The Nature of Genius by Professor Craig Wright (Yale University)

Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health by Professor Sonia Kumar (The University of Sydney)

Psychological First Aid by Professor George S. Everly, Jr. (Johns Hopkins University)

Removing Barriers to Change by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

Schizophrenia by Professor Matt Kurtz (Wesleyan University)

Science of Exercise by Professor Robert Mazzeo (University of Colorado Boulder)

The Science of Generosity by Professor Femida Handy (University of Pennsylvania)

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know by Professor Paula Caproni (University of Michigan)

The Science of Well-Being by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

The Science of Well-Being for Teens by Professor Laurie Santos (Yale University)

Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society by Professor Ralph Lydic (University of Michigan)

The Social Context of Mental Health and Illness by Professor Charmaine Williams (University of Toronto)

Stanford Introduction to Food and Health by Professor Maya Adam (Stanford University)

Understanding Psychosis by Professor Adrienne Lapidos (University of Michigan)

15 Free Business Courses on Coursera:

Advertising and Society by Professor William M. O’Barr (Duke University)

Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand, and Behaviour by Professor Nader Tavassoli (University of London)

Connected Leadership by Professor Peter Boyd (Yale University)

Economics of Money and Banking by Professor Perry G. Mehrling (Columbia University)

Financial Planning for Young Adults by Professors Nicholas Paulson, Kathryn L. Sweedler, & Charles R. Chaffin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Finding Your Professional Voice by Professor Emmy Broomfield (University of London)

How to Network by Professor Klementina X. Sula (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Finance by Professor Xi Yang (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introduction to Negotiation by Professor Barry Nalebuff (Yale University)

Launch Your Online Business by Professor Joan Decollibus (The State University of New York)

The Manager’s Toolkit by Professor Chris Dewberry (University of London)

Microeconomics: The Power of Markets by Professor Rebecca Stein (University of Pennsylvania)

Narrative Economics by Professor Robert J. Shiller (Yale University)

The Strategy of Content Marketing by Professor Sonia Simone (UC Davis)

Successful Negotiation by Professor George Siedel (University of Michigan)

Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content by Professor Jonah Berger (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Philosophy Courses on Coursera:

Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors by Professor Susan Sauve Meyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Effective Altruism by Professor Peter Singer (Princeton University)

Introduction to Philosophy by Professor Duncan Pritchard (University of Edinburgh)

Know Thyself: The Examined Life by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 1 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

The Modern and the Postmodern, Part 2 by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Moralities of Everyday Life by Professor Paul Bloom (Yale University)

Philosophy and Religion by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Philosophy of Science by Professor Michael Weisberg (University of Pennsylvania)

Reason and Persuasion: Thinking Through Three Dialogues By Plato by Professor John Holbo (National University of Singapore)

Science and Philosophy by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, & J. Adam Carter (University of Edinburgh)

10 Free Religion Courses on Coursera:

The Bible’s Prehistory, Purpose, and Political Future by Professor Jacob L. Wright (Emory University)

The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem by Professor Oded Lipschits (Tel Aviv University)

A Journey through Western Christianity: From Persecuted Faith to Global Religion by Professor Bruce Gordon (Yale University)

Religion and Science by Professors Orestis Palermos, Duncan Pritchard, Mark Harris, J. Adam Carter, and Mog Stapleton (University of Edinburgh)

Science & Religion 101 by Professor Denis Lamoureux (University of Alberta)

Soul Beliefs: Belief Systems by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: Historical Foundations by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

Soul Beliefs: How Does It All End? by Professors Daniel M. Ogilvie & Leonard W. Hamilton

The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction by Professor Barry Scott Wimpfheimer (Northwestern University)

10 Free History Courses on Coursera:

The American South: Its Stories, Music, and Art by Professor William Ferris (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The Ancient Greeks by Professor Andrew Szegedy-Maszak (Wesleyan University)

Big History: From the Big Bang Until Today by Professor Esther Quaedackers (University of Amsterdam)

The Holocaust, Part I: Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews, and the World by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust, Part II: The Final Solution by Professors Havi Dreifuss & Na’ama Bela Shik (Tel Aviv University)

The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry by Professors Murray Baumgarten & Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910 by Professor Philip Zelikow (University of Virginia)

Paradoxes of War by Professor Miguel A. Centeno (Princeton University)

Reconstructing America’s Story by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Russian History: From Lenin to Putin by Professor Peter Kenez (UC Santa Cruz)

Understanding 9/11: Why 9/11 Happened & How Terrorism Affects Our World Today by Professor David Schanzer (Duke University)

Wonders of Ancient Egypt by Professor David P. Silverman (University of Pennsylvania)

10 Free Politics Courses on Coursera:

America’s Written Constitution by Professor Akhil Reed Amar (Yale University)

Civic Engagement in American Democracy by Professors Bruce W. Jentleson, Deondra Rose, & more (Duke University)

How to Change the World by Professor Michael S. Roth (Wesleyan University)

Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases by Professor Kermit Roosevelt (University of Pennsylvania)

Magna Carta and its Legacies by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

The Making of Modern Ukraine by Professor Timothy Snyder (Yale University)

Politics and Economics of International Energy by Professor Giacomo Luciani (Sciences Po)

Reducing Gun Violence in America by Professors Daniel W. Webster, Cassandra Crifasi, Alex McCourt, and Jon S. Vernick (Johns Hopkins University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Borders, Elections, Constitutions, Prisons by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom by Professor Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)

Free Language Learning Courses on Coursera:

Chinese for Beginners by Professor Xiaoyu Liu (Peking University)

English for Business and Entrepreneurship by Professors Amy Nichols & James Riedel (University of Pennsylvania)

English for Career Development by Professors Brian McManus & Robyn Turner (University of Pennsylvania)

First Step Korean by Professor Seung Hae Kang (Yonsei University)

Learn to Speak Korean by Professor Sang Mee Han (Yonsei University)

Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics by Professor Marc van Oostendorp

Free Literature Courses on Coursera:

Greek and Roman Mythology by Professor Peter Struck (University of Pennsylvania)

Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare by Professor Ros Barber (University of London)

Modern & Contemporary American Poetry by Professor Al Filreis (University of Pennsylvania)

Modern American Poetry by Professor Cary Nelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction by Professor Bruce Holsinger (University of Virginia)

William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community by Professors David Glimp & Kevin Rich (University of Colorado Boulder)

Words Spun Out of Images: Visual and Literary Culture in 19th Century Japan by Professor Robert E. Campbell (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Arts & Entertainment Courses on Coursera:

Age of Cathedrals by Professor R. Howard Bloch (Yale University)

Approaching Music Theory: Melodic Forms and Simple Harmony by Professor Marc Lowenstein (CalArts)

The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form by Professor Dariusz Terefenko (University of Rochester)

The Camera Never Lies: Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century by Professor Emmett Sullivan (University of London)

Fundamentals of Music Theory by Professor Thomas Butler, John Philip Kitchen, & More (University of Edinburgh)

History of Rock, Part One by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

History of Rock, Part Two by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music as Biology: What We Like to Hear and Why by Professor Dale Purves (Duke University)

The Music of the Beatles by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

The Music of the Rolling Stones: 1962-1974 by Professor John Covach (University of Rochester)

Music’s Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock ‘n’ Roll by Professor David E. Carlson (University of Florida)

Postwar Abstract Painting by Professor Alex Roediger (Museum of Modern Art)

Understanding Memory: Explaining the Psychology of Memory through Movies by Professor John Seamon (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Music Business by Professor Jen Gunderman (Vanderbilt University)

Write Like Mozart: An Introduction to Classical Music Composition by Professor Peter Edwards (National University of Singapore)

15 Free Social Sciences Courses on Coursera:

Classical Sociological Theory by Professor Bart Heerikhuizen & Danny de Vries (University of Amsterdam)

Conspiracy Planet by Professor Matthew Lasar (UC Santa Cruz)

Feminism and Social Justice by Professor Bettina Aptheker (UC Santa Cruz)

From Freedom Rides to Ferguson: Narratives of Nonviolence in the American Civil Rights Movement by Professor Bernard LaFayette, Jr. (Emory University)

Indigenous Canada by Professor Paul L. Gareau (University of Alberta)

International Women’s Health and Human Rights by Professor Anne Firth Murray (Stanford University)

Introduction to Psychology by Professor Steve Joordens (University of Toronto)

Know Thyself: The Unconscious by Professor Mitchell Green (University of Edinburgh)

Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies by Professors Nancy Hodgson & Laura N. Gitlin (Johns Hopkins University)

Positive Psychology by Professor Barbara L. Fredrickson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Psychology of Popularity by Professor Mitch Prinstein (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Social Psychology by Professor Scott Plous (Wesleyan University)

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life by Professor Peggy Mason (University of Chicago)

Understanding Violence by Professor Deb Houry & Pamela Scully (Emory University)

35 Free Science Courses on Coursera:

21st Century Energy Transition by Professor Brad Hayes (University of Alberta)

Analyzing the Universe by Professor Terry A. Matilsky (Rutgers University)

Animal Behaviour and Welfare by Professor Nat Waran, Fritha Langford, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Astro 101: Black Holes by Professor Sharon Morsink (University of Alberta)

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life by Professor Charles S. Cockell (University of Edinburgh)

Astrobiology: Exploring Other Worlds by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions by Professor Maya Evenden (University of Alberta)

Chimpanzee Behavior and Conservation by Professor Emily Boehm, Anne Pusey, & Kara Walker (Duke University)

Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy by Professor Adam Frank (University of Rochester)

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Emergence of Life by Professor Bruce W. Fouke (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Extinctions: Past, Present, & Future by Professor Anthony Martin (Emory University)

From the Big Bang to Dark Energy by Professor Hitoshi Murayama (University of Tokyo)

Game Theory by Professor Matthew O. Jackson, Kevin Leyton-Brown, & Yoav Shoham (Stanford University)

How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics by Professor Louis A. Bloomfield (University of Virginia)

Introduction to the Arctic Climate by Professor Paul G. Myers (University of Alberta)

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution by Professor Mohamed Noor (Duke University)

Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by Professor Keith Devlin (Stanford University)

Introduction to Reproduction by Professor Teresa K. Woodruff (Northwestern University)

Introduction to Statistics by Professor Guenther Walther (Stanford University)

Introduction to Sustainability by Professor Jonathan Tomkin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Introductory Human Physiology by Professor Jennifer Carbrey & Emma Jakoi (Duke University)

Journey of the Universe: The Unfolding of Life by Professor John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale University)

Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy by Professor Chris Impey (University of Arizona)

Medical Neuroscience by Professor Leonard E. White (Duke University)

Mountains 101 by Professor Zac Robinson (University of Alberta)

Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes by Professor David M. Schultz & Rochelle Taylor (University of Manchester)

Our Earth’s Future by Professor Debra Tillinger (American Museum of Natural History)

Paleontology: Ancient Marine Reptiles by Professors Michael Caldwell & Halle P. Street (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Early Vertebrate Evolution by Professor Alison Murray (University of Alberta)

Paleontology: Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds by Professor Philip John Currie (University of Alberta)

Planet Earth and You by Professors Stephen Marshak & Eileen Herrstrom (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Roman Art and Archaeology by Professor David Soren (University of Arizona)

Understanding Plants, Part I: What a Plant Knows by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Understanding Plants, Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology by Professor Daniel Chamovitz (Tel Aviv University)

Welcome to Game Theory by Professor Michihiro Kandori (University of Tokyo)

15 Free Education & Professional Courses on Coursera Covering Medicine, Law, Teaching, Writing, and More:

Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers by Professors Jeanette M. Tetrault, Robert Krause, and More (Yale University)

AIDS: Fear and Hope by Professor Richard Meisler (University of Michigan)

American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice by Professor John L. Puckett & Michael Charles Johanek (University of Pennsylvania)

An Introduction to American Law by Professor Anita Allen, Shyam Balganesh, and More (University of Pennsylvania)

Applying to College 101 by Professor Whitney Soule, Sean Vereen, & Sara Woods (University of Pennsylvania)

Dentistry 101 by Professor Russell Taichman & Rogerio Castilho (University of Michigan)

English Composition by Professor Denise Comer (Duke University)

Essentials of Global Health by Professor Richard Skolnik (Yale University)

The History of Medicine by Professor Grant Hartzog & Greg Gates (UC Santa Cruz)

Hot Topics in Criminal Justice by Professor Christopher Slobogin (Vanderbilt University)

Introduction to Breast Cancer by Professor Anees Chagpar (Yale University)

Introduction to International Criminal Law by Professor Michael Scharf (Case Western Reserve University)

Introduction to Nonprofit Law by Professor John M. Bradley (University of Pennsylvania)

A Law Student’s Toolkit by Professor Ian Ayres (Yale University)

Learning How to Learn by Professor Barbara Oakley & Terrence Sejnowski (Deep Teaching Solutions)

Overcoming Dyslexia by Professor Sally Shaywitz & Bennett Shaywitz (Yale University)

Understanding Clinical Research by Professor Juan H. Klopper (University of Cape Town)

Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us by Professor Connie B. Scanga (University of Pennsylvania)

Writing in the Sciences by Professor Kristin Sainani (Stanford University)

Free Biography Courses on Coursera:

Age of Jefferson by Professor Peter Onuf (University of Virginia)

Benjamin Franklin and His World by Professor Ezekiel J. Emanuel (University of Pennsylvania)

The Kennedy Half Century by Professor Larry Sabato (University of Virginia)

Luther and the West by Professor Christine Helmer (Northwestern University)

Patrick Henry: Forgotten Founder by Professor John Ragosta (University of Virginia)

Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity by Professor Larry Randles Lagerstrom (Stanford University)

Free Sports & Hobbies Courses on Coursera:

Dog Emotion and Cognition by Professor Brian Hare (Duke University)

The Horse Course: Introduction to Basic Care and Management by Professor Chris J. Mortensen (University of Florida)

Sports and Society by Professor Orin Starn (Duke University)

The Truth About Cats and Dogs by Professors Hayley Walters, Heather Bacon, and More (University of Edinburgh)

Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis by Professor John Buechsenstein (UC Davis)

Free Technology Courses on Coursera:

AI For Everyone by Professor Andrew Ng (DeepLearning.AI)

Internet Giants: The Law and Economics of Media Platforms by Professor Randal C. Picker (University of Chicago)

Internet History, Technology, and Security by Professor Charles Russell Severance (University of Michigan)

Introduction to Logic by Professor Michael Genesereth (Stanford University)

So many great free courses to choose from! We’ll be writing reviews of many of these courses as we take them. Time to go back to school today!

July 17, 2024

The Best YouTube Channels for Audiobooks

There are thousands of free audiobooks on YouTube! In fact, there are many channels dedicated to just audiobooks. In this blog post, we’re going to be highlighting some of the best YouTube channels for audiobooks.

Many of the audiobooks on YouTube are illegal or questionable related to copyright. For various reasons, we can’t link to those audiobooks. But there are a number of YouTube channels that feature legally free audiobooks that have been professionally recorded. These are the audiobook channels that we’ll feature below. Most of these free audiobooks are in the public domain.

If you’re familiar with audiobooks online, you’ve probably heard of Librivox.org. The website features public-domain audiobooks that are narrated by volunteers, with varying narration quality. Because these audiobooks have an open copyright license, many channels have re-uploaded these audiobooks to YouTube. Because the quality is all over the place, we won’t list all the channels that link to Librivox audiobooks, but we will list a few of the largest channels that do so:

LibriVox Audiobooks – This is the official LibriVox YouTube channel with over 25,000 videos uploaded!

Audio Books – This channel called simply “Audio Books” features over 10,000 of Librivox’s audiobooks to choose from.

Greatest AudioBooks – This channel features about 1,000 of Librivox’s most popular audiobooks. Their channel has almost 1 million subscribers.

But beyond Librivox audiobooks, there are numerous channels that feature professional narrators reading public domain audiobooks and even some more recent audiobooks that have been licensed out to the channel. Here are some of the best channels we’ve found:

1. Master Key Society – For classic self-improvement audiobooks, it doesn’t get much better than Master Key Society. With over 50 free audiobooks and over a million subscribers, this is one of the most popular audiobook YouTube channels. We’ve recently added most of these audiobooks to our own Free Audiobooks Collection and you can browse them here: Master Key Society Free Self-Help Audiobooks on LearnOutLoud.com. You’ll find classic self-help books from Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Florence Shinn, and many other pioneers in self-help. One cool feature of these videos is that they provide a visual of the text page-by-page from the book so you can read along while you listen.

2. Aneko Press – Christian Audiobooks – If you’re looking for Christian audiobooks, then Aneko Press is probably the best YouTube channel to find some. They have over 100 professionally narrated Christian audiobooks on their channel. You’ll find numerous audiobooks from famous Christian authors like John Bunyan, Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer, Charles H. Spurgeon, Dwight L. Moody, and many others. We’ve also added many of these audiobooks to our own Free Audiobooks Collection and you can browse them here: Aneko Press Free Christian Audiobooks on LearnOutLoud.com.

3. LearnOutLoud Audiobooks – Not to toot our own horn, but we have uploaded most of our published audiobooks to our YouTube channel. For all of these audiobooks, we hired professional narrators and recorded them in our own studio. We feature 30 audiobooks that you can listen to which you can find on this YouTube playlist: 30 Free Audio Books on Our LearnOutLoud YouTube Channel. These educational titles are all classics in the public domain.

4. Vox Stoica – This narrator Robin Homer has dedicated his YouTube channel to narrating classics in Stoic philosophy. His popular channel features readings from philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus. His narration of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius has over 3 million views!

5. Magpie Audio – Narrator Greg Wagland runs this channel called Magpie Audio, which features mostly Sherlock Holmes stories, along with other classic novels and short stories that he’s read. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, then this channel is the place to go! Wagland provides excellent British narration to his audiobooks.

And those are really the best channels for legally free audiobooks we’ve found. If we find more, we’ll add them to this blog post.

One other channel that we wanted to point out is the Google Play Books YouTube channel. This recent channel from Google features over 150,000 audio samples of various audiobooks from all the major publishers. The samples have a range of lengths, but many of them are over an hour long, providing you with a great way to decide on your next audiobook listen. And if you go into their “Playlists” section, they even have some free full public domain audiobooks narrated by artificial intelligence voices to try out.

Over 150,000 Audiobook Samples from Google Play Books on YouTube

If you’re looking for some free audiobooks, there are plenty of audiobooks to listen to on YouTube!

June 27, 2024

200 New Free Educational Documentaries in Our Free Documentaries Collection

One great thing about documentaries is that you almost always learn something new while watching them. And with sites like YouTube and Tubi TV there are thousands of free educational documentaries to choose from. We’ve tried to pick out some of the best free documentaries to add to our Free Documentaries Collection, and we now feature over 1,500 documentaries which you can browse in many categories:

Browse Over 1,500 Documentaries in Our LearnOutLoud.com Free Documentaries Collection

And you might also want to check out our YouTube playlist of over 300 of the best documentaries on YouTube:

300 Best Documentaries on YouTube Playlist

We’ve recently added 200 new free educational documentaries to our documentaries collection. About 50 of them are from Tubi TV and 150 of them are from YouTube. We’ll list all these documentaries with some brief descriptions below. Note that if you’re outside of the United States you might not be able to view some of these documentaries. Without further ado, here are 200 free documentaries you can watch. We’ll list them by year, from the latest documentaries to the oldest ones we’ve added.

20 Days in Mariupol (2023) – Harrowing documentary from last year covering the the ground-level reality of the siege of Mariupol, Ukraine over the first 20 days of the Russian invasion. The movie won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.

The Last Repair Shop (2023) – This 40-minute documentary about a musical instrument repair shop won the best short documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.

I Have Arrived, I Am Home (2023) – Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh passed away in January of 2022 and this documentary commemorates his life.

Nuclear Now (2022) – Oliver Stone’s recent documentary arguing for nuclear energy to curb the global warming crisis.

A Cloud Never Dies (2022) – A biographical documentary on Thich Nhat Hanh, narrated by actor Peter Coyote.

Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free (2021) – New footage and interviews about the making of Tom Petty’s 1992 album Wildflowers.

The Queen of Basketball (2021) – This 20-minute documentary on female basketball legend Lusia Harris won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary.

Mentality (2021) – Documentary on mental health and its treatment in the present day.

Life in a Day 2020 (2021) – Relive the horrors of 2020 in this follow-up documentary to the 2010 version of Life in a Day.

Yogananda and the Kriya Yoga Masters (2020) – Documentary on Paramahansa Yogananda and the masters that influenced him. Yogananda penned the bestselling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi.

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020) – Sequel to the popular documentary The Corporation from 2003. Documents more corporate misbehavior in the past 20 years.

The Mindfulness Movement (2020) – By now everybody has heard of mindfulness. This documentary covers the movement featuring key figures that helped to popularize it like Deepak Chopra, Dan Harris, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Daniel Goleman, and Sharon Salzberg.

Netflix vs. the World (2020) – Documentary on the rise and rise of Netflix! Based on the 2012 book Netflixed: The Epic Battle For America’s Eyeballs.

Cryptopia (2020) – Documentary on bitcoin and blockchain that makes an attempt to understand this new decentralized web.

Colette (2020) – 25-minute film on the life of 90-year-old French Resistance fighter Colette Marin-Catherine. This film won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary.

The Rise of Jordan Peterson (2019) – Public intellectual Jordan Peterson skyrocketed to fame in 2016 with his battle against political correctness and this documentary chronicles that time in Peterson’s life.

The Booksellers (2019) – Documentary on rare book dealers in New York City.

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace (2019) – Celebrates the great cinemas of yesteryear throughout the United States and how these movie palaces evolved over the last 100 years.

Decoding da Vinci (2019) – PBS NOVA documentary that looks at the science behind Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces.

Armstrong (2019) – Documentary on the life of Neil Armstrong from his humble beginnings in rural Ohio to his famous steps on the Moon.

2040 (2019) – A hopeful look at the year 2040 if we take up solutions to improve our planet.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (2018) – Documentary on the life of renowned film critic Pauline Kael, and the influence her opinions had on the movies.

The Panama Papers (2018) – The Panama Papers were leaked documents that exposed widespread tax evasion and money laundering. Director Alex Winter highlights their importance in this documentary.

The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story (2018) – A documentary film about the Nickelodeon Network!

The God Who Speaks (2018) – Documentary examines whether God is real and if He speaks to us in the present day, featuring many respected biblical scholars.

The City That Sold America (2018) – How Chicago came to influence modern advertising at the dawn of the 20th century.

NOVA: Addiction (2018) – PBS NOVA documentary on opioid addiction and the science behind treating it.

Living in the Future’s Past (2018) – Actor Jeff Bridges narrates this documentary featuring scientists that take a look at the future of Earth’s living creatures.

Zig: You Were Born to Win (2017) – The life of motivational speaker Zig Ziglar and those he helped to inspire.

The Soul of Success: The Jack Canfield Story (2017) – The inspirational life of Jack Canfield and his Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

The Red Pill (2017) – Feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye examines the Men’s Rights Movement and changes her thinking in the process.

Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (2017) – Documentary covering a decade of Mission Control as it guided astronauts through the Apollo space missions.

Maximum Achievement: The Brian Tracy Story (2017) – Documentary on the life of self-help author Brian Tracy.

I Am Not Your Negro (2017) – A documentary adaption of James Baldwin’s uncompleted book Remember This House. Narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, this film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness (2017) – Get motivated to move with this documentary on the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games.

The Occupation of the American Mind (2016) – Documentary examines the propaganda efforts used by Israel to win over Americans for its cause in the occupation of Palestinian land.

The Coming War on China (2016) – Journalist John Pilger looks at the potential coming war between China and the United States.

Sour Grapes (2016) – Documentary about wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan.

Shadows of Paradise (2016) – Documentary on Transcendental Meditation and its new leaders – iconic filmmaker David Lynch and dedicated disciple Bobby Roth.

Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016) – Documentary about film scores featuring many great film composers, including Hans Zimmer, James Cameron, Danny Elfman, John Williams, Quincy Jones, Trent Reznor, Howard Shore, Rachel Portman, Thomas Newman, Randy Newman, and more.

Pet Fooled (2016) – Where does your pet food come from? Find out with this revealing documentary.

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016) – The first of many Werner Herzog documentaries we added. In this one, Herzog examines the online world with his own unique observations.

Greed: A Fatal Desire (2016) – DW Documentary from Germany on the global impact of greed.

Food Choices (2016) – Looks at the repercussions of the food choices we make.

Dying Laughing (2016) – A look at the lives of stand-up comedians.

Chicken People (2016) – A fun documentary on the competitive world of champion show chicken breeders.

California Typewriter (2016) – Documentary examining the mythology attached to the typewriter.

Betting on Zero (2016) – Investigation of the Herbalife pyramid scheme.

American Street Kid (2016) – A look at homeless youth in Los Angeles.

The Witness (2015) – An in-depth look at the story of Kitty Genovese and the 38 witnesses that allegedly watched her being murdered.

The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015) – We all have some older relatives that have been brainwashed by the rise of right-wing media. This is one of those stories.

The Babushkas of Chernobyl (2015) – Award-winning documentary on 100 women who stayed in the Chernobyl radioactive “Exclusion Zone”.

Racing Extinction (2015) – Documentary investigating the urgent race to save endangered species.

Origins (2015) – How can we coexist with nature? This documentary takes a look.

My Scientology Movie (2015) – British journalist Louis Theroux sets out to explain the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.

Minimalism (2015) – Popular Netflix documentary made free on YouTube about minimalists who live meaningfully with less.

Being Evel (2015) – The life of daredevil Evel Knievel!

All Things Must Pass (2015) – The rise and fall of Tower Records, from its humble beginnings in 1960 to its rapid decline in the 21st century.

The Secrets of Quantum Physics (2014) – Theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili tells the complex story of quantum physics.

The Man Who Saved the World (2014) – Documentary about Stanislav Petrov who prevented a nuclear war.

The Hacker Wars (2014) – A film about the targeting of hacktivists and journalists by the U.S. government.

The Barkley Marathons (2014) – Documentary about a grueling race in Tennessee that has only seen 10 finishers in its first 25 years.

That Sugar Film (2014) – Documentarian Damon Gameau looks at the effects of sugar on the human body.

Neurons to Nirvana: Understanding Psychedelic Medicines (2014) – A look at psychedelic medicines and their potential to heal.

Manny (2014) – Documentary on the life of Manny Pacquiao, Filipino politician and former professional boxer.

Life Itself (2014) – Documentary on the beloved film critic Roger Ebert, filmed late in his life by acclaimed director Steve James.

Kindness Is Contagious (2014) – A feel-good documentary about being nice and the benefits of being nice.

Kidnapped for Christ (2014) – Documents a Christian boarding school in the Dominican Republic that isn’t quite what it seems.

Fed Up (2014) – Takes another look at the recommendations for nutrition in America, and how the public has often been mislead.

Citizenfour (2014) – Academy Award-winning documentary about whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Children of the Light (2014) – Tells the life story of Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Bending the Light (2014) – Acclaimed director Michael Apted takes a revealing look at the art of filmmaking & photography.

An Honest Liar (2014) – The story of renowned magician turned skeptic James “The Amazing” Randi.

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory (2014) – A documentary examining music therapy and its effects on elderly patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Visitors (2013) – Director Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass continue their non-spoken narrative experience.

Trespassing Bergman (2013) – A group of filmmakers visit Ingmar Bergman’s house on a remote Swedish island to discuss his legacy. Filmmakers interviewed include Lars Von Trier, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Isabella Rossellini, and Michael Haneke.

The Unbelievers (2013) – Richard Dawkins and Lawrence M. Krauss promote their agenda of science and reason.

The Square (2013) – Documentary on the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Overnighters (2013) – In the time of fracking, job-seekers descend on the tiny oil boom town of Williston, North Dakota. A pastor is there to help them out, but challenges arise.

Our Nixon (2013) – Newly uncovered Super 8 home movies filmed by Richard Nixon’s closest aides.

Narco Cultura (2013) – Documentary on the Mexican drug war and the music it inspires.

Living on One Dollar (2013) – Four young friends set out to live on just $1 a day for two months in rural Guatemala.

LIs the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013) – Director Michel Gondry interviews Noam Chomsky mostly about linguistics.

I Know That Voice (2013) – Lovers of audio books might enjoy this documentary that peeks into the world of voice acting.

Desert Runners (2013) – Follows a group of runners as they compete in ultra-marathon races through the desert.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013) – Go to a land way down under with this documentary of life in Antarctica and what it’s like to live there.

Undaunted: The Forgotten Giants of the Allegheny Observatory (2012) – The story of Allegheny Observatory in Pennsylvania.

The Woman Who Wasn’t There (2012) – The story of Tania Head, the 9/11 survivor who wasn’t even there!

The Revisionaries (2012) – The story of the controversial Texas State Board of Education.

The Perfect Human Diet (2012) – Documentary that purports to have found the authentic human diet.

Somm (2012) – Four sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) – A look at the East Coast/West Coast battle for dominance in the world of hip hop, hosted by Ice-T.

Meditation, Creativity, Peace (2012) – Follows filmmaker David Lynch around the globe as he talks about creativity and Transcendental Meditation.

Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present (2012) – A close look at Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramovic.

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance (2012) – Documentary on the Joffrey Ballet company of Chicago.

Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds (2012) – Get in touch with the one vibratory field that connects all things.

Free the Mind (2012) – Professor Richie Davidson studies the effects of Tibetan meditation practice.

Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie (2012) – The inside story of Morton Downey, Jr., the “Father of Trash Television”.

Dinotasia (2012) – Documentary about dinosaurs.

Craigslist Joe (2012) – Remember Craigslist? Throwback documentary to a guy that tries to survive solely on Craigslist.

Children of the Stars (2012) – Documentary on the Unarius UFO Cult in California that created their own sci-fi films.

B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2012) – The great blues musician B.B. King tells his story.

A Place at the Table (2012) – Exposes the growing epidemic of hunger in the United States, and how we can fix it.

You Laugh But It’s True (2011) – Comedian Trevor Noah creates a one-man show in South Africa.

Vince Lombardi: A Football Life (2011) – The story of legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi who took his teams to win numerous championships.

The War of 1812 (2011) – Public television documentary on The War of 1812, when the United States declared war on Britain.

The Loving Story (2011) – HBO documentary on the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, which led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on interracial marriage.

Samsara (2011) – Great non-narrative documentary directed by Ron Fricke, filmed over five years in 25 countries.

Kumare (2011) – Filmmaker Vikram Gandhi pretends to be an enlightened guru named Kumare and gains disciples.

How to Die in Oregon (2011) – Documentary on Oregon’s controversial Death with Dignity Act, which legalized physician-assisted death for those who are terminally ill.

Hot Coffee (2011) – Documentary about the impact of tort reform on the United States judicial system.

Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (2011) – Tibetan Buddhism is brought to America thanks in large part through the story of Chogyam Trungpa.

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope (2011) – Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock heads to San Diego Comic-Con in 2010 to find out what it’s all about.

Bob Ross: The Happy Painter (2011) – The story of beloved painter Bob Ross and his success on public television.

Blank City (2011) – The story of No Wave Cinema in New York City in the late 1970’s through the mid 80’s.

5 Broken Cameras (2011) – A Palestinian farmer’s chronicles his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.

We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918 (2010) – The story of the 1918 flu pandemic that killed 50 million people.

The Parking Lot Movie (2010) – Curious documentary about a parking lot and the people that work there.

The Elephant in the Living Room (2010) – Documentary about having dangerous animals as household pets.

Stonewall Uprising (2010) – PBS American Experience documentary on the Stonewall riots that marked a turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States.

Countdown to Zero (2010) – Explores the current state of nuclear arms around the world with an urgent plea for getting rid of them.

Carbon Nation (2010) – Aims to provide solutions to the current climate change crisis.

Beer Wars (2009) – A look at the battle between large corporate breweries and the smaller producers of craft beer.

Winnebago Man (2009) – The story of viral Internet sensation Jack Rebney, a.k.a. “The Winnebago Man”.

Which Way Home (2009) – Documentary following Central American child migrants and their journey to the United States.

The Cartel (2009) – A hard look at the American public school system.

Tapped (2009) – The story of the true cost of bottled water.

Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue (2009) – Documentary that looks at the appeal of horror films, featuring great directors of the genre like Joe Dante, John Carpenter, and George A. Romero.

Fresh (2009) – A documentary about sustainable agriculture and how to change the American food system.

Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell (2008) – Documentary on the life of the talented cellist, composer, producer, singer, and musician Arthur Russell.

The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2008) – PBS American Experience documentary on the troubled life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped to bring about the atomic bomb.

I Think We’re Alone Now (2008) – The story of two fans obsessed with the 80’s pop singer Tiffany.

Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) – The story of the two famous Los Angeles gangs and how they came to be.

Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary (2008) – A documentary on documentaries, featuring many notable documentary filmmakers.

Sicko (2007) – Filmmaker Michael Moore takes on the abysmal American healthcare system.

Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (2007) – Documentary by Jonathan Demme on former president Jimmy Carter.

Chicago 10 (2007) – Acclaimed filmmaker Brett Morgen makes an animated documentary about the radicals charged with crimes during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? (2006) – Many notable people weigh in about the life of musician Harry Nilsson.

When Stand Up Stood Out (2006) – A look at the Boston stand-up comedy scene in the ’70s and early ’80s.

Lake of Fire (2006) – Outstanding documentary on the abortion issue in the United States directed by Tony Kaye.

Deliver Us from Evil (2006) – Documentary about an Irish priest who molested children, and the lengths the Catholic Church went to cover it up.

The Aristocrats (2005) – 100 renowned comedians attempt to tell the same dirty joke.

The End (2004) – A look at the end of life covering hospice care. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Kirby Dick.

Wheel of Time (2004) – Director Werner Herzog takes a look at Tibetan Buddhism with interviews of the Dalai Lama.

Word Wars (2004) – Fans of the board game Scrabble might enjoy this documentary on a Scrabble convention.

Step into Liquid (2003) – Surfing documentary that seeks out surfing some of the world’s largest waves.

Overnight (2003) – Incredible documentary on egomaniac filmmaker Troy Duffy as he makes The Boondock Saints (1999).

Bonhoeffer (2003) – Documentary on German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who resisted the Nazi regime.

Bowling for Columbine (2003) – Filmmaker Michael Moore points his camera at the gun violence problem in America.

My Best Fiend (1999) – Werner Herzog’s documentary on the crazed actor Klaus Kinski, who he collaborated with many times.

Genghis Blues (1999) – Documentary on blind American singer Paul Pena who pursues his interest in Tuvan throat singing. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998) – The third film in Penelope Spheeris’s Decline of Western Civilization trilogy covers homeless teens in Los Angeles living as gutter punks and doing what they can to survive.

Trekkies (1997) – Classic documentary covering the devoted fans of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek.

The Long Way Home (1997) – Documentary about Jewish refugees after World War II that contributed to the creation of the State of Israel. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1996) – Nick Broomfield’s documentary on Heidi Fleiss and her infamous prostitution ring.

Trinity: Getting The Job Done (1995) – PBS documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first atomic detonation.

Lessons of Darkness (1992) – Werner Herzog’s apocalyptic documentary covering the burning oil fields of post-Gulf War Kuwait.

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) – Nick Broomfield’s first documentary on serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

Echoes from a Sombre Empire (1990) – Werner Herzog’s documentary examining Jean-Bedel Bokassa’s rule in the Central African Republic.

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) – Tells the story of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988) – The second film in Penelope Spheeris’s Decline of Western Civilization trilogy covers the Los Angeles metal scene often with hilarious results.

Heaven (1987) – Diane Keaton’s directorial debut is a documentary about heaven and what people think heaven is.

What Happened to Kerouac? (1986) – Portrait of poet Jack Kerouac, who was considered the father of the Beat Generation.

The Last Moguls (1986) – This is a priceless document of Cannon Films at the height of their power in 1986.

Distant Harmony: Pavarotti in China (1986) – Documentary covering Luciano Pavarotti’s 1986 trip to China to perform La Boheme.

The Dark Glow of the Mountains (1985) – Werner Herzog follows mountaineers Hans Kammerlander and Reinhold Messner during their dangerous expedition.

Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984) – Werner Herzog documentary about children soldiers in Nicaragua.

The Chicken Ranch (1983) – Nick Broomfield’s documentary about this legal brothel in Nevada.

Fun to Imagine (1983) – Documentary featuring physicist Richard P. Feynman.

Flamenco at 5:15 (1983) – Documentary on a flamenco dance class at the National Ballet School of Canada. The film won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) – The original film in Penelope Spheeris’s Decline of Western Civilization trilogy covers the Los Angeles punk scene at its peak.

God’s Angry Man (1981) – Werner Herzog covers the controversial televangelist Gene Scott.

Genocide (1981) – Documentary on the history of the Holocaust, narrated by Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor. The film won the Oscar for for Best Documentary Feature.

Nuclear Nightmares: The Wars That Must Never Happen (1980) – Documentary on the world’s nuclear weaponry, made at a heightened point in the Cold War.

The War at Home (1979) – Oscar-nominated documentary about the increasingly violent Vietnam War protests from 1963 to 1973.

From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1979) – Portrays the famous violinist and music teacher Isaac Stern as the first American musician to collaborate with the China Central Symphony Society. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Budo: The Art of Killing (1979) – Learn about martial arts in Japan with this classic documentary.

Hollywood on Trial (1976) – Documentary on the history of the Hollywood blacklist in the mid-20th century.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975) – Documentary about Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese alpinist who skied down Mount Everest in 1970. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Marjoe (1972) – Documentary about preacher Marjoe Gortner who returns to the ministry to make a living, even though he’s no longer a believer. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Land of Silence and Darkness (1971) – Early Werner Herzog documentary on an old woman who has been deaf and blind since adolescence.

Fata Morgana (1971) – Experimental Herzog documentary on mirages in the Sahara and Sahel deserts.

Chariots of the Gods (1970) – The only ancient aliens documentary we will feature on our site because it was the original! And it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Saul Alinsky Went to War (1968) – Documentary on radical activist Saul Alinsky.

The Decision to Drop the Bomb (1965) – An old NBC News documentary on the decision to drop the first atomic bomb.

David Susskind Archive: Interview With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963) – An extended interview with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963.

Mondo Cane (1962) – Italian mondo documentary designed to shock you!

Sky Above and Mud Beneath (1961) – French documentary on a trek into Dutch New Guinea in 1959. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Plenty of popular and award-winning films to choose from! Hopefully you found one that sparks your interest!

May 19, 2024

Listen to 250 of the Best Public Radio Interviews from Terry Gross and Studs Terkel

Before Joe Rogan or Marc Maron or any of the dozens of popular interview podcasts currently available, there was Terry Gross hosting Fresh Air on National Public Radio. Since 1975, Gross has been interviewing authors, artists, and entertainers about their latest works, along with many other notable people. She’s interviewed thousands of people in the past 50 years, and these interviews have been collected on the Fresh Air Archive Website. We recently went through the entire archive and picked out over 200 interviews from some of her most notable guests to feature on LearnOutLoud.com in our Free Audio & Video Directory. You can browse all the interviews we added here:

Over 200 of The Best of Fresh Air Interviews

And before Terry Gross and Fresh Air, there was veteran radio broadcaster Studs Terkel. Studs had his own public radio program out of WFMT in Chicago from 1952 to 1997. In his one-hour radio show, The Studs Terkel Program, he also interviewed thousands of people, from everyday working people to notable authors, artists, entertainers, and more. In 2016 the Studs Terkel Radio Archive was created, which features the high-quality digitization of more than 1,000 audio tapes of Terkel’s programs. We recently went through this entire archive and picked out about 40 of the best radio interviews he conducted to add to our Free Audio & Video Directory. You can browse them here:

Over 40 of The Best Studs Terkel Radio Interviews

These two high-quality radio archives provide an incredible history of voices from the past 60 years. It’s quite a time capsule to listen to these recordings and get into the minds of notable figures from yesteryear with the help of incredible interviewers like Terry Gross and Studs Terkel!

April 19, 2024

3,000 Best Free Movies on YouTube Playlist

I’ve created a massive YouTube playlist of over 3,000 of the best free movies on YouTube on our LearnOutLoud YouTube Channel. You can browse the entire playlist at the link below:

3,000 Best Free Movies on YouTube Playlist

Now, this took a lot of time, so let me explain. Besides LearnOutLoud.com, I also started a free movie website, which has been a failure to date, so much so that I won’t even mention its name. But all along, I’ve been gathering this huge playlist of the best free movies on our YouTube channel. So this playlist is literally over five years in the making, and I’ve decided to organize it and make it public.

Now there are hundreds of thousands of free movies on YouTube, so let me tell you some of the criterion by which these movies were added to this playlist. First, the movies had to be legally free on YouTube either from YouTube’s official Movies and TV channel, from a YouTube channel legally distributing the movie, or from a movie on YouTube that is in the public domain. I’ve done my best to pick out highly rated and reviewed feature-length movies from a variety of genres throughout film history, going back to the silent movies and up to the best new movies on YouTube.

Almost all of these movies are free with ads on them. If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you won’t have to watch ads on any of them, and you can download them for offline viewing. Also, note that if you are outside of the United States, you’re not going to see over 3,000 movies on the playlist. Because of territory restrictions, all of the movies on YouTube’s official Movies and TV channel won’t show up on the playlist for those outside of the USA. But there still should be hundreds of movies with worldwide rights that you can see on the playlist and watch for free. And, like any streaming service, the rights to these movies change frequently, especially on YouTube’s official Movies and TV channel. So if you see a movie you really want to watch, then check it out soon!

I’ll do my utmost to keep updating the playlist with the best newly added movies as they become available. I’m subscribed to dozens of free movie channels, and I also check YouTube’s official Movies and TV channel frequently for new movies. If you have a YouTube account, YouTube also allows you to save a playlist. So feel free to save the playlist so you can go back to it when you’re looking for a movie to watch.

Also, here are a few notes on browsing the playlist. I’ve sorted the playlist by “Date published (newest)”, which means it is sorted by the movies that were added to YouTube most recently. I’ve found that the YouTube mobile app only allows you to browse up to about 2,000 of the movies on the playlist. So if you want to browse the full playlist you’ll need to do so on your laptop or desktop computer.

And more related to LearnOutLoud, I’ve also created a YouTube playlist of over 300 of the Best Documentaries on YouTube in 2024. You can check out that playlist here:

Best Documentaries on YouTube in 2024 Playlist

And check out our blog post about these documentaries here:

300 Best Documentaries on YouTube in 2024 Blog Post

Hopefully, gathering all these movies together will help you find some free movies worth watching!

April 11, 2024

Audio & Video Learning Bibliotherapy for Depression & Anxiety

In this blog post, I’m going to talk about the potential benefits of audio & video learning as a therapy for dealing with depression & anxiety. Having experienced several episodes of major depression & anxiety in my lifetime, I wanted to share this method of coping with depression that has been very helpful to me since it ties in with our site LearnOutLoud.com. If you’ve heard of the psychotherapy term bibliotherapy or book therapy, then audio & video learning therapy is basically the same thing. It just combines listening to self-help audio books with listening to other sorts of audio programs, podcasts, and videos on the topic of depression & anxiety. I’ll be highlighting many of the very best audio books, podcasts, and videos I’ve listened to that deal with topics of depression & anxiety in this blog post.

There are unlimited methods for dealing with depression & anxiety: medication, talking therapy, exercise, meditation, diet & supplements, etc. The list goes on and on. Bibliotherapy has been shown to be one effective method in treating depression & anxiety, and it basically is the therapy of reading self-help books and books that deal with depression and anxiety. One of the great benefits of this type of therapy is that it is very affordable and can be implemented immediately. One challenge that I have with bibliotherapy when I’ve been in a depression or feel an episode of depression coming on is that I find it very hard to sit in a chair and read a book. I’ve found that listening to audio books or podcasts or videos while I’m walking outside or working out at the gym or driving to be much easier at these times than sitting down and reading a book.

While listening to audio books or talks about depression and anxiety might sound depressing, I’ve found it to be quite supportive in helping to learn about what I’m experiencing and to gain perspective on the situation. If you’ve experienced one or more episodes of clinical depression, you really owe it to yourself to become an expert on depression (especially your own). And by learning about it, you’ll know that you’re very much not alone (approximately 20 million Americans will experience depression this year), and you’ll learn more about how your depression is similar or different to others who experience the disorder. When I’m in an episode of depression, I find I can hardly focus on anything else, so I might as well learn as much as I can about depression and anxiety! Depression usually gets better with time, and an audio & video learning method of bibliotherapy can help to cope with the slow and painful passage of time in depression. As I’ve grown older (I’m in my 40s now), I’ve become fairly skilled at preventing depressive episodes, coping with my depression, and making depressive episodes last as short as I possibly can. Combining bibliotherapy with audio & video learning has been one tool in my toolbox for helping to manage this complex mood disorder.

Over the course of my adult years I’ve listened to dozens of audio books on depression & anxiety and hundreds of talks whether they’re videos, podcasts, or audio programs of recorded talks. As with all self help audio books, podcasts, and videos, some of them were very helpful and some were mostly garbage. I’ll highlight some of the best of these titles that I’ve listened to over the course of my lifetime, starting with audio books. Not all of these are necessarily considered self help, but I generally consider all books on the topic of depression & anxiety to be self help, if they are helping you to learn more about the disorder.

Best Audio Books on Depression & Anxiety:

1. The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression (Abridged) and The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression (Unabridged) by Andrew Solomon – One of the most comprehensive books on depression ever written is Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon. I’ve listened to both the abridged version, which is narrated by Andrew Solomon, and the unabridged version. The unabridged version is 22 hours long, so if that is too daunting, maybe start with the 6-hour abridged version. The book won the 2001 National Book Award and covers depression from many cultural, scientific, and historical angles. But most importantly, it covers Andrew Solomon’s own intimate struggles with his severe major depressive episodes. Solomon is a great writer and he’s able to articulate the experience of depression in ways that few other writers have. For the book, he interviewed countless individuals on their struggles with depression, and you’ll come away with a great many insights into the experience of the disorder.

2. Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn’t Teach You and Medication Can’t Give You by Dr. Richard O’Connor – I’ve listened to this audio book multiple times and return to it frequently. This self help book on depression is written by Dr. Richard O’Connor who is a practicing psychotherapist. Dr. O’Connor is a suicide survivor (his mother committed suicide when he was 15) along with a sufferer of depression himself, and he knows depression from the inside out. This book is a guide to depression and ways to treat it. It also focuses a lot on the many ways to prevent episodes of depression, which is as important, if not more so, than learning ways to treat yourself while in depression. First published in 1997, it has a new 2021 audio book version that is revised and updated for life in the 21st century.

3. Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron – The great American writer William Styron (he wrote Sophie’s Choice published in 1979) suffered a major bout of depression when he was 60 years old in 1985. After recovering, he wrote this short memoir of his descent into depression, which was published in 1990. This audio book is narrated by William Styron himself, and in two short hours Styron vividly portrays the experience of a major depressive episode. It’s a must-listen for anyone who has experienced depression and is highly recommended for everyone to listen to for a greater understanding of what clinical depression is.

4. The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs by Dr. Stephen S. Ilardi – Very bold to call your book The Depression Cure. I like it! This audio book has some good alternatives to medication that Dr. Ilardi prescribes, which he calls Therapeutic Lifestyle Change. Drawing from research that modern-day hunter-gatherer groups have almost no incidence of depression, Dr. Ilardi compared their lifestyle to our modern-day lifestyle and came up with some major differences that have led to today’s epidemic of depression. He guides us through his program, which involves goal-oriented exercise, fish oil supplementation, plenty of natural sunlight, ample sleep, social connections, and participation in meaningful tasks that leave little time for negative thoughts. He may oversimplify things in his “cure,” and his suggestions might work more for people with milder depressive episodes, but it’s good advice. If you want to watch a 1 Hr. 45 Min. talk he gave on the audio book you can check it out here: Stephen Ilardi: Therapeutic Lifestyle Change for Depression.

5. Depression: What Everyone Needs to Know – This is a recent primer on depression written by Professor of Psychology Jonathan Rottenberg and published in 2021. It’s not a bestseller but I found it to be a very straightforward up-to-date introduction on the causes of depression and what to do about it.

6. Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari – This very popular audiobook written and read by Johann Hari deals with depression at more of a societal level confronting the epidemic of loneliness and lost communal connections we face. It reads more like an anecdotal 9-hour TED Talk than a science-based examination of depression. Nevertheless it has some interesting ideas in it that can help us out as individuals and as a society to deal with depression.

7. My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind by Scott Stossel – Episodes of depression often come with the comorbidity of anxiety. And author Scott Stossel has had his own struggles with anxiety disorders throughout his life. Much like Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon, Scott Stossel sets out to explore the biological and cultural factors that contribute to anxiety, along with exploring the history of this affliction. If your depression comes with a hefty dose of anxiety, as mine does, then I recommend this audio book. If you wanna hear a talk about the book, then watch this YouTube video: Scott Stossel: My Age of Anxiety Book Talk.

8. Beat Depression – 50 Things You Can Do Today: An Easy Self-Help Guide by Paul Vincent – This is a short 2-hour audio book by a British fellow who suffered from depression named Paul Vincent who started a website on ways to beat depression and he’s compiled many of the things you can do in this little audio book. It’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but I found it to be practical and insightful. Some of the ideas you might find goofy, but some might be worth trying out. The weird thing about this cognitive-involved disorder known as depression is that the placebo effect often works. If you think that you feel better, then you often are better!

Best Audio Programs on Depression & Anxiety:

The Mindful Way Through Depression – This popular Sounds True audio program by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, John Teasdale, and Jon Kabat-Zinn presents Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for dealing with and preventing depression. If you’d like a free 3-hour audio introduction to some of the ideas in this audio program check out The New Psychology of Depression by Danny Penman & Mark Williams who are co-authors of the book Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. The New Psychology of Depression is offered free as a podcast from Oxford University.

Pema Chodron Audio Programs – If you’re open to Buddhist wisdom on dealing with suffering, then I can’t recommend highly enough the teachings of Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. She’s written many bestselling books that are on audio book, but I really recommend her original audio programs recorded at her retreats. When it comes to dealing with destruction emotions like fear, anger, grief, pain, guilt, anxiety, and depression, Pema Chodron is a master at conveying Buddhist wisdom on dealing with these forms of suffering. I’ve listened to almost all of her audio programs many times and a few of my favorites are Don’t Bite the Hook and Getting Unstuck. You certainly don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to gain benefit from Pema’s teachings. Pema’s calming voice and teachings have helped me through many difficult days.

Hope and Help for Your Nerves, Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself From Anxiety and Fear, and Freedom from Nervous Suffering by Dr. Claire Weekes – Australian Dr. Claire Weekes wrote several books on dealing with anxiety disorders including the bestselling Hope and Help for Your Nerves (1962). While none of her actual books are on audio book, she did record these audio programs based on her books which are just as good. Even though they’re older recordings, they still ring true today with no-nonsense advice on dealing with nervous illness. These short audio programs are helpful to anyone suffering depression with anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, or generalized anxiety disorder.

Stress and Your Body Course from The Great Courses Taught by Stanford Professor Robert Sapolsky – Stress is obviously related to depression, and American neuroendocrinology researcher Robert Sapolsky is an expert on the biology of stress. He’s the author of the book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. Sapolsky is also a very engaging lecturer and back in 2010, The Great Courses released his course Stress and Your Body which covers the effects of stress on the body and the mind. The 12-hour course contains many of the ideas from his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, and two of the lectures cover depression and another lecture covers anxiety. If you want to get a taste of Professor Sapolsky as a lecturer, check out his popular video lecture from Stanford University: Stanford’s Sapolsky On Depression in the U.S..

Best Videos on Depression & Anxiety:

Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Body Scan Meditation on YouTube – If you’ve suffered from depression and anxiety and you want to suffer less, then you’re probably gonna want to learn how to meditate. Regular meditation is a good thing to do in general, and if you’re in depression, it’s one of the easiest ways to slow down your mind and ease your constant negative thought patterns. I won’t go into all the audio programs that teach meditation (I’ve listened to dozens, and they’re not hard to find). However, I will present this guided meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. When in depression, I find it helpful to listen to guided meditations as opposed to just trying to meditate in silence. And this particular 45-minute body scan meditation works through focusing on all different parts of your body, I’ve listened to hundreds of times. It’s free on YouTube, but if you want to buy the audio program that this meditation is on along with some other meditations by Jon Kabat-Zinn you can get it here: Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 1. And you might want to try out his Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2, which are also excellent. There are thousands of other guided meditations out there, but I always return to Kabat-Zinn’s over and over again. Kabat-Zinn sounds like actor Richard Gere soothingly guiding you through the most relaxing body scan of your life.

Charlie Rose Brain Series – Depression is a very complex mental illness. If you want to learn about the latest insights into it, you might as well learn about the brain as a whole and introduce yourself to the latest knowledge in neuroscience. One of the best free resources for learning about the brain on the internet is the Charlie Rose Brain Series available on streaming video through CharlieRose.com. About ten years ago Charlie Rose sat down with Nobel Prize-winning psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Eric Kandel as they explored the pioneering discoveries of neuroscience over the course of over 20 episodes. In each episode Charlie and Dr. Kandel were joined by a roundtable of leading brain scientists and researchers to explore an aspect of neuroscience. All of the episodes are worth watching but a few ones related to depression are The Mentally Ill Brain, The Anxious Brain, and their episode dedicated specifically to Depression.

For some more free audio & video resources dealing with depression check out our blog post:

Help with Depression on Free Audio & Video

And if you want to learn more about mental health in general, then be sure to check out our “Mental Health” category with over 500 audio books, podcasts, and videos related to mental health:

Mental Health Audio Books, Podcasts, and Videos

I hope this blog post helps you find some good audio & video learning resources to learn more about depression and anxiety and ways you prevent and cope with this mood disorder. Obviously bibliotherapy is no substitute for talk therapy or medication when it comes to depression & anxiety. If you think you’re in an episode of depression you should talk to a healthcare professional, psychiatrist, and/or psychotherapist.

I’ll keep adding to this blog post as I find more and better audio & video resources relating to depression & anxiety!

March 24, 2024

300 Best Documentaries on YouTube in 2024

There are thousands of documentaries on YouTube. But finding the best ones to watch can be a challenge. We’ve put together a YouTube playlist on our LearnOutLoud YouTube Channel of the 300 Best Documentaries on YouTube in 2024, featuring award-winning, highly-rated, and popular documentaries that are legally free on YouTube.

300 Best Documentaries on YouTube Playlist

Probably 90% of the documentaries on YouTube aren’t worth watching at all. They feature low-quality productions about ancient aliens and other such nonsense. You won’t find any of those documentaries on our list. We’ve spent hours sifting through documentaries and picked out 300 documentaries we feel are educational and worth watching.

Almost all of the documentaries on our playlist are feature-length documentaries. Also, all of the documentaries on this list are legally available on YouTube. They are either from the official YouTube TV & Movies channel or from a channel on YouTube that legally distributes the movie. So we’ll list them all below in order by year, from most recent to oldest. Find a documentary worth watching from this list! We’ll keep adding to the playlist as we find more great documentaries on YouTube.

Please Note: Many of these documentaries have territory restrictions on YouTube. If you are outside the United States, please click the playlist link above, and you’ll see which of the documentaries are available in your country. Also, some of the documentaries are age-restricted and require you to log in to view them. Also, the rights to these documentaries may change over time, so some may become unavailable.

Below we’re linking to over 300 documentaries directly on YouTube:

20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
The Last Repair Shop (2023)
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space (2023)
Pleistocene Park (2023)
American Oz (2021)
Mentality (2021)
American Mafia: The Rise and Fall of Organized Crime in Las Vegas (2021)
Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free (2021)
The Queen of Basketball (2021)
Amend: The Fight for America (2021)
Life in a Day 2020 (2021)
The Last Blockbuster (2020)
Cryptopia (2020)
Banksy Most Wanted (2020)
The Dissident (2020)
Jay Sebring: Cutting to the Truth (2020)
A Thousand Cuts (2020)
Childhood 2.0 (2020)
On the Record (2020)
Crip Camp (2020)
Once Upon a Time in Iraq (2020)
Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert (2020)
Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos (2020)
No Safe Spaces (2019)
Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace (2019)
The Accountant of Auschwitz (2019)
Love, Antosha (2019)
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film (2019)
In Search of the Last Action Heroes (2019)
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019)
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)
The River and the Wall (2019)
Armstrong (2019)
Netflix vs. the World (2019)
Chris Farley: Anything for a Laugh (2019)
Planet of the Humans (2019)
Our Planet (2019)
Knock Down the House (2019)
The Age of A.I. (2019)
In the Age of AI (2019)
For Sama (2019)
The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash (2019)
The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story (2019)
The Gilded Age (2018)
Black Hole Apocalypse (2018)
The Panama Papers (2018)
Bergman: A Year in a Life (2018)
The Flood (2018)
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (2018)
Mystify: Michael Hutchence (2018)
American Street Kid (2018)
Living in the Future’s Past (2018)
Chuck Berry: The Original King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2018)
The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man (2018)
First to the Moon: The Journey of Apollo 8 (2018)
RBG (2018)
The Creepy Line (2018)
Period. End of Sentence. (2018)
Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis (2018)
The Price of Free (2018)
The Facebook Dilemma (2018)
King in the Wilderness (2018)
The Last Laugh (2017)
Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (2017)
Born Strong (2017)
Ruby Ridge (2017)
Mountain (2017)
Tickling Giants (2017)
I Am Not Your Negro (2017)
Strong Island (2017)
Chasing Coral (2017)
AlphaGo (2017)
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)
Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017)
The Third Industrial Revolution (2017)
A World in Disarray (2017)
LA 92 (2017)
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016)
The Last Dalai Lama? (2016)
The Red Pill (2016)
Food Choices (2016)
Dying Laughing (2016)
Life, Animated (2016)
Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016)
Sour Grapes (2016)
The Coming War on China (2016)
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)
13th (2016)
The White Helmets (2016)
The Occupation of the American Mind (2016)
Shelter (2016)
Greed: A Fatal Desire (2016)
The Reality of Truth (2016)
On the Streets (2016)
An Honest Liar (2015)
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2015)
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
Misery Loves Comedy (2015)
Racing Extinction (2015)
Requiem for the American Dream (2015)
Back in Time (2015)
Being Evel (2015)
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records (2015)
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015)
The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015)
My Scientology Movie (2015)
Manny (2015)
The Wolfpack (2015)
Human (2015)
Finding Vivian Maier (2014)
Dark Star: H.R. Giger’s World (2014)
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)
The Overnighters (2014)
Nas: Time is Illmatic (2014)
Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys (2014)
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Life Itself (2014)
Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory (2014)
Visitors (2014)
James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge (2014)
20,000 Days on Earth (2014)
Fed Up (2014)
Citizenfour (2014)
The Man Who Saved the World (2014)
That Sugar Film (2014)
The Hacker Wars (2014)
Free to Play (2014)
Into the Mind (2013)
I Know That Voice (2013)
The Unbelievers (2013)
Rewind This! (2013)
Milius (2013)
How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2013)
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
Our Nixon (2013)
Blackfish (2013)
20 Feet from Stardom (2013)
Inequality for All (2013)
The Square (2013)
Muscle Shoals (2013)
League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis (2013)
This Is What Winning Looks Like (2013)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012)
West of Memphis (2012)
The Source Family (2012)
Undefeated (2012)
How to Survive a Plague (2012)
3 Magic Words (2012)
The Imposter (2012)
Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds (2012)
Sunset Strip (2012)
Free the Mind (2012)
Head Games (2012)
B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2012)
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
Stories We Tell (2012)
Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie (2012)
The Queen of Versailles (2012)
Four Horsemen (2012)
The Weight of the Nation (2012)
Pina (2011)
You Laugh But It’s True (2011)
American Teacher (2011)
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)
Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (2011)
Kumare (2011)
Magic Trip (2011)
Finding Joe (2011)
Life in a Day (2011)
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
Freakonomics (2010)
Stonewall Uprising (2010)
The Parking Lot Movie (2010)
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? (2010)
The Tillman Story (2010)
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010)
Standing Army (2010)
180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless (2010)
Countdown to Zero (2010)
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010)
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2009)
The Cove (2009)
Food, Inc. (2009)
Which Way Home (2009)
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (2009)
Blank City (2009)
Winnebago Man (2009)
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009)
Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
The September Issue (2009)
Floored (2009)
Cropsey (2009)
Home (2009)
Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary (2008)
Griefwalker (2008)
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)
Man on Wire (2008)
More Than a Game (2008)
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (2008)
Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008)
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008)
Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2008)
The Wrecking Crew (2008)
Carts of Darkness (2008)
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (2007)
Spirit of the Marathon (2007)
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War (2007)
Chicago 10 (2007)
Sicko (2007)
The Secret (2007)
Crazy Love (2007)
Certifiably Jonathan (2007)
Kurt Cobain: About a Son (2006)
Deep Water (2006)
American Hardcore (2006)
God Grew Tired of Us (2006)
The Trials of Darryl Hunt (2006)
Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006)
Iraq in Fragments (2006)
Street Fight (2005)
Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004)
The White Diamond (2004)
Riding Giants (2004)
Dig! (2004)
H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer (2004)
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism (2004)
Super Size Me (2004)
Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
The Agronomist (2003)
Wheel of Time (2003)
The Corporation (2003)
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)
Bonhoeffer (2003)
Lost in La Mancha (2002)
Aleister Crowley: The Wickedest Man in the World (2002)
The Cockettes (2002)
Biggie & Tupac (2002)
Gaza Strip (2002)
The Merchants of Cool (2001)
Ghosts of Attica (2001)
In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2001)
Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)
Rivers and Tides (2001)
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
OCD: The War Inside (2001)
My Best Fiend (1999)
The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)
Dying to Tell the Story (1998)
Divorce: Iranian Style (1998)
Soldier Child (1998)
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997)
The Long Way Home (1997)
Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
Trekkies (1997)
Biography: Jesus Christ (1997)
Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1996)
Shtetl (1996)
Lessons of Darkness (1992)
Brother’s Keeper (1992)
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
Echoes from a Sombre Empire (1990)
Krishnamurti: With a Silent Mind (1990)
Herdsmen of the Sun (1989)
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
The Eagle Has Landed (1989)
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
The Last Moguls (1986)
The Dark Glow of the Mountains (1985)
Private Practices: The Story of a Sex Surrogate (1985)
Memory of the Camps (1985)
Top Guns: The Documentary (1984)
Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984)
Waterwalker (1984)
Style Wars (1983)
Genocide (1982)
The Atomic Café (1982)
God’s Angry Man (1981)
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981)
The Kids Are Alright (1979)
Gates of Heaven (1978)
Pumping Iron (1977)
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck (1976)
The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)
Who’s Out There (1975)
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (1974)
Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
Fata Morgana (1971)
Chariots of the Gods (1970)
The Decision to Drop the Bomb (1965)
Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
The March (1963)
Harvest of Shame (1960)
The James Dean Story (1957)
All My Babies (1953)
Navajo (1952)
Louisiana Story (1948)
The Quiet One (1948)
Let There Be Light (1946)
The Battle of San Pietro (1945)
Why We Fight (1942)
The River (1937)
The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936)
Man of Aran (1934)
Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Nanook of the North (1922)

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