April 24, 2009

Best Free History Audio & Video

Listen and learn about World History with more than 25 titles from LearnOutLoud’s Free Resource of the Day Emails. From these emails, we’ve whittled it down to the best of the bunch, with great lectures, overviews covering topics such as the Roman Era, World Military History, Napoleon’s Rise and Fall, British History, and the Revolutions that rocked both America and France. Historians featured here include Doris Kearns Goodwin on Lincoln, David McCullough on the founding fathers, Robert Dallek on the modern Presidents, Christopher Hitchens on World War II and many more. Click below to get started on this historical treasure trove:

1. History According to Bob Podcast

For over a year, Bob Packett has serviced the world with his podcast, History According to Bob. This retired history professor operating out of Kansas explores a large canvas – from the smallest historical artifacts to decade-spanning cultural upheaval- with the sort of down-home, approachable style that is the earmark of a great teacher.

2. The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

In this inspiring conversation released on digital download by WGBH, Pulitzer prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about Abraham Lincoln, the success of his presidency, and the men that made up his cabinet. Kearns discusses her take on Lincoln’s thought processes, what led him to make hard decisions, and why this soft spoken, physically gangly man was ultimately able to command the respect of a nation. Kearns speaks of her subject like she would a friend and gives equal attention to Lincoln’s cabinet, a group of one-time rivals that would later become committed loyalists at a time when the country needed his singular leadership. This lecture is available on MP3 download as well as streaming audio and video.

3. 12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of The Byzantine Empire Podcast

With the History of the Byzantine Empire Podcast, Lars Brownworth examines the 12 rulers that have come to represent a unique era in Roman history; a period marked by decline. With an excellent handle on the subject and concise delivery, Brownsworth devotes each episode to an Emperor; describing the man, how he came to power, how he ruled, and what his legacy was thereafter. When taken as a whole, each bite-sized character profile tells the overall story of the Roman Empire as it struggled to survive during the middle ages.

4. David McCullough’s Biography of a Year: 1776

In this lecture from the Cambridge Forum David McCullough delivers anecdotes from his bestselling American history work “1776”. McCullough expresses how remarkable of a story this year in American history was and draws us in with details from the comprehensive research he conducted on this era. At the end of the lecture he answers a number of questions from the audience. This lecture is offered online from the WGBH Forum Network and is available on streaming audio and video as well as MP3 download.

5. History of the United States, Volume 1

History of the United States, Volume 2

History of the United States, Volume 3

History of the United States, Volume 4

History of the United States, Volume 5

Download the first 5 volumes of the History of the United States by Charles Austin Beard and Mary Ritter Beard. As stated in the preface, this book is for mature students of American history and it does not contain the mini-biographies and dramatic battle descriptions often contained in histories for younger audiences. It examines major trends in economics, politics, religion, and other social institutions that characterized the development of the United States. Volume 1 examines the Colonial period, Volume 2 looks at the American Revolution, Volume 3 covers the U.S. Constitution, and Volume 4 examines the settling of the West and Jacksonian Democracy, and Volume 5 covers Sectional Conflict including The Civil War and Reconstruction. This audio book was recorded by the volunteers at LibriVox. Currently Volumes 6 & 7 are in works and we’ll feature those when they are completed. You can download Volumes 1-5 from LibriVox.org on MP3.

6. At Canaan’s Edge by Taylor Branch

In this downloadable lecture presented by the WGBH Forum Network, historian Taylor Branch introduces us to the major players and events that shaped the modern Civil Rights movement. Branch takes great pains to identify some of the unsung heroes of the cause; people that were as instrumental in pushing the movement forward as higher profile names like Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch feels this area of history is woefully unexamined, and demonstrates to listeners how vital it was within the greater fabric of social upheaval that rocked the 60’s.

7. Crash Course on Jewish History by Rabbi Ken Spiro

This is a free course on Jewish History from a Jewish perspective taught by Rabbi Ken Spiro. In over 30 lectures, Spiro covers everything from Abraham to modern Israel always pointing out the lessons that Jews can learn from their history. All the lectures are free to listen to on streaming audio and many of them are free to download on MP3 from SimpleToRemember.com.

8. War and Democracy in the Ancient and Contemporary Middle East by Victor Davis Hanson

In this streaming video lecture from UCTV, military historian Victor Davis Hanson steps back from the current conflicts in the Middle East and examines them from the perspective of classical conceptions of war. He displays his encyclopedic knowledge of military conflicts throughout history and provides many thought-provoking reflections on the current state of affairs in Iraq, Israel, and the rest of the Middle East. This lecture is offered through YouTube on streaming video.

9. Hardcore History Podcast by Dan Carlin

In his own irreverent style Dan Carlin attacks the historical record in the Hardcore History Podcast. Each month, Carlin selects a different topic or person in history, spanning from the ancient to the present depending upon his mood, and brings his humorous and sometimes provocative opinion to bear on it. The editorial tone Carlin takes is usually funny, and while some of what he argues is controversial, his command of the subject can never be questioned.

10. Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands

In this lecture from the Miller Center of Public Affairs, H.W. Brands lectures on his latest book Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times. Professor Brands focuses on the way that American public opinion regarding Andrew Jackson has changed since Jackson was thought of as “the hero” of his day to his demonization in contemporary America for his policies such as Indian removal. Brands probes deeper into the character of Jackson, pointing out his admirable qualities and crediting Jackson for twice saving the Union. This lecture is available on MP3 download.

11. Napoleon 101 Podcast

Set up like a college course, the Napoleon 101 podcast is a valuable introduction to the life and exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte. Hosts David Markham and Cameron Reilly bring to the table a lifelong fascination with France’s legendary 17th century leader, imparting the nitty gritty details of his life with rare enthusiasm. With this indepth overview you can finally learn who Napoleon was, what he tried to do, what he accomplished and why his character has fascinated historians for almost 200 years.

12. American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation

Newsweek editor and historian Jon Beacham discusses America’s historical treatment of religion in this lecture provided by The Miller Center of Public Affairs. The author notes that the founding fathers were deeply aware of how many great nations fell apart due to religious sectionalism. In an effort to mitigate this problem and yet allow everyone in the country the freedom to worship, Beacham traces how giants like Jefferson, Franklin and even Lincoln implemented decisive policies on American religious life that we still argue over today. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming audio and video.

14. Jared Diamond – Collapse

In this streaming video lecture recorded at UC- Santa Barbara, Dr. Jared Diamond delivers an entertaining lecture around the subject of his bestselling book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. As a historian with serious concern for how civilization can learn from its past catastrophes, Diamond provides many insights into the reasons societies have failed along with lessons that we can apply to our current dilemmas in the hopes of avoiding such a fate. This streaming video is offered by UCTV.

15. Jamestown and Virginia (1607) by Sherwin T. Wine

Download this free lecture delivered by Sherwin T. Wine on the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Find out the reasons for Europeans founding America, and how the English settlers eventually succeeded in founding Jamestown. Sherwin T. Wine keeps the lecture entertaining, covering a lot of history in an hour and a half. This lecture has been made available by the Center For New Thinking on MP3 download through LearnOutLoud.com.

16. The History of Rome Podcast

The History of Rome Podcast is a chronological attempt to trace the rise, decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Starting with Rome’s founding by the mythical twins Romulus and Remus, this series hosted by Mike Duncan is an ongoing account of the people and events that shaped the western world. A must for any student of history and an invaluable resource for anyone that needs a ground level survey of the Roman Republic.

17. Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far)

Humorist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dave Barry brings light to his latest book Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far). Barry quips about the events of the past 8 years, many of which have been forgotten. He talks about his nationally syndicated column which he wrote for the The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005, and why he chose to stop doing it. It’s an entertaining talk from one of America’s bestelling humor writers. This talk was delivered at the Politics and Prose Bookstore and is available streaming audio and MP3 download from FORA.tv.

18. The History Network Podcast

The great military achievements of history and the colorful people that made it happen are given critical analysis in the History Network Podcast. Here qualified narrators examine the ancient battles, strategic innovations, brilliant commanders and major blunders that have set the course of history. Whether it be about the Battle of Thermopylae or the life of General Patton, this is one podcast the military buff should not miss.

19. When Nixon Met Mao

In this lecture delivered at the World Affairs Council of Northern California, historian Margaret MacMillan discusses Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. In what she describes as a watershed moment in a long history of barely veiled antagonism between China and the western world, we see how various economic and geopolitical forces made a reconciliation unavoidable. In this crucial period of relaxed tension, China began its advancement to the modern world stage; an achievement presided over by a president with an otherwise tarnished political legacy. This talk is available on audio download and streaming video through FORA.tv.

20. British History 101 Podcast

The British History Podcast by Michael Anthony is dedicated to the anglophile in everyone. Designed as a basic to intermediate overview, this podcast examines the battles, monarchs, trivia and lasting cultural influences of one of the most enduring nations on the globe. Whether you wish to learn about events like the Battle of Hastings, people such as Winston Churchill or places like the Tower of London, this show will examine it all with rare enthusiasm.

21. Understanding the French Revolution

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

22. Authors@Google: Jon Meacham

Pulitzer Prize winners were announced yesterday and author Jon Meacham won in the Biography category for his book American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. In this lecture provided on streaming video by the @Google Talks, historian and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham picks apart the mixed legacy of President Andrew Jackson. Over the years, the 7th U.S. President has come under fire for his treatment of Native Americans, conduct that has not aged well in modern times. Meacham does not downplay the negative aspects of Jackson’s presidency, but he does make claims for Jackson’s innovations, not the least of which is his instrumental role in shaping the modern Democratic Party. This lecture is available on streaming video through YouTube.

23. Hiroshima and the Origins of the Cold War

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

24. Uncommon Knowledge: Hitchens and Hanson on World War II

For Veteran’s Day we’re featuring this special World War II free resource. In the wake of recent revisionist takes that cast a negative light on World War II, Peter Robinson joins guests Christopher Hitchens and Victor Davis Hanson to provide a counter argument in this Uncommon Knowledge show released by the Hoover Institution. Hitchens and Hanson, both respected historians and journalists, address Churchill’s role in every stage of the war, whether or not the holocaust was a byproduct of the conflict, and if war itself was just. Both bring incredible scholarship to the discussion, drawing from deep personal knowledge in an effort to dispel any notion that war was avoidable in 1939. This talk is available on streaming video and MP3 download through FORA.tv.

25. Teddy Roosevelt

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

We’ve been sending out our Free Resource of the Day Emails for many years now. If you’ve not subscribed yet, we highly encourage you to do so.

April 9, 2009

Free Christian Audio

From the Bible on audio to the lectures and podcasts from today’s leading Christian thinkers, speakers, and authors, we’ve assembled this list of 25 of the top free Christian audio resources available from our Free Resource of the Day Emails. Below you’ll find free audio & video programs that explore all aspects of Christian Living, with plenty of Sermons, debates and biographical overviews to both enrich your faith and help you learn more about Christianity’s rich history. Interested in the historical Jesus? Need to know more about Thomas Aquinas? How about inspiration from Saint Francis? We have it here! Finally, to give an accurate picture of how Christianity is interacting with the modern world, we’ve included contemporary names such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer and Rick Warren, along with people like Dallas Willard and Brian McLaren to round out a selection of modern Christian philosophy. We hope you find plenty of spiritual food for thought with the audio and video programs listed below:

1. christianaudio’s Free Audiobook of the Month

Each month christianaudio.com offers a professionally recorded Christian audio book for free! All that is required is that you register for an account and enter in their coupon code. In the past they’ve featured free audio books such as G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy, Tolstoy’s Father Sergius and Other Short Stories, Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila, Paradise Lost by John Milton, The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. We encourage you to visit the christianaudio.com website for more thoughtful Christian audio books and a lot of other freebies as well!

2. 1 Year Daily Audio Bible Podcast

This podcast will take you through the entire Bible in 365 separate podcasts to be listened to over the next year. Each podcast is read by Nashville, TN based record producer Brian Hardin. Instead of going through the Bible chronologically, he selects four different passages for each podcast, which go through books of the Old and New Testament simultaneously, along with a Proverb and a Psalm. If you’d like to read the Bible more, but can’t find the time of day, then try listening to the entire Bible in one year with the Bible In a Year Podcast.

3. The Veritas Forum Podcast

The Veritas Forum podcast collects various lectures from leading thinkers within the modern Christian community. Here you will listen to lectures on topics such as Science v. Religion, the existence of God, Intelligent Design, and much more. The speakers highlighted in this podcast foster dialogue over rhetoric in an effort to not only reconcile their faith with an ever changing landscape, but to also show why it is still an essential aspect of 21st century life.

4. Joel Osteen Audio Podcast

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

5. Billy Graham Sermons

Listen to the powerful preaching of the Reverend Billy Graham. Since his ministry began in the 1940s, Billy Graham has remained one of America’s leading Christian evangelists, and at the age of 91 he has now been a spiritual adviser to twelve United States presidents. BillyGraham.org features many sermons presented on audio & video delivered by Billy Graham from the 1950s to the present day. In these sermons Rev. Graham covers many aspects of Christian living with the focus always being on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Listen to or watch some sermons by the Reverend Billy Graham today.

6. The Genius of Jesus

In this lecture from the Veritas Forum, Christian philosopher and author Dallas Willard talks about the importance of Jesus of Nazareth throughout history when it comes to confronting the reality of existence. Willard feels that present-day universities apply a materialistic knowledge or a New Age philosophy when it comes to confronting moral life, which leaves out the essential teachings of Jesus. He posits four great questions of existence and explains the answers which Jesus gave to these questions. This lecture is available on streaming audio and MP3 download from the Veritas forum.

7. SermonIndex Classics Podcast

Listen to these podcasts from SermonIndex. These podcasts cover many aspects of Christianity and Christian Living, including sermons from Jim Cymbala, David Wilkerson, Zac Poonen, Keith Green, A.W. Tozer, Duncan Campbell, Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, and many other popular preachers from throughout the 20th century. For more free classic sermons check out the offerings we feature from SermonAudio.com.

8. The King James Version Bible

The Bible is the #1 selling book of all time. If you’ve been wanting to listen to an audio version the good folks at Audio Treasure would like to treat you to a free one. You can listen on their website or download to put on your mp3 player. It’s great for moments when you need a little inspiration!

9. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Legacy

In this program of Speaking of Faith, host Krista Tippett talks with producer Martin Doblmeier, whose 2003 documentary covered Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life and thought. Doblmeier tells the story of the German Lutheran pastor and theologian, as Bonhoeffer made difficult decisions in his opposition to Nazism and his attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. This program also explores Bonhoeffer’s faith and theology including a discussion of his work Letters and Papers from Prison, which Bonhoeffer wrote from the point of his arrest in 1943 until his execution by the Gestapo in 1945. This talk can be downloaded on MP3 from the Speaking of Faith website or through iTunes U.

10. The Prayer of St. Francis

Listen to this moving prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. In his short, yet profound prayer, St. Francis asks God to make him an instrument of peace and love, acknowledging that it is in giving that we receive. This prayer is read by Brian Johnson and can be listened to on MP3 download or streaming audio through LearnOutLoud.com.

11. Christian Faith in a Postmodern World

Os Guinness claims that progress has lead America into a crisis of truth. For this MP3 download presented by the Veritas Forum, the noted writer leads his lecture with this provocative declaration, and explains how the nation’s notion of truth has been eroded by relative morality. Guinness provides his listeners with tools to counteract these trends and reclaim what he feels is the lost wisdom that has come about as result of the information age.

12. The Words of Christ: From the Book of Matthew

This audio book, released by ThoughtAudio.com isolates everything uttered by Christ in the gospel according to Matthew. Extracted from the narrative of the Bible, Christ’s message is distilled to its core values. Simple in its language yet still potent in its ever-present challenge to humanity, this is as unfiltered of a view of the gospel as one might ever find. This recording is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the gospel from a new point of view. This audio book is available to download in multiple MP3 segments.

13. Proverbs Podcast

For some wisdom to start off the week try our latest podcast called the Proverbs Podcast. It will feature proverbs from various cultures and traditions offering practical wisdom from throughout the world. We’re starting the podcast with chapters from the biblical Book of Proverbs, and we’ve currently podcasts the first three chapters. Please subscribe to this podcast through iTunes for more proverbial wisdom offered up by LearnOutLoud.com.

14. The Heart and Soul of Christianity

In this talk presented by Cody’s Books at The First Congressional Church of Berkeley, New Testament scholar Marcus Borg and religious studies scholar Huston Smith reflect on their respective books The Heart of Christianity and The Soul of Christianity. Borg looks at what he feels are some of the core tenets of Christianity including ongoing practice and community. Huston Smith discusses the mystery of God working through Jesus as being beyond human comprehension. Borg and Smith then ask each other questions about the similarities and differences on their views of Christianity. This video of two great religious scholars is available from FORA.tv.

15. Apologetics.com Weekly Radio Show Podcast

The Apologetics.com Podcast is a weekly show dedicated to informing Christians on techniques that will help them to better defend their faith. Over the last few years, avowed Christian John Snyder has discussed his differences with Bob, a self-declared atheist. A great example of the Apologetics.com mission in action, these podcasts are a must for anyone that is looking for cogent discussion on the articles of faith.

16. Nietzsche v. Jesus Christ

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

17. Rick Warren’s Ministry Podcast

Listen to author & pastor Rick Warren talk with other pastors from around the world about Christian leadership principles. Rick Warren is the author of the book The Purpose-Driven Life and the founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California which has over 20,000 members. In this podcast Warren seeks to address common issues which pastors face in their ministry and asks other pastors with thriving churches how they deal with such issues. It’s a good podcast for leaders in any field.

18. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?

In this digital download released by the Veritas Forum, Christian thinker James W. Sire explains why belief is central to human existence. He argues provacatively that belief is so fundamental to how we interact with reality, that it makes the distinction between religion and science a moot point. Sire then traces how we are taught to believe at an early age and how in adulthood that early exposure to a system can change, grow and help form what we become.

19. The Forum at Grace Cathedral Podcast

San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral has long hosted a series of Forum discussions with special guests that are on the cutting edge of faith-based work. Grace’s current Dean, Jane Shaw, hosts guests on a wide range of topics, with a current emphasis placed on how the arts have impacted our understanding of the nature of God. Recent talks have tackled the current state of interfaith relations, the history of religious architecture, the meaning of money, music’s role in spiritual expression, and the question of where religion is headed as humanity dives into an increasingly pluralistic modern world. Always thought-provoking, Shaw and her guests take on each topic with a welcoming, inquisitive spirit that invites everyone into the discussion at hand. Guests currently on the feed include Michael Pollan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Dinesh D’Souza, T.C. Boyle, Matthew Fox, Elaine Pagels, Rob Bell, Jim Wallis, and many other distinguished guests.

20. Joyce Meyer Radio Podcast

Listen to Christian author and speaker Joyce Meyer deliver talks from her TV & radio ministry. In the latest talk, she gives an inspiring message about the importance of serving others in order to overcome selfish problems. She draws from the Bible to support her belief that to enjoy life, one must actively serve others who are less fortunate.

21. A Brief Biography of Thomas Aquinas

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

22. FaithWords Podcast

FaithWords is a Christian audio publisher which publishes numerous bestselling Christian authors including Philip Yancey, Joyce Meyer, and Joel Osteen. In the FaithWords podcast they feature interviews with authors of different books published by FaithWords. On the Nov. 4th, 2008 podcast episode they feature an hour-long interview with William P. Young, author of the bestselling faith-building fictional work The Shack. William P. Young talks about experiences in his own life which inspired him to write The Shack and about how a book that he wrote for his family while working three jobs has now gone on to sell 15 million copies and inspire people worldwide. Also on the podcast you can hear interviews with Joyce Meyer, Philip Yancey, Karen Kingsbury, and numerous other Christian authors. Enjoy this podcast from FaithWords.

23. Quick History of Christianity from Jesus to the Crusades

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

24. The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus

In this talk Harvard Memorial Church pastor Peter Gomes discusses his book The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus at the Tattered Cover bookstore. He states that the title The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus was actually not his title but rather the title demanded by the publisher Harper to sell more books. The book is actually about Christians getting to the Good News of Jesus and his hopeful message, and beyond the doctrinal and biblical disputes that Pastor Gomes feels are prevalent in Christianity today. He sees that so much of Christianity today is caught up in nostalgia over the past and isn’t looking towards the hopeful good news that Christ proclaimed. This talk is available on MP3 download and streaming video from FORA.tv.

25. What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Start off your week with some perspective from philosophy professor & Christian author Dallas Willard as he attempts to explain “What Does It Mean To Be Human?”. In his authoritative style, Dallas Willard clarifies the core tenants that make a healthy human being tick in this downloadable audio lecture released by the Veritas Forum. Willard explores the ever-changing cultural currents that have led to our current identification of self in the 21st century; a series of trends that he feels have done more harm than good. It is his belief that a God-centered need for love and knowledge is being lost in a society that puts a premium on desire. Always insightful and frequently controversial, Willard’s lectures offer cogent arguments that cut through the dogma in order to define religion’s role in the modern world. This lecture is available on MP3 Download and streaming audio.

October 7, 2006

The TEDTalks Rock!

The TEDTalks rock! I blogged about this before but it’s worth mentioning again because the awesome folks over at the TED conference just keep putting more content up on the TEDTalks podcast feed. I’ve been listening to a bunch of these lately and just about each and every one blows me away. Like the 19-year-old Princeton student who has. Or the British biogeretologist who thinks that one day in the not-too-distant future humans might live to be 1,000. Fascinating stuff…

If you haven’t taken a listen to the TEDTalks yet I’d highly recommend it. Kudos to everyone who has been involved with making them available on the net (for free!). Each one of these talks has the potential to spark ideas that will change the world.

June 28, 2006

TED Talks – Very Cool!

Back in January I blogged about how I’d like to see the sessions from the TED Conference made available on audio and video. Chris Anderson, the Editor of Wired magazine and the Curator of the TED Conference, saw my blog and let me know that they had some exciting plans in the works to make some of the content publicly available.

Today I noticed that a half-dozen of the sessions from the TED Conference are now available for free on audio and video. I just got done watching the session with Tony Robbins and it’s really good stuff. People pay over $4,000 to attend the TED Conference so the fact that they are willing to make this content available to people who can’t go says volumes about what the TED Conference is all about.

Kudos to Chris and the rest of the people at TED for helping to bring the ideas from the TED Conference to the world and in the process helping to change the world. It’s an incredible world we live anyone with a PC and an Internet connection can now access all this amazing content.

March 5, 2006

“All Marketers are Liars” – Seth Godin speaks at Google

Cool. We need more of this type of stuff available online. 🙂

“All Marketers are Liars” – Seth Godin speaks at Google

January 28, 2006

My Goal? To Bring TED to You

Twice a year there’s an amazing conference called the TED Conference that takes place. It’s an astounding collection of people and speakers. In the past it has featured such speakers as Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Frank Gehry, Jane Goodall, Billy Graham. Here’s a short introduction. And here’s a list of just a few of the people who will be speaking this year:

Nicholas Negroponte – Founder and Director of MIT’s Media Lab
Al Gore – Former Vice President
Tony Robbins – Motivational Speaker Extraordinaire
Rick Warren – Author of Mega-Best Seller The Purpose-Driven Life
Bill Joy – Co-Founder of Sun Microsystem

It’s an amazing line-up. I love everything about it. And plan to attend one day.

But here’s the problem with the TED Conference. They cap registrations for each conference at about 1,000 people and it costs $4,400 to attend. And while I totally understand why it’s so expensive and exclusive the fact of the matter is that it leaves the other 6.5 billion of us out in the cold.

What do I propose?

Record the TED conference on digital audio and high-definition video and give it away for free.

Crazy you say? Yup, just crazy enough that it might work. It’s one of those ridiculous goals that I think would get a lot of people fired up.

But wouldn’t this destroy the market for TED tickets? Nope, it would work just the opposite. The Super Bowl is televised for free. Does that prevent people from paying a ton of money to go to the game? Hardly. Music from the most popular rock stars can be found for free on all the file sharing sites. What’s happened to the demand for tickets to rock and roll shows?

Consistently throughout time it’s been shown that when you give content that has a corresponding live event the demand for the live event almost always increases. My guess is that if you gave away the audio and video from TED you’d find that you could command $10,000 or more for a ticket due to the increased popularity and buzz that the conference would receive.

And imagine the difference it would make in the world.

Imagine firing up a speech from James Watson (you know, the guy who discovered the structure of DNA) or Craig Venter (the guy who mapped the human genome) on your way into work in the morning. Or sinking into your couch after a long day and watching a presentation from Jimmy Wales (The Founder of Wikipedia), Steven Levitt (Author of Freakonomics) or Bono (actually you can do that last one here). All past TED speakers. All with a mission to push the world forward.

Can you imagine a child in Africa being able to sit down in front of a computer and learning from all these people? Or a person in the midst of sorrow or depression being so inspired by these intellectual and philosphical giants that they decide to change their lives for the better? It’s possible. More than that, it’s necessary.

We need millions of people tuning into TED in the morning on the way to work instead of Howard Stern.

We need those same people replacing some of their daily diet of mind-numbing television programming with TED or something like it.

TED represents the best of what’s out there when it comes to content.

And sadly only 1,000 people will experience that next month.

I want to change that. Help me in my goal to bring TED to the masses. Send an e-mail to tedfeedback@macromedia.com (the only e-mail that I have for them, if you’ve got a better one let me know!). Join in on a conversation about this over at The Conversations Network or in our forums (link below). Or drop me an e-mail at jon@learnoutloud.com and tell me how you think we can do this.

The impact this could have is tremendous. The technology is ready and willing to make this a reality. The need for this type of infomration to be disseminated to the world is real.

Let’s make this happen.

October 24, 2005

Free MIT Lectures!

We just put up over 100 free lectures from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

www.learnoutloud.com/MIT

These lectures can be streamed through Real Player on Video and Audio. The video and the audio is very high quality and not choppy at all if you’re viewing on a broadband connection.

The topics they cover are fascinating and focus primarily on Technology, Science, Politics, Business & Economics, Medicine, and how these fields interact. There’s lectures from Noam Chomsky, Jack Welch, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and dozens of other great authors, professors, and leaders in their field. A truly great resource from one of the America’s best universities.