Candide is a delightful story filled with boundless misadventure while tackling the great philosophical issues of the Enlightenment era. The story is about Candide, a young man who is the illegitimate nephew of a German baron with whom he resides. When it is discovered he is kissing the baron's beautiful daughter he is thrown from the castle where he experiences the horrors of war, poverty, the maliciousness of man, and the hypocrisy of the church. Obviously, Voltaire is poking fun at Leibniz, Pope, and others who assail that the world created by God was the best possible of all worlds with perfect order and reason, as spoken through the greatest of all fictional philosophers, Candide's tutor, Pangloss. As you listen to segments of Candide, take the time to research both the book and Voltaire to gain a richer understanding of the themes interlaced throughout the book.

Epic Story

Candide

Contents: 1. Alice in wonderland 2. Heart of darkness 3. Don quixote 4. Curious case of benjamin button 5. The Raven 6. The metamorphosis 7. The call of the wild 8. The art of war 9. The war of the worlds 10. Apology of socrates

10 Masterpieces You Have To Listen To Before You Die: Vol. 1

The Apology of Socrates is one of the earliest existing documents of Greek philosophy – everything earlier was lost and is known only through quoted fragments in later works, like those of Plato himself. Rightly so, the Apology is still, all by itself, an excellent introduction to Western philosophy and traditionally the first complete text read in the formal study of Classical Greek. Although the meaning has changed through time, the Greek word apología simply and precisely meant a defense, or a defense speech. At the trial for his life in 399 BC, Socrates astonished his listeners by appearing, despite his vigorous "Defense Speech", to deliberately get himself found guilty and condemned to death. Plato, who's presence at the trial is mentioned twice in the Apology, provides us with the only witnessed recording of the trial proceedings and the historic Apology of Socrates

The Apology of Socrates

Julius Caesar is widely considered to be one of the greatest military geniuses of all time,  a brilliant politician, and one of the ancient world's strongest leaders. Caesar was proclaimed dictator for life, and heavily centralised the already faltering government of the weak Republic. However, Caesar's friend Marcus Brutus conspired with others to assassinate Caesar in hopes of saving the Republic. The dramatic assassination on the Ides of March, ushered in Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) as the first emperor and undisputed leader of the Roman world.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", commonly known as "Prufrock", is the first professionally published poem by American-born, British poet T. S. Eliot (1888–1965). Eliot began writing "Prufrock" in February 1910, and it was first published in the June 1915 issue of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse at the instigation of Ezra Pound (1885–1972). It was later printed as part of a twelve-poem pamphlet (or chapbook) titled Prufrock and Other Observations in 1917. At the time of its publication, Prufrock was considered outlandish,[3] but is now seen as heralding a paradigmatic cultural shift from late 19th-century Romantic verse and Georgian lyrics to Modernism.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

This is a tale of an old man, Roderick Usher, who is being driven mad after his sister died and was entombed in a vault in the basement. Over the course of the story the unraveling of a terrible atrocity comes to light and threatens to avenge everyone dwelling in the House of Usher.

The Fall of the House of Usher

CONTENTS: W.W. Jacobs - The Monkey's Paw EA Poe - The Pit and the pendulum EA Poe - The Raven EA Poe - Annabel Lee EA Poe - The Fall of the House of Usher Washington Irving - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Classic Horror and Supernatural Short Stories (Golden Deer Classics)

The Blue Cross is the first Father Brown short story by Chesterton, who went on to write an entire series of Father Brown Mysteries. In this story, Aristide Valentin, head of the Paris Police, is on the trail of the world's most famous criminal, Flambeau, who is a master of disguise, and may appear to be anyone. Valentin deduces that Flambeau is going to try and steal The Blue Cross, a priceless silver cross with precious blue stones. Valentin must stop him, but in this case it is actually Father Brown who is the better detective.

The Blue Cross

Gallegos represents the genre of independent writers that follow in the classic vein of story telling. Bar Room Brawls is an eclectic sampling from his latest collection of short stories and poems. The stories address the modern dilemmas of life, occasionally tapping into surreal metaphysical absurdities, yet always nested in a familiar and contemporary setting. Titles in this Collection: Then is Now Alligator College Bound Happy Hour Debris Myth of Etan

Bar Room Brawls

This well-known short story tells of an adulterous affair between a Russian banker, Dmitry Gurov and a young lady he meets while vacationing in Yalta, Anna Von Diederitz. The couple spend much time together but since Anna is married and lives far away, Gurov has obstacles to overcome in formalizing this relationship.

The Lady with a Dog

A Letter to a Hindu was written in 1908by Leo Tolstoy to Tarak Nath Das, an Indian revolutionary and internationalist scholar. The letter was translated and reprinted by Mohandas Gandhi, who used the ideas of love revealed through non-violent resistance in his own ideological teachings. Non-violent resistance was a principle of Tolstoy's christian belief.

Leo Tolstoy Collection

A Letter to a Hindu

In the modern era, we take the concept of Enlightenment for granted. The concepts of personal freedom, liberty and the ability to think for one-self have become a personal choice and fundamental to our everyday lives. Yet in 1784, when the essay was written, the concept of Enlightenment was an emerging idea and still a vague notion to most people. What is important for the modern listener in this essay is how Kant outlines those things that discourage enlightenment as well as those things that can enhance it on a personal and social level. The WIKIPEDIA link below provides a more detailed analysis of the essay, although the listener will appreciate how many of the issues defined by Kant are still relevant in today's world.

What is Enlightenment?

CONTENTS: 1. The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs 2. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 3. The Judge's house by Bram Stoker 4. Legend of sleepy hollow by Washington Irving 5. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe 6. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe 7. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

Classic Spooky Stories For Halloween

The Judge's House recounts the tale of a young student, looking for a remote location to study for his college exams. But the house he rents in the quiet town of Benchurch, delivers much more excitement than he ever could have imagined. Though Bram Stocker is inextricably linked with his infamous vampire novel – Dracula, he wrote many novels, essays, and short stories during his life such as this one.

The Judge's House

This short story begins on a yacht anchored off the Florida coast where a young woman, Ardita, and her Uncle are engaged in a heated discussion about her dating decisions. Ardita, independent and stubborn, is set on marrying a young man who her uncle believes does not have the highest character values. She refuses to leave the yacht they are on to go to town with him and meet someone who he believes is a better match for her. So she stays behind. But while he is gone, the boat is overtaken by a band of pirates. Ardita is unwilling to surrender the vessel so they take her to sea with them and that is where the rest of the story unfolds. This short story is from the book "Flappers & Philosopers"

The Offshore Pirates

This is a short story about a lawyer with offices on Wall Street in New York City. He runs an advertisement for a scrivener, or professional copyist, for his office and Bartleby responds to his advertisement and comes to work for the lawyer. At first Bartleby appears to be a competent worker, but later he refuses to work when requested, repeatedly uttering the phrase "I would prefer not to." As Bartleby's behavior escalates, the lawyer is confronted with how he will handle and respond to this bizarre behavior. In 2001, the story was adapted into a movie titled "Bartleby".

Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

This story represents one of the archetypal and sorrowful dilemmas of an artist, which is the inability to live out their creative life on a realistic plane. As we follow the story we find the artist talking grandiosely about his magnificent artwork ideals, the values of what encompasses great works and his intimate studies of the great works as it relates to his own life. Sadly we find out that execution was not a part of his romantic plan. Then as you follow this modern tragedy what you will find is the enduring quality of the artistic soul as it clashes with the reality of modernity.

Madonna of the Future

This story begins at an observatory in England where the narrator witnesses explosions on Mars. This event is followed by what is thought to be a meteor landing not far from the observatory. Once the narrator travels to the spot of the meteor landing he discovers it is actually a cylinder and the cylinder contains Martians. The story chronicles the Martian attacks throughout many parts of England, even devastating London and the narrator escapes with many chilling and near death adventures.

The War of the Worlds

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, along with many others, have referred to the influence that this work, written by Leo Tolstoy, has had on their psyche, and subsequent permanent change in their state of mind. The selected excerpt, from this much larger writing, reveal Tolstoy's philosophy regarding the literal interpretation of Christ's teachings and his fundamental ideas on nonviolent resistance.

The Kingdom of God is Within You

No book from the Bible is more controversial than the Book of Revelation. For many, the purpose of the book of Revelation is a message of comfort during a time of conflict, which ultimately results in a conquest and a victory over the oppressor. Although directly written to the Christians of the First Century, the message is applicable throughout the ages.

The Book of Revelation

These charming Japanese Fairy Tales were translated by Yei Theodora Ozaki in 1908. Although taken from actual Japanese folk stories, these Westernized versions are not literal translations. These stories combine fictitious creatures and magical animals with the lives of normal humans and provide an insight into a piece of ancient Japan. The stories in this volume include: My Lord Bag of Rice, The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, The Story of Urashima Taro, the Fisher Lad

Children's Classics

Japanese Fairy Tales

This story is told by Theodor Fischer, a boy who lives in a small Austrian village and quietly exists with his friends, relatives and community. One day a stranger appears in the village and befriends Theodor and his chums. He tells them that his name is Satan and he is the nephew of "the Satan". He is capable of all types of magic, predictions and apparitions that he reveals in various ways to the boys. But throughout the story Satan expels his wisdom on the character and futility of mankind. While the book contains the wit and humor typical of Mark Twain, the story line is considered a serious social commentary on Twain's criticism of organized religion.

World Classics

The Mysterious Stranger

This short poem explores the death of a woman that the narrator loved so much that even the angels envied their love. This was the last complete poem written by Poe before his death.

Annabel Lee

This classic tale of intrigue, mystery and adventure takes place on the ivory harvesting and trade route in the Congo, in the depths of Africa. In this book, Marlow, a sea captain on a ship at anchor, retells a story of his assignment upon a steamer ship in the Congo to a group of his ship mates. During his mission he is asked to retrieve and return Kurtz, an ivory hunter with a resounding reputation where ever his name is mentioned, who delivers more ivory than all the other stations combined, and who has a reverenced effect on the natives. Passages and references from the book are sprinkled through other writings and The Heart of Darkness was the base content for the movie Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola.

Heart of Darkness

Around the world in 80 days is an entertaining and light story about Phileas Fogg, a wealthy bachelor who makes a wager with a friend at his club regarding how long it would take for a person to circumnavigate the globe. Not wanting to lose his bet, he immediately embarks on a trip around the world with his valet Passepartout. Follow along on their extravagant adventure on a number of fascinating transportation modes that must be fully completed within 80 days or the bet is lost.

Around the World in 80 Days

A fascinating and insightful document on the theory of rebirth and the principles of spiritual cause and effect. This study tracks the belief in the theory of reincarnation throughout cultures and enlightens the listener to the principles that make this concept sustain throughout thousands of generations.

Reincarnation and the Law of Karma (Excerpts)

Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was first published in the November 18,1865, edition of The New York Saturday Press, under the title "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog." The story is set in a gold-mining camp in Calaveras County, California, and has its origins in the folklore of the Gold Rush era. It was one of Twain's earliest writings, and helped establish his reputation as a humorist. He eventually included it as the title story in his first collection of tales.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

A poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge after awaking from an opium induced dream of Xanadu, the summer palace of the Emperor Kublai Khan. A much more extensive poem came to him upon awaking, but he was interrupted while writing it down and then could not remember the remaining lines.

Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment

It has often been said that there are two basic stories that define the ethos of men and women. For men it is the myth of Superman, the ultra powerful male figure who saves the world against evil. For women it's the Cinderella, the story of a downtrodden young maiden who eventually overcomes the miseries surrounding her to be saved by the dashing, rich and powerful Prince. It is a story that lives in almost every culture around the world to this day. As the story goes Cinderella is a young and beautiful young maiden who embodies the ideal values of good, piousness and ultimate virtue. The story starts with Cinderella living with her widowed father. The father remarries and when he suddenly dies Cinderella is left to be raised by her wicked and unjust step-mother, who dotes on her own two daughters. Cinderella is forced to do the chores and wait on the rest of the household, all the while maintaining her sweet composure. One day a nearby prince invites all the women of the countryside to a grand ball at the palace to choose his wife, but the step-mother does not allow Cinderella to attend. While home alone and almost giving up all hope, Cinderella is visited by a fairy Godmother who temporarily transforms her into a vision of loveliness and transports her to the ball where she captivates the handsome prince. As the clock approaches midnight, she must rush home and in the process loses one of her glass slippers. After a lengthy search the Prince finds Cinderella, they marry and live happily ever after. It is a theme about Good vs. Evil where Good is always rewarded after many tribulations. Everyone should read and listen to the story of Cinderella, if for no other reason than to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying values and perceptions that shape our modern world.

Cinderella

This is a charming tale from H.G. Wells about a young boy named Gip who visits a magic shop for his birthday with his father. But this is not just any magic shop – the shopkeeper insists that this is a genuine magic shop. The story is an entertaining adventure as Gip, like any young boy of his age, experiences the pure enjoyment of true magic while his skeptical father grapples with having to draw the line between slight of hand and genuine magic.

The Magic Shop

In this autobiography, the American industrialist Henry Ford wrote, 'Repetitive labor… is a terrifying prospect to a certain kind of mind… but to other minds, perhaps I might say the majority of minds, repetitive operations hold no terrors.' Pushing the 'efficiency of movement' system of Frederick Winslow Taylor to its ultimate realization, Ford tirelessly toiled to reduce factory and assembly line work to its essential operations. This, in turn, reduced factory workers to automatons, seemingly nothing more than extensions of the machines for which they labored. Ford was not bothered by the prospect of reducing people to machines, since he firmly believed that it did not bother them and that they could do no better. But, paradoxically, and like all the great American industrialists, Ford feared the prospect that these 'mindless automatons' might get organized and demand their rights. So along with efficiency of movement came a system of indoctrination and punishment to insure that workers obeyed orders. In short, the industrialized west was built on the systematic oppression of its working people.

The Terror of the Machine

The Prince is a political treatise by Machiavelli that is not considered to be representative of the work published during his lifetime, but is the most remembered. The theories in this book describe methods that an aspiring prince can use to acquire the throne, or an existing prince can use to maintain his reign. These theories include defense and military, perceived reputation, generosity, cruelty versus mercy, gaining honors, fortune and a number of other discourses.

The Prince

The Book of wisdom is one of the Old Testament books of the Bible and is classified with a number of other books that have the main purpose of instruction . The author, although many times wrongly attributed to Solomon, was an Alexandrian Jew who was attempting to strengthen the religious commitment of the Hellenistic Jewish community and, if possible, to convert the Gentiles. The Book Of Wisdom has three main parts: chapters 1 – 5 stress the superiority of the pious and wise over the godless; chapters 6 – 9 praise personified Wisdom; and chapters 10 – 19 illustrate the marvels of Wisdom.

The Book of Wisdom

This is a famous tale of an old schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, who transfers to a small secluded settlement called Sleepy Hollow. During the course of the story Ichabod competes with the town bully, Brom Bones over the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. Listen to the story as one night Ichabod leaves a lively party of food, drink and scary story telling only to confront the infamous Headless Horseman.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

William Frederick Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, is one of the great icons of the pioneer years in the early American West. His exploits provide much insight into the life on the plains, with its Indians, cowboys, rough riders, and overall rugged existence. You are sure to enjoy this selection of entertaining stories from the Old West, written by the Honorable William F Cody.

Buffalo Bill Cody:  Stories from the Old West

The ancient texts we call Greek Myths are our window into the distant past, a view of a world that existed not only in the mind of the poets, but also in the hearts of the humble natives of ancient Greece. Listen to the wonderful journeys and adventures of these ancient Greek Gods and heroes.

Greek Myths

Set during the time of the American Civil War, this story is about a man named Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer who attempted to demolish the Owl Creek Bridge, but was caught and condemned to die by hanging. But all is not what it seems to be in this tale that has an irregular time sequence and a twist ending.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

This short story is a delightful tale of a writer with a deadline who is on a winter walk. This story epitomizes an example of the creative path that a writer may take while viewing a normal everyday scene and formulating a cohesive story line from the basic content.

Worries of a Winter Walk

One of the most fascinating psychological struggles of the modern world revolves around the competing tension between existential philosophy and metaphysical spirituality. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man beautifully encapsulates the extremes of both points of view and provides the listener a front row seat to a battle that still rages today.

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the United State Declaration of Independence. The document declared the independence of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. The Declaration justified the independence of the United Sates by listing a number of grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights. The document was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson and signed by 56 of the most influential and well known politicians, statesman and delegates of the time including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson.

The Declaration of Independence

This is the quintessential holiday poem telling of a visit from Santa Claus, complete with eight reindeer and a bundle of presents.Likely to provoke laughter and sometimes to bring a sentimental tear to the driest eye, this festive treasure trove is ideal for reading aloud or curling up with in a comfy corner. Scrooge himself would have found it difficult to resist distributing copies on Christmas morning

Christmas Fiction collection

Twas the Night Before Christmas

This is a story of a bourgeois British family and their attempts to contain and control the actions of their relations. The story opens with the widow Lilia Herriton embarking on a trip with her traveling companion Caroline Abbott. In reality Lilias family connived her into going on a trip to distract her from a relationship with a gentleman who does not meet their social scrutiny. But while in Italy a worse disaster befalls the family as Lilia falls in love and marries a younger Italian man. When Lilia dies during child birth the family must somehow retrieve the child, who is but a mere pawn in their charade of control and manipulation.

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a 19th century literary masterpiece and key philosophical work by Nietzsche. Zarathustra descends from his cave in the mountains after ten years of solitude, brimming with wisdom and love and wants to teach humanity. The individual lessons and sermons delivered by Zarathustra cover most of the general themes of Nietzsche's mature philosophy, though often in highly symbolic and obscure form.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

This is a short story about a poor, young, married couple who both sell their most prized possession in order to purchase a holiday gift for the other. A lesson in sacrifice and the true meaning of giving is beautifully told in this classic tale with a heart wrenching ending.

The Gift of the Magi

Anthem is set in a distant collectivist future, when every form and emblem of individualism has been erased and society has reverted to a preindustrial level. In this novella, as many of her writings, Ayn dramatizes her philosophy of Objectivism in the main character. Its hero is a scientist in a world where the pursuit of knowledge is a crime, and he struggles against the established society to discover the meaning of individual freedom.

Anthem

In this story a young man, recently broken off from a long engagement, attends a gala costume party dressed as a camel. There he is approached by his gal, who does not recognize him in his camel garb, and the comical escapade ensues. This light and amusing story will keep you entertained, right up to the surprise ending.

The Camel's Back

This is a fantastical comedy about an old man who has read so many books about knights errant that he is convinced that he is one himself. He sets out on a series of adventures with his trusted and true servant Sancho Panza. But with every adventure it is amazing that he is able to survive the story itself.

Don Quixote

The lives of the American Indian, as written by Charles Eastman, come to life as they wrestle with the intrusion of the "White Man" and their own survival. You will enjoy this glimpse into the Old West from the perspective of the 19th Century American Indian. VOLUME ONE: The Grave of the Dog, The Famine, The Chief Soldier VOLUME TWO: The Singing Spirit, The White Man's Errand, The Madness of Bald Eagle

Great American Indian Stories

Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian-born artist, was one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting. His forms evolved from fluid and organic, to geometric, and finally to pictographic. Kandinsky was also an accomplished musician and believed in the concept that color and musical harmony are linked. He even claimed that when he saw color he heard music. Listen to this abridged audio of his insightful writing.

Concerning The Spiritual In Art

Like many other philosophical writings, the Tao Te Ching is a timeless Chinese treasure. These ancient writings are credited to Lao Tzu, although some believe them to be authored by a number of persons writing under the Lao Tzu pen name. Nevertheless, this audio gives the listener a taste of the wisdom of age and the important values of human existence.

The Tao Te Ching

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