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Education Podcasts

Former President of Harvard University Charles W. Eliot wrote in his introduction to the Harvard Classics, "In my opinion, a five-foot shelf would hold books enough to give a liberal education to any one who would read them with devotion, even if he could spare but fifteen minutes a day for reading." Here you are, you can easily listen to his entire 15-minutes-a-day study guide while commuting to and from work (most of us spend far more than 15 minutes a day commuting each day), doing mundane work in the office, washing dishes at home, or doing most of the things day in and day out. It is so easy, so entertaining, and so educational that they can be listened to again and again, until they permeate into our own thinking and into our characters. Perhaps, in one year's time, you will become someone you barely recognize, all for the better. Who knows? -- Rich E Book

Location:

United States

Description:

Former President of Harvard University Charles W. Eliot wrote in his introduction to the Harvard Classics, "In my opinion, a five-foot shelf would hold books enough to give a liberal education to any one who would read them with devotion, even if he could spare but fifteen minutes a day for reading." Here you are, you can easily listen to his entire 15-minutes-a-day study guide while commuting to and from work (most of us spend far more than 15 minutes a day commuting each day), doing mundane work in the office, washing dishes at home, or doing most of the things day in and day out. It is so easy, so entertaining, and so educational that they can be listened to again and again, until they permeate into our own thinking and into our characters. Perhaps, in one year's time, you will become someone you barely recognize, all for the better. Who knows? -- Rich E Book

Language:

English


Episodes
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Egmont (Act I, Scene I), by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6/4/2022
Spain sent the Duke of Alva to subdue the Netherlands. In quelling disorder he killed the people's hero, Count Egmont. From this story Goethe made a famous play. (Volume 19, Harvard Classics) Egmont sentenced to death June 4, 1658.

Duration:00:15:44

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Introductory Note: Egmont by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6/4/2022
Introductory note on Egmont by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Volume 19, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:06:00

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On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals, by William Harvey

6/3/2022
Galileo, by holding his pulse while watching a swinging cathedral lamp, evolved a theory that made clocks possible. Harvey, by feeling his pulse, educed that arteries carry blood. (Volume 38, Harvard Classics) Dr. William Harvey died June 3, 1657.

Duration:00:23:56

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Introductory Note: William Harvey

6/3/2022
Introductory note on William Harvey (Volume 38, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:04:41

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Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar, by Jean Jacques Rousseau

6/2/2022
A "Back to Nature" movement in the seventeenth century was headed by Rousseau, who believed that civilization was degrading. To save money for his work, he entrusted each of his children to the tender mercies of a foundling house. (Volume 34, Harvard Classics) Jean Jacques Rousseau born June 2, 1712.

Duration:00:30:10

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Introductory Note: Jean Jacques Rousseau

6/2/2022
Introductory note on Jean Jacques Rousseau (Volume 34, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:04:44

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Introductory Note: Christopher Marlowe

6/2/2022
Introductory note on Christopher Marlowe (Volume 19, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:20:26

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The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe

6/2/2022
For the best blank verse in English, read "Dr. Faustus," the masterpiece of Marlowe, who gave Shakespeare lessons in playwriting. This genius knew the secret of gripping drama. (Volume 19, Harvard Classics) Marlowe died June 1, 1593.

Duration:00:21:40

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Preface to Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman

5/31/2022
Walt Whitman is the most original and startling of modern poets. An irony of his life is that while he wrote for the contemporary masses, only a limited number of followers appreciated his genius, now universally recognized. (Volume 39, Harvard Classics) Walt Whitman born May 31, 1819.

Duration:00:41:32

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Introductory Note: Walt Whitman

5/31/2022
Introductory note on Walt Whitman (the Ridpath Library of Universal Literature)

Duration:00:03:52

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The Building of the Ship, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

5/30/2022
At the close of the war, a torn and bleeding nation set about to rebuild its shattered frame. The result was a stronger nation rising from an almost disrupted union. (Volume 42, Harvard Classics) Memorial Day.

Duration:00:36:37

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Introductory Note: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

5/30/2022
Introductory note on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Wikipedia)

Duration:00:03:13

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The Thousand and One Nights (The Barber’s Fifth Brother)

5/29/2022
A Bagdad merchant dreamed of the money he would make from the sale of a tray of glassware, and of marrying the king's daughter. But, daydreaming, he kicked over the tray. (Volume 16, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:22:16

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Introductory Note: The Thousand and One Nights

5/29/2022
Introductory note on The Thousand and One Nights (Volume 16, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:10:37

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Poems, by Thomas Moore

5/28/2022
Any one of these poems, "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls," "The Last Rose of Summer," "The Light of Other Days," would alone have made Moore immortal. (Volume 41, Harvard Classics) Thomas Moore born May 28, 1779.

Duration:00:12:19

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Introductory Note: Thomas Moore

5/28/2022
Introductory note on Thomas Moore (Wikipedia)

Duration:00:02:57

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The Education of The Human Race, by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

5/27/2022
To advance freedom of thought, Lessing published an essay of one hundred paragraphs outlining the history of religion. The wrath of orthodox churchmen was hurled at his head, and Lessing was left alone to defend his daring theories. (Volume 32, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:15:05

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Introductory Note: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

5/27/2022
Introductory note on Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (Volume 32, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:02:50

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The Tragedy of King Lear (Act I, Scene I), by William Shakespeare

5/26/2022
Goneril and Regan falsely swore they loved their father, King Lear, more than life itself. Cordelia could find no words to express her sincere devotion. Then King Lear made the decision that started a series of exciting events. (Volume 46, Harvard Classics) Shakespeare's first daughter, Susanna, baptized May 26, 1583.

Duration:00:32:35

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Introductory Note: King Lear by William Shakespeare

5/26/2022
Introductory note on King Lear by William Shakespeare (Volume 46, Harvard Classics)

Duration:00:05:05