Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts ~ Full Audiobook [self help]

Classic Audiobook Collection

07/24/23

•

429m

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Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts audiobook.

Genre: self help

'No man is obliged to learn and know everything; this can neither be sought nor required, for it is utterly impossible; yet all persons are under some obligation to improve their own understanding; otherwise it will be a barren desert, or a forest overgrown with weeds and brambles. Universal ignorance or infinite errors will overspread the mind which is utterly neglected and lies without any cultivation.

The common duties and benefits of society, which belong to every man living, as we are social creatures, and even our native and necessary relations to a family, a neighborhood, or government, oblige all persons, whatsoever, to use their reasoning powers upon a thousand occasions; every hour of life calls for some regular exercise of our judgment, as to time and things, persons and actions: without a prudent and discreet determination in matters before us, we shall be plunged into perpetual errors in our conduct. Now, that which should always be practiced must at some time be learned.'

This version has been abridged from Watt's original by Stephen Norris Fellows as follows:

'In endeavoring to adapt it to the needs of the present, the following changes have been made: First — Nearly one-third of the book has been eliminated, as being too theological or too closely related to the age and country of the author. Second — A brief but comprehensive analysis has been prepared, which appears as a table of contents. Third — Prominence is given to some of the more essential doctrines by stating them in large type, while explanatory and illustrative matter is given in smaller type.

But few changes have been made in the text other than those mentioned above, as it seemed desirable to preserve the unique and forcible style of the author. The original work was first published in 1727, and although it is over one hundred and fifty years old, yet its teachings are in substantial harmony with the truest pedagogical doctrines of to-day. It is believed that in its present form and dress it is adapted to private reading, and reading circles, and also as a text-book in Secondary and NormaI Schools.'

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 00

(00:03:23) Chapter 01

(00:39:50) Chapter 02

(01:11:00) Chapter 03

(01:21:15) Chapter 04

(01:47:50) Chapter 05

(02:10:00) Chapter 06

(02:19:35) Chapter 07

(02:26:43) Chapter 08

(02:55:13) Chapter 09

(03:09:30) Chapter 10

(03:27:58) Chapter 11

(03:37:16) Chapter 12

(03:59:09) Chapter 13

(04:56:29) Chapter 14

(05:32:03) Chapter 15

(05:43:01) Chapter 16

(06:02:23) Chapter 17

(06:14:33) Chapter 18

(06:30:30) Chapter 19

(06:45:32) Chapter 20

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Previous Episode

All in the Day's Work by Ida Tarbell ~ Full Audiobook [biography]

July 24, 2023

•

933m

All in the Day's Work by Ida Tarbell audiobook.

Genre: biography

In All in the Day's Work, pioneering investigative journalist Ida M. Tarbell tells the story behind the byline, tracing her path from a childhood in western Pennsylvania's oil country to the center of American letters and reform. Raised in a family shaped by boom-and-bust fortunes and fierce debates over fairness, Tarbell grows into a determined student and one of the few women pushing into professional life on her own terms. She follows opportunity into the world of magazines, reporting and editing while learning how ideas, money, and power move through a rapidly industrializing nation. Tarbell recounts formative years of study and travel, her early editorial work, and the craft of building long-form narratives from interviews, archives, and stubborn fact-checking. As her career accelerates, she navigates the pressures of deadline culture, the politics of publishing, and the skepticism reserved for a woman in a male-dominated newsroom. Along the way, she reflects on the people she profiles, the mentors and rivals who test her, and the moral calculus of exposing wrongdoing without sacrificing accuracy. Clear-eyed, witty, and intensely observant, this autobiography captures the making of a journalist and the era that demanded her kind of scrutiny.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:42:14) Chapter 02

(01:25:28) Chapter 03

(01:53:24) Chapter 04

(02:27:26) Chapter 05

(03:24:35) Chapter 06

(04:02:01) Chapter 07

(04:44:19) Chapter 08

(05:35:37) Chapter 09

(06:06:48) Chapter 10

(06:46:30) Chapter 11

(07:37:40) Chapter 12

(08:15:48) Chapter 13

(08:42:41) Chapter 14

(09:33:59) Chapter 15

(10:03:47) Chapter 16

(10:33:11) Chapter 17

(11:21:02) Chapter 18

(12:01:34) Chapter 19

(12:37:52) Chapter 20

(13:28:05) Chapter 21

(13:55:50) Chapter 22

(14:27:40) Chapter 23

(14:56:21) Chapter 24

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Next Episode

Grotesques and Fantasies by Israel Zangwill ~ Full Audiobook [fantasy]

July 24, 2023

•

410m

Grotesques and Fantasies by Israel Zangwill audiobook.

Genre: fantasy

A set of often funny, sometimes tragic stories by Israel Zangwill. Most famous for his scathingly accurate portrayals of the Jewish ghetto, these stories have a wider stage, poking fun at social conventions and society itself, both high and low. The real and the fantastic collide to produce a world uniquely Zangwill's.

These are the tales of figures as diverse as a pantomime dragon, an excellent butler, a man living his life in the wrong order and a Jewish maiden who knows exactly what she is worth. Well observed and original, the satire is biting and the wit sparkling.

Many of the stories in this volume are accompanied by excellent illustrations, which are well worth a look. They are available in the Gutenberg e-text.

The novella, King of Schnorrers, which began this collection when it appeared in print, has already been recorded separately. As such it is omitted from this collection, and only the shorter stories are included.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 00

(00:02:23) Chapter 01

(00:25:54) Chapter 02

(00:34:43) Chapter 03

(00:46:23) Chapter 04

(01:19:18) Chapter 05

(01:35:56) Chapter 06

(01:57:30) Chapter 07

(02:14:09) Chapter 08

(02:24:11) Chapter 09