-
Superstition
- A Very Short Introduction
- Narrated by: Mike Carnes
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $11.17
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Despite the dominance of science in today's world, superstitious beliefs - both traditional and new - remain surprisingly popular. A recent survey of adults in the United States found that 33 percent believed that finding a penny was good luck, and 23 percent believed that the number seven was lucky. Where did these superstitions come from, and why do they persist today?
Superstition: A Very Short Introduction explores the nature and surprising history of superstition from antiquity to the present. For two millennia, superstition was a label derisively applied to foreign religions and unacceptable religious practices, and its primary purpose was used to separate groups and assert religious and social authority. After the Enlightenment, the superstition label was still used to define groups, but the new dividing line was between reason and unreason. Today, despite our apparent sophistication and technological advances, superstitious belief and behavior remain widespread, and highly educated people are not immune.
Stuart Vyse takes an exciting look at the varieties of popular superstitious beliefs today and the psychological reasons behind their continued existence, as well as the likely future course of superstition in our increasingly connected world.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Brief History of Witchcraft and the Occult
- A Beginner’s Journey from the Surreal to the Scientific, from Crystals and Tarot to Science and Philosophy
- By: Dominic Haynes
- Narrated by: Jeff Bower
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the bewitching world of spells, magic, and mystery as you dive deep into the history of this controversial ancient practice. From being feared, persecuted, and burned at the stake centuries ago, they have now become captivating and enduring characters in pop culture, portrayed in diverse roles.
-
-
I highly recommend it!
- By soraya h. on 07-17-23
By: Dominic Haynes
-
Buddhism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Damien Keown
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This very short introduction offers listeners a superb overview of the teachings of the Buddha, as well as a succinct guide to the integration of Buddhism into daily life.
-
-
Engage the services of a Very Short boatman
- By Darwin8u on 10-22-18
By: Damien Keown
-
Consciousness, 2nd Edition
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Susan Blackmore
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, while also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings.
-
-
Biased in its conclusions, judgemental of conflicting opinions while still having a lot of science in there
- By Robert B Hayes on 10-30-24
By: Susan Blackmore
-
Critical Thinking: How to Effectively Reason, Understand Irrationality, and Make Better Decisions
- By: Stuart Vyse
- Narrated by: Stuart Vyse
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This wide-ranging course reveals the method to our madness in everything from finances to Friday the 13th. An expert on irrational behavior, Prof. Stuart Vyse discusses what it means to be rational before delving into the many reasoning errors and psychological challenges that lead us astray. In 15 lectures, you will learn to identify the logical fallacies and quirks of our psychology that tempt us to make unwise decisions. While the course is based in theory, it’s also teeming with practical advice.
-
-
Fascinating!
- By Michael Bloom on 09-27-19
By: Stuart Vyse
-
Postmodernism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Butler
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Postmodernism has become the buzzword of contemporary society over the last decade. But how can it be defined? In this highly engaging introduction, the mysteries of this most elusive of concepts are unraveled, casting a critical light upon the way we live now, from the politicizing of museum culture to the cult of the politically correct. The key postmodernist ideas are explored and challenged, as they figure in the theory, philosophy, politics, ethics, and artwork of the period, and it is shown how they have interacted within a postmodernist culture.
-
-
Misleading Title
- By nicholas on 01-06-23
-
Fascism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Kevin Passmore
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fascism is notoriously hard to define. How do we make sense of an ideology that appeals to streetfighters and intellectuals alike? That is overtly macho in style, yet attracts many women? That calls for a return to tradition while maintaining a fascination with technology? And that preaches violence in the name of an ordered society? In the new edition of this Very Short Introduction, Kevin Passmore brilliantly unravels the paradoxes of one of the most important phenomena in the modern world
-
-
Brings Clarity to a Resurging Topic
- By Fernanda Araujo on 03-24-20
By: Kevin Passmore
-
A Brief History of Witchcraft and the Occult
- A Beginner’s Journey from the Surreal to the Scientific, from Crystals and Tarot to Science and Philosophy
- By: Dominic Haynes
- Narrated by: Jeff Bower
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the bewitching world of spells, magic, and mystery as you dive deep into the history of this controversial ancient practice. From being feared, persecuted, and burned at the stake centuries ago, they have now become captivating and enduring characters in pop culture, portrayed in diverse roles.
-
-
I highly recommend it!
- By soraya h. on 07-17-23
By: Dominic Haynes
-
Buddhism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Damien Keown
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This very short introduction offers listeners a superb overview of the teachings of the Buddha, as well as a succinct guide to the integration of Buddhism into daily life.
-
-
Engage the services of a Very Short boatman
- By Darwin8u on 10-22-18
By: Damien Keown
-
Consciousness, 2nd Edition
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Susan Blackmore
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, while also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings.
-
-
Biased in its conclusions, judgemental of conflicting opinions while still having a lot of science in there
- By Robert B Hayes on 10-30-24
By: Susan Blackmore
-
Critical Thinking: How to Effectively Reason, Understand Irrationality, and Make Better Decisions
- By: Stuart Vyse
- Narrated by: Stuart Vyse
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This wide-ranging course reveals the method to our madness in everything from finances to Friday the 13th. An expert on irrational behavior, Prof. Stuart Vyse discusses what it means to be rational before delving into the many reasoning errors and psychological challenges that lead us astray. In 15 lectures, you will learn to identify the logical fallacies and quirks of our psychology that tempt us to make unwise decisions. While the course is based in theory, it’s also teeming with practical advice.
-
-
Fascinating!
- By Michael Bloom on 09-27-19
By: Stuart Vyse
-
Postmodernism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Butler
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Postmodernism has become the buzzword of contemporary society over the last decade. But how can it be defined? In this highly engaging introduction, the mysteries of this most elusive of concepts are unraveled, casting a critical light upon the way we live now, from the politicizing of museum culture to the cult of the politically correct. The key postmodernist ideas are explored and challenged, as they figure in the theory, philosophy, politics, ethics, and artwork of the period, and it is shown how they have interacted within a postmodernist culture.
-
-
Misleading Title
- By nicholas on 01-06-23
-
Fascism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Kevin Passmore
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fascism is notoriously hard to define. How do we make sense of an ideology that appeals to streetfighters and intellectuals alike? That is overtly macho in style, yet attracts many women? That calls for a return to tradition while maintaining a fascination with technology? And that preaches violence in the name of an ordered society? In the new edition of this Very Short Introduction, Kevin Passmore brilliantly unravels the paradoxes of one of the most important phenomena in the modern world
-
-
Brings Clarity to a Resurging Topic
- By Fernanda Araujo on 03-24-20
By: Kevin Passmore
-
The Old Testament
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Coogan
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eminent biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan offers here a wide-ranging and stimulating exploration of the Old Testament, illuminating its importance as history, literature, and sacred text.
-
-
A perfect way to quickly familiarise oneself with an influential anthology of ancient Jewish literature.
- By Gdrs on 10-20-24
By: Michael Coogan
-
Concentration Camps
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Dan Stone
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Concentration camps are a relatively new invention, a recurring feature of 20th century warfare, and one that is important to the modern global consciousness and identity. Although the most famous concentration camps are those under the Nazis, the use of concentration camps originated several decades before the Third Reich, in the Philippines and in the Boer War, and they have been used again in numerous locations, not least during the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda.
By: Dan Stone
-
Quantum Theory
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: John Polkinghorne
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Quantum theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed.
-
-
VSI # 69
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
-
Judaism (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Norman Solomon
- Narrated by: Jesse Einstein
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Normon Solomon's succinct book is an ideal introduction to Judaism as a religion and way of life. Demonstrating the diverse nature and ethnic origin of Jewish people, Solomon explores how the religion has developed in the 2,000 years since the days of the Bible.
-
-
tremendous!
- By D. Griffin on 10-18-23
By: Norman Solomon
-
Islamic History
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Adam J. Silverstein
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Does history matter? This book argues not that history matters, but that Islamic history does. This very short introduction introduces the story of Islamic history; the controversies surrounding its study; and the significance that it holds - for Muslims and for non-Muslims alike. Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam, from the seventh to 21st century, the book charts the evolution of what was originally a small, localized community of believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents.
-
-
Not good as an audio book
- By andtomorrow on 02-08-20
-
Hinduism
- A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition
- By: Kim Knott
- Narrated by: Sunny Patel
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hinduism is practiced by nearly 80 percent of India's population, and by some 70 million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyzes the challenges facing it in the 21st century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana.
By: Kim Knott
-
What Is Metaphysics, What Is Philosophy and Other Writings
- By: Martin Heidegger
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This recording contains four important and related works by Heidegger: 'What Is Philosophy', 'What Is Metaphysics', 'On the Essence of Truth' and 'The Question of Being'.
-
-
Highly performed 🎭
- By Roman Greenberg on 09-06-22
By: Martin Heidegger
-
Jesus
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Richard Bauckham
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two billion people today identify as Christians, with the implication that Jesus is the focus of their relationship with God and their way of living in the world. Such followers of Jesus are now more numerous and make up a greater proportion of the world's population than ever before. Richard Bauckham explores the historical figure of Jesus, evaluating the sources and concluding that they provide us with good historical evidence for his life and teaching.
-
-
Probably the best summary of Jesus of Nazareth I have encountered.
- By HEATHER CAVANAH on 10-29-24
By: Richard Bauckham
-
Existentialism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Thomas Flynn
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the leading philosophical movements of the 20th century, existentialism has had more impact on literature and the arts than any other school of thought. Focusing on the leading figures of existentialism, including Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Camus, Thomas Flynn offers a concise account of existentialism, explaining the key themes of individuality, free will, and personal responsibility, which marked the movement as a way of life, not just a way of thinking.
By: Thomas Flynn
-
Wittgenstein
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: A. C. Grayling
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original thinker, whose influence on 20th-century thinking far outside the bounds of philosophy alone. In this engaging Introduction, A. C. Grayling makes Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general listener by explaining the nature and impact of Wittgenstein's views. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought.
-
-
Track -ta- toose?
- By sleight on 07-13-22
By: A. C. Grayling
-
Socialism (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Newman
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? This audiobook considers the major theories in socialism and explores its historical evolution from the French Revolution to the present day. Michael Newman argues that socialism has always been a diverse doctrine, while nevertheless containing a central core of interconnected values and goals: a critique of capitalism; an optimistic view of human beings; and the belief that it is possible to establish societies based on egalitarianism, social solidarity, and cooperation.
By: Michael Newman
-
Philosophy of Science (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Samir Okasha
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How much faith should we place in what scientists tell us? Is it possible for scientific knowledge to be fully "objective"? What, really, can be defined as science? In the second edition of this very short introduction, Samir Okasha explores the main themes and theories of contemporary philosophy of science and investigates fascinating, challenging questions such as these.
-
-
VSI#67
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
By: Samir Okasha
Related to this topic
-
The Witch
- A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why have societies all across the world feared witchcraft? This book delves deeply into its context, beliefs, and origins in Europe's history. The witch came to prominence - and often a painful death - in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In this landmark book, Ronald Hutton traces witchcraft from the ancient world to the early modern state.
-
-
Meticulously researched, dry but great.
- By Matthew T Shank on 09-21-18
By: Ronald Hutton
-
The Triumph of Christianity
- How the Jesus Movement Became the World's Largest Religion
- By: Rodney Stark
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celebrated religious and social historian Rodney Stark traces the extraordinary rise of Christianity through its most pivotal and controversial moments to offer fresh perspective on the history of the world's largest religion.
-
-
Balanced and unapologetic, excellent read
- By JARAM, CT on 08-04-20
By: Rodney Stark
-
A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult
- By: DK
- Narrated by: Susie Riddell
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world - from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television.
-
-
Decent Primer on Magical Traditions
- By Albert Williams on 04-28-21
By: DK
-
The Chalice and the Blade
- Our History, Our Future
- By: Riane Eisler
- Narrated by: Riane Eisler
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Riane Eisler believes that war and the "war of the sexes" are concepts neither divinely nor biologically ordained. Join the author as she reconstructs a prehistoric culture based on partnership rather than domination and traces the roots of the global shift to patriarchy. Eisler, an acclaimed scholar, futurist, and activist, also presents new scripts for living based on a more socially, economically, ecologically, personally, and spiritually balanced society. This script is in direct opposition to the tension and violence typical of what she calls the dominator model. Her vision is the partnership model, which today is struggling to reemerge. This program is an important contribution to that struggle.
-
-
the chalice and the blade
- By Anne on 07-25-08
By: Riane Eisler
-
The Faith Instinct
- How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures
- By: Nicholas Wade
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For at least the last fifty thousand years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given, either by believers or atheists, to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have an evolutionary basis. Did religion evolve, in other words, because it helped people in early societies survive?
-
-
If you're religious or into religion read this
- By Adam on 08-16-10
By: Nicholas Wade
-
Why You Think the Way You Do
- The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home
- By: Glenn S. Sunshine
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why You Think the Way You Do traces the development of the worldviews that underpin the Western world. Professor and historian Glenn S. Sunshine demonstrates the decisive impact that the growth of Christianity had in transforming the outlook of pagan Roman culture into one that—based on biblical concepts of humanity and its relationship with God—established virtually all the positive aspects of Western civilization.
-
-
"Christian's view of the western world"
- By Bradley on 03-21-10
-
The Witch
- A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why have societies all across the world feared witchcraft? This book delves deeply into its context, beliefs, and origins in Europe's history. The witch came to prominence - and often a painful death - in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In this landmark book, Ronald Hutton traces witchcraft from the ancient world to the early modern state.
-
-
Meticulously researched, dry but great.
- By Matthew T Shank on 09-21-18
By: Ronald Hutton
-
The Triumph of Christianity
- How the Jesus Movement Became the World's Largest Religion
- By: Rodney Stark
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celebrated religious and social historian Rodney Stark traces the extraordinary rise of Christianity through its most pivotal and controversial moments to offer fresh perspective on the history of the world's largest religion.
-
-
Balanced and unapologetic, excellent read
- By JARAM, CT on 08-04-20
By: Rodney Stark
-
A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult
- By: DK
- Narrated by: Susie Riddell
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world - from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television.
-
-
Decent Primer on Magical Traditions
- By Albert Williams on 04-28-21
By: DK
-
The Chalice and the Blade
- Our History, Our Future
- By: Riane Eisler
- Narrated by: Riane Eisler
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Riane Eisler believes that war and the "war of the sexes" are concepts neither divinely nor biologically ordained. Join the author as she reconstructs a prehistoric culture based on partnership rather than domination and traces the roots of the global shift to patriarchy. Eisler, an acclaimed scholar, futurist, and activist, also presents new scripts for living based on a more socially, economically, ecologically, personally, and spiritually balanced society. This script is in direct opposition to the tension and violence typical of what she calls the dominator model. Her vision is the partnership model, which today is struggling to reemerge. This program is an important contribution to that struggle.
-
-
the chalice and the blade
- By Anne on 07-25-08
By: Riane Eisler
-
The Faith Instinct
- How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures
- By: Nicholas Wade
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For at least the last fifty thousand years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given, either by believers or atheists, to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have an evolutionary basis. Did religion evolve, in other words, because it helped people in early societies survive?
-
-
If you're religious or into religion read this
- By Adam on 08-16-10
By: Nicholas Wade
-
Why You Think the Way You Do
- The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home
- By: Glenn S. Sunshine
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why You Think the Way You Do traces the development of the worldviews that underpin the Western world. Professor and historian Glenn S. Sunshine demonstrates the decisive impact that the growth of Christianity had in transforming the outlook of pagan Roman culture into one that—based on biblical concepts of humanity and its relationship with God—established virtually all the positive aspects of Western civilization.
-
-
"Christian's view of the western world"
- By Bradley on 03-21-10
-
Hitler’s Monsters
- A Supernatural History of the Third Reich
- By: Eric Kurlander
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Nazi fascination with the occult is legendary, yet today it is often dismissed as Himmler's personal obsession or wildly overstated for its novelty. Preposterous though it was, however, supernatural thinking was inextricable from the Nazi project. The regime enlisted astrology and the paranormal, paganism, Indo-Aryan mythology, witchcraft, miracle weapons, and the lost kingdom of Atlantis in reimagining German politics and society and recasting German science and religion.
-
-
sobering
- By Nicholas Monco on 10-27-17
By: Eric Kurlander
-
How the West Really Lost God
- A New Theory of Secularization
- By: Mary Eberstadt
- Narrated by: Nan McNamara
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this magisterial work, leading cultural critic Mary Eberstadt delivers a powerful new theory about the decline of religion in the Western world. The conventional wisdom is that the West first experienced religious decline, followed by the decline of the family. Eberstadt turns this standard account on its head. Marshalling an impressive array of research, Eberstadt shows that the reverse has also been true: the undermining of the family has further undermined Christianity itself.
-
-
A typical reflection on the most dominant form of American Christianity.
- By Nanci White on 08-30-24
By: Mary Eberstadt
-
Hidden Wisdom
- A Guide to Western Inner Traditions
- By: Richard Smoley, Jay Kinney
- Narrated by: Ethan Sawyer
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The co-editors of Gnosis magazine explore the many esoteric traditions that Western culture has to offer. While terms from Eastern spiritual practices such as Zen, mantra, and karma have become part of our daily lexicon, the traditions of Western spirituality have been largely unexplored by people searching for non-mainstream routes to spiritual experience. But for those who identify with Western culture, Western religious traditions have their own wisdom teachings that are more suitable to their needs and expectations.
-
-
Interesting, enjoyable, not too deep
- By DBruno1987 on 03-03-15
By: Richard Smoley, and others
-
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
- By: Thomas E. Woods Jr.
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.
-
-
Fascinating and informative
- By Michael Kellogg on 09-29-05
-
Forbidden Faith
- The Secret History of Gnosticism
- By: Richard Smoley
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The success of books such as Elaine Pagels's Gnostic Gospels and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code proves beyond a doubt that there is a tremendous thirst today for finding the hidden truths of Christianity - truths that may have been lost or buried by institutional religion over the last two millennia. In Forbidden Faith, Richard Smoley narrates a popular history of one such truth, the ancient esoteric religion of gnosticism, which flourished between the first and fourth centuries AD, but whose legacy remains even today, having survived secretly throughout the ages.
-
-
An absolute must for understanding Gnosticism.
- By Patriot RN - Doc on 05-12-21
By: Richard Smoley
-
The House of Wisdom
- How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization
- By: Jonathan Lyons
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the remarkable story of how medieval Arab scholars made dazzling advances in science and philosophy, and of the itinerant Europeans who brought this knowledge back to the West. For centuries following the fall of Rome, Western Europe was a benighted backwater, a world of subsistence farming, minimal literacy, and violent conflict. Meanwhile, Arab culture was thriving, dazzling those Europeans fortunate enough to catch even a glimpse.
-
-
Missing history
- By Robert on 11-26-11
By: Jonathan Lyons
-
Seven Lies about Catholic History: Infamous Myths about the Church's Past and How to Answer Them
- By: Diane Moczar
- Narrated by: Kevin F. Spalding
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world hates the Church that Jesus founded, just as He said it would (John 15:18). It reviles her doctrines, mocks her moral teachings and invents lies about her history. In every age, but especially in our modern day, historians and political powers have distorted the facts about her past (or just made up novel falsehoods from scratch) to make the Church, and the civilization it fostered, seem corrupt, backward, or simply evil.
-
-
excellent read
- By Christine A Carty on 02-27-16
By: Diane Moczar
-
Drawing Down the Moon
- Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America
- By: Margot Adler
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 20 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Almost 40 years since its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. In this revised edition, Adler takes a fascinating and honest look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of modern America's Pagan groups.
-
-
Important history lesson but missing elements
- By Waterfall on 09-12-20
By: Margot Adler
-
Battling the Gods
- Atheism in the Ancient World
- By: Tim Whitmarsh
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before the European Enlightenment and the Darwinian revolution, which we often take to mark the birth of the modern revolt against religious explanations of the world, brave people doubted the power of the gods. Religion provoked skepticism in ancient Greece, and heretics argued that history must be understood as a result of human action rather than divine intervention. They devised theories of the cosmos based on matter and notions of matter based on atoms.
-
-
We have a history as long and as rich as any relig
- By Glencannnon on 08-13-19
By: Tim Whitmarsh
-
The Evolution of God
- By: Robert Wright
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this sweeping narrative, which takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy.
-
-
Very heavy reading
- By Stephen on 08-07-09
By: Robert Wright
-
The Closing of the Western Mind
- The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason
- By: Charles Freeman
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 368 AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continue to have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects of the religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a course from the relatively open, tolerant, and pluralistic civilization of the Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the rule of fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings of Ptolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine.
-
-
Not proven
- By Jeffrey D on 04-30-21
By: Charles Freeman
-
Ibn Khaldun
- An Intellectual Biography
- By: Robert Irwin
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) is generally regarded as the greatest intellectual ever to have appeared in the Arab world - a genius who ranks as one of the world's great minds. Yet the author of the Muqaddima, the most important study of history ever produced in the Islamic world, is not as well known as he should be, and his ideas are widely misunderstood. In this groundbreaking intellectual biography, Robert Irwin provides an engaging and authoritative account of Ibn Khaldun's extraordinary life, times, writings, and ideas.
-
-
Issues with accuracy, pronounciation
- By Moh 3aly on 01-02-19
By: Robert Irwin
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Abrahamic Religions
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Charles L. Cohen
- Narrated by: Jim Denison
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram - Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual - if differentiated - veneration of the one God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction audiobook explores the intertwined histories of these monotheistic religions.
By: Charles L. Cohen
-
The New Testament
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Luke Timothy Johnson
- Narrated by: Robert Feifar
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this concise, engaging book, noted New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson takes listeners on a journey back to the time of the early Roman Empire, when the New Testament was written in ordinary Greek (koine) by the first Christians. The author explains how the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation evolved into the canon of sacred writings for the Christian religion, and how they reflect a reinterpretation of the symbolic world and societal forces of first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish life.
-
The Old Testament
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Coogan
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eminent biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan offers here a wide-ranging and stimulating exploration of the Old Testament, illuminating its importance as history, literature, and sacred text.
-
-
A perfect way to quickly familiarise oneself with an influential anthology of ancient Jewish literature.
- By Gdrs on 10-20-24
By: Michael Coogan
-
The New Testament as Literature
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Kyle Keefer
- Narrated by: Jonathan Walker
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unique among books that examine the bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text - a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament - the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation - as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale.
By: Kyle Keefer
-
The Maya
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Matthew Restall, Amara Solari
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control.
-
-
Pretty great, but a bit superficial.
- By Amazon Customer on 08-15-24
By: Matthew Restall, and others
-
Religion
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Thomas A. Tweed
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Religion: A Very Short Introduction offers a concise nonpartisan overview of religion's long history and its complicated role in the world today.
-
-
Dry, even by academic standards
- By Owen Summerscales on 10-13-24
By: Thomas A. Tweed
-
The Abrahamic Religions
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Charles L. Cohen
- Narrated by: Jim Denison
- Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram - Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual - if differentiated - veneration of the one God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction audiobook explores the intertwined histories of these monotheistic religions.
By: Charles L. Cohen
-
The New Testament
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Luke Timothy Johnson
- Narrated by: Robert Feifar
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this concise, engaging book, noted New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson takes listeners on a journey back to the time of the early Roman Empire, when the New Testament was written in ordinary Greek (koine) by the first Christians. The author explains how the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation evolved into the canon of sacred writings for the Christian religion, and how they reflect a reinterpretation of the symbolic world and societal forces of first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish life.
-
The Old Testament
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Coogan
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eminent biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan offers here a wide-ranging and stimulating exploration of the Old Testament, illuminating its importance as history, literature, and sacred text.
-
-
A perfect way to quickly familiarise oneself with an influential anthology of ancient Jewish literature.
- By Gdrs on 10-20-24
By: Michael Coogan
-
The New Testament as Literature
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Kyle Keefer
- Narrated by: Jonathan Walker
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unique among books that examine the bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text - a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament - the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation - as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale.
By: Kyle Keefer
-
The Maya
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Matthew Restall, Amara Solari
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control.
-
-
Pretty great, but a bit superficial.
- By Amazon Customer on 08-15-24
By: Matthew Restall, and others
-
Religion
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Thomas A. Tweed
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Religion: A Very Short Introduction offers a concise nonpartisan overview of religion's long history and its complicated role in the world today.
-
-
Dry, even by academic standards
- By Owen Summerscales on 10-13-24
By: Thomas A. Tweed
-
Socrates (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: C.C.W. Taylor
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, Christopher Taylor explores the life of Socrates and his philosophical activity, before looking to the responses his philosophical doctrines have evoked in the centuries since his betrayal and execution at fellow Athenian hands.
-
-
Unhelpful
- By Abi Saraga on 07-08-24
By: C.C.W. Taylor
-
Tibetan Buddhism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Matthew T. Kapstein
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tibetan Buddhist tradition has known over 13 centuries of continuous development. During that time, it has spread among the neighboring peoples - the Mongol, Himalayan, and Siberian peoples, Manchus and Chinese. At its height, it has been practiced in regions as far west as the Volga river and to the east in Beijing. Its capacity for creative adaptation is demonstrated by its recent growth in Europe and America.
-
-
VSI # 373
- By Darwin8u on 10-30-24
-
Judaism (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Norman Solomon
- Narrated by: Jesse Einstein
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Normon Solomon's succinct book is an ideal introduction to Judaism as a religion and way of life. Demonstrating the diverse nature and ethnic origin of Jewish people, Solomon explores how the religion has developed in the 2,000 years since the days of the Bible.
-
-
tremendous!
- By D. Griffin on 10-18-23
By: Norman Solomon
-
Ethics (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Simon Blackburn
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This second edition of the Very Short Introduction on ethics has revised and updated aspects of the original to reflect changing times and mores. It highlights the importance of an understanding of approaches to ethics and its foundations, confronted as we are with a fluid and uncertain world of eroding trust, swirling conspiracy theories, and a dismaying loss of respect in public discourse.
-
-
True to the title this is a very short introduction
- By cpk on 09-12-24
By: Simon Blackburn
-
Consciousness, 2nd Edition
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Susan Blackmore
- Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, while also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings.
-
-
Biased in its conclusions, judgemental of conflicting opinions while still having a lot of science in there
- By Robert B Hayes on 10-30-24
By: Susan Blackmore
-
Buddhism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Damien Keown
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This very short introduction offers listeners a superb overview of the teachings of the Buddha, as well as a succinct guide to the integration of Buddhism into daily life.
-
-
Engage the services of a Very Short boatman
- By Darwin8u on 10-22-18
By: Damien Keown
-
The Brain
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael O’Shea
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How does the brain work? How different is a human brain from other creatures' brains? Is the human brain still evolving? In this fascinating book, Michael O'Shea provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind.
-
-
Excellent clarity, perfect level of technical
- By Harlan Findley on 11-03-23
By: Michael O’Shea
-
Philosophy of Physics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: David Wallace
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philosophy of Physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - notably quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. A deeper understanding of these theories helps both physics, through pointing the way to new theories and new applications, and philosophy, through seeing how our worldview has to change in the light of what we learn from physics.
By: David Wallace
-
The Crusades
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Tyerman
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crusading fervor gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most extraordinary, vivid episodes in world history. Whether the Crusades are regarded as the most romantic of Christian expeditions, or the last of the barbarian invasions, they have fascinated generations ever since, and their legacy of ideas and imagery has resonated through the centuries, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. Even today, to invoke the Crusades is to stir deep cultural myths, assumptions and prejudices.
-
-
VSI # 140
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
-
Socialism (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Newman
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? This audiobook considers the major theories in socialism and explores its historical evolution from the French Revolution to the present day. Michael Newman argues that socialism has always been a diverse doctrine, while nevertheless containing a central core of interconnected values and goals: a critique of capitalism; an optimistic view of human beings; and the belief that it is possible to establish societies based on egalitarianism, social solidarity, and cooperation.
By: Michael Newman
-
The Bible
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: John Riches
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of biblical criticism, the appropriation of the bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends.
By: John Riches
-
Modern China (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Rana Mitter
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese "economic miracle". It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction audiobook offers the listener an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics, and art.
By: Rana Mitter