Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep artwork

Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep

302 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 349 ratings

Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly sleep podcast in which we calmly, quietly read something rather boring to silence the brain chatter keeping you awake. Think Aristotle, Thoreau, and whoever wrote the 1897 Sears Catalog—mostly nonfiction, mostly old, a perfect blend of vaguely-but-not-too interesting.

If you're on Team Sleepless, lie back, take a deep breath, and let us read you to rest.

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Episodes

Sailing Alone Around the World, by Capt. Joshua Slocum, Part 2

July 15, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MB

Let’s relax and sleep with more from this solo journey by sailboat. This time, we cross the Atlantic, serenade dolphins, and…a seafaring ghost saves our narrator from a cheese-induced fever? Sure, why not. I don’t write them, friends.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Sailing Alone Around the World” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebo...

Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, Part 4

July 08, 2024 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MB

Let’s relax and sleep with more from a classic that combines mathematics and social commentary with pointed angularity. This time, our narrator is inducted into that most secret of secrets…three dimensions. Why, it’s madness, I tell you.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Flatland” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/201   Music...

Pyrotechnics, the History and Art of Firework Making, Part 2

July 01, 2024 11:00 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MB

Let’s celebrate our 300th episode and 10 MILLION listens with a bit of fireworks! That sounds exciting, but it’s really just a sleepy catalog of firework displays in England up to the 19th century. Flaming dragon battles and “philosophical fireworks” are somewhat mentioned, so that’s fun.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Pyrotechnics” at Project Gute...

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, Part 3

June 24, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MB

Let’s return to a political classic and learn more about how to govern as a prince. This time, we hear why neither the rich nor the mercenary can be trusted, why it’s easy to earn the people’s faith by being nice, and the excellent word “dastardy” is used.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Prince” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/eb...

1912 Ford Motor Cars Model T Instruction Manual, Part 1

June 17, 2024 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

This week, let’s relax with the intricacies of car maintenance as we learn the proper care and operation of a 1912 Model T Ford. Why, it’s so simple, anyone can fill the dope caps and grind the valves. Ford thinks you can, anyway, and isn’t that a bit cheering?   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime,” by Lee Rosevere, lice...

The Book of the Ocean, by Ernest Ingersoll, Part 4

June 10, 2024 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB

Let’s sail to sleep with more about the history of maritime exploration, including Vikings in North America, the Chinese invention of the compass, Arabic navigation tools, and the rise of the Portuguese. Dreams ahoy!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Book of the Ocean” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56311   Music: "Ocea...

Etiquette, by Emily Post, Part 6

June 03, 2024 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MB

Let’s return to this relaxing classic and learn more sleepy advice about paying visits, leaving cards, proper wedding invitations, and how to sit in a chair. Dear listeners, it seems your reader had no idea.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Etiquette” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14314   Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime,”...

On Horsemanship, by Xenophon, Part 2, and Project Gutenberg License

May 27, 2024 11:00 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

This week, we conclude a relaxing Greek classic about getting the best from your cavalry horse, including what to wear, and then fall asleep to the riveting legalese of Project Gutenberg’s usage license for all these free eBooks I share with you. The horse stuff is more fun, to be honest.   Giveaway! All Patreon supporters in May will have a chance at one of four slots to determine our readings for August. By joining Patreon, you get exclusive episodes, keep us ad-free AND get a chance t...

The Principles of Chemistry, by Dmitri Mendeleev, Part 5

May 20, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MB

Let's continue to wend our relaxing way through a fundamental text of science and explore how elements combine and de-combine with that wonderful substance, water. Truly the solution for sleep!   Giveaway! All Patreon supporters in May will have a chance at one of four slots to determine our readings for August. By joining Patreon, you get exclusive episodes, keep us ad-free AND get a chance to hear your personal fave. Win-win! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me...

The Railway Traveller's Handy Book, Part 2

May 13, 2024 11:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MB

Let’s return to this sleepily detailed guide to rail journeys in 1860, and learn what to wear, the importance of travel insurance, and how to steal a horse to get to the station on time. Handy indeed!   Giveaway! All Patreon supporters in May will have a chance at one of four slots to determine our readings for August. By joining Patreon, you get exclusive episodes, keep us ad-free AND get a chance to hear your personal fave. Win-win!   Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspo...

1890 Gardiner and Co. Seed Annual 1: Flower Novelties

May 06, 2024 11:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MB

Tonight, let’s celebrate the sleepy splendors of spring and go shopping for the latest in floral novelties offered by Gardiner & Co. in their seed annual. Apparently, in 1890, Japanese delights were all the rage.   I also announce a new Giveaway! All Patreon supporters in May will have a chance at one of four slots to determine our readings for August. By joining Patreon, you help us stay ad-free AND get a chance to hear your faves. Win-win! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbook...

Relaxation Rewind! How to Listen to Music, by Henry E. Krehbiel, Part 1

April 29, 2024 11:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MB

Tonight, while your reader recovers from a snuffly illness, let’s rewind to 2021 and fall into the rhythm of sleep with a book that works hard to put meaning into music, but mostly just manages to make it boring. So…kind of perfect, really.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “How to Listen to Music” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/...

Our National Parks, by John Muir, Part 4

April 22, 2024 11:00 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MB

Let’s celebrate Earth Day with more from Muir’s poetic ode to the spectacular natural wonders of North America. This time, we complete our relaxing tour of Yellowstone and head to beautiful Yosemite, the jewel of the Sierras. Truly the stuff of dreams.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Our National Parks” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.or...

Handbook on Cheese Making, by George E. Newell, Part 2

April 15, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MB

Let’s return to the relaxing world of dairy products and learn more about the design of a good curing room, dividing profits among your producers, and what makes a great cheese. Hint: it’s definitely not skim milk!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Handbook on Cheese Making” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70813   Music: "Cha...

Mars and Its Canals, by Percival Lowell, Part 3

April 08, 2024 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MB

Let’s return to this sleep-inducing exploration, and speculation, about the Red Planet. This time, we learn about seasonal fluctuations of the poles and how they do or don’t mirror our own. Which is exactly as interesting as it sounds.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Mars and Its Canals” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47015 ...

Practical Mind Reading, by William Walker Atkinson, Part 3 (Conclusion)

April 01, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MB

Let’s find our mental rapport with sleep as we conclude this, uh, scientific guide to mind reading, learn how to find cards and drive a wagon while blindfolded, and discover how naughty charlatans dupe the public. Fake mind readers, you say? Impossible!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Practical Mind Reading” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenbe...

The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, Part 3

March 25, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MB

Let’s spend our way to sleep as we learn more about the concept of value, why pounds are silver instead of gold, and how rent should be charged in corn rather than coin. Truly priceless boredom!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Wealth of Nations” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300   Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PC III, l...

Mount Everest, the Reconnaissance of 1921, Part 4

March 18, 2024 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

Let’s climb the slopes of sleep as we continue this history-making journey to study the world’s mightiest mountain. This time, our yaks run wild, we eat dumplings, cross quicksand, and take the first photo of a lama. Dreamy adventure awaits!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Mount Everest, the Reconnaissance, 1921” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gut...

Cassell's Book of Birds, Part 5 - Parrots Continued

March 11, 2024 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MB

Let’s fly away to sleep with more about beautiful birds and that fantastic family of feathered friends, the parrots. This time, we marvel at lovebirds, cockatoos, and the curious kakapo. Adorable!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Cassell’s Book of Birds, Volume 1” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48675   Music: "Ocean Tapping...

Science in the Kitchen, by Mrs. E.E. Kellogg, Part 1

March 04, 2024 12:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MB

Let’s relax and sleep as one of the Kellogg clan takes the fun out of food through a heady combination of 19th-century food chemistry and moralizing about the perils of spices. Lovers of flavor beware!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Science in the Kitchen” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12238   Music: "Boring Books for Be...

The Problems of Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell, Part 3

February 26, 2024 12:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MB

Let’s calm our minds and relax with more deep thoughts about the nature of reality, what knowledge is, whether the past exists at all, and why the sun may not rise tomorrow. It probably will, though, so not to worry.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Problems of Philosophy” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5827   Music: "B...

Cottages; or Hints on Economical Building, Part 2

February 19, 2024 12:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MB

Let’s relax with more advice about building cozy cottages, decorating with simplicity and style, and how to dig a well that doesn’t fill with poisonous sewage. Which…seems like a good idea, really.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Cottages; or Hints on Economical Building” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67922   Music: "Heav...

On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, Part 5

February 12, 2024 12:00 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MB

In our annual celebration of Darwin Day, let’s enjoy a relaxing read from this foundational text of science. This time, we finally get to natural selection, what it is, what it isn’t, and why birds are so very, very pretty.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “On the Origin of Species” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1228   Musi...

The Voyage of The Bounty to the South Sea, by William Bligh, Part 2

February 05, 2024 12:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MB

Let’s continue the infamous voyage of HMS Bounty, which so far isn’t too exciting. This time, lots of latitude and longitude marking, Fletcher Christian gets a promotion, we see a whale, and the attempt to round Cape Horn is...something less than successful.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Voyage of The Bounty to the South Sea” at Project Gutenbe...

Bicycling for Ladies, by Maria E. Ward, Part 3

January 29, 2024 12:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MB

Let’s relax and sleep to advice about the latest fad, bicycling! We learn the art of efficient pedaling, passing safely, and climbing a hill with power and ease. Don’t forget to pack your butter sandwiches.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Bicycling for Ladies” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62227   Music: "Heaven Be Here,”...

Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 8

January 22, 2024 12:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

Tonight, we relax and sleep with knowledge about Earth’s magnetism, why the sky is blue, how rainbows happen, and the origin of auroras that paint northern and southern skies. Lovely!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Astronomy for Young Folks” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45112   Music: "Exit Exit,” by PC III, licensed un...

A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 7

January 15, 2024 12:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MB

In tonight’s relaxing read, we cover the philosophies of Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tse, then swing back to the origins of the Roman Empire, all in less than an hour. Short history indeed!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “A Short History of the World” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35461   Music: "Cosmic Tingles,” by Lee Ro...

Our Cats and All About Them, by Harrison Weir, Part 2

January 08, 2024 12:00 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MB

Let’s fall asleep to more about nature’s supreme relaxers—cats! This time, we learn about the trainability of cats, the traits of three longhair breeds, and a tale about a deaf cat with a happy ending.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Our Cats & All About Them” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35450   Music: "Heaven Be Here,...

Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Part 6

January 01, 2024 12:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB

Let’s kick off 2024 with another sleepy stroll across the sands of time to ancient Egypt. This time, we unravel the labyrinth of Saqqara, see how pyramids changed, and head to the vaunted Valley of the Kings. Dreamy!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Manual of Egyptian Archaeology” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14400   Musi...

Where the Forest Murmurs, by Fiona Macleod, Part 1

December 25, 2023 12:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

Let’s set aside the commercial noise of the holidays and relax with this walk through the forest, appreciate the glories revealed by winter, and consider the turning of the year through the rhythms of life. Lovely!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Everyone who supports us in December will be entered into our multi-prize Holiday Giveaway at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/...

The 1945 Sears Christmas Book, Part 2

December 18, 2023 12:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MB

Let’s head back to 1945 and see what’s on everyone’s Christmas list from Sears. This time, toys for the little scientist, holiday decorations, sporting gear, magazines, and the dream of every young man . . . slacks!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Everyone who supports us in December will be entered into our multi-prize Holiday Giveaway at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com...

Frye's Practical Candy Maker, by G.V. Frye, Part 2

December 11, 2023 12:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

Let’s fall into a sweet sleep with more from the world of fine candy-making. This time, we learn to craft classy treats like Coconut Potatoes, Boston Chips, Baby Cream, and Strings of Comfort. I am not making any of those up.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Everyone who supports us in December will be entered into our multi-prize Holiday Giveaway at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymea...

A Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts, Part 1

December 04, 2023 12:00 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MB

Let’s relax with detailed instructions for the arts of gilding, silvering, and the making of curious inks and secret messages, all of which involve more muskrats, honey, and wolf’s teeth than one might expect.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Everyone who supports us in December will be entered into our multi-prize Holiday Giveaway at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcM...

Sailing Alone Around the World, by Captain Joshua Slocum, Part 1

November 27, 2023 12:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MB

Let’s wrap up Listener Request Month with the chronicle of the first solo sailing voyage around the world. Sail to sleep aboard the Spray as our captain builds his ship and starts an adventure most only dream of.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Sailing Alone Around the World” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6317   Music: "O...

The Railway Travellers' Handy Book, Part 1

November 20, 2023 12:00 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MB

Let’s continue Listener Request Month with this delightfully thorough guide to train journeys. From reading a timetable to choosing the right portmanteau and hiring someone to throw gravel at your window, every practicality is considered.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Railway Travellers’ Handy Book” at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/...

The Architecture of Country Houses, by A.J. Downing - Part 1

November 13, 2023 12:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MB

Let’s continue Listener Request Month with this guide to country buildings, by which I mean a treatise on the morality of housing, the meaning of beauty, and the art of proportion. Whatever it is, it’s relaxing!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Architecture of Country Houses” at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/architectureofco00d...

The Aeneid, by Virgil, Translated by John Dryden, Part 1

November 06, 2023 12:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MB

Let’s kick off Listener Request Month with this classic, our first full “verse” offering. Scheming gods, shipwrecks, and heroic speeches, it’s everything you want from an epic you just pretended to read in school.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Aeneid” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/228   Music: "Boring Books for Bedt...

The Book of Werewolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould, Part 2

October 30, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

Let’s slip into spooky sleep with more about the origins of the werewolf, including Scandinavian berserkers and greedy nobles. Your brain will quietly howl with boredom.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Book of Werewolves” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5324   Music: "Dream Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC B...

The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 4

October 23, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MB

Let’s relax with more carby goodness as we learn about naughty bakers, how flour is made, and the terrible reputations of millers. Also, charts of chemical percentages, and I mangle some Chaucer. What *can't* bread do?   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The History of Bread” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53219   Music: "Pea...

Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Part 2

October 16, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MB

Let’s continue this sleepy journey through the mountains of France and encounter cantankerous farmers, lovely vistas, and the legendary Beast of Gevaudan, which ends rather anti-climactically, as legends so often do.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes ” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/535  ...

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, Part 2

October 09, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 48.5 MB

Let’s drift off to more from this classic of politics. If you aren’t backstabbing and being backstabbed, are you even governing? Not in 16th-century Europe, apparently!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Prince” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232   Music: "Dream Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY, https://le...

Studying Art Abroad and How to Do It Cheaply, by Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Part 1

October 02, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MB

This week, we pack a trunk and head to Europe to practice art on a budget, learn where to live economically, who to study with, and the importance of taking your oldest underwear.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Studying Art Abroad and How to Do It Cheaply” at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/studyingartabroa00nier   Music: "Pea...

Ten Acres Enough, by James Miller, Part 3

September 25, 2023 11:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MB

Let’s run away to the country and relax with more from this guide to the simple life, which seems to involve an inordinate amount of weeding. Also, blackberries of unusual size!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Ten Acres Enough” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48753   Music: "Changing Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed un...

Etiquette, by Emily Post, Part 5

September 18, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MB

Let’s relax with more from Mrs. Emily Post as she advises us on making calls, the art of social climbing, and the niceties of leaving one’s card. Truly a calling card for sleep!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Etiquette” at Project Gutenberg: https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/14314   Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under...

How to Produce Amateur Plays, by Barrett H. Clark, Part 1

September 11, 2023 11:00 - 57 minutes - 53 MB

Let’s relax and sleep with advice on staging a play, including roles behind the curtain, choosing actors, and blocking the action, courtesy of a scene from Oscar Wilde. The drama!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “How to Produce Amateur Plays” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39973   Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PC III, licens...

The ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell, Part 3

September 04, 2023 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Let's relax with some sleep-inducing science and learn why space-time is neither space nor time, but so much more. If you’re not entirely sure what the “more” is, never mind. You’ll be asleep anyway.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The ABC of Relativity” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67104   Music: "Boring Books for Bedti...

Our National Parks, by John Muir, Part 3

August 28, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

Let’s continue our relaxing hike through Yellowstone National Park, marvel at geysers and hot springs, imagine prehistoric forests, and appreciate the beauty off the beaten path. Dreamy!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Our National Parks” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60929   Music: "Watching Whales on the Moon,” by Lee ...

The Book of Household Management, by Mrs. Isabella Beeton, Part 10 - Soups and More Soups

August 21, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MB

Let’s learn more from Mrs. Beeton about vegetable soups and their ingredients, all of which will be ruined by hours-long boiling. Also, the Prince of Wales is honored with tiny turnip balls.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Book of Household Management” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10136   Music: "Boring Books for Bed...

The Hive and the Honey-Bee, by Rev. L.L. Langstroth, Part 3

August 14, 2023 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MB

Tonight, let’s relax with more from the fascinating world of bees and learn all about murderous queens, busy workers, growing larvae, and lazy drones. It’s all sweet honey for your sleepy mind.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “The Hive and the Honey-Bee” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24583   Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PC I...

Mount Everest, the Reconnaissance of 1921, Part 3

August 07, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MB

Let’s continue our sleepy sojourn to Everest and enjoy the flowers of Tibet, pursue timid gazelles, visit monasteries, endure a mutiny and a tragedy, and fire some drunken cooks. Adventurous!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read “Mount Everest, the Reconnaissance, 1921” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39421   Music: "Boring Boo...

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