Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

1Problems of Philosophy

By Bertrand Russell

The Problems of Philosophy is one of Bertrand Russell's attempts to create a brief and accessible guide to the problems of philosophy. Focusing on problems he believes will provoke positive and constructive discussion, Russell concentrates on knowledge rather than metaphysics.<br></br>Russell guides the reader through his famous distinction between "knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description" and introduces important theories of Plato, Aristotle, René Descartes, David Hume, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Georg Hegel and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry by general readers and scholars alike. (Summary from Wikipedia)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 different recordings of <em>The Hour of Twilight</em> by George William Russell, published in "Collected Poems" in 1913. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of November 18th, 2007.

3Forgiveness (Russell)

By George William Russell

LibriVox volunteers bring you 19 recordings of <em>Forgiveness</em> by George William Russell. This was the weekly poetry project for June 7th, 2009.

4Frozen Pirate

By William Clark Russell

Sailing adventure with storms, icebergs, shipwrecks, treasure, and the reawakening of a pirate frozen in suspended animation for nearly fifty years (Summary by P. Cunningham)

5Proposed Roads to Freedom

By Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (1872 – 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, political activist and Nobel laureate. He led the British "revolt against idealism" in the early 1900s and is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy along with his predecessor Gottlob Frege and his protégé Ludwig Wittgenstein. In this book, written in 1918, he offers his assessment of three competing streams in the thought of the political left: Marxian socialism, anarchism and syndicalism.<br /> (Summary by Wikipedia/Carl Manchester)

We meet Miss Lucretia Lane as she is dressing for her marriage to Captain Francis Reynolds of the British Merchant Service. Though he loves her truly, she has severe misgivings. She goes through with the wedding in spite of this, but refuses to live with her new husband, and cannot be enticed or cajoled to do so. Then on the day the Captain is scheduled to ship out, she receives word that he has been gravely injured and his dying request is to see his wife. She flies to his side... and thus begins an adventure spanning eight years - love, loathing, shipwreck, love lost, and redemption. (Summary by P. Cunningham and Nadine Eckert-Boulet)

This is a collection of short stories of mystery and romance, set at sea, in the times of the great sea voyages.

8Analysis of Mind

By Bertrand Russell

A neat work on philosophy of mind by the 20th century analytic philosopher Bertrand Russell. (Summary by sidhu177)

9Marriage at Sea

By William Clark Russell

Herbert Barclay is desperately in love with Grace Bellassys, but a number of factors stand in the way of their happiness, the biggest of which is the person of Lady Amelia Roscoe, Grace's guardian. Lady Amelia has several objections to the union, one of which is the fact that Herbert is not a Papist, and to separate the two young people, she has sent Grace to school in France. The two decide to elope, but this is just the start of the adventure... - Summary by Carolin

10Last Entry

By William Clark Russell

This is a sea-faring novel set in 1837. A wealthy former seaman from London and his daughter, who is engaged to be married, set sail on his newly restored schooner, headed for the equator for the purpose of restoring his health. Also aboard are a captain and crew. Soon, distractions, diversions, discontent and much more occur. William Clark Russell (1844–1911) was an English writer best known for his nautical novels. ~ Lee Smalley

'The Philosophy of Logical Atomism' is a series of lectures by Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) that touches on numerous topics, including the nature of propositions, the relations of propositions to facts and of different types of words to the varieties of things, what kinds of facts there are, existence, monism and pluralism, and aspects of philosophical logic and of reference. Guiding the lectures, at least according to Russell's headnote to his lectures, is Russell's intent to fully flesh out ideas he learned from his former pupil, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951). - Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind

Bertrand Russell gave the Lowell Lectures in March and April of 1914; these lectures produced 'Our Knowledge of the External World'. Russell attempts to analyze the relationship of the crude data of our senses to the notions of physics such as space, time, and matter. Russell takes his analysis to illustrate the method of logical analysis used to such wonderful effect by thinkers in the late nineteenth-century to the notions of continuity, infinity, and the infinitesimal. These analyses effected a new epoch of clarity in the philosophy of mathematics; Russell hopes that a similar new age of clarity can be effected in the rest of philosophy through logical analysis; here, he undertakes the first stages of this analysis in the philosophy of physics. Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind.

Bertrand Russell wrote 'Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy' while imprisoned for protesting Britain's involvement in World War I. Russell summarizes the significance of the momentous work of mathematicians in the late nineteenth-century. He further describes his own philosophy of mathematics, Logicism (the view that all mathematical truths are logical truths), and his earlier, influential work solving the paradoxes that plagued mathematical foundations, which crystallized after ten years of dogged effort into the co-authored (with Alfred North Whitehead), three-volume 'Principia Mathematica'. Russell emphasizes the importance of a doctrine of types, the truth of Logicism, and the clarity brought to the philosophy of mathematics by the method of logical analysis. (summary by Landon D. C. Elkind)

This anthology collects a number of fascinating strands of Bertrand Russell's thought. "Mathematics and the Metaphysicians" details the impact of the 1900 World Congress of Philosophers on Russell's development and the hope that new methods in mathematics could be applied to the solution of ancient philosophical problems. Many of the subsequent essays show the evolution of this hope as Russell worked on the foundations of mathematics and applied the new methods to the reconstruction of physical objects on the basis of sense-data, and the redefinition of matter and cause. (Landon D. C. Elkind)

15Problem of China

By Bertrand Russell

In 1920-21 Bertrand Russell lived and taught in Peking (Beijing), publishing this book on his return to England. In 1920 he had visited Bolshevik Russia, talked to Lenin, and was unimpressed by what he had seen. China, however, was another matter. Like many travelers, he often saw what he wanted to see, and after Europe’s Great War, he found many signs of hope in China. In that country, he was welcomed by the young intellectuals who saw him as a representative of modern and scientific thought. They, however, were trying to cast off much of the old tradition that they thought held China back, and they were often opposed to Russell’s urging that they hold on to much of their own tradition, which he saw as superior to that of Europe, particularly after the terrible slaughter of 1914-18 on the continent. His work is very much a product of its time, and today, almost a century later, many are still trying to explain China -- a very different China from Russell's -- to an outside world. (Nicholas Clifford)

16Political Ideals

By Bertrand Russell

This is a book by the famous 20th century British philosopher Bertrand Russell on Political Ideals. It was written during the course of World War 1 and contains a critique on the politico economic situation of then Europe. What is interesting is that some of his beliefs are still relevant today. (Summary by Sid)

William Clark Russell is well-known for his maritime stories, for which he could draw upon his own experiences as a sailor in the British Navy. This is one of the finest examples of his maritime ghost stories.<br></br>Everyone knows the story of the ghostly ship, the Flying Dutchman, which is cursed and doomed to sail the seven seas forever, bringing destruction to anyone crossing its path. Geoffrey Fenton, narrator of this story, is one of those unlucky persons who do cross this ship's path, and who even gets captured by it. When he finds himself on the famous Death Ship, the adventure of his life begins, including deadly storms, pirates, and a very particular beautiful damsel in distress. - Summary by Carolin

In this piece, Bertrand Russell offers an account of propositions. This essay has been widely regarded as a turning point in Russell's thought: fresh from his prison sentence, during which he read numerous works of psychology, he now rejects the existence of the unitary, lasting metaphysical subject and the act-object analysis of sensation. He here embraces the view advocated by American philosophers like William James, namely, neutral monism. This far-ranging essay includes a lengthy discussion of behaviorism and of the structure of facts, complete with an endorsement of negative facts and criticisms of attempts to avoid them. - Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind

This 1912 book remains among the most widely-used and well-written introductions to philosophy in English. It was aimed to be an accessible introduction to philosophy for the average shopkeeper in England in 1912. Despite its accessibility It has engaged scholarly philosophical commentators on a range of issues raised in the work. Above all it conveys in easy and witty manner the philosophical frame of mind to those that have never encountered it before. It was almost immediately, and remains today, a classic. <i>This recording is dedicated to Jill Evans, Esq.</i> (Landon D. C. Elkind)

George William Russell -- better known by his pen name "A.E." -- was an Irish writer, poet and mystic, a lifelong friend of William Butler Yeats, and an original member of Ireland's Theosophical Society. In a letter to a friend, penned several years before he died, he wrote: "I know no mechanism is going to solve the world's problems. Nothing will, except the spiritual life." This volume of poems contains his first published work and reflects on the mysteries of nature and the divine, of life and the universe. (Summary by Nemo)

This is a book of remarkable nautical ghost and horror stories written by William Clark Russell in 1893. The stories are for the most part set on ships and bring the reader on board for ghostly nights, wonderful sights, and strange occurrences. (Summary by Carolin)

22One Hundred Years In Yosemite: The Story Of A Great Park And Its Friends

By Carl Parcher Russell

This recording of the 1931 (1947 second edition) book about Yosemite National Park comprises the narrative text about the Park from its discovery by non-natives in the Indian War of 1851 to the mid-twentieth century. The printed book contains dozens of early photographs and drawings, as well as an extensive timeline and bibliography, which are not here recorded. The author (1894-1967) was an ecologist, historian, and administrator. He was an officer of the U.S. National Park Service for thirty four years, serving as the Chief Naturalist of Yosemite from 1923-1929 and later as Park Superintendent. - Summary by David Wales

This book records Bertrand Russell's impressions of the new regime after a 1920 visit to Russia following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, including his meetings with Lenin, Trostky, and Gorky. It includes a chapter that was authored by Dora Black, educational theorist and feminist author, and Russell's spouse. This chapter was unfortunately removed in the second edition, which was issued after Dora and Bertrand divorced. This recording is dedicated to my darling wife, Jill. Happy Hanukkah and Happy 2020! - Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind

24Frozen Pirate (version 2)

By William Clark Russell

Drawing on his own experience as a merchant seaman, Russell gives us the fictionalized narrative of one Paul Rodney who found an icebound vessel in the South Atlantic, while captaining a pirate ship. Russell has been hailed as the pre-eminent English writer of his ilk, compared to such American writers as Melville and Dana. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

25My Danish Sweetheart Volume 1

By William Clark Russell

Young Hugh Tregarthen has grown up in a seafaring Cornish family, but is not born to follow the family tradition. Against his mother's wishes, he is coxswain of a lifeboat -- an important job along the treacherous coastline, which makes his mother proud, despite her misgivings. One morning, as he sets out for his boat Janet, invalid Mrs. Tregarthen warns her son of an ominous dream she had the previous night. He laughs it off... but sometimes, dreams come true. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Six out of seven essays appearing here were reprinted from other publications; indeed, this 1910 collection went out of print, so that two of the essays occurring here were reprinted in Russell's 1917 "Mysticism and Logic, and Other Essays". Nonetheless, this essay records Russell's thinking at a critical juncture, just before the publication of Volume I of the co-authored "Principia Mathematica" and just after the passing of the American pragmatist, William James. These essays record Russell's reactions to pragmatism and its theory of truth, as well as the ethical aspects of philosophy suitable for co-existing alongside the new logical method in philosophy, announced subsequently in the 1914 "Our Knowledge of the External World: as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy". - Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind

27My Danish Sweetheart Volume 2

By William Clark Russell

Volume 2 begins as our hero winds up his story. But the question remains, what happened to the other boat? Hugh and Helga have been picked up by a small boat, which is, apparently, headed for Australia against all seafaring wisdom. Too far from the coast to backtrack, the couple set out on an unanticipated journey.

A short introductory book about atoms, subatomic particles and new (at that time) physics theories.

29Yarn of Old Harbour Town

By William Clark Russell

This novel opens in 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars between England and France. A retired sailor, Captain Acton, reminisces about his time at sea now he lives on shore and wonders about a ship seen burning at sea the previous night. But there is one more voyage for the Captain, this time taking his daughter Lucy. As all sailors know, a woman on board brings bad luck.

The ABC of Relativity clearly and engagingly explains Einstein's Theory of Relativity to the layperson. It is considered to be a significant contribution to the popularization of science. Its author, Bertrand Russell, was an acclaimed British mathematician, philosopher and logician. Please note that in a few of the chapters, diagrams are included which clarify the author's discourse. The listener may wish to consult a published text to refer to these diagrams. (Summary by Ciiufi Galeazzi)

31Wreck of the Corsaire

By William Clark Russell

This book was published in 1897. When cabin passenger Mr. Catesby climbs into the rigging of the Ruby in search of cooler air, he is struck full in the face and chest by an errant seabird bearing a sealed tin box tied about its neck. What he finds in that box leads him to unexpected encounters with a wrecked ship, chests of gold, thirst, desperation, and some curiously courteous cutlass-carrying cutthroats (sorry). It projects a rather different take on the familiar bloodstained swashbuckling sea story. - Summary by Steven Seitel

A relatively brief history of the life and conquests of Alexander the Great. - Summary by KevinS

33Flea

By Harold Russell

A scientific study on the life cycle, and functions of the common insect, the Flea.- Summary by Elijah

34Tragedy in Dedham: The Story of the Sacco-Vanzetti Case

By Francis Russell

The Sacco and Vanzetti trial was one of the most divisive events of 1920's America. As Russell writes, " If one was middle class and Republican...one thought Sacco and Vanzetti guilty. But if one was a university liberal, one tended to think the trial unfair..." In this book, historical author Francis Russell brings the participants and events of this tragic drama to life. The book received the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime in 1963. - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi

35Icarus; or, The Future of Science

By Bertrand Russell

In this short book, Russell speculates on the effect of the progress of science in the future in a vast array of subjects, ranging from physical sciences to sociology. - Summary by S. Emily Lee

Bertrand Russell was a well known mathematician, philosopher, and author. First published in England under the title "An Outline of Philosophy," this work by Russell was controversial in its day for its assertion that humanity is worthy of consideration only as an instrument by which we acquire knowledge of the universe. His personal philosophy was one which he described as "logical atomism." Despite the weightiness of the topic, Russell's style is, as always, engaging and accessible. - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi

37What I Believe

By Bertrand Russell

Provides a brief indication of the beliefs of philosopher Bertrand Russell, focusing on his hopes for the future. The topics included are: nature and man, the good life, moral rules, individual and social salvation, and science and happiness. - Summary by Ty Lasky

38My Danish Sweetheart Volume 3

By William Clark Russell

Volume 3 continues the story of Hugh Tregarthen and Helga Nielsen as they embark on a tumultuous sea journey aboard the ship Light of the World, commanded by the decidedly peculiar and overly attentive Captain Bunting. The story picks up with the characters navigating the aftermath of a shipwreck and the precarious nature of their situation aboard Captain Bunting's ship. Hugh and the Captain are at odds due to the Captain's infatuation with Helga and his unwillingness to let her and Hugh return home. - Summary by Jessie Percival

39Night

By George William Russell

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 recordings of Night By George William Russell.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 24, 2024. <br> ------<br> George William Russell, who wrote with the pseudonym Æ (often written AE or A.E.), was an Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, painter and Irish nationalist. He was also a writer on mysticism, and a central figure in the group of devotees of theosophy which met in Dublin for many years. - Summary by Wikipedia

40Earth Breath

By George William Russell

LibriVox volunteers bring you 16 recordings of The Earth Breath by George William Russell.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for April 27, 2025. <br> ------<br> He was noted for his exceptional kindness and generosity towards younger writers: Frank O'Connor termed him "the man who was the father to three generations of Irish writers", and Patrick Kavanagh called him "a great and holy man". P. L. Travers, famous as the creator of Mary Poppins, was yet another writer who gratefully recalled Russell's help and encouragement. - Summary by Wikipedia