Let’s relax with some sleepy physics, as Bertrand Russell unravels the Theory of Relativity. Drugging people and putting them in balloons is somewhat mentioned. Science! If you support us in March 2022, you’ll help us stay 100% listener supported AND be entered into a raffle for your very own printed copy of the 1897 Sears Catalog, which is neat. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The ABC of Relativity at Project Gutenberg:...
Mar 21, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let's grab a basket and take a relaxing stroll through the Grocery Department of the Amazon of its day. Coffee beans, cherry phosphate, canned gooseberries—Sears had it all. If you support us in March 2022, you’ll help us stay 100% listener supported AND be entered into a raffle for your very own printed copy of the 1897 Sears Catalog. Huzzah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Music: "Heaven Be Here” by PCIII, licensed under CC ...
Mar 14, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s motor to sleep with more from this wonderful manual for the lady driver, written by race car and speedboat champion Dorothy Levitt. Mechanics and manners are all you need! Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Woman and The Car” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58956 Music: "Gentle Whisperings,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest ...
Mar 07, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to the earliest known work on Western dramatic theory and learn about character, verbs, and why Homer is always right. Also “women can also be good,” which is…something? No worries, it gets a lot better after that. Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Poetics of Aristotle” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1974 Music: "earth 2 earth,” by PCIII license...
Feb 28, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to the relaxing wonders of science with more from a foundational work of modern chemistry. This time, we finally finish…the introduction! It’s the perfect compound for sleep. We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Principles of Chemistry” at Project Gutenb...
Feb 21, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, let’s appreciate the culinary wonders of weeds with this relaxing guide to nature’s bounty by George Washington Carver. Salads have never seemed so special. We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Music: "Heaven Be Here,” by PCIII licensed under CC BY If you'd like to ...
Feb 14, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to sleepy science with more from Charles Darwin on domestic breeding, pigeon mating, and messy definitions. What is a species anyway? It’s a mystery! We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! 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.o...
Feb 07, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sink into tasteful slumber this week with the history of home decor from the Queen of The Gilded Age. Basically, "like Italy and be rich" seems to sum it up. We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Decoration of Houses” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/eb...
Jan 31, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s relax and sleep with more from this bucolic delight, and learn about managing our traction engine, getting out of life’s inevitable ditches, and the qualities of a good grease. Help keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Farm Engines and How to Run them” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43867 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to sug...
Jan 28, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to the sleepy sands of Egypt and finish our exploration of religious architecture, with symbolic temples, towering obelisks, and shrines that held...puppets, apparently? Who knew! Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: 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 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If...
Jan 17, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to the heavens and relax with some sleepy stardust about our solar system, learn a bit about our neighbor planets, and consider how they got here in the first place. Far out! Support us here: 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 PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free readin...
Jan 10, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s sense our way to sleep with a book I forgot reading from! This time we learn exercises to hone our skills as psychic parlour performers, which was a for-real thing in 1907. Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Practical Mind Reading” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41358 Music: "Exit Exit" by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free...
Jan 03, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let's dive back into one of your sleepy favorites, and learn about the life of the maid-of-all-work, the perfect dairy layout, and some fine advice about stable ventilation. Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Book of Household Management” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10136 Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leeros...
Dec 27, 2021•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s relax into the natural world with two essays by Henry David Thoreau, in which we take a poetic walk by moonlight, and then contemplate the wintry depths of Walden Pond. Transcendental! December Raffle! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Night and Moonlight” in “Excursions” at P...
Dec 20, 2021•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s once again be lulled to sleep by the hum of beautiful, busy bees, learn all about the workings of the queen bee, and hear every permutation of the word “fecund” possible. December Raffle! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Hive and the Honey Bee” at Project Gutenberg: https...
Dec 13, 2021•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to the relaxing world of bread and fall asleep to European peasant loaves, the origin of the croissant, and the heraldry of London’s bread guilds. Delish! Also, I announce our December raffle for supporters! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The History of Bread” at Pro...
Dec 06, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s relax with the second half of this classic of Greek literature, in which the great Theophrastus defines 30 character types found in literature and life. Trust me, you know a few. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Characters of Theophrastus” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58242 Music: "earth 2 earth" by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s wander through the wonders of nature, as conservationist John Muir guides us through the wild spaces of the American West and the flower-filled tundra of Alaska. Honestly, friends, this one is just lovely. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: 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 Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.ban...
Nov 22, 2021•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let's take a relaxing wander through the mind-boggling British Museum, learn a bit about its origins, consider the mullingong, and ponder why our author holds such a low opinion of owls. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "How to See the British Museum in Four Visits” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13755 Music: "Cosmic Tingles" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If...
Nov 15, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this remastered episode from 2018, we revisit a relaxing work that poses interesting philosophical questions, like "When is a table not a table?" Don't worry, there's no actual answer, so you won't miss anything when you fall asleep. NOTE: This is the second of our remastered episodes of readings from the wayback that I think are great (and newer listeners have probably missed), but which definitely need some polishing. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here...
Nov 08, 2021•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tonight, we conclude the mysterious happenings in Sleepy Hollow, which involve a surprising amount of charming detail about autumnal harvests, twittering birds, and pastries, come to find out. And all our lovely supporters in October will be getting a full, uninterrupted recording of the entire story as a Halloween treat! Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gute...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Let's wrap ourselves in the secrets of Sleepy Hollow, which seem a lot less scary than cartoons would have us believe. Irving’s descriptions of country life are surprisingly relaxing. This is Part 1 of a two-parter that concludes next week. And all of our lovely supporters in October will be getting a full, uninterrupted recording of the entire story right after that as a Halloween treat! Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read ...
Oct 25, 2021•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s sleep among the wildflowers with this relaxing tour through some lovely native American blooms, plus skunk cabbage and the murderous Jack-in-the-pulpit. Flowers…so much more than pretty! Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Wild Flowers Worth Knowing” at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8866 Music: "earth 2 earth" by PC III, licensed under CC B...
Oct 18, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s return to this classic of social and political commentary from the 16th century. If you stay awake long enough, you’ll discover how little has changed in 500 years. So, no need to pay attention. PS You're not seeing things. We have a new logo! Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Utopia” at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2130 Music: "Heaven B...
Oct 11, 2021•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s sail the high seas of sleep with more from this classic of pirate history. Enjoy a booty chest of boredom, including the story of Henry Avery, King of the Pirates, who was…a bit of a coward, come to find out. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "A General History of the Pirates” at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40580 Music: "Ocean Tapping" b...
Oct 04, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this remastered episode, we revisit a perfectly sleepy book that celebrates a symbol of autumn. This 19th century ode to apples includes history, health advice, and a nod to Johnny Appleseed, because of course it does. NOTE: This is the first in what will be occasional remastered episodes of readings from the past that I think are great (and newer listeners have probably missed), but which could definitely use some refreshment to better audio standards. Want to help us stay 100% listener supp...
Sep 27, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s relax and sleep with more studies of the beautiful red planet, including observations of its icy poles, which, unlike that whole “Mars has canals” thing, are actually correct. Everyone who helps us stay 100% listener supported will get a gift this month—the complete recording of "The Book of Tea"—in thanks. Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Mars and Its Canals” at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47015 Music: "Exit...
Sep 20, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let’s relax and sleep on a journey with famed author Charles Dickens, as he wends his way to Italy to spend a year in Genoa. We don’t actually get there, but never mind. The journey is still a delight. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? We have a special gift of appreciation for everyone who supports in September, the full recording of "The Book of Tea"! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Book of Tea” at Project ...
Sep 13, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let's rock to sleep on the waves as we learn all about the workings of tides, currents, climate, and the early history of boats. It’s an ocean of relaxing information, just for your tired mind. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? We have a special gift of appreciation for everyone who supports in September, the full recording of "The Book of Tea"! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Book of the Ocean” at Project Gu...
Sep 06, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tonight, let’s relax and allow thoughts of art appreciation, the perfection of flowers, and the long reach of the tea masters to brew a beautiful elixir of sleep. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? We have a special gift of appreciation for everyone who supports in September, the full recording of "The Book of Tea"! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Book of Tea” at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebo...
Aug 30, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
