Showing results by narrator "Alastair Cameron" in All Categories

Utilitarianism is a book released in 1863 by John Stuart Mill to provide the support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory and to respond to misconceptions about it. =The book consists of five chapters; the introduction to the essay, the definition of utilitarianism and its common criticisms, the rewards it can offer the methods of proving its validity and in the final chapter looks at the connection between justice and utility and argues that happiness is the foundation of justice.

Crime and Punishment follows the story of a boy named Raskolnikov who commits a heinous crime because he believes he is in fact extraordinary. Through an internal battle of whether to confess or not, we follow him through his interactions with a drunk, a prostitute, the government, and his family. We see him do incredible acts of kindness, suffer the consequence of his crime on a physical level, and fall in love with an unlikely character, all while trying to reconcile his ability to be extraordinary.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the fictional account of the travels and teaching of the prophet Zarathustra. One of the more controversial aspects of Nietzsche's work is that he puts forth the idea of human evolution and the transformation of modern humans from their ape-like ancestors. Nietzsche inserts a number of controversial ideas into his fictional account of Zarathustra, including some reoccurring themes such as the superman, a self-mastered individual.

From the mind of one of the world's paramount philosophers comes a profound insight into the universe and man's place in the world. Widely considered to be Benedict de Spinoza's greatest work, Ethics paints an intriguing portrait of reality, the ethical life, and the path to sustainable happiness. Decades ahead of its time, Ethics provides a step-by-step guide to an ethical life. Spinoza provides insights into the human mind, God, emotions, and man's bondage to emotion.

In Tolstoy's final novel, a privileged nobleman by the name of Dmitri Nekhlyudov seeks to make amends for a bad deed he committed in the past. In the process, he discovers that he has been living in a world far removed from the reality of the average person.

The Gods of Mars is the second book in a thrilling sci-fi series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, where John Carter, the main character, returns from a 10-year trip to Earth back to the planet Barsoom. The inhabitants of Barsoom are made up of different types of aliens, including the Plant Men, Green Martians, and Red Martians. Carter soon discovers that all of Barsoom's inhabitants have been tricked by another Barsoomian race, the Therns.

David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding was considered to be one of the most contentious works of its time. Hume's view of reasoning through experience and "sophistry and illusion" in reference to religiously inspired fantasy was extremely controversial in the 18th century.

Usually timid and subservient, councilor Golyadkin has lately become worryingly paranoid. After being humiliatingly thrown out of a party for acting erratically, he runs off into the night where he is shocked to come across a man who appears to be his exact double. The double follows him home and begins to insinuate himself into every part of Golyadkin's life, and alternates between befriending him and cruelly taunting him.

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scriptures comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel. The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith and contains texts sacred to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints.

In this classic, coming of age story, the winds of change are sweeping over pre-revolutionary Russia. It is a turbulent era of conflict between the Russian nobles and the radical new ideas of the youth. Two friends, Bazarov and Arkady, find themselves entangled in misunderstandings and romantic intrigues.

Originally published in 1848 as a political pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels would become one of the most influential works of the era. Written as a summary of the authors' political thought, the manifesto is also a reflection of the unrest and the revolutions of the time.

Written from his death bed, The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant are written by the most well-known Civil War General himself, Ulysses S. Grant. In a review of his life as a private citizen, as well as a general, Grant lets the listener know what a heroic figure he really was. Like so many men before him, Grant describes being pressured into a certain way of life by his father. He never aspired for a military career, but his father insisted on West Point Academy for his schooling.

When a leading authority on antique books is summoned to a remote Northumbrian mansion, he's struck at once by its faded grandeur and the raw beauty of his new surroundings. However, barely has Mr. Middlebrook unpacked his bags before a curious murder mystery is underway.

Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Warlord of Mars is the third novel in his science-fiction series set on the planet Mars. In the second book, John Carter's wife is taken prisoner by the fake god Issus in the Temple of the Sun. The temple's prisoners are kept in cells that slowly rotate so that the cell is only accessible to the outside world once a year. And thus, in this third novel, John Carter must wait an entire year before he can free his beloved Dejah Thoris.

Though the Romans were known for having contributed much to culture and the arts, there was one facet that was unrivaled when it came to ancient civilizations: their published works. Philosophy was their forte, and it goes without saying that the meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a superb piece of philosophical writings and musings. What is interesting about this collection is that it chronicles his thoughts during the time of his reign as Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.

Published in 1862 by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, The House of the Dead tells the story of life in a 19th century Russian prison. Narrated by the fictional character, Alexander Goryanchikov, this audiobook provides the listener with a firsthand account of life in a Russian prison. The author portrays his fellow inmates with sympathy and, at times, even admiration. By the time Fyodor Dostoevsky was released, he concluded that Russia's prison system was tragic beyond reason.

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle delves into the question of what is best for mankind and humans as individuals. His conclusion is that happiness is the best possible human condition, though he is not referencing the emotion of happiness. Instead, Aristotle concludes that true happiness comes as a way of life in which the individual contributes to the good of his community, as well as his mind.

Many people know Benjamin Franklin as one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, but not many people understand exactly what the famed inventor and politician contributed to society. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a compilation of some of the great events from the man's life that have made him an American legend.

This gloomy book is written in the form of letters exchanged between two cousins, Makar Devushkin and Varvara Dobroselova, who live on the same street in a shockingly deprived part of St. Petersburg Russia. Makar is a lowly clerk, who is being bullied at work and lives in the screened-off corner of someone else's kitchen and Varvara has taken in sewing as a means of avoiding falling into prostitution to make money. Their friendship is touching and sentimental, but it begins to suffer.

"Night Mission", with its burning plane, heroism, and greed, was - like the other six short stories in this collection - inspired by Clive Lodge's experiences in World War II and the decade after. "There's No Scar Now" - with its gripping opener, "I killed John James Beresford", is set in Kent and draws on his experience in the Home Guard before he enlisted in the RAF. "The Tunnel", by contrast, is set in peacetime, some years after the war, but reveals how unpunished atrocities of war can haunt a person.