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Short Nonfiction Collection, Vol. 089

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Essays & Short Works, Non-fiction
Chapter: 20 | Listen: 5

“From vocalists you may learn much, but do not believe all that they say.” Robert Schumann’s Advice to Young Musicians is replete with good counsel. How, what, and from whom we learn is thematic to many of these 20 nonfiction selections, chosen by their readers. We learn from the lives of valorous persons (Simón Bolívar; José de San Martín; Booker T. Washington; Ishi, the last Yana Indian); from literature (Political Naturalism in England; Editorial Prejudice Against the Occult; Barbara Frietchie); from journalists, activists, and the opinionated (America and the English Tradition; Interned by the Bolshevists; The Cholera; Chimney Sweeping; Diet & Hygiene; Progress in Dairy Farming; Concerning Tobacco; Beer & Cider), and from nature (Duck Hawks of Taughannock; Sponges & Sponge Fisheries; The Grand Canyon; and Social Wasps Polistes). Summary by Sue Anderson [chương_files]

Jewish State

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Political Science
Chapter: 10 | Listen: 5

Read in English, this is a pivotal document in the history of Zionism and the State of Israel. Herzl designed this work to elevate the discussion of “the Jewish Question” so it would “no longer take the form of violent abuse or sentimental vindication but of a debate, practical, large, earnest, and political.” While few of Herzl’s proposals were actually carried out, the importance of A JEWISH STATE was in the groundswell of support for a Jewish homeland engendered by its solutions to the practical problems of establishing a new state. In the words of a contemporary, “[Herzl] made it seem possible.” Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl (1860-1904) was a Hungarian writer, political economist, and Jewish activist. (Summary by Adrian Praetzellis) [chương_files]

pédagogue n’aime pas les enfants

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Essays & Short Works
Chapter: 10 | Listen:

Dans cet essai publié en 1917, Henri Roorda (1870-1925) fait une critique de la pédagogie scolaire, tout à la fois joyeusement grinçante, mélancolique, lyrique, constructive… libertaire. Son propos reste d’une grande actualité, à plus de cent ans de distance. (summary by PetitPoiSon) [chương_files]

Insurrection in Dublin

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Political Science
Chapter: 4 | Listen: 3

The Easter Rising was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was an attempt by militant Irish republicans to win independence from Britain by force of arms. This account was written by Irish novelist James Stephens, who lived and worked in Dublin at the time. (Summary from Wikipedia and iremonger) [chương_files]

If You Touch Them They Vanish

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Published 1900 onward
Chapter: 12 | Listen: 4

“No man who has not endured solitude in long doses knows how vivid, real, and necessary people and things of the imagination may become.” (from the book). The touching story of a wrongly convicted youth with a creative imagination. – Summary by Rapunzelina [chương_files]

Prince (Version 4)

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Political Science
Chapter: 8 | Listen:

This book is a five hundred year old manual for how to run a kingdom or principality. Written in 1513 but not published until 1532, “The Prince” generated controversy even before it got into print. Unlike the many previous “how-to” manuals for new rulers, “The Prince” only judged actions by their effectiveness and did not consider morals or ethics at all. Some of the suggestions were so brutal and amoral that many critics in the 18th century considered “The Prince” to be a satire, as they could not believe that any philosopher would seriously promote such actions. But perhaps the real reason for the discomfort of Machiavelli’s critics is that he accurately observes and reports the actions of the most effective rulers of Renaissance Italy. Despite questions about Machiavelli’s intention, there was no question about the effectiveness of his methods. Copies of “The Prince” were owned and studied by Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII of England, the founding fathers of the American revolution, the leaders of the Parliamentarians who destroyed the Monarchy in the English Civil War, the leaders of the Glorious Revolution who restored the Monarchy twenty years later, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini and many others. In the late 20th Century it was even considered the “Mafia Bible” by mobsters John Gotti and Ray DeMeo. So if you have recently acquired a kingdom or suddenly become the head of an organised crime family, this is the book for you. It’s interesting for the rest of us too. […]

Walking (Version 2)

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Essays & Short Works, Nature
Chapter: 3 | Listen: 4

This was originally titled “The Wild” and is a lecture given by Thoreau in 1851 at the Concord lyceum. “Walking” is an essay that explores the relationship between man and nature, trying to find a balance between society and our raw animal nature. [chương_files]

Charles Rex

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Published 1900 onward, Romance
Chapter: 20 | Listen: 2

Excerpt: “Saltash was thoroughly cosmopolitan in his tastes; he liked amusement but he abhorred boredom. He was never really wicked unless he was bored. And then- que voulez vous? He did not guide the star of destiny.” On his last night in Valrosa, Saltash (Charles Rex) returns to his luxurious yacht to find a stowaway, a young woman disguised as a boy. She pleads to be kept by him in order to escape from her abuser. Although ill used by life she is still very pure and Saltash falls head over heels in love with her. She in turn adores him but he feels unworthy of her. Torn by a sense of duty and fairness he tries to marry her off to someone he believes would be a more suitable match. Romance and mystery, a delightful sprinkle of humour and wit, and wonderful characters make this an emotional read that you will not soon forget. – Summary by Celine Major [chương_files]

Is Shakespeare Dead?

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Essays & Short Works, Literary Criticism
Chapter: 8 | Listen: 6

A short, semi-autobiographical work by American humorist Mark Twain. It explores the controversy over the authorship of the Shakespearean literary canon via satire, anecdote, and extensive quotation of contemporary authors on the subject. In the book, Twain expounds the view that Shakespeare of Stratford was not the author of the canon, and lends tentative support to the Baconian theory. The book opens with a scene from his early adulthood, where he was trained to be a steamboat pilot by an elder who often argued with him over the controversy. Twain’s arguments include the following points: That little was known about Shakespeare’s life, and the bulk of his biographies were based on conjecture. That a number of eminent British barristers and judges found Shakespeare’s plays permeated with precise legal thought, and that the author could only have been a veteran legal professional. That in contrast, Shakespeare of Stratford had never held a legal position or office, and had only been in court over petty lawsuits late in life. That small towns lionize and celebrate their famous authors for generations, but this had not happened in Shakespeare’s case. He described his own fame in Hannibal as a case in point. Twain draws parallels and analogies from the pretensions of modern religious figures and commentators on the nature of Satan. He compares the believers in Shakespeare to adherents of Arthur Orton and Mary Baker Eddy. – Summary from Wikipedia [chương_files]

Storm Of London

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Published 1900 onward
Chapter: 20 | Listen: 4

Our clothes tell our story. They reflect our rank, have to suit a perfect event, and much more. But what happens when they disappear? Sounds frightening, so thought the Earl of Somerville on the first day before sinking into this new reality which was in many respects better for him then the old reality. Through Lord Somerville, a man who only looks for someone to see himself behind his rank and lost in the game of the tun, we learn to see the many layers of the society in which he lives. Partially sad, partially funny, and full of universal truth, this book is sure to move you. (Summary by Stav Nisser) [chương_files]