We are currently making improvements to the Audible site. In an effort to enhance the accessibility experience for our customers, we have created a page to more easily navigate the new experience, available at the web address www.audible.co.uk/access.
Non-fiction > General Non-Fiction

General Non-Fiction

Your Likes make Audible better!

'Likes' are shared on Facebook and Audible.com. We use your 'likes' to improve Audible.com for all our listeners.

You can turn off Audible.com sharing from your Account Details page.

OK

What's Trending in General Non-Fiction:

Customer Favourites

(More  Customer Favourites)
  • 4.8 (13 ratings)
    Mere Christianity
    Play Mere Christianity
    Audiobook
    Mere Christianity
    UNABRIDGED
    • C. S. Lewis

    Mere Christianity

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 51 mins)
    • By C. S. Lewis
    • Narrated By Geoffrey Howard
    Overall
    (13)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of C. S. Lewis's classic, Mere Christianity. Having sold over half a million copies in the UK alone, his overview of Christianity has been imitated many times, but never outdone. Mere Christianity brings together Lewis's legendary broadcasts from the war years; talks in which he set out simply to '"explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times."

    julian says: "Mere Christianity is a great introduction."
  • 4.3 (152 ratings)
    Blink
    Play Blink
    Audiobook
    Blink
    UNABRIDGED
    • Malcolm Gladwell

    Blink

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 48 mins)
    • By Malcolm Gladwell
    • Narrated By Malcolm Gladwell
    Overall
    (152)
    Performance
    (4)
    Story
    (3)

    Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. It is a product of long hours and intelligent design, of meaningful work environments, and particular rules and principles. This audiobook shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices, and in everyday life.

    Jane says: "Enjoyable, but goes in an unexpected direction"
  • 4.4 (107 ratings)
    Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    Play Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    Audiobook
    Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jon Ronson

    Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jon Ronson
    • Narrated By Jon Ronson
    Overall
    (107)
    Performance
    (23)
    Story
    (23)

    Jon Ronson is fascinated by madness, extraordinary behaviour and the human mind. He has spent his life investigating crazy events, following fascinating people and unearthing unusual stories. Collected here from various sources (including the Guardian and GQ America) are the best of his adventures.

    darren says: "Absolutely Brilliant !"
  • 4.3 (83 ratings)
    The Moral Landscape
    Play The Moral Landscape
    Audiobook
    The Moral Landscape
    UNABRIDGED
    • Sam Harris

    The Moral Landscape

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 47 mins)
    • By Sam Harris
    • Narrated By Sam Harris
    Overall
    (83)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (2)

    Sam Harris has discovered that most people, from secular scientists to religious fundamentalists, agree on one point: science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. Indeed, science's failure to address questions of meaning and morality has become the primary justification for religious faith.The underlying claim is that while science is the best authority on the workings of the physical universe, religion is the best authority on meaning, values, morality, and leading a good life.

    Jonathan says: "Thought provoking, perhaps a little antagonistic"
  •  
  • 4.4 (53 ratings)
    Friends Like These
    Play Friends Like These
    Audiobook
    Friends Like These
    ABRIDGED
    • Danny Wallace

    Friends Like These

    • ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 35 mins)
    • By Danny Wallace
    • Narrated By Danny Wallace
    Overall
    (53)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Danny Wallace is about to turn 30. Recently married and living in a smart new area of town, he's swapped pints down the pub for lattes and brunch. For the first time in his life, he's feeling, well...grown-up.

    Sandra says: "Fantastic!"
  • 4.4 (45 ratings)
    Join Me
    Play Join Me
    Audiobook
    Join Me
    ABRIDGED
    • Danny Wallace

    Join Me

    • ABRIDGED (5 hrs)
    • By Danny Wallace
    • Narrated By Danny Wallace
    Overall
    (45)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (3)

    Danny Wallace was bored. Just to see what would happen, he placed a whimsical ad in a local London paper. It said, simply, 'Join Me'. Within a month, he was receiving letters and emails from teachers, mechanics, sales reps, vicars, schoolchildren and pensioners - all pledging allegiance to his cause. But no one knew what his cause was.

    A. I. Hutchings says: "Excellent book, excellent delivery"
  • 4.4 (15 ratings)
    The Horologicon
    Play The Horologicon
    Audiobook
    The Horologicon
    UNABRIDGED
    • Mark Forsyth

    The Horologicon

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By Mark Forsyth
    • Narrated By Simon Shepherd
    Overall
    (15)
    Performance
    (2)
    Story
    (1)

    The Horologicon - which means 'a book of things appropriate to each hour' - follows a day in the life of unusual, beautiful, and forgotten English words. From the moment you wake to the second your head hits the pillow, there's a cornucopia of hidden words ready for every aspect of your day.

    Anne says: "Wonderfully funny and informative"
  • 4.3 (10 ratings)
    A History of English Food
    Play A History of English Food
    Audiobook
    A History of English Food
    UNABRIDGED
    • Clarissa Dickson Wright

    A History of English Food

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Clarissa Dickson Wright
    • Narrated By Clarissa Dickson Wright
    Overall
    (10)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    In this major new history of English food, Clarissa Dickson Wright takes the reader on a journey from the time of the Second Crusade and the feasts of medieval kings to the cuisine - both good and bad - of the present day. She looks at the shifting influences on the national diet as new ideas and ingredients have arrived, and as immigrant communities have made their contribution to the life of the country. She evokes lost worlds of open fires and ice houses, of constant pickling and preserving, and of manchet loaves and curly-coated pigs.

    Tanya says: "Highly Recommended"
  •  
  • 4.2 (745 ratings)
    At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    Play At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    Audiobook
    At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    UNABRIDGED
    • Bill Bryson

    At Home: A Short History of Private Life

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Bill Bryson
    • Narrated By Bill Bryson
    Overall
    (745)
    Performance
    (24)
    Story
    (23)

    Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business. This inspired him to start a journey around his own house, an old rectory in Norfolk, considering how the ordinary things in life came to be.

    Stewart Webb says: "More Fact Pact Bryson"
  • 4.2 (368 ratings)
    Bad Science
    Play Bad Science
    Audiobook
    Bad Science
    UNABRIDGED
    • Ben Goldacre

    Bad Science

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 10 mins)
    • By Ben Goldacre
    • Narrated By Rupert Farley
    Overall
    (368)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (13)

    We are constantly bombarded with inaccurate, contradictory and sometimes misleading information - until now. Ben Goldacre masterfully dismantles the dubious science behind some of the great drug trials, court cases and missed opportunities of our time. He also shows us the fascinating story of how we know what we know, and gives us the tools to uncover bad science for ourselves.

    Marcus says: "Making science truly entertaining"
  • 4.1 (242 ratings)
    The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language
    Play The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language
    Audiobook
    The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language
    UNABRIDGED
    • Melvyn Bragg

    The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 12 mins)
    • By Melvyn Bragg
    • Narrated By Robert Powell
    Overall
    (242)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (3)

    This is the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language. The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion, and trade, but also the story of people, and how their lives continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.

    Francis says: "All the voices"
  • 4.2 (240 ratings)
    It's Only a Movie
    Play It's Only a Movie
    Audiobook
    It's Only a Movie
    UNABRIDGED
    • Mark Kermode

    It's Only a Movie

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Mark Kermode
    • Narrated By Mark Kermode
    Overall
    (240)
    Performance
    (12)
    Story
    (12)

    To avoid fainting, keep repeating It's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage exposé of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon would have realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic.

    Paul says: "As slick as his hair"

Best Sellers

(More General Non-Fiction Best Sellers) All General Non-Fiction Best Sellers
  • Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    Play Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jon Ronson

    Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Jon Ronson
    • Narrated By Jon Ronson
    Overall
    (107)
    Performance
    (23)
    Story
    (23)

    Jon Ronson is fascinated by madness, extraordinary behaviour and the human mind. He has spent his life investigating crazy events, following fascinating people and unearthing unusual stories. Collected here from various sources (including the Guardian and GQ America) are the best of his adventures.

    darren says: "Absolutely Brilliant !"
  • At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    Play At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    At Home: A Short History of Private Life
    UNABRIDGED
    • Bill Bryson

    At Home: A Short History of Private Life

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Bill Bryson
    • Narrated By Bill Bryson
    Overall
    (745)
    Performance
    (24)
    Story
    (23)

    Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business. This inspired him to start a journey around his own house, an old rectory in Norfolk, considering how the ordinary things in life came to be.

    Stewart Webb says: "More Fact Pact Bryson"
  • It's Only a Movie
    Play It's Only a Movie
    It's Only a Movie
    UNABRIDGED
    • Mark Kermode

    It's Only a Movie

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By Mark Kermode
    • Narrated By Mark Kermode
    Overall
    (240)
    Performance
    (12)
    Story
    (12)

    To avoid fainting, keep repeating It's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage exposé of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon would have realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic.

    Paul says: "As slick as his hair"
  • Bad Science
    Play Bad Science
    Bad Science
    UNABRIDGED
    • Ben Goldacre

    Bad Science

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 10 mins)
    • By Ben Goldacre
    • Narrated By Rupert Farley
    Overall
    (368)
    Performance
    (14)
    Story
    (13)

    We are constantly bombarded with inaccurate, contradictory and sometimes misleading information - until now. Ben Goldacre masterfully dismantles the dubious science behind some of the great drug trials, court cases and missed opportunities of our time. He also shows us the fascinating story of how we know what we know, and gives us the tools to uncover bad science for ourselves.

    Marcus says: "Making science truly entertaining"
  •  
  • Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
    Play Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
    Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
    UNABRIDGED
    • Noah Goldstein , Steve Martin , Robert B. Cialdini

    Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, Robert B. Cialdini
    • Narrated By Clive Mantle
    Overall
    (108)
    Performance
    (5)
    Story
    (5)

    Every day, we face the challenge of persuading others to do what we want. But what makes people say 'yes' to our requests? Based on more than 60 years of research into the psychology of persuasion, this audiobook reveals many remarkable insights that will help listeners to be more persuasive, both at work and at home.

    Vilnis says: "Just brilliant"
  • The Moral Landscape
    Play The Moral Landscape
    The Moral Landscape
    UNABRIDGED
    • Sam Harris

    The Moral Landscape

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 47 mins)
    • By Sam Harris
    • Narrated By Sam Harris
    Overall
    (83)
    Performance
    (3)
    Story
    (2)

    Sam Harris has discovered that most people, from secular scientists to religious fundamentalists, agree on one point: science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. Indeed, science's failure to address questions of meaning and morality has become the primary justification for religious faith.The underlying claim is that while science is the best authority on the workings of the physical universe, religion is the best authority on meaning, values, morality, and leading a good life.

    Jonathan says: "Thought provoking, perhaps a little antagonistic"
  • Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
    Play Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
    Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
    UNABRIDGED
    • Dan Ariely

    Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Dan Ariely
    • Narrated By Simon Jones
    Overall
    (217)
    Performance
    (6)
    Story
    (5)

    In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

    Graham says: "enjoyed each time I listened"
  • The Men Who Stare at Goats
    Play The Men Who Stare at Goats
    The Men Who Stare at Goats
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jon Ronson

    The Men Who Stare at Goats

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 15 mins)
    • By Jon Ronson
    • Narrated By Sean Mangan
    Overall
    (105)
    Performance
    (4)
    Story
    (4)

    In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and, indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.

    James says: "Satirical humour highlights the true terror"
  •  
  • The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
    Play The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
    The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
    UNABRIDGED
    • Nassim Nicholas Taleb

    The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 20 mins)
    • By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    • Narrated By David Chandler
    Overall
    (87)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Maverick thinker Nassim Nicholas Taleb had an illustrious career on Wall Street before turning his focus to his black swan theory. Not all swans are white, and not all events, no matter what the experts think, are predictable. Taleb shows that black swans, like 9/11, cannot be foreseen and have an immeasurable impact on the world.

    Peter says: "A magazine article posing as a book"
  • A Classical Education: The Stuff You Wish You'd been Taught at School
    Play A Classical Education: The Stuff You Wish You'd been Taught at School
    A Classical Education: The Stuff You Wish You'd been Taught at School
    UNABRIDGED
    • Caroline Taggart

    A Classical Education: The Stuff You Wish You'd been Taught at School

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 56 mins)
    • By Caroline Taggart
    • Narrated By Bill Wallis
    Overall
    (123)
    Performance
    (6)
    Story
    (6)

    Is the Greek alphabet all Greek to you? Is geometry your Achilles heel and does your knowledge of Homer have more to do with The Simpsons than the Sirens? From engineering and architecture to drama and democracy, the world around us is founded on the principles and discoveries of the Ancient World, yet our understanding of it is episodic at best. But it's never too late to learn....

    Martin says: "Light but not insubstantial"
  • Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters: Complete Series 1
    Play Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters: Complete Series 1
    Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters: Complete Series 1
    ORIGINAL
    • Tom Wrigglesworth

    Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters: Complete Series 1

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 50 mins)
    • By Tom Wrigglesworth
    • Narrated By Tom Wrigglesworth
    Overall
    (3)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Through the medium of four open letters, the comedian Tom Wrigglesworth investigates the myriad examples of corporate lunacy and maddening jobsworths in modern Britain. His subjects range from traffic wardens to estate agents, with Tom recalling his own funny and ridiculous experiences as well as recounting the absurd encounters of others.

  • The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    Play The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    UNABRIDGED
    • Emma Woolf

    The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Emma Woolf
    • Narrated By Emma Woolf
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Losing weight has become the modern woman's Holy Grail.... Everything will be better when we're thin. In the 21st century, being thin, even more than being rich or happy, sends a clear message of success to the outside world. No wonder then that disordered eating is on the rise and we're increasingly unhappy with our bodies. The Ministry of Thin takes a controversial, unflinching look at how our desire to lose weight is out of control; at the widespread depression that results, the tyranny of celebrity culture and the dangerous extremes - including drip-diets and cosmetic surgery - to which we will go to be skinny.

New Releases

(More General Non-Fiction New Releases) All General Non-Fiction New Releases
  • The Last Train to Zona Verde
    Play The Last Train to Zona Verde
    The Last Train to Zona Verde
    UNABRIDGED
    • Paul Theroux

    The Last Train to Zona Verde

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Paul Theroux
    • Narrated By John McDonough
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    A final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers. Journeying alone, in what he feels will be his last African journey, Paul Theroux encounters a world increasingly removed from both the itineraries of tourists and the hopes of post-colonial independence movements. Having travelled down the right-hand side of Africa in Dark Star Safari, he sets out this time from Cape Town, heading northwards up the left-hand side, through South Africa and Namibia, to Botswana, heading for the Congo, in search of the end of the line.

  • The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    Play The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control
    UNABRIDGED
    • Emma Woolf

    The Ministry of Thin: How Our Obsession with Weight Loss Got Out of Control

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Emma Woolf
    • Narrated By Emma Woolf
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Losing weight has become the modern woman's Holy Grail.... Everything will be better when we're thin. In the 21st century, being thin, even more than being rich or happy, sends a clear message of success to the outside world. No wonder then that disordered eating is on the rise and we're increasingly unhappy with our bodies. The Ministry of Thin takes a controversial, unflinching look at how our desire to lose weight is out of control; at the widespread depression that results, the tyranny of celebrity culture and the dangerous extremes - including drip-diets and cosmetic surgery - to which we will go to be skinny.

  • Sheepwrecked
    Play Sheepwrecked
    Sheepwrecked
    UNABRIDGED
    • Jackie Moffat

    Sheepwrecked

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 40 mins)
    • By Jackie Moffat
    • Narrated By Patricia Gallimore
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This journey through the changing seasons at Rowfoot Farm - tupping time in the autumn, winters as wet, bleak and cold here in Cumbria as elsewhere, lambing and the glories of spring, a bucolic, bee-filled Eden Valley summer with its many shows and fairs - will reveal much that you need to know about the countryside, its quirky customs and ways, and most likely a great deal that you don't.

  • 15 Minute Drama: The Righteous Sisters (Complete Series)
    Play 15 Minute Drama: The Righteous Sisters (Complete Series)
    15 Minute Drama: The Righteous Sisters (Complete Series)
    ORIGINAL
    • Jane Purcell

    15 Minute Drama: The Righteous Sisters (Complete Series)

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 8 mins)
    • By Jane Purcell
    • Narrated By Liza Sadovy, Susie Riddell
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    The true story of English sisters Louise and Ida Cook (better known as romantic novelist Mary Burchell), whose love of opera led them into a life of danger, rescuing Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany.

  •  
  • The Polish August
    Play The Polish August
    The Polish August
    UNABRIDGED
    • Neal Ascherson

    The Polish August

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 37 mins)
    • By Neal Ascherson
    • Narrated By Steven Hoye
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    What has happened in Poland? Poland has erupted four times in the last 25 years, but only the events of 1980 have had comprehensive media coverage. As a result, many questions have been raised in the minds of Western observers. How were such changes possible? What forces lay behind them? In what way did the workers' strike relate to the demands for political democracy? Although a colourful and vivid eye-witness account of the 1980 upheavals, it is to these questions that Neal Ascherson's brilliant and thoughtful analysis mainly addresses itself.

  • Amazing Diving Stories: Incredible Tales from Beneath the Deep Sea
    Play Amazing Diving Stories: Incredible Tales from Beneath the Deep Sea
    Amazing Diving Stories: Incredible Tales from Beneath the Deep Sea
    UNABRIDGED
    • John Bantin

    Amazing Diving Stories: Incredible Tales from Beneath the Deep Sea

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By John Bantin
    • Narrated By Dean Williamson
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    A collection of thrilling diving stories.There's everything from classic tales of wreck discoveries to encounters with beautiful and bizarre creatures beneath the waves. There are stories of death and disaster as well as bravery and triumph. Each tale has been chosen to stoke the fire of divers everywhere and some are illustrated with colour photographs.Take the plunge and read about the diver who discovered how to put sharks in a trance and the marine biologist who lost a limb trying to prove that sharks were safe to swim with.

  • Worlds Beyond Words
    Play Worlds Beyond Words
    Worlds Beyond Words
    UNABRIDGED
    • Alison Stokes

    Worlds Beyond Words

    • UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Alison Stokes
    • Narrated By Tim Goodman, Antonia Beamish, Penelope Rawlins
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    For the thousands of people who struggle with poor literacy, words can be scary things. Worlds Beyond Words is a selection of inspirational real life stories from people who have improved their lives through better literacy. From successful businessmen and sports stars, redundant factory workers and refugees, their stories offer the key for others to unlock new worlds.

  • The Great Degeneration
    Play The Great Degeneration
    The Great Degeneration
    UNABRIDGED
    • Niall Ferguson

    The Great Degeneration

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By Niall Ferguson
    • Narrated By Paul Slack
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Symptoms of decline are all around us today, it seems: slowing growth, crushing debts, aging populations, anti-social behaviour. But what exactly is amiss with Western civilization? The answer, Niall Ferguson argues, is that our institutions - the intricate frameworks within which a society can flourish or fail - are degenerating. To arrest the degeneration of the West's civilization, Ferguson warns, will take heroic leadership and radical reform.

  •  
  • In My Good Books
    Play In My Good Books
    In My Good Books
    UNABRIDGED
    • V.S. Pritchett

    In My Good Books

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs)
    • By V.S. Pritchett
    • Narrated By Graeme Malcolm
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    In Mr. Pritchett's view, rules, regulations and blitzes have brought things to such a pass that the moment will come when only the reader "and the hundred best authors are left in the world and have somehow to shake down together." To prepare for this "unnerving situation" he has re-read and re-assessed some of these authors, and the essays collected in this book are the fruit of his cogitations.

  • Arena
    Play Arena
    Arena
    UNABRIDGED
    • John Pearson

    Arena

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By John Pearson
    • Narrated By Dan Hildebrand
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    In the Year AD 80 the Colosseum opened with quite the longest and most nauseating organized mass orgy in history. It was a mammoth celebration on the grandest scale, a fitting inauguration for an arena built to epitomize all the majesty and power of the Roman Empire, a building which also held the seeds of that Empire's decay and destruction. As well as his vivid account of the erection of the Colosseum, Mr Pearson discusses the origins of death spectacles and their evolution into highly organized games

  • 1939: The Last Season of Peace
    Play 1939: The Last Season of Peace
    1939: The Last Season of Peace
    UNABRIDGED
    • Angela Lambert

    1939: The Last Season of Peace

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Angela Lambert
    • Narrated By Kelly Birch
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    It was called the London Season, and for three centuries it had been a time of fashionable suppers and brilliant balls that introduced England's most aristocratic and eligible girls to society. Though by 1939 the stately gavottes and minuets had long since given way to waltzes and fox-trots, the cream of young womanhood still curtsied low before the Queen and then went out to dance the night away with the young men they would one day marry. But the Season of 1939 was different: it was to be the last.

  • Parthian Words
    Play Parthian Words
    Parthian Words
    UNABRIDGED
    • Storm Jameson

    Parthian Words

    • UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 30 mins)
    • By Storm Jameson
    • Narrated By Joanna Daniel
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This short audiobook offers the dispassionate but sharp-tongued comments on the novel, by an old fiction hand, a personal exercise of taste and judgment, backed by a life interest in the history and methods of literary criticism. It reviews the evergreen question of the death of the novel, so often and confidently announced; the difficulties, peculiar to our nihilistic and often brutal age, that press on the contemporary novelist; the effect on him and his work of the technological revolution.