The 38 letters written by Rockefeller to his son imparting his perspectives, ideology, and wisdom to his son. Read more

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movement in the 1960s—and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. “The finest essay I’ve ever read.” —Ta-Nehisi CoatesAt once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. It consists of two “letters,” written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism.Described by The New York Times Book Review as “sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle … all presented in searing, brilliant prose,” The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of literature. Read more

Brought to you by Penguin.   This Penguin Classic is performed by Julian Glover, Olivier Award winning actor, also known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by Robin Campbell.   A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived 'in accordance with nature', Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca (c. 4 BC- AD 65) that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughters witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind. Read more

This 52-hour collection delivers the complete wisdom of the ancient Stoics, thoughtfully adapted for the modern listener in one comprehensive audiobook.Why you'll love this audiobook:Timeless Wisdom: Stoicism isn't just ancient philosophy—it empowers you to face life's challenges with peace, clarity and inner strength. You'll discover how to master your emotions and find real, lasting fulfillment in our complex era.Engaging Narration: Expertly translated and narrated to capture the depth and clarity of each work, making these ancient texts accessible and compelling.Comprehensive Collection: This audiobook is the most comprehensive Stoicism collection available and has been meticulously curated for your benefit.Transformative Impact: Novice or veteran, these works will change how you approach life. By absorbing these teachings, you'll learn to turn challenges into growth opportunities, build inner strength and experience true personal transformation.The Definitive Stoicism Collection includes:Meditations by Marcus AureliusWorkbook Exercises for Meditations (includes Print Ready PDF)Complete Letters from a Stoic by Seneca (1 - 124)On the Shortness of LifeOf Peace of Mind by SenecaOf Anger by SenecaOf Providence by SenecaThe Enchiridion by EpictetusThe Discourses by EpictetusThe Golden Sayings and Fragments by EpictetusLives of Prominent Stoic PhilosophersThis audiobook offers you an opportunity to explore the full breadth of Stoic philosophy, from practical advice to deeper contemplations on the nature of existence. Perfect for commutes, meditation sessions, or quiet moments of reflection, this collection will guide you on a journey towards inner strength, emotional resilience and a more purposeful life.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

Rainer Maria Rilke’s powerfully touching letters to an aspiring young poet.    At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for generations of writers and artists of all kinds, including Lady Gaga and Patti Smith. With honesty, elegance, and a deep understanding of the loneliness that often comes with being an artist, Rilke’s letters are an endless source of inspiration and comfort. Lewis Hyde’s new introduction explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. This edition also includes Rilke’s later work The Letter from the Young Worker.  For more than 80 years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Read more

A literary jaunt in praise of the lost art of letter writing that explores a cultural history and the undeniable thrill of old-school correspondence—from journalist and cultural critic Rachel Syme.Inspired by a famed correspondence handbook penned by a persnickety Victorian who had strong opinions on how to lick a stamp, cultural critic Rachel Syme has rewritten the staid letter-writing rules of yore for the letter writers of today. Syme insists you must stuff your envelopes with flat frivolities (and includes guides for how to press flowers and make a matchbook-mark), teaches you how to perfume a parcel, and encourages you to cultivate your own ritual around keeping up with your correspondence. Even if you have never sent a hand-written letter before, this book will make you want to begin – and will show you just how to get started.Immerse yourself in this epistolary bric-a-brac celebrating the intimate (whimsical! expressive!) art of written correspondence, covering every part of the process from courting and keeping a pen pal, down to buying the best nibs for your refurbished vintage fountain pen. As you read fragments of letters and journals from storied literary figures—Zelda Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, Pat Parker, Vita Sackville-West, Djuna Barnes, Octavia Butler, to name a few—you can take note of how to write about the weather without being a total snooze, how to write a letter like a poet, and how to infuse your correspondence with gossip and glamorous mystique. You’ll learn about the magic of hotel stationery, the thrill of sending postcards, and the importance of choosing a signature paper that captures your essence.After all, the words you write on paper and send to another person, are precious, offering comfort, shared sorrow, cathartic rage, hard-earned insight, refreshing strangeness, absurd silliness, understanding, delight, commiseration, and beauty—and often all of those things all mixed up at the same time. Letter-writing is meant to be enjoyed—so pick up a fountain pen and get writing! Read more

LOVE LETTERS OF GREAT MEN (Volume 1) is an anthology of romantic love letters written by leading male historical figures. *** The book plays a key role in the plot of the US movie Sex and the City. *** When Carrie Bradshaw in the "Sex and the City" movie began reading the book Love Letters of Great Men, millions of women wanted to get their hands on the book. Of course, what could be more romantic than an entire book of love letters, written by men! *** The book includes love letters written by Ludwig van Beethoven, Pietro Bembo, Napolean Bonaparte, Rupert Brooke, Robert Browning, Robert Burdette, Lord Byron, Lord Randolph Churchill, Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, John Constable, Cuff Cooper, Oliver Cromwell, Pierre Curie, Alfred de Musset, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gustave Flaubert, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Lyman Hodge, Count Gabriel Honore de Mirbeau, Victor Hugo, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, John Keats, Henry IV of France, Henry VIII, Franz Liszt, Jack London, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Thomas Otway, Robert Peary, Sir Walter Raleigh, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., John Ruskin, Robert Schumann, George Bernard Shaw, Richard Steele, Alfred de Musset, Dylan Thomas, Count Leo Tolstoy, Vincent Van Gogh, Voltaire, Henry von Kleist, and Woodrow Wilson. Read more

A fresh perspective on a beloved classic by acclaimed translators Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy.German poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s (1875-1926) Letters to a Young Poet has been treasured for nearly a century. Rilke’s personal reflections on the vocation of writing and the experience of living urge an aspiring poet to look inward, while also offering sage wisdom on further issues including gender, solitude, and romantic love. Barrows and Macy’s translation extends this compilation of timeless advice and wisdom to a fresh generation of readers and listeners. With a new introduction and commentary, this edition places the letters in the context of today’s world and the unique challenges we face when seeking authenticity. Read more

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to 'fans' of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events.A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him.In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors’ original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a ‘publishable length’, and present the book as originally intended.Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien’s own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his ‘Tales of the Three Ages’, but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J.R.R. Tolkien was a master. Read more

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movementin the 1960s—and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. • "The finest essay I’ve ever read.” —Ta-Nehisi CoatesAt once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. It consists of two "letters," written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. Described by The New York Times Book Review as "sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle … all presented in searing, brilliant prose," The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of literature. Read more

"If ever there was any doubt that Van Gogh's letters belong beside those great classics of artistic self-revelation, Cellini's autobiography and Delacroix's journal, this excellent edition dispels it." —The Times (London)"Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all."Few artists' letters are as self-revelatory as Vincent Van Gogh's, and the selection included here, spanning the whole of his artistic career, sheds light on every facet of the life and work of this complex and tortured man. Engaging candidly and movingly with his religious struggles, his ill-fated search for love, his intense relationship with his brother Theo and his attacks of mental illness, the letters contradict the popular image of Van Gogh as an anti-social madman and a martyr to art, showing instead that he was capable of great emotional and spiritual depths. Above all, they stand as an intense personal narrative of artistic development and a unique account of the process of creation.The letters are linked by explanatory biographical passages, revealing Van Gogh's inner journey as well as the outer facts of his life. This edition includes the drawings that originally illustrated the letters.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Read more

knots and roses. poetry, an expression of endearment that delivers devotion and adoration about your significant other. this collection of evolving poetry paints love in ways that are difficult to describe but ways that we are all familiar with. Read more

Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a groundbreaking novel that delves into the depths of the human psyche to explore the complexities of the human condition. Set in 19th-century Russia, this timeless classic follows the story of a nameless narrator, who is the embodiment of an irrational, misanthropic and isolated individual. Through the narrator’s musings and recollections, Dostoevsky paints a vivid portrait of a man in search of understanding and redemption. The novel is a powerful exploration of human nature and morality, examining the social and psychological forces that drive us and the individual’s relationship with the world. Notes From Underground is an essential read for anyone interested in philosophy, psychology, and literature. This edition is based on the 1918 translation by Constance Garnett (1861-1946).Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and philosopher whose psychological depth and insight into the human condition made him one of the most celebrated authors of all time. His works, including Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from the Underground, and The Idiot, have been translated into more than 170 languages and are considered to be some of the greatest works of literature in the world. Dostoevsky explored the depths of human emotions and experience, focusing on themes such as morality, suffering, and redemption. His works are often credited with pioneering existentialism and introducing the theme of nihilism to literature. Dostoevsky was also an influential political thinker, advocating for social justice and challenging the status quo of the time. His writing continues to inspire readers around the world and his legacy lives on as one of the greatest authors of all time. Read more

The passionate but doomed epistolary love affair between a Czech translator and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, the author of The Metamorphosis and The Trial. "Extraordinary…touching, horrifying, brilliant, sickly, [and] heartbreaking…. The most significant key we have for a reading of the author's novels and short stories." —The New York TimesIn no other work does Franz Kafka reveal himself as in Letters to Milena, which begins as a business correspondence but soon develops into an epistolary love affair. Kafka's Czech translator, Milena Jesenská, was a gifted and charismatic twenty-three-year-old who was uniquely able to recognize Kafka's complex genius and his even more complex character. For thirty-six-year-old Kafka, she was "a living fire, such as I have never seen." It was to Milena that he revealed his most intimate self and, eventually, entrusted his diaries for safekeeping. Read more

“It is a matter of living everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will one distant day simply live your way into the answer.”In this slim collection of ten letters, written to an aspiring poet in the early 1900s, Rilke speaks with his unique insistence about living your true, authentic life. Countless readers have found inspiration, wisdom, and guidance in these deeply personal letters now famous the world over.Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), born in Prague into a German-speaking family, is widely recognized as one of the world’s great poets. While based in Paris, he traveled broadly until finally settling in Switzerland. Rilke’s writings have deeply influenced countless readers, including major writers, the world over. His Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus count among the great achievements in world literature.Ulrich Baer is a graduate of Harvard and Yale and has been awarded Guggenheim, Getty, and von Humboldt fellowships. He is University Professor at New York University and has translated Rilke’s Letters on Life and The Dark Interval and edited other books by and about Rilke. He has also translated works by Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Buber, and Sigmund Freud. Read more

Love and marriage during the Revolutionary War through the letters of Lucy and Henry Knox.In 1774, Boston bookseller Henry Knox married Lucy Waldo Flucker, the daughter of a prominent Tory family. Although Lucy’s father was the third-ranking colonial official in Massachusetts, the couple joined the American cause after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and fled British-occupied Boston. Knox became a soldier in the Continental Army, where he served until the war’s end as Washington’s artillery commander.While Henry is well known to historians, his private life and marriage to Lucy remain largely unexplored. Phillip Hamilton tells the fascinating story of the Knoxes’ relationship amid the upheavals of war. Like John and Abigail Adams, the Knoxes were often separated by the revolution and spent much of their time writing to one another. They penned nearly 200 letters during the conflict, more than half of which are reproduced and annotated for this volume.This correspondence―one of the few collections of letters between revolutionary-era spouses that spans the entire war―provides a remarkable window into the couple’s marriage. Placed at the center of great events, struggling to cope with a momentous conflict, and attempting to preserve their marriage and family, the Knoxes wrote to each other in a direct and accessible manner as they negotiated shifts in gender and power relations. Working together, Henry and Lucy maintained their household and protected their property, raised and educated their children, and emotionally adjusted to other dramatic changes within their family, including a total break between Lucy and her Tory family. Combining original epistles with Hamilton’s introductory essays, The Revolutionary War Lives and Letters of Lucy and Henry Knox offers important insights into how this relatable and highly individual couple overcame the war’s challenges. Read more

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Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, read by Max Deacon and Dan Stevens. At the start of the 20th century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself; these profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for writers and artists of all kinds. This book also contains the 'Letter from a Young Worker', a striking polemic against Christianity written in letter form near the end of Rilke's life. In Lewis Hyde's introduction, he explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. Charlie Louth's afterword discusses the similarities and contrasts of the two works and Rilke's religious and sexual wordplay. This edition also contains a chronology, notes, and suggested further reading. Read more

Each working day from January 29 to November 1, 1951, John Steinbeck warmed up to the work of writing East of Eden with a letter to the late Pascal Covici, his friend and editor at The Viking Press. It was his way, he said, of "getting my mental arm in shape to pitch a good game." Steinbeck's letters were written on the left-hand pages of a notebook in which the facing pages would be filled with the test of East of Eden. They touched on many subjects—story arguments, trial flights of workmanship, concern for his sons.Part autobiography, part writer's workshop, these letters offer an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck's creative process, and a fascinating glimpse of Steinbeck, the private man. Read more

A literary jaunt in praise of the lost art of letter writing that explores a cultural history and the undeniable thrill of old-school correspondence—from journalist and cultural critic Rachel Syme.Inspired by a famed correspondence handbook penned by a persnickety Victorian who had strong opinions on how to lick a stamp, cultural critic Rachel Syme has rewritten the staid letter-writing rules of yore for the letter writers of today. Syme insists you must stuff your envelopes with flat frivolities (and includes guides for how to press flowers and make a matchbook-mark), teaches you how to perfume a parcel, and encourages you to cultivate your own ritual around keeping up with your correspondence. Even if you have never sent a hand-written letter before, this book will make you want to begin – and will show you just how to get started.Immerse yourself in this epistolary bric-a-brac celebrating the intimate (whimsical! expressive!) art of written correspondence, covering every part of the process from courting and keeping a pen pal, down to buying the best nibs for your refurbished vintage fountain pen. As you read fragments of letters and journals from storied literary figures—Zelda Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, Pat Parker, Vita Sackville-West, Djuna Barnes, Octavia Butler, to name a few—you can take note of how to write about the weather without being a total snooze, how to write a letter like a poet, and how to infuse your correspondence with gossip and glamorous mystique. You’ll learn about the magic of hotel stationery, the thrill of sending postcards, and the importance of choosing a signature paper that captures your essence.After all, the words you write on paper and send to another person, are precious, offering comfort, shared sorrow, cathartic rage, hard-earned insight, refreshing strangeness, absurd silliness, understanding, delight, commiseration, and beauty—and often all of those things all mixed up at the same time. Letter-writing is meant to be enjoyed—so pick up a fountain pen and get writing! Read more