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Audiobooks Narrated by Pat Childs
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Astronomy is perhaps the oldest science. The ancients saw cosmic meanings in the stars, and they organized their lives around lunar and solar cycles (i.e. the month and year). They also observed the solstices, the equinoxes, and of course the four seasons. Over many centuries the “precession of the equinoxes” corrupted Julius Caesar’s ancient calendar (the Julian calendar); in 1586 it was replaced with the Gregorian calendar, which features the system of leap years we know today. Aristotle’s earth-centered (“geocentric”) system of crystalline spheres dominated astronomy for 2000 years. Aristarchus in 270 B.C. was ahead of his time in suggesting that the sun is at the center of the universe, and that the earth spins like a top. Eratosthenes (ca. 200 B.C.) calculated the size of the earth; Hipparchus (2nd century B.C.) calculated the distance to the moon and established a system of latitudes and longitudes. Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) published the great compilation of astronomical knowledge (the Almagest), and he offered the epicycle theory to explain new observations not explained by the geocentric theory of the universe. In 1543, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus overturned the geocentric theory by publishing a book on his heliocentric (sun-centered) theory. Johannes Kepler soon joined the great astronomer Tycho Brahe, systematizing Tycho’s observations with calculations proving that orbits are elliptical. Kepler also established his three great laws of celestial motion. Galileo improved the telescope and discovered many new astronomical features; his work publicly discredited the geocentric doctrine, leading to the famous recantation forced upon him by the church. Galileo’s celestial and terrestrial discoveries laid the foundation for the great advances and discoveries of Isaac Newton.
On Liberty - John Stuart Mill advocated individual liberty based on a philosophical concept called utilitarianism, or "the greatest happiness for the greater number." This intellectual tradition rejects natural rights, such as those in Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. Despite beginning with a different theoretical foundation than natural rights proponents, Mill reaches a similar conclusion-that diversity in individual thought and action ultimately benefits society. Vindication of the Rights of Woman examines the tumultuous life of Mary Wollstonecraft and the social conditions against which she struggled. It explores her call for female independence against the backdrop of 18th Century England, the French Revolution, and the changing role of women. Mary Wollstonecraftt lived the life she advocated, defying accepted customs for female employment, marriage, and family life.
The US Constitution was approved by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. It was to become law only if it was ratified by nine of the thirteen states. New York was a key state, but it contained strong forces opposing the Constitution. A series of eighty-five letters appeared in New York City newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788 urging support for the Constitution. These letters remain the first and most authoritative commentary on the American concept of federal government. Later known as The Federalist Papers, they were published under the pseudonym 'Publius,' although written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. This presentation explores the major arguments contained in The Federalist Papers and contrasts them with the views of the Anti-Federalists.
