Audiobooks narrated by Kevin Thies

Political Philosophy Collection: Common Sense, Candide, Anthem, and The Communist Manifesto

A powerful and enlightening collection of political philosophy.Delving into the past and drawing on the timeless words of Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Ayn Rand, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, this fascinating collection of political philosophy seeks to cover the scope of human thought, from morality and individualism to economics and egalitarianism. These incredible writings have left a legacy in their wake, shaping the course of western thought and becoming highly influential in their time. From hard-hitting political arguments about American independence and class struggle to satirical and fantastical novellas depicting harrowing ideas and stark warnings, readers from all backgrounds will enjoy this riveting collection. Inside this audiobook, you’ll discover: - Common Sense, the rousing call for American independence which drew on inspiring arguments for autonomy, egalitarianism, and the right for Americans to be free from British rule - Candide, a satirical novella which takes humorous shots at religion, politics, philosophy, and Leibnizian optimism - Anthem, a gripping and thought-provoking tale of a man struggling to survive in a society where individualism has been completely abolished - And The Communist Manifesto, a scathing examination of class, capitalism, and the ideologies underpinning the inequalities in society Perfect for fans of philosophical politics, morality, individualism, and the struggles plaguing both the individual and society, this brilliant collection seeks to bring some of the greatest minds of the past to a modern audience.

Ayn Rand, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx, Thomas Paine, Voltaire (Author), J.D. Kelly, Jason Randall, Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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Up from Slavery

Up from Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of American educator Booker T. Washington. The book describes his personal experience of having to work to rise up from the position of a slave child during the Civil War, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton Institute, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and Native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students. His educational philosophy stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade (something which is reminiscent of the educational theories of John Ruskin). Washington explained that the integration of practical subjects is partly designed to reassure the white community as to the usefulness of educating black people. This book was first released as a serialized work in 1900 through The Outlook, a Christian newspaper of New York. This work was serialized because this meant that during the writing process, Washington was able to hear critiques and requests from his audience and could more easily adapt his paper to his diverse audience. The book was a best-seller, and remained the most popular African American autobiography until that of Malcolm X. In 1998, the Modern Library listed the book at No. 3 on its list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the 20th century.

Booker T. Washington (Author), Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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Candide

Candide is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism by his mentor, Professor Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow and painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes Candide with, if not rejecting Leibnizian optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, 'we must cultivate our garden', in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, 'all is for the best' in the 'best of all possible worlds'. Candide is characterized by its tone as well as by its erratic, fantastical, and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel with a story similar to that of a more serious coming-of-age narrative (Bildungsroman), it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is bitter and matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so does Candide in this short theological novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers. Through Candide, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism. Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned to the public because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon. It is among the most frequently taught works of French literature.

Voltaire (Author), Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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Self-Reliance

Self-Reliance is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes: the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his own instincts and ideas. It is the source of one of Emerson's most famous quotations: 'A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.' This essay is an analysis into the nature of the “aboriginal self on which a universal reliance may be grounded.” Emerson emphasizes the importance of individualism and its effect on an individual's satisfaction in life. He stresses that anyone is capable of achieving happiness, simply if they change their mindset. Emerson focuses on seemingly insignificant details explaining how life is 'learning and forgetting and learning again'.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (Author), Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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The Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto is an 1848 political document by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Commissioned by the Communist League and originally published in London just as the Revolutions of 1848 began to erupt, the Manifesto was later recognized as one of the world's most influential political documents. It presents an analytical approach to the class struggle (historical and then-present) and the conflicts of capitalism and the capitalist mode of production, rather than a prediction of communism's potential future forms. The Communist Manifesto summarizes Marx and Engels' theories concerning the nature of society and politics, namely that in their own words 'the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles'. It also briefly features their ideas for how the capitalist society of the time would eventually be replaced by socialism. In the last paragraph of the Manifesto, the authors call for a 'forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions', which served as a call for communist revolutions around the world.

Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx (Author), Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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Floor Four: A Novella of Horror

How curious would you be to sneak in to an old hospital, armed with only a flashlight, and seek answers to the rumors of the Mangler? 'A loud bang was heard from above, scaring the boys. They shined their lights up the stairwell. The sounds of chains rattling on the floor stirred the dust above. Something or Someone was up there. Doug, hiding his fear, took a couple of more steps up. Brandon and Kyle looked at him, their feet locked in place. They had no intention of going any further.'The old, abandoned Saint Vincent Hospital is said to be haunted by the ghost of David Henry Coleman, the notorious serial killer, known as The Mangler. Coleman died on the fourth floor after being shot by police. For the three Jr. High boys, their curiosity gets the best of them as they explore the old hospital, despite 'Old Man' Jake's warning. No one knew of Jake's dark connection to the killer and the hospital. And now, on the anniversary of The Mangler's death, a group of high school kids are planning a private party on the haunted fourth floor. Jake must keep everyone out and protect them from the true evil that lurks on Floor Four.How brave are you?

A. Lopez Jr. (Author), Kevin Theis, Kevin Thies (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Kevin Thies