TA0009: The Madman

 The Madman

WRITTEN BY:
Kahlil Gibran

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

Kahlil Gibran (author of The Prophet) was a Lebanese-American philosophical essayist, novelist, mystical poet and artist. During the last 20 years of his life, he lived in the United States, where his works gained recognition and influence within the American popular culture.

This abridged audio of The Madman communicates in stories and metaphors Gibran’s belief that if a sensible way of living and thinking could be found, people would have mastery over their lives.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0009_Madman_KahlilGibran

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Kahlil Gibran

This Lebanese-American writer, poet, and painter, is primarily known for his 1923 book The Prophet. Many of Gibran’s writings deal with Christianity, especially on the topic of spiritual love. During the last 20 years of his life, he lived in the United States, where his works gained recognition and influence within the American popular culture.

TA0088: The Red Badge of Courage

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The Red Badge of Courage

WRITTEN BY:
Stephen Crane

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

This story is about a young soldier, Henry Fleming, fighting in the American Civil War. It is a vivid and stark portrayal of war on the human psyche, interspersed with symbolic imagery and biblical metaphors. The story realistically portrays the young soldier’s physical and psychological struggles after fleeing from his first encounter with a battle. He returns to his regiment to become a strong soldier and even taking on the task of the flag bearer in the final battle. Though Stephen Crane had never been in any combat situations, his interviews with a wide number of veterans enabled him to create this novel, widely regarded as a unusually realistic depiction of a young man in battle.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0088_RedBadgeofCourage_StephenCrane.pdf

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craneStephen Crane

Stephen Crane was an American poet, journalist and novelist best know for this novel, the Red Badge of Courage.

TA0070: The Lady and the Dog

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The Lady and the Dog

WRITTEN BY:
Anton Chekhov

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

This well-known short story tells of an adulterous affair between a Russian banker, Dmitry Gurov and a young lady he meets while vacationing in Yalta, Anna Von Diederitz. The couple spend much time together but since Anna is married and lives far away, Gurov has obstacles to overcome in formalizing this relationship.

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ThoughtAudio Transcript: TA0070_LadyWithaDog_AntonChekhov.pdf

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chekhovAnton Chekhov

This Russian writer and playwright is considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in world history. His prolific bibliography includes plays, short stories, novellas, non fiction and letters.

TA0069: The Wife

The Wife

WRITTEN BY:
Anton Chekhov

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

In this classic short story, Chekhov takes a snapshot of the Russian life, illuminating the harsh complexities and yet subtle simplicities that interact seamlessly together. The cold and gloom of the Russian environment cannot compare to the relationship that Pavel Andreitch, a rich aristocratic, has with his wife, who is no longer in love, or even tolerant of her husband, although helplessly reliant on his financial support. Their disintegrating relationship is set to the backdrop of the starving peasants of the lower classes, illuminating the perennial tension of an egotistical, self-centered man and the struggling goodness of a woman who cares about more than just herself.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0069_Wife_AntonChekhov

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chekhov2Anton Chekhov & Wife Olga

This Russian writer and playwright is considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in world history. His prolific bibliography includes plays, short stories, novellas, non fiction and letters. Chekhov was a bachelor until age 41 and shortly before his own marriage he is quoted in a letter as saying, “By all means I will be married if you wish it. But on these conditions: everything must be as it has been hitherto—that is, she must live in Moscow while I live in the country, and I will come and see her… give me a wife who, like the moon, won’t appear in my sky every day.”

TA0068: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

WRITTEN BY:
Ambrose Bierce

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

Set during the time of the American Civil War, this story is about a man named Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer who attempted to demolish the Owl Creek Bridge, but was caught and condemned to die by hanging. But all is not what it seems to be in this tale that has an irregular time sequence and a twist ending.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0068_OwlCreekBridge_ AmbroseBierce.pdf

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bierceAmbrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short-story writer and satirist. He wrote more than a hundred books and short stories, but is best known for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his satirical dictionary, The Devil’s Dictionary.

TA0067: Around the World in Eighty Days

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Around the World in Eighty Days

WRITTEN BY:
Jules Verne

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

This is an entertaining and light story about Phileas Fogg, a wealthy bachelor who makes a wager with a friend at his club regarding how long it would take for a person to circumnavigate the globe. Not wanting to lose his bet, he immediately embarks on a trip around the world with his valet Passepartout. Follow along on their extravagant adventure on a number of fascinating transportation modes that must be fully completed within 80 days or the bet is lost.

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ThoughtAudio Transcript: TA0067_AroundtheWorld_JulesVerne.pdf

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VerneJules Verne
The Father of Science Fiction

Jules Verne is a French author best known for his fantastical science fiction novels, many which contained visionary concepts and machines well before they had actually been invented.

TA0053: Luck of Roaring Camp

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Luck of Roaring Camp

WRITTEN BY:
Bret Harte

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

Cherokee Sal, the only woman in a remote mining camp dies while giving birth. The child is called Luck and is adopted by the complete camp. This exciting story is a touching tale of how the birth of a child brings together an entire community of men in an effort to care and raise the child in the harsh mining environment.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0053_ LuckofRoaringCamp_BretHarte.pdf

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harteBrett Harte

This American author and poet is best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.

TA0051: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

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The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

WRITTEN BY:
Mark Twain

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott as Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” was first published in the November 18,1865, edition of The New York Saturday Press, under the title “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog.” The story is set in a gold-mining camp in Calaveras County, California, and has its origins in the folklore of the Gold Rush era. It was one of Twain’s earliest writings, and helped establish his reputation as a humorist. He eventually included it as the title story in his first collection of tales.

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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0051_JumpingFrog_MarkTwain.pdf

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twainMark Twain

Mark Twain has been one of the most widely loved and celebrated American writers since his books were released in the late 1860’s.

TA0049: Bartleby, the Scrivener

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Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

WRITTEN BY:
Herman Melville

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

This is a short story about a lawyer with offices on Wall Street in New York City. He runs an advertisement for a scrivener, or professional copyist, for his office and Bartleby responds to his advertisement and comes to work for the lawyer. At first Bartleby appears to be a competent worker, but later he refuses to work when requested, repeatedly uttering the phrase “I would prefer not to.” As Bartleby’s behavior escalates, the lawyer is confronted with how he will handle and respond to this bizarre behavior.
In 2001, the story was adapted into a movie titled “Bartleby”.

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ThoughtAudio Transcript: TA0049_Bartleby_HermanMelville.pdf

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MelvilleHerman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, essayist and poet. During his lifetime, his early novels were popular, but his popularity declined later in his life, until at the time of his death he had nearly been forgotten.

Melville’s most famous work was Moby-Dick and is often considered one of the greatest American novels. His short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” is among his most important pieces, and has been considered a precursor to Existentialist and Absurdist literature. In the 20th century there were several biographies about Melville and his vision by prominent writers, which started a rediscovery of his works and led to his current status as a significant American Writer.

TA0045: The Magic Shop

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The Magic Shop

WRITTEN BY:
H.G. Wells

NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott

This is a charming tale from H.G. Wells about a young boy named Gip who visits a magic shop for his birthday with his father. But this is not just any magic shop – the shopkeeper insists that this is a genuine magic shop. The story is an entertaining adventure as Gip, like any young boy of his age, experiences the pure enjoyment of true magic while his skeptical father grapples with having to draw the line between slight of hand and genuine magic.
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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0045_MagicShop_HGWells.pdf

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wellsH.G. WELLS
Herbert George Wells was a British writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The Time Machine. However, he was arguably one of the most prolific writers in the history of literature, and wrote works in nearly every genre, including short stories and nonfiction. He was an outspoken socialist, and most of his works contain some notable political or social commentary.