Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep

Let's click "I agree" to the mind-numbing powers of legalese with this reading of the Terms and Conditions that accompany every purchase from a rather famous media company. After all, it's not like you were going to read it yourself.   Music: "Watching Whales on the Moon" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY-NC. Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com for this song and more   All Boring Books readi...

In this episode, we return to the musings of the great Victorian classicist Benjamin Jowett, his analysis of Plato's "Republic", and a whole lot of socractical thinking about justice. Music: "Peace" by Lee Rosevere (freemusicarchive.org), licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0   All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on...

Let's relax to the history of our marvelous world, from formless matter through the age of mighty dinosaurs, as described by the great H.G. Wells. It's the stuff of dreams.   Music: "Cosmic Tingles" by Lee Rosevere (freemusicarchive.org), licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0   All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on...

Float away on a cloud of Benjamin Franklin's scientific musings about our atmosphere, lightning, waterspouts, magnetic poles, and the wonderful utility of mathematics. A great mind working to calm your own busy thoughts--what could be better?   Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com   All Boring Books readings are taken from wo...

Sink into sleep on a philosophical cloud with "How We Think," by renowned education reformer John Dewey. Nothing will get your brain to stop thinking faster than a bunch of talk about thinking. But try not to think about that.   Music: "Ambiment the Ambient" by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under CC BY All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyri...

Space out with a classic of astronomy, Galileo's "The Sidereal Messenger," in which he shares mankind's first observations of the Moon's surface, and heaps a mind-numbing amount of praise on his patron.   Music: "Illuminations," by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC-BY Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com   All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest...

Let's immerse ourselves in the beauty of Persian poetry with The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, rendered into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald. It's all about living in the moment. And wine. So much wine. The poetry bit starts at 27:49, if you'd like to skip Fitzgerald's very 19th century intro, but why would you?   Music: "Heaven Be Here," PCIII, is licensed under CC All Boring Books readings are ta...

Tonight we relax with The Woman and The Car, written in 1909 by racing pioneer Dorothy Levitt. If you stay awake, you, too, will know how to drive a single cylinder, 8 horsepower vehicle . . . with style! Music: "Gentle Whispering" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY-NC Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to sug...

Tonight we drift off to a self-improvement classic--Meditations, by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Good Stoic advice never gets old, or less sleep inducing. We're also featuring a music track composed especially for Boring Books by Lee Rosevere. Check out more of his work here:https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/ Or subscribe to his very chill music podcast, 5 Minute Meditations:https://apple.co/...

Let's drift off to Somnium, or The Dream, written in 1608 by Johannes Kepler. Considered the great-granddaddy of all science fiction, it's every bit as riveting as you think a story by a famed astronomer-mathematician would be. Science fiction has come a long, long way. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us...

If you've never, ever wondered how to operate a steam engine boiler, this 1903 book about farm equipment is the perfect way to engineer a good night's sleep. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also support us (an...

Let's drift off to a new entry from one of our most popular volumes: The Book of Household Management, by Mrs. Isabella Beeton. Dinner parties, calling cards, and kid gloves have never been so relaxing. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/bori...

Tonight, we relax to a 2,000-year-old classic about architectural design. It's "Ten Books on Architecture," by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. Let this great Roman writer build you a bridge to sleep. There are also a few happy announcements. Enjoy! All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or...

Tonight, let's fall asleep to Charles Darwin's deep thoughts about the formation of dirt through the actions of earthworms, which is just as boring as you think it is. Annoying a worm with a bassoon has never been so dull. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at...

Tonight we read one of the great foundational works of science, Dmitry Mendeleev's "Principles of Chemistry." So groundbreaking. So informative. So perfectly, mind-numbingly dense in the way that only 19th century scientific tomes can be. It's the perfect formula for sleep. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch...

Tonight, we relax our brains with a tediously detailed description of the not-at-all questionable science of mind-reading. It's all about the ether! No, really, it's science. It says so in this book. A note of gratitude to all of our listeners, who this past week helped push our podcast past the 10,000 download mark. Thank you for your support. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the...

Tonight we sink into slumber with the fundamental structures of dramatic storytelling, as defined in mind-numbing detail by Aristotle in his "Poetics". It's the perfect plot for sleep. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where...

Tonight we ring in the new year with a history of Time and Clocks, plus a dash of physics, from H.H. Cunynghame. It's definitely boring, yet we also learned, which is a great way to begin 2019. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspo...

On this eve of Christmas, let's drift off to this charming vision of a 19th century English holiday, complete with warm hearths, jolly company, and swags of holly and ivy. Happy holidays to you and yours, and thank you for listening. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our...

Tonight, let's take another calming dip into the curious 19th century world of the Sears Catalog. This time, we'll explore the Bicycle Department, and 1897's latest velocipedes, cycling suits, and quality guarantees. Plug in, and pedal to peace. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspo...

Tonight, let's fall asleep to the ancient origins of the Irish legal system, the "brehon laws". As we drift off, we'll also pass by some passive aggressive criticism about British control of Ireland, as only a solemn 19th century scholar of jurisprudence can express it. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us...

In this episode, be lulled by "Hand Loom Weaving: A Manual for School and Home", and more early 20th century educational and moral philosophy than one might expect from a hand loom. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you...

In this episode, we relax to the musings of the great Victorian classicist Benjamin Jowett, and his thoughts on Plato's "Republic". It's as perfectly ponderous as you imagine. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can a...

This episode is specially dedicated to those who find lists and repetition relaxing. Instead of a book, we're reading the Joint List of Eastbound Transatlantic Passenger Sailings for December through April 1925. Bon voyage! PS Apologies for mangling ship and city names, and for pronouncing Cobh as "cob" and not "cove" through half of the recording. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in...

In this episode, we venture through some of the 700+ pages of the 1872 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog, and discover everything there is to know about freight shipping. We also trip into the Drugs Department, which is both quite boring and mildly horrifying. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @bori...