Showing results by narrator "Arthur Grey" in All Categories

The Bacchae is concerned with two opposite sides of human nature: the rational and civilized side, which is represented by the character of Pentheus, the king of Thebes, and the instinctive side, which is represented by Dionysus. This side is sensual without analysis, it feels a connection between man and beast, and it is a potential source of divinity and spiritual power. In Euripides' plays the gods represent various human qualities, allowing the audience to grapple with considerations of the human condition.

The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Krishna. At the start of the Dharma Yudhha (righteous war) between Pandavas and Kauravas, Arjuna is filled with moral dilemma and despair about the violence and death the war will cause. He wonders if he should renounce and seeks Krishna's counsel, whose answers and discourse constitute The Bhagadvad Gita.   

De Brevitate Vitae (English: On the Shortness of Life), written sometime around the year 49 AD by Seneca the Younger, discusses many Stoic principles on the nature of time and humanity itself. Enjoy riveting discussions and perspectives on these themes as Seneca delves into your thoughts. You will be fascinated as you explore one of the greatest minds and his perception of how we should perceive time. Many of the truths you will find in this piece are not only timeless, but pertinent to humanity - even to this day.

In Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche criticizes German culture of the day as unsophisticated and nihilistic, and shoots some disapproving arrows at key French, British, and Italian cultural figures who represent similar tendencies. In contrast to all these alleged representatives of cultural "decadence", Nietzsche applauds Caesar, Napoleon, Goethe, Thucydides, and the Sophists as healthier and stronger types. The book states the transvaluation of all values as Nietzsche's final and most important project, and gives a view of antiquity wherein the Romans for once take precedence over the ancient Greeks.

British soldier Tony McNally had a vital job in the Falklands - as a Rapier missile operator, his job was to protect the British ships and men from air attack by the fearless and desperate Argentinian pilots. His war went well when he shot down two Argentine jets - until June 8, 1982 when McNally and his Rapier system were dug in on the hillside overlooking Port Pleasant near Fitzroy, wrongly referred to as ‘Bluff Cove’, providing Air Defence cover for the RFA Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram LSL’s , as they sat waiting to off-load hundreds of soldiers.  

Believed to have been compiled and written by Confucius's followers, The Analects is a collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his contemporaries. Confucius believed that the welfare of a country depended on the moral cultivation of its people, beginning from the nation's leadership. He believed that individuals could begin to cultivate an all-encompassing sense of virtue through ren.

Tao Te Ching was written around 4 BC but still remains one of the most influential works in the study of "tao". Tao is one of the classical philosophies in the foundation of Chinese culture. In 81 chapters, Lao Tzu uses the tao, or the flow of everything to explore the "Way".The Way refers to the natural unfolding of order and progress into society and into the world. Taoism, or the study of tao, is a personal progression towards ultimate harmony with tao. Tao Te Ching introduces elements such as personal knowledge and virtue in order to move closer toward the goal of tao. 

In Frederick Douglass' autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass shares his inspirational journey. Douglass was born a slave but was determined to educate himself, so he taught himself to read and write, even though it was illegal, punishable by death. Because of Douglass' determination to become literate, he was able to capture one of the most accurate and descriptive narratives of pre-Civil War slavery.

A 30-something-year-old man, unhappy with his lot in life, once again, enters an old trail to meet a young attractive trick. Over time, the two men developed a unique relationship. After having received some life-changing news from his fiancée, the man plans to give his friend a new lease on life. This changes, however, when he stumbles upon a mysterious killer in the woods. The man must escape with his life before he experiences the fate that befell the victims before him.

Will’s abrupt decision to leave his medical practice in Atlanta and take up a new job in Virginia Beach catches Laura by surprise. But moving back to their hometown was always going to be complicated, since Will never told his family about their eight-year marriage. Still fresh in their minds is the stinging memory of Laura’s disastrous first meeting with his parents, particularly his mother - for whom a white daughter-in-law is an anathema. 

Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery is his self-reflection that recaptured his younger years as a slave in rural Virginia, his journey through higher education, and his life as a successful, influential statesman. Though he faced numerous hardships including devastating enslavement and surviving the turbulence and devastation of the Civil War, Washington rose to a position of international power and prominence.