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Title details for The Intellectual Devotional by David S. Kidder - Available

The Intellectual Devotional

Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class

by David S. Kidder
Oliver Wyman
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

This daily digest of intellectual challenge and learning will arouse curiosity, refresh knowledge, expand horizons, and keep the mind sharp.
Millions of Americans keep bedside books of prayer and meditative reflection—collections of daily passages to stimulate spiritual thought and advancement. The Intellectual Devotional is a secular version of the same—a collection of 365 short lessons that will inspire and invigorate the reader every day of the year. Each daily digest of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music.
Impress your friends by explaining Plato's Cave Allegory, pepper your cocktail party conversation with opera terms, and unlock the mystery of how batteries work. Daily readings range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The book's goal is to refresh knowledge we've forgotten, make new discoveries, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us. Offering an escape from the daily grind to contemplate higher things, The Intellectual Devotional is a great way to awaken in the morning or to revitalize one's mind before retiring in the evening.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 4, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781427201676
      • File size: 576248 KB
      • Duration: 20:00:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from October 1, 2008
      If ever a book were meant for listening, this is it. Previously available from Macmillan only as a digital download, this 2006 national best seller by Kidder and Oppenheim ("Intellectual Devotional: American History") is now available for the first time on CD. The 365 daily lessons span the seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music. Narrators Oliver Wyman (www.oliverwyman.com) and Helen Litchfield, who also read for the "American History" entry in this series, assist listeners' efforts at retention with well-enunciated, cogent, and steadily paced readings. Absolutely essential for libraries serving populations gravitating more to CDs than digital downloads. [Audio clip available through audible.com; the next recording in this series, "The Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture", will be available on CD from Macmillan and Sound Library next month, in retail and library editions, respectively.Ed.]Raya Kuzyk, "Library Journal"

      Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrators Jeff Woodman and Helen Litchfield alternate delivering the historical sound bites contrived by Kidder and Oppenheim to educate the masses. This work is similar to their first devotional, which promised the ability to "Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class." Here the narrators manage to avoid creating mind-numbing boredom as they elucidate upon seven topics, including politics and leadership, war and peace, rights and reform, business, building America, literature, and the arts. The 365 blurbs--each about a historical event or person of note, and a few related facts--are not exactly enlightening to anyone smarter than a seventh-grader--but there are a few tidbits that may beguile listeners and that could lead to fun family conversations or further academic exploration. D.P.D. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Two voices--one male, one female--read short essays on 365 topics in seven fields of learning. Both narrators are competent, but the contrast between them is too great. Helen Litchfield's voice is sharper and louder than Oliver Wyman's. Further, the information is superficial and untrustworthy; there are frequent errors of fact and interpretation. The book's "daily" format is an uncomfortable match for audio. Audiobook consumers rarely listen for just a few minutes, the length of one of these entries. As a result, this is like listening to a substandard encyclopedia. Like the writers, the narrators can't be experts on every subject--as their pronunciation of many foreign and classical terms, or even "difficult" words, shows--they are off, or simply wrong, often enough to chafe. Both book and recording exhibit a lack of seriousness and care. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Using a framework borrowed from religion, the devotional, this collection of 365 short intellectual topics is intended to refresh the mind daily for a full year. Most listeners will enjoy multiple segments at a sitting because they become addictive once their richness becomes obvious. The authors draw from seven fields of knowledge--history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music--and their choices are impressive for their range and depth. The two narrators, Helen Litchfield and Oliver Wyman, could not be better suited to this endeavor. As they mostly alternate entire segments, the contrast of tone and personality will keep listeners' attention stirred but not shaken. Their performances are so sturdy and appropriate that most people won't even be aware of the extraordinary talent and professionalism they embody. T.W. 2009 Audies Finalist (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from October 1, 2008
      If ever a book were meant for listening, this is it. Previously available from Macmillan only as a digital download, this 2006 national best seller by Kidder and Oppenheim (Intellectual Devotional: American History) is now available for the first time on CD. The 365 daily lessons span the seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music. Narrators Oliver Wyman (www.oliverwyman.comAmerican History entry in this series, assist listeners' efforts at retention with well-enunciated, cogent, and steadily paced readings. Absolutely essential for libraries serving populations gravitating more to CDs than digital downloads. [Audio clip available through audible.comThe Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture, will be available on CD from Macmillan and Sound Library next month, in retail and library editions, respectively.Ed.]Raya Kuzyk, Library Journal

      Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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