Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep

Natures Garden for Victory and Peace, by George Washington Carver

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, let's appreciate the culinary wonders of weeds with this relaxing guide to nature's bounty by George Washington Carver. Salads have never s...

On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, Part 3

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to sleepy science with more from Charles Darwin on domestic breeding, pigeon mating, and messy definitions. What is a species anyway? It'...

The Decoration of Houses, by Edith Wharton, Part 1

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sink into tasteful slumber this week with the history of home decor from the Queen of The Gilded Age. Basically, "like Italy and be rich" seems to sum...

Farm Engines and How to Run Them, Part 4

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep with more from this bucolic delight, and learn about managing our traction engine, getting out of life's inevitable ditches, and...

Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Part 4

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to the sleepy sands of Egypt and finish our exploration of religious architecture, with symbolic temples, towering obelisks, and shrines ...

Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 5

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to the heavens and relax with some sleepy stardust about our solar system, learn a bit about our neighbor planets, and consider how they ...

Practical Mind Reading, by William Walker Atkinson, Part 2

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's sense our way to sleep with a book I forgot reading from! This time we learn exercises to hone our skills as psychic parlour performers, which w...

The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 7 (Maids, Dairy & Stable)

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's dive back into one of your sleepy favorites, and learn about the life of the maid-of-all-work, the perfect dairy layout, and some fine advice ab...

Night and Moonlight & Walden Pond in Winter, by Henry David Thoreau

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax into the natural world with two essays by Henry David Thoreau, in which we take a poetic walk by moonlight, and then contemplate the wintr...

The Hive and the Honey Bee, by LL Langstroth, Part 2

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's once again be lulled to sleep by the hum of beautiful, busy bees, learn all about the workings of the queen bee, and hear every permutation of t...

The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 3

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to the relaxing world of bread and fall asleep to European peasant loaves, the origin of the croissant, and the heraldry of London's brea...

The Characters of Theophrastus, Part 2

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax with the second half of this classic of Greek literature, in which the great Theophrastus defines 30 character types found in literature a...

Our National Parks, by John Muir, Part 1

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's wander through the wonders of nature, as conservationist John Muir guides us through the wild spaces of the American West and the flower-filled ...

How to See the British Museum in Four Visits, Part 1

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's take a relaxing wander through the mind-boggling British Museum, learn a bit about its origins, consider the mullingong, and ponder why our auth...

REMASTERED - The Problems of Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell, Part 1

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this remastered episode from 2018, we revisit a relaxing work that poses interesting philosophical questions, like "When is a table not a table?" D...

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving, Part 2

31 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we conclude the mysterious happenings in Sleepy Hollow, which involve a surprising amount of charming detail about autumnal harvests, twitter...

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving, Part 1

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's wrap ourselves in the secrets of Sleepy Hollow, which seem a lot less scary than cartoons would have us believe. Irving's descriptions of countr...

Wild Flowers Worth Knowing, by Neltje Blanchan, Part 1

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's sleep among the wildflowers with this relaxing tour through some lovely native American blooms, plus skunk cabbage and the murderous Jack-in-the...

Utopia, by Sir Thomas More, Part 2

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to this classic of social and political commentary from the 16th century. If you stay awake long enough, you'll discover how little has c...

A General History of the Pirates, by Daniel Defoe, Part 2

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's sail the high seas of sleep with more from this classic of pirate history. Enjoy a booty chest of boredom, including the story of Henry Avery, K...

REMASTERED - American Pomology (Apples), Part 1

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this remastered episode, we revisit a perfectly sleepy book that celebrates a symbol of autumn. This 19th century ode to apples includes history, h...

Mars and Its Canals, by Percival Lowell, Part 2

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep with more studies of the beautiful red planet, including observations of its icy poles, which, unlike that whole "Mars has canal...

Pictures from Italy, by Charles Dickens, Part 1

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep on a journey with famed author Charles Dickens, as he wends his way to Italy to spend a year in Genoa. We don't actually get the...

The Book of the Ocean, by Ernest Ingersoll, Part 2

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's rock to sleep on the waves as we learn all about the workings of tides, currents, climate, and the early history of boats. It's an ocean of rela...

The Book of Tea, by Kakuzo Okakura, Part 3

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's relax and allow thoughts of art appreciation, the perfection of flowers, and the long reach of the tea masters to brew a beautiful elix...

Etiquette, by Emily Post, Part 2

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we relax and sleep with more from this classic guide to manners, and complete our education about proper introductions, handshakes, hat lif...

The Voyage of The Bounty to the South Sea, by Lt. William Bligh, Part 1

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For our 150th episode, let's take a relaxing trip to the South Seas aboard the good ship Bounty, which maybe you've heard of? Don't worry, this bit's ...

Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, Part 3

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, let's relax and sleep to more from this classic of Stoic philosophy, and hear all about the fleeting nature of fame, the foolishness of bei...

Bird Biographies, by Alice E. Ball, Part 2

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax with more sleepy studies of the birds of eastern North America, and discover our author's surprisingly ardent admiration of the bobwhite, ...

Symmes Theory of Concentric Spheres, Showing That The Earth Is Hollow, Part 2

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep with more from one of the weirder scientific theories ever conceived, that the Earth is hollow and filled with other inhabited w...

Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 6 (Housemaids)

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to a sleepy favorite, and a day in the life of an upper and under housemaid. From blacking fire grates to making beds and buffing gilt fr...

Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 4

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we return to the relaxation of night skies, and drift to sleep with the stars of the Southern Hemisphere, the sweep of the Milky Way, and t...

The Federalist Papers, by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison, Part 3

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's take another relaxing wander through The Federalist Papers, and hear how ancient Greece and Germany are great examples of what not to do. So, no...

The Hive and the Honey Bee, by LL Langstroth, Part 1

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we learn the apiary arts from the Father of American Beekeeping. It's all about treating your bees with kindness and respect, which is just ...

The Travels of Marco Polo, Part 2

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's continue our journey with Marco Polo along the Silk Road through Persia, and relax with totally, totally true facts about magical fogs, three ki...

Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, Part 2

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to a sleepy satirical world of two dimensions, and learn about seeing, irregularity, and the dreaded perils of not being dull. Want to su...

Woodworking for Beginners, by Charles Wheeler, Part 2

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's take "sawing wood" literally, and find relaxation and sleep with this handy manual of woodworking basics. You'll never look at lumber the same w...

The Wanderings of a Spiritualist, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Part 1

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep to these ruminations on psychic phenomena and the afterlife. It's all about vibrations, etheric bodies and...an argument for ret...

Bacteria, by Sir George Newman, Part 1

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's drift into the busy micro-world of bacteria. But first, a long and sleepy introduction to the history of bacteriology, so new, it's barely histo...

A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 4

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, let's continue our sleepy stroll through history's halls and relax with nomadic wanderers, seafarers, and the ever-shifting conquerors of t...

The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 2

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's continue sifting through the sleepy history of the staff of life, including Greek myths, Pompeii's ruins, Chinese threshing, and chapat...

In Praise of Folly, by Erasmus, Part 1

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, let's enjoy a renaissance of relaxation with the thoughts on Erasmus. This dense mix of social commentary and satire is the perfect solutio...

The Book of the Ocean, by Ernest Ingersoll, Part 1

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, let's float away on gentle waves with this exploration of our oceans. It's a lovely dip into marine science—some good, some…not, and al...

Biographical Sketch of Henry David Thoreau, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep with a lengthy paean of praise written after the death of Thoreau by his contemporary, friend and worshipful admirer, Ralph Wald...

US Internal Revenue Service Pub 583, Starting a Business

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax with one of the dullest things ever read on this podcast. Like all IRS Publications, it's 50% information, 50% references to other publica...

The Characters of Theophrastus, Part 1

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax and sleep with a classic of character conventions. This work may be millennia old, but you will definitely recognize these people. If you ...

1897 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog, Millinery Department

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax with a browse through the Millinery Department, and marvel at the most beautiful, stylish and economical hats ever offered to the public....

Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, by Samuel Johnson, Part 3

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's continue our relaxing journey through Scotland with Dr. Johnson, and learn all about cattle, kelp and the customary duties of the laird. Tha mi ...

History of Animals, by Aristotle, Part 2

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to Aristotle's sleep-inducing treatise on the animal world and his very, very detailed description of the human body, plus...elephants! W...

Etiquette, by Emily Post, Part 1

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's sink into sleepy social niceties with this classic of manners, behavior and good breeding. If you ever wondered how to introduce a bishop at you...

Cassell's Book of Birds, Part 3, The Parrots

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's drift off into the world of birds and learn all about parrots, the flying monkeys of the avian kingdom. I promise that makes sense if you stay a...

The Color of a Great City, by Theodore Dreiser, Part 1

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's journey back to New York City in the early 1900s with one of America's great writers and his dreamy portrait of the city that never sle...

Farm Engines and How to Run Them, Part 3

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's plow back into one of your surprisingly sleepy favorites, and harvest a bushel of instruction about the proper management of a traction steam en...

On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, Part 2

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to Darwin's revolutionary classic, which sounds like it's going to be much more exciting than this exploration of pigeons, pears and shee...

Bicycling for Ladies, by Maria E. Ward, Part 2

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's continue our relaxing ride through a dream of sleep-inducing detail about handling the newfangled bicycle. The word "knickerbockers" is also us...

How to Listen to Music, by Henry E. Krehbiel, Part 1

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we fall into the rhythm of sleep with a book that works hard to put meaning into music but mostly just makes it boring. So...kind of perfect...

Mars and Its Canals, by Percival Lowell, Part 1

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight we journey to our neighbor in the heavens, and begin a sleepy exploration of the "canals" of Mars, proving that even a great scientist can't ...

Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Part 3

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's rejoin our caravan from sand to sandman and explore the ancient Egyptian temples of Karnak and Luxor. It's a dusty dream of a journey....

The Book of Tea, by Kakuzo Okakura, Part 2

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's consider the connection of Teaism and Taoism, relax into the refinement of the tea house, and let go of all our worries in something ca...

A Winter Walk, by Henry David Thoreau

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's take a walk through wintry woods and skate down a frozen stream in this relaxing mix of prose and poetry. Thoreau captures all the beauty of a ...

1897 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog, Musical Goods Department

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax with this browse through the voluminous Musical Goods Department, and discover all the wonders of mandolins, music boxes and banjorines. ...

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran, Part 2

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we get sleepy with this second half of a philosophy classic, and discuss pleasure, pain and the power of friendship. It's like a cozy set of ...

Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 3

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's complete our sleepy voyage through the constellations as we learn about the stars seen from August through December, the ever-precessi...

Utopia, by Sir Thomas More, Part 1

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's fall asleep with this classic of political philosophy from an executed saint, because what's more relaxing than that. Utopia details socio-econ...

The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 1

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let's relax with the story of one of the world's most basic foods. In this reading, we sleepily sift through the grains of early bread histo...

The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Part 5 (Final)

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we complete Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "skeptical" defense of fairies. Relax to fairy biology, fairy society, and the clairvoyant observations ...

The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Part 4

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's flit away to sleep as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle presents sightings to bolster his case that fairies are real, including one from Mrs. Violet Tweeda...

The Politics, by Aristotle, Part 1

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we relax and sleep with politics as poured from the pen of Aristotle 2,300 years ago. Once again, we wade through a very thorough introducti...

Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Part 3 of 3

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we finish our 3-part wander through 19th century Edinburgh, side-eye "modern" architecture, climb Calton Hill, and cheat the whisky tax, as ...

Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Part 2

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's continue our sleepy sojourn to 19th century Edinburgh through the eyes of Robert Louis Stevenson. In Part 2, we listen to legends, ramble thro...

Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes, by Robert Louis Stevenson, Part 1

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we start a relaxing, 3-part journey to 19th century Edinburgh with native son Robert Louis Stevenson. Towers and tenements, hills and a Ha...

Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 5 (Valets and Maids)

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we return to one of your favorite books, and head downstairs into the sleepy realm of service. What are the infinite duties of the lady's ma...

The Principles of Chemistry, by Dmitry Mendeleev, Part 2

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, return to the sleepy halls of science with more from this foundational work on chemistry. The philosopher's stone, phlogiston, and the first...

Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, Part 1

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, travel a straight line to sleep with this combination of mathematical musing and social satire. Victorian classism has never had such a dull...

The North Pole, by Robert E. Peary, Part 2

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight let's return to a relaxing travelogue and continue with Robert Peary's detailed account of the search for the North Pole. Trials, triumphs and...

Lost Episode! A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 2

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we relax with The Lost H.G. Wells Episode, which mysteriously vanished six weeks after its release back in 2019. Why? Who knows! But this sl...

Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, Part 2

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's our 100th episode! Let's return to the relaxing words of Thoreau's classic, wander the quiet woods, meet some interesting characters, and fall to...

An Account of Egypt, by Herodotus, Part 1

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Take a relaxing journey with Greek historian Herodotus as he reveals the wonders of Egypt. Clothing, crocodiles, calculations—all the sleep-inducing...

Grounds of Natural Philosophy, by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Relax and sleep with words from the wonderful Margaret Cavendish, and discover why science was once called "natural philosophy". So many ideas, so lit...

Bird Biographies, by Alice E. Ball, Part 1

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, let your dreams take wing with this delightfully detailed yet poetic guide to the birds of eastern North America. A chorus of cardinals, crow...

Quick Podcast Update and Announcements!

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Just a very quick update on monthly giveaways, our fantastic August prize from Libro.fm, and thoughts on keeping this podcast ad-free through your hel...

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, Part 1

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rule over insomnia and go to sleep with the pithy prose of Machiavelli. But first, a long introduction to the twisted papal politics of 15th century I...

The South American Tour, by Annie S. Peck, Part 1

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Steam away to dreamland with this travel guide to South America by explorer, archaeologist and record-setting mountaineer Annie S. Peck. If you ever w...

Farm Engines and How To Run Them, Part 2

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's relax to more from the not-at-all-exciting world of stuffing boxes and governor balls that make farm engines go. If 30 study questions for a ste...

Plato's Republic: Introduction and Analysis, Part 3

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to the musings of Victorian classicist Benjamin Jowett, his analysis of Plato's Republic, and a lot of sleepy Socratic opinions about the...

Principles of Geology, by Sir Charles Lyell, Part 3

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we take another journey into a relaxing science classic, Principles of Geology. Let's erode away our stress, take a sleepy stroll through the...

The Federalist Papers, by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison (Part 2)

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let Alexander Hamilton and his compatriots spark a revolution of sleep with arguments in favor of ratifying the US Constitution. If these words prove ...

De Re Coquinaria (On Cooking), by Apicius, Part 1

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's cook up a recipe for relaxation with De Re Coquinaria, by Roman author Apicius. It's an hour of honey, pepper, and fermented fish sauce, plus a ...

Bicycling for Ladies, by Maria E. Ward, Part 1

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Climb into the saddle of sleep and pedal to peace with this 1896 volume about the latest fad in exercise, bicycling! If you stay awake long enough, yo...

The Book of Tea, by Kakuzo Okakura, Part 1

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's cozy up to a hot cup of tea and steep our weary minds in this classic treatise on tea, culture and history. We all deserve a bit of sleep thanks...

The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Part 3

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's return to Conan Doyle's dreamy world of the Wee Folk! Drift into sleep on the observations of a clairvoyant in the fairy glen, which are totally...

Cassell's Book of Birds, Part 2

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let anxiety and stress slip away like a bird on the wing as we find sleep with another listener favorite, Cassell's Book of Birds. Orders, anatomy and...

Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, by Samuel Johnson, Part 2

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's a dreamy return to Samuel Johnson's 18th century tour of Scotland. Tonight, we explore stunning Skye, speculate on ancient fortresses, and consid...

A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 3

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we jump into our sleepytime machine and let H.G. Wells carry us off into the dreamy history of Neolithic man. Agriculture, alphabets and just...

Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Reading 2

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we continue our caravan from sand to sandman with the Manual of Egyptian Archaeology & Guide to Antiquities from 1895. It's everything you ne...

A General History of the Pirates, Part 1, by Daniel Defoe

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Get pirated off to sleep with this early chronicle of the buccaneering life. Sounds riveting? Not to worry, me hearties, it was written in 1724. A boo...

The Enchiridion, by Epictetus (Complete Work)

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight we relax to the dulcet words of Stoic philosophy, and learn all about not stressing out over things that are beyond our influence. But mostly,...

1897 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog, Agricultural Tools Department

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Harvest a good night's sleep with the agricultural tool offerings of one of our favorites, the 1897 Sears Catalog. Guaranteed to relax you with the mo...

Symmes Theory of Concentric Spheres, Showing That The Earth Is Hollow

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This evening, relax and sleep with one of the weirder scientific theories ever conceived, that the Earth is hollow and filled with other worlds. But f...

Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 2

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we return to one of your favorite relaxing books, and take a tour of the spring and summer skies of the northern hemisphere. A calming cosmos...