Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep
Episodes
Science Primers, by Thomas Henry Huxley, Reading 1
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight, let's find our happy place and sleep with this reading from an introduction to science basics, written by one of the 19th century's greatest ...
The Practice and Science of Drawing, by Harold Speed, Reading 1
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's rest, relax and sleep with this lovely discourse about drawing. Which is mostly about art theory for the entire hour, if I'm honest. Mr. Speed w...
The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Reading 4 (In The Kitchen)
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight, we return to the wisdom of Mrs. Beeton, and relax with her discussion of a well-equipped kitchen, the perfection of weights and measures, and...
The British Navy Book, by Cyril Field, Reading 1
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight, let's ride the relaxing waves of history and float through the history of the British Navy. From wee hide coracles to the sea-faring dragons ...
The Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Claudius, by Suetonius
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This evening, let's relax to the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius, immortalized as both a genius and an unstable imbecile unfit for any duty whatsoe...
Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, Reading 2
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight, let's relax with the second half of one of the world's most influential philosophical texts, the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu. The journey of a t...
On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, Reading 1
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight let's overcome sleeplessness with Darwin's revolutionary classic of evolutionary theory, which sounds a lot more riveting than this text actua...
A Study of Shakespeare, by Algernon Charles Swinburne
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's relax to the metrical musings of a great Victorian poet about a great Elizabethan playwright, in a wordy work that is mostly about how other Sha...
The World Crisis, by Winston Churchill, Reading 1
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight let's fall asleep to this complex recounting of the road to World War I, as told by Sir Winston Churchill. If this book proves anything, it's ...
Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, by Samuel Johnson
20 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let Samuel Johnson take you on a relaxing 18th century tour of the beauties of Scotland, where we breakfast on whisky and consider the wonders of...sh...
Bad Drains and How to Test Them
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's relax with practical advice about modern plumbing systems. And by modern, I mean 19th century, which was stinkier than you think. Indoor plumbin...
The Ethics of Aristotle, Reading 1
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's kick off a relaxing 2020 with the snooze-inducing wonders of Aristotelian philosophy. To be fair, we never actually finish the ponderous introdu...
Time and Free Will, by Henri Bergson, Reading 1
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the year draws to a close, let's relax with heady thoughts about time and free will. This reading won't help you understand either, but it will def...
Old Christmas, by Washington Irving, Reading 2
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's return to this holiday-themed book we started last year, and sink into the calming, if laughably classist, vision of a traditional Christmas in ...
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran, Reading 1
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This evening, let go of stress and relax with this beloved philosophical work by Kahlil Gibran. What better time for his musings on kindness, gratitud...
On Molecular and Microscopic Science, by Mary Somerville, Reading 1
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Relax to this work by Mary Somerville, the 19th century's "queen of science." An amazing book by an amazing woman that will...send you off to dreamlan...
A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir, Reading 1
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's rest beneath the trees with one of the first environmentalists, John Muir. His relaxed rambles from Indiana to Florida contain quiet caves, leaf...
Natural History, by Pliny the Elder, Reading 1
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Relax with random selections, from the nature of gods to the totally-not-at-all-made-up manticore, from Pliny the Elder's remarkable encyclopedia. Who...
The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Reading 2
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Enter the dreamy world of the Wee Folk as we continue our reading of "The Coming of the Fairies". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of that great logica...
American Pomology, Vol. 1, Apples, Reading 1
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's quietly celebrate the lengthening nights of autumn with this reading from "American Pomology," a 19th century study on apple-growing in America....
The Travels of Marco Polo, Reading 1
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we journey into the mists of history with Marco Polo and his uncles as they journey across the world to the court of Kublai Khan and back agai...
An Account of the Salem Witch Trials, by Cotton Mather
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's take a spooky yet ponderous journey back to the 17th century witch craze in New England, as described by one of its prime movers, the Reverend C...
1st Anniversary Episode: A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, Reading 2
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our One Year Anniversary! Let's return to the book that kicked off our boring bedtime journey, and revel in the relaxation of A Handbook of Some ...
Cassell's Book of Birds, Reading 1
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fly away to relaxation on the wings of feathered friends with this week's reading, Cassell's Book of Birds. You'll learn more than you ever wanted to ...
Roadtown, by Edgar Chambless, Reading 1
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we get dreamy with the utopian urban planning vision of Edgar Chambless in Roadtown. A city a thousand miles long, built in a straight line? W...
Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Lewis, Reading 1
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let a sea of stardust carry you to sleep as we read "Astronomy for Young Folks" and learn about constellations, planets, and the equinoctial points of...
How to Get the Most Out of Your Victrola
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sink into slumber as we detail the musical miracle of the Victrola, "the world's greatest instrument," and dream of a distant world where music on dem...
The North Pole, by Robert E. Peary, Reading 1
16 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Drift off in a world of snow and silence with Robert Peary's account of his trek to the world's northernmost point. But first, a rather lengthy histor...
The Cricket Field, or The History and Science of Cricket, Reading 1
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we find sleep in sport with a detailed history of the game of cricket. This wander through the origins of England's national game is sure to b...
1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog, Books Department
02 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
To wrap up a month of Revisiting Relaxation, let's drift back through one of your favorite sleep-inducers, the Sears Catalog. Tonight's selection is a...
The Principles of Geology, by Sir Charles Lyell, Reading 2
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we revisit a relaxing science classic, The Principles of Geology, erode away stress with a stroll through the stony halls of geological histor...
The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Reading 3
19 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight, we return to the managerial wonder of Mrs. Beeton, and fall asleep to everything one needs to know to be a proper 19th century housekeeper, b...
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, Reading 2
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we revisit one of our most popular books, Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius. His advice for Stoic living continues to be a font of sleepy wisdom...
History of Animals, by Aristotle, Reading 1
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's relax to this work about the classification and characteristics of animals, as determined by Aristotle 2,300 years ago. We don't get to the part...
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, Reading 1
22 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's drink deep of the relaxing words of Henry David Thoreau's classic "Walden". Wander the woods in sleepy solitude, where sweet dreams await you am...
Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Reading 1
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we caravan from sand to sandman with the Manual of Egyptian Archaeology & Guide to Antiquities from 1895. It's everything you never w...
Woodworking for Beginners, Reading 1
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's gently hammer away at stress and saw our way into sleep with this manual for the amateur woodworker. In it, we'll learn why a list of tools for ...
The Federalist Papers, by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison
01 Jul 2019
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 Federalist P...
Experiments in Alternating Current, by Nikola Tesla, Reading 1
24 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Flow into the current of sleep on the genius of Nikola Tesla and his experiments in alternating electrical current. It runs our lives, but most of us ...
Original Stories, by Mary Wollstonecraft, Reading 1
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
[Apologies, audio now corrected!] Relax to this spectacularly boring book by Mary Wollstonecraft, famed for her ideas about feminism, and not at all f...
The Advancement of Learning, by Francis Bacon, Reading 1
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lean into languor with "The Advancement of Learning," by great Elizabethan thinker Sir Francis Bacon, one of the originators of the scientific method....
Mount Everest, The Reconnaissance of 1921, Reading 1
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Drift away through the Himalaya with the first major expedition to study Mount Everest, highest of high peaks in the Roof of the World. Why tackle Eve...
The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Reading 1
27 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let your thoughts flit away as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the great Sherlock Holmes, tries to prove that actual fairies exist. No, really! It'...
The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, Reading 1
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Drift off on a voyage of relaxation with one of the foundation texts of science fiction and fantasy--"The Blazing World," written by Margaret Cavendis...
Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tze, Reading 1
13 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week we fulfill a listener request, and relax to one of the world's earliest and most influential philosophical texts, the Tao Te Ching, by Lao T...
Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Reading 1
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's get transcendental with Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature" and relax to his musings on beauty, language, and our connection with the perfection of o...
Media Purchase Terms and Conditions
29 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Plato's Republic: Introduction & Analysis, Reading 2
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 so...
A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Reading 1
15 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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'...
Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin, Selected Readings 1
08 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Float away on a cloud of Benjamin Franklin's scientific musings about our atmosphere, lightning, waterspouts, magnetic poles, and the wonderful utilit...
How We Think, by John Dewey, Reading 1
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Sidereal Messenger, by Galileo, Reading 1
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
18 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Woman and The Car, Reading 1
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, Reading 1
04 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Somnium, or The Dream
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Farm Engines & How To Run Them, Reading 1
18 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Book of Household Management, Reading 2
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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, callin...
Ten Books on Architecture, Reading 1
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Darwin's Formation of Vegetable Mould By Worms
28 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Principles of Chemistry, Reading 1
21 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we read one of the great foundational works of science, Dmitry Mendeleev's "Principles of Chemistry." So groundbreaking. So informative. So pe...
Practical Mind Reading, Reading 1
14 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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! N...
The Poetics of Aristotle, Reading 1
07 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight we sink into slumber with the fundamental structures of dramatic storytelling, as defined in mind-numbing detail by Aristotle in his "Poetics"...
New Year's Eve Special: Time and Clocks, A History
31 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
2018 Holiday Special: Washington Irving's Old Christmas
24 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 sw...
1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog, Bicycle Department
17 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Brehon Laws: A Legal Handbook, Reading 1
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 aggre...
Hand Loom Weaving: A Manual for School & Home, Reading 1
03 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Plato's Republic: Introduction & Analysis, Reading 1
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Transatlantic Eastbound Passenger Sailings, 1925
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 Tran...
1872 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalog, Drugs Department
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 fre...
The Principles of Geology, Reading 1
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we read the first two chapters of "The Principles of Geology," by famed-but-mildly-ponderous geologist Sir Charles Lyell. Honestly, i...
Loyalists of America and Their Times, Reading I
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll ramble through a chapter of "The Loyalists of America and Their Times," written by a Canadian, so that's fun. And really rather...
The Problems of Philosophy, Reading 1
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we read the first two chapters of "The Problems of Philosophy," by Bertrand Russell. There's a lot of talk of tables, and more instan...
The Book of Household Management, Reading 1
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll be bored by some housekeeping basics from "The Book of Household Management," a classic, and spectacularly detailed, guide from...
A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses, Reading I
28 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we read several chapters from "A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses." It's every bit as mind-numbing as it sounds. All Boring Book...