All that is known about Buddha comes from a collection of ancient writings that combine history, biography and myth. This audiobook provides a clear introduction to the main events of Buddha's life and the key ideas of Buddhism.

The enchanting tale of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the bird determined to be more than an ordinary gull, determined to find a reason for living - determined to be free. A story for people who know there is more to living than meets the eye.

The diary of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a 42-year-old father of two and editor-in-chief of Elle magazine in Paris, who, with his left eyelid (the only functioning muscle after a massive stroke), dictated a remarkable and moving account of being locked inside his own body.

To mark their thirtieth anniversary, the Medici String Quartet asked composer George Fenton and writer Alan Bennett to collaborate on a piece for performance at the Harrogate International Festival. The result was 'Hymn', a meditative piece, in which Bennett looks at the part which music played in his childhood. George Fenton's score, which accompanies Bennett's words, draws on a range of musical references including Elgar, Delius and many well-known hymns.

David Suchet and Hannah Gordon read the Old Testament books, Psalms and Proverbs.

The New Testament revised English Version.

The New Testament revised English Version.

The New Testament revised English Version.

This audiobook contains the best known and most important sections from the New Testament. It includes selections from the Gospels, using Matthew as the main text, the Epistles of Paul, the Acts of the Apostles and Revelations.The feature music is by Byrd, Tallis and Schuetz.

This title encompasses the most familiar passages covering the main characters of the Old Testament, from Adam and Eve to King Solomon, including the Psalms and Proverbs. An extended essay looks at links with Western art, literature and music. The music includes Tallis's 'Lamentations'.

The 150 Psalms contain some of the most inspiring lines in the Old Testament. Presented here in all their variety, they are accompanied by English choral music from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Based on the author's own experience as a hip replacement patient, Maeve Binchy provides funny insider advice about coping with the ordeals of surgery, a hospital stay, and at-home convalescence. Highlights include: ten little jobs you can give to anyone who innocently asks 'how can I help?'; ways to cope with all the indignities of baring your body to strangers; great gifts to suggest when someone asks 'what can I bring you?'; tips on dealing with visitors, hospital food and medical professionals.

Lionel Blue is a paradox: Britain's most famous Rabbi and a household name, his Jewish wit and quirky spirituality never fail to entertain. Yet he has lived a life on the fringes. A Rabbi who has remained true to his tradition, he has also found a home in Christianity. A man who has struggled with his homosexuality, he has learnt slowly and painfully that spirituality and sexuality are inextricably entwined. He has never tried to escape the contradictions of a life lived honestly, and he has remained open to exploration and challenge.

This classic story was written in prison, where Bunyan had been sent for unauthorised preaching. It describes the road to the Celestial City by way of Doubting Castle, the Delectable Mountains, Vanity Fair and other places which have become part of the English language.

With theories based on the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda, Chopra suggests that we can use our innate capacity for balance in order to direct the way our bodies metabolise time. He maintains that optimum health is about achieving this balance physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, dreams of travelling the world in search of treasure. He journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and to the desert of Egypt, where a fateful meeting with an alchemist occurs. This is a transforming novel about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path and above all, following our dreams.

Catherine Cookson has compiled a selection of thoughts, recollections and observations on life - and death - together with another collection of the poems she prefers to describe as 'prose on short lines'.

Extraordinary step-by-step guide to achieving the characteristics that create success.

Are you madly in love or driven mad by it? Happily single or looking for a partner? Living together, married with kids or dumped and desperate? Whatever the state of your love life, this audiobook has the answers to all your dating and relating dilemmas. It's packed with advice on everything from flirting and flings to monogamy and marriage. There's hot tips on getting over an ex, where to meet a partner, how to spot the losers and how to breeze through that first date, as well as hints on fixing the fights, surviving jealousy and infidelity and breaking bad love habits.

How ought we to live? How do we know? An ideal introduction for anyone who has ever been puzzled by what philosophy is or what it is for. The author shows how thinkers such as Plato, Descartes, Hobbes, Hume, Hegel, Darwin, Mill and de Beauvoir were responding to real needs and events - and how much of their work still shapes our lives today.

Wicca is a spiritual tradition that helps us to live in harmony with the universe, others and ourselves. This audiobook contains simple guidelines to show how the beginner can start practicing Wicca with exercises for spiritual and magical development.

Explores the truths and myths of the Bible through retellings of popular stories of the Old and New Testaments, and a review of the historical events happening at the time.

Everything you've always wanted to know about Marcel Proust but were afraid to ask! The author offers tongue-in-cheek ideas on how one's life can be 'improved' via Proust's work, including advice on 'How to Love Life Today', 'How to Suffer Successfully' and 'How to be Happy in Love'.

Alain de Botton asks: What makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures - and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved? Will minimalism make us happier than ornaments? To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights.

What makes us want to travel? What are we looking for? Does it change us? In this thought provoking audiobook Alain de Botton turns to some of the world's greatest thinkers in order to explore the pleasure and sorrows of travel, and in particular, why we ever want to go anywhere in the first place.

This work tackles common human problems, illuminated by the writings of a key figure in the history of philosophy. Consolation for Unpopularity is offered by Socrates, Anxiety by Epicurus, Anger by Seneca, Pride by Montaigue, Depression by Schopenhauer and Timidity by Nietzsche.

What kinds of minds are there, and how do we know? The first question is about what exists and the second is about our knowledge. The aim of 'Kinds of Minds' is to answer these questions, in general outline, and to show why these two questions have to be answered together.

Shortly before his 44th birthday, journalist John Diamond received a call from the doctor who had removed a lump from his neck. Having been assured for the previous two years that this was a benign cyst, Diamond was told that the lump was cancerous. This audio book includes his subsequent reflections on alternative medicine versus orthodox treatments, the love and support of his family, and how he found therapy in writing about his illness in his column for the 'Sunday Times'.

Dogen founded the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. Dogen's approach to meditation has become perhaps the most influential Eastern spiritual practice in the Western world.

This audiobook discusses Catholicism today with particular reference to the Republic of Ireland and its many social and political issues, including the Presidency of Mary Robinson, the Bishop Casey affair, contraception, abortion, women priests and married clergy.

Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages or is it part of human nature? Will winning the lottery really make you happy? Is it possible to build robots that have feelings? These are just some of the intriguing questions explored in this guide to the latest thinking about the emotions.

Meditation affects both mind and body and is one of the best ways of learning to let go of stress and anxiety. This audiobook includes the five main types of meditative practice and a series of exercises that will improve and enhance your meditation skills.

A portrayal of Christ through the eyes of his contemporaries, men and women who knew him as an enemy, friend or teacher. Mary Magdalen, Simon Peter, Pontius Pilate and Barabbas are brought to life against the social, political and religious realities of the period.

In this book we find Almustafa the Prophet having returned home after visiting his homeland in 'The Prophet' . Overcome by 'the sadness of memory' he retires to his family burial ground, but after a while he opens the gate and once more offers his wisdom to his companions, on subjects ranging from loneliness, beauty, time and God.

First published in the 1920s, this book attempts to provide the reader with a guide to living. Gibran lets his protagonist, simply called 'the prophet', deliver homilies on a variety of topics central to daily life: love, marriage and children, work and play, possessions, beauty, truth, joy and sorrow and death - fusing a personalised Christian philosophy with oriental wisdom.

An allegorical tale which focuses on the harmonies of the countryside and the prevention of its wilful destruction. The story begins at the planes of the lower alps, where we meet the life-giving shepherd who chooses to live alone and carry out the work of God.

In 1993 Linda Grant's mother, Rose, was diagnosed with Multi-Infarct Dementia. With Rose's memory deteriorating, a whole world was in the process of being lost. In this moving work Grant looks at the issues of identity, memory and autonomy that dementia raises.

A practical guide for improving communication and getting what you want in your relationships by John Gray, who has been counselling couples for over 20 years. The author encourages men and women to embrace their differences and gives advice on the most appropriate ways of interacting with each other.

Charles Handy contributed to BBC Radio 4's programme 'Thought for the Day'. This audiobook presents a selection of some of these early morning reflections, which take a radical and intimate look at the spiritual truths relating to organisations, society and individual lives.

This audiobook is a collection of things Thora Hird was taught growing up in Morecambe, and things she's learnt for herself over eighty years. She dispenses the 'home truths' in her own style. These epigrams about everyday living include the gems 'It's never too late to mend a broken fence' and 'There is more to marriage than four bare legs in a bed'.

Winnie-the-Pooh has a certain way about him, a way of doing things that has made him the world's most beloved bear, and Pooh's Way, as author Benjamin Hoff demonstrates, seems strangely close to the ancient Chinese principles of Taoism. A gentle introduction to eastern philosophy which introduces some of the basic ideas of the Tao.

Virginia Ironside, a journalist and writer on personal and family relationships, examines bereavement. The death of her own father and her researches since highlight that many people find grief a chaotic and violent process. This audiobook looks at the feelings of shock, anger, guilt, powerlessness and fear which surround the informal rituals of death.

The author asserts that people's lack of decisiveness, whether in respect of work, relationships, money or life in general, is attributable mainly to fear. The aim of this audiobook is to offer readers a path of re-learning, to help them to 'feel the fear' and push through it to turn anger into love and indecision into action.

This account is written by Jinananda, an English-born Buddhist. The subject is split into The Three Jewels: 'The Buddha', a life of the historical figure; 'The Dharma', an account of the fundamental teachings; and 'The Sangha', the disciples, both lay and monastic throughout the world. With extracts of some of the main sutras, this audiobook explains the key concepts that lie behind Buddhism.

This book contains luminous essays and lectures by contemporary Zen masters, as well as several personal accounts of the experience of enlightenment. It was first published in 1965 and has had a profound impact on the development of Zen in the West.

In this tape, His Holiness the Dalai Lama offers simple, clear instruction on how to learn to embrace contentment and joy everyday. He also offers advice on how we can deal with anger and negative emotions.

C.S. Lewis sets out to disentangle a fundamental theological problem - why must humanity suffer? He questions the pain and suffering that occur everyday and how this contrasts with the notion of a God that is both omnipotent and good, concluding that no intellectual solution can dispense with the necessity of patience and courage.

This narrative takes the form of a series of letters from Screwtape, a devil high in the Infernal Civil Service, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior colleague engaged in his first mission on Earth, trying to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian. C.S. Lewis makes complex concepts of God and man understandable for anyone looking to expand their mind in the area of Christian life.

Gwyneth Lewis' main theme is the usefulness of depression in finding out what is wrong with your life and changing it accordingly. She uses her own life experiences to create this guide to coping with depression, which includes her development as a poet in Welsh and English, to create a personal and inspiring story.

Do you ever feel that your emotions have run away with you? This practical and sympathetic audiobook helps you to manage your emotions so that you can create more balance and success in your life and relationships.

Dealing with the underlying principles of self-esteem and self-improvement, this practical guide offers tips to help listeners dramatically enhance their self-esteem, overcome doubts and fears, and achieve self-fulfillment.

Ex-air stewardess Carole Mackie relates the circumstances surrounding her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, the positive outlook that helped her cope with her illness, and her work to raise money for MS research.

This is the story of one of the most important works of literature ever written. Politics, sociology, technological innovation, deceit and bitter conflicts are key elements in its plot.

A retelling of India's classic text - an ancient guide to spiritual living. It recounts the story of a noble warrior, Arjuna, who struggles with questions on the right way to live.

The story of William Tyndale's work as a Protestant reformer and as a translator of the Bible into English. Whilst Tyndale's was not the first English translation, it was the first to be printed, albeit in Europe where he was an exile from England. This audiobook covers Tyndale's exile, betrayal and eventual death at the stake, as well as the part Sir Thomas More played in his life during this bloody period of English history.

Christopher Nolan almost died at birth after being deprived of oxygen, but he lived to write, at twenty-one, this award-winning autobiography. Nolan's birth injuries left him quadriplegic and completely unable to communicate, and for years no one suspected his need to express his thoughts and ideas not only to his family but the world. Whether he is fighting with the authorities for the right to go to an ordinary school, or going on holiday for the first time, Nolan's story has an extraordinary intensity.

Dr Peale offers advice on how to eliminate self doubt; free yourself from worry, stress and resentment; visualise and attain solutions to your problems and provides simple prayerful exercises that can help to reinforce the positive changes you can make to your life.

This sequel to 'The Road Less Travelled' addresses the issues of personal growth and spiritual development which affect us all. These include: blame and forgiveness; death and the meaning of life; sexuality and spirituality; togetherness and separateness in marriages and families; the problem of pain and addiction.

When journalist Ruth Picardie died from complications following the misdiagnosis of breast cancer in September 1997, leaving behind a young husband and two-year-old twins, thousands mourned who'd never met her. Ruth's column in 'The Observer' recorded the progress of her illness and her feelings about living with terminal cancer. As well as these articles, Ruth's e-mail correspondance with friends, selected letters from readers, and accounts of Ruth's last days by her sister, Justine, and husband Matt are included.

This collection of specially recorded words and music has been chosen by Classic FM's Dr Mark Porter for their calming and soothing qualities. Set to the beautiful piano and string quartet music of Satie and Debussy, this audiobook brings together the writings of poets, mystics, philosophers, and statesmen throughout the ages. Including works that range from Buddah to Blake, and from Shakespeare to Henry James, this combination of music and voices creates a relaxing listening experience.

The former BBC Religious Affairs correspondent makes a pilgrimage through the key areas of the Christian faith.

A spiritual guidebook in the form of a novel which involves the discovery of a manuscript, deep in the Peruvian jungle, whose ancient wisdom provides a guide to directing your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.

In 'Coming Through', Pam Rhodes presents a collection of true stories of hope and courage from people who have found the courage to face and overcome terrible challenges. Some have found inspiration and support through their Christian faith, others have found strength in other ways. Amongst those sharing their stories are Elaine Harrild, who was a teacher at Dunblane primary school; a group of former POWs who worked on the Death Railway; Ruth Merry, paraplegic from birth, who represented Britain in the Disabled Olympics and Frances Shand-Kydd, who talks about her personal response to the death of her daughter, Princess Diana.

Without scare tactics and aversion therapy, this audiobook aims to teach the smoker how to control their desire for cigarettes without gaining weight or feeling irritable, depressed or deprived.

Rumi's 'Spiritual Verses' is the greatest mythical poem in Islamic culture. Rumi tells of our human separation from reality, from love and from truth. He shows how love - neither erotic nor sentimental but divine, by which the universe is held together - enlightens ignorance and dissolves suffering. The audiobook moves from simple, amusing tales into realms unimaginable, but wholly familiar to the human heart.

This Very Short Introduction contains essential insights into issues such as why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shi'ites, the Sunnis and the Wahabis, and the central importance of the Shar'ia (Islamic) law in Islamic life. It also offers a fresh perspective on contemporary questions such as: Why is the greatest 'Jihad' (holy war) now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggles against evil? Can women find fulfilment in Islamic societies? How must Islam adapt as it confronts the modern world?

This is a self-study course which aims to change perceptions, heal minds and change behaviour. The work introduces miracles as naturally occuring expressions of love, and believes that to experience miracles is to be aware of the presence of love.

The journey to serenity and peace can only be made with increasing self-awareness and social awareness. In this audiobook, Dr Peck aims to show that there is a way to think with integrity, and to come to terms with dying and death.

Huston Smith takes the listener back to Islam's founding lineage. Topics include: the Prophet Mohammed's founding of Islam, The Koran and women under Islam.

This Very Short Introduction discusses Judaism as a living religion in all its contemporary richness and variety. How has it changed since the time of Jesus? What sects and divisions does it have, and how does it respond to the challenges of modernity? How does the secular state of Israel resolve the conflicts of 'church' and 'state'?

This concise introduction explains the basic concepts of Jungian psychology and examines Jung's views on subjects such as myth, religion and gender differences. The author illustrates how Jung's visionary powers and spirituality provide the materialistic modern world with an alternative set of values, and investigates Jung's theory of psychological types, the interpretation of dreams and the practise of Jungian analysis.

An autobiography which deals with growing up Catholic in America during the 1950s and 1960s. Ed Stivender was the only son of an Irish Catholic mother and a protestant navy man. His mother desperately wanted him to be a priest but his father warned him, 'Never get a job where you have to wear a dress to work!'.

Sigmund Freud revolutionised the way in which we think about ourselves. He developed psychoanalysis into a general psychology which became widely accepted as the predominant mode of discussing personality and relationships. This audiobook investigates Freud's legacy today and the disputes that surround it.

Known around the globe for her work on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the dying, Mother Teresa devoted her life to giving hope to the hopeless in more than 120 countries. In her charismatic, spiritual way, she offers advice on how we can practice a greater love for each other and help those less fortunate, discussing such issues as happiness, fear, faith, compassion, life and death.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the world's most revered sources of spiritual wisdom. This book presents the best-loved and most authoritative modern English translation, by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, of this ancient Chinese classic.

One of the greatest works of Chinese religious and philosophical thinking. The Tao Te Ching, the esoteric but infinitely practical book written around the sixth century BC by Lao Tse, has been translated more frequently than any work except the Bible. The philosophy of Lao Tsu is simple - accept what is in front of you without wanting the situation to be other than it is.

Almost all Western thought - in politics, medicine, ethics, morality, religion, mathematics, art and science - stems from the tradition of rational enquiry that developed in ancient Greece. This introduction brings to life the ideas of some of the greatest minds in Western thought.

An original audio production offering an anthology of Hanukkah stories from the works of famous Jewish writers. Stories include: 'Nightingales in a War Zone', 'Go Toward the Light', 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' and 'A Jewish Christmas'.

Held captive from January 1987 to November 1991, for much of the time in solitary confinement, Terry Waite wrote his autobiography in his head. He describes how his recollections of life from childhood onwards helped him to endure a life of monotony and fear in captivity, and reveals the inner strengths which enabled him to survive his captors' often savage treatment. A classic account of man's survival at the limits of human endurance.

'God's Funeral' is A.N. Wilson's account of the decline of orthodox Christianity in Victorian Britain, the most popular explanation for this being the acceptance by intellectuals of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Wilson also describes a host of secularising predecessors and accomplices such as Hume, Gibbon, John Stuart Mill, Hegel, Marx, and Carlyle and takes into account the sense of emotional loss that society suffered which extends to our own times.