Dec 022013
 

Two of my favorite places to shop — Amazon and The Great Courses — have particularly fabulous deals today. Philosophy in Action has affiliate accounts with them, so please use the links in these posts to give our tip jar gets a small kickback.

First, Amazon is offering 30% off any one print book until the end of day today. Enter the code BOOKDEAL at checkout.

Second, The Great Courses (formerly, The Teaching Company) has every course on sale today!

You don’t have as much time left as that image says… so don’t delay!

30-Day Trial from Audible

 Posted by on 29 August 2012 at 8:00 am  Advertisement
Aug 292012
 

As I’ve mentioned on my Wednesday Radio Shows, I can offer my readers and listeners a special offer from Audible.com for a free 30-day trial subscription. (The standard offer is half that.) I’m unwilling to advertise products that I don’t use or don’t like, but happily, I love Audible! I’ve been a subscriber since 2005. With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I receive 24 books per year for just under $10 per book.

I listen to audiobooks in my car, as well as while cooking, cleaning, riding, and gardening. I much prefer to listen to fiction than to read it, because a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text. Here are the audiobooks that I’ve read lately:

Since I’m an affiliate of Audible, by using any of these links (except the direct links to the audiobooks in the list above) to purchase a subscription, you support my work without costing yourself an extra cent. It’s a win-win… and I love those!

Special Offer on Web Hosting

 Posted by on 23 August 2012 at 3:30 pm  Advertisement
Aug 232012
 

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I’ve used Web Hosting Buzz since 2007 to host all my web sites. They’re reliable, easy to use, and darn cheap. Plus, they’re very responsive to any problems and requests.

As it happens, they’re offering a special coupon in August — meaning, for just another week. With the code “ILuvWHB,” you can get 40% off any Hosting package on any billing cycle.

I’m an affiliate of Web Hosting Buzz, but I wouldn’t recommend them, let alone stick with them for so many years, if I wasn’t happy with their offerings!

If you’re looking for web hosting, take advantage of this offer by August 31st!

Advertisement: Products I Like

 Posted by on 8 May 2012 at 2:00 pm  Advertisement
May 082012
 

On the sidebar, I’ve added some advertisements for products I adore. I thought I’d post them here too.

Sous Vide Supreme

I still love and use the Sous Vide Supreme that I bought in 2009. It cooks like nothing else!

Audible.com

I love my platinum Audible subscription! I read more, I save money, and I’m entranced by a good reading. Get a free audiobook risk-free today!

Web Hosting Buzz

Shared Hosting

I’ve used Web Hosting Buzz for years to host all of my web sites for years. They’re reliable, cheap, and responsive to problems and requests.

Zenni Optical

I saved hundreds of dollars by ordering glasses from Zenni Optical rather than a local store.

Random Google Ad

Dec 192011
 

If you’re looking for a great last-minute Christmas gift… I’ve got an idea for you!

As I’ve blogged before, I’ve had a subscription with Audible for many years. I listen to audiobooks in my car, as well as while cooking, cleaning, and gardening. I’ve found that I much prefer to listen to fiction than to read it, because a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text.

With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I receive 24 books per year for just under $10 per book. For the less devoted, you can try Audible for free, then choose your preferred type of subscription.

Also, you can give individual books as gifts to friends and family! It’s affordable… and quick!

Audible is part of the advertising network to which I belong. By using any of these links to purchase a subscription, you support my work without costing yourself an extra cent.

I looked through my whole collection of audiobooks to find those that I enjoyed the most. Basically, these are the books that I’d particularly enjoy listening to again… and again.

First, some classics:

  • Jane Eyre and Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
  • Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • North and South, Wives and Daughters, Cranford, and Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
  • The Moonstone, The Woman in White, and A Rogue’s Life by Wilkie Collins
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
  • The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
  • The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
  • Martin Eden and The Sea Wolf by Jack London
  • The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
  • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Second, some hysterically funny stories great for kids and adults:

  • All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, and The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot
  • Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Third, some gripping readings on slavery and the Civil War:

  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
  • Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson
  • John Ransom’s Diary by John Ransom
  • The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Fourth, two modern series that I enjoyed immensely:

  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson
  • The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Fifth, just one that I can’t omit:

  • Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

I hope that gives you some ideas for Christmas presents!

SugarSync: Sync Your Files

 Posted by on 7 December 2011 at 2:00 pm  Advertisement, Computers
Dec 072011
 

This post is a shameless plug of a product that I use… and because I use it so much, I’m hoping to for a bonus by convincing you to use it too!

SugarSync is a cloud-based backup and sync service similar to DropBox. I use it to keep my active files in-sync between my desktop and laptop, as well as a secondary off-site backup for those files.

I used to use DropBox, but I got frustrated by its limitations. In particular, Dropbox only permits you to sync one folder, whereas I have files across multiple folders that I wanted to sync. As it happens, SugarSync not only permits you to select what folders and files to backup and/or sync, but it also offers far more free space than DropBox — 5 GB rather than just 2 GB.

Also, like with DropBox, I can access anything on SugarSync on my iPad and iPhone. So, for example, I keep reference files and PDFs that I want to read on SugarSync, so that they’re always at my fingertips. I’m sure that they have similar apps for Android.

Basically, if you sign up for SugarSync, I get a bit of extra storage. Right now, I’ve got less than have a gig free, and I’d like a bit more of a cushion.

If you’re interested, you can sign up to SugarSync now! If you don’t see the “free” option right away, keep looking, because it’s there!

My Latest Reads on Audible

 Posted by on 27 September 2011 at 7:00 am  Advertisement, Literature
Sep 272011
 

As I’ve blogged before, I’ve had a subscription with Audible for many years. I listen to audiobooks in my car, as well as while cooking, cleaning, and gardening. I’ve found that I much prefer to listen to fiction than to read it, because a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text.

With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I receive 24 books per year for just under $10 per book. (I’ve used it so much this past year that I’m likely going to need to renew early, since I’ve almost run out of credits!) For the less devoted, you can try Audible for free, then choose your preferred type of subscription.

Audible is part of the advertising network to which I belong. By using any of these links to purchase a subscription, you support my work without costing yourself an extra cent.

Lately, I listened to pretty much everything by Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) available on audiobook. Some were merely so-so, but I’d definitely recommend A Rogue’s Life, The Moonstone, and The Woman in White. Here’s the full list:

  • A Rogue’s Life by Wilkie Collins (5 stars, terribly witty and entertaining, very benevolent)
  • The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (4 stars, wonderful mystery)
  • The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (4 stars, very enjoyable mystery, fabulous heroine in Marian Halcombe)
  • The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, worth hearing, but not fully satisfying)
  • The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, enjoyable listen)
  • Mr Wray’s Cash Box by Wilkie Collins (3 stars, okay)
  • The Evil Genius by Wilkie Collins (2 stars, too-didactic story on the evils of divorce, and horribly read by John Bolen)

In addition, I just finished Middlemarch by George Eliot. I didn’t like that as much as The Mill on the Floss, because the plot never reached a proper climax. However, the story was engaging throughout, and the depth of insight into the characters was truly remarkable.

What’s next for me? I’m not sure!

My Latest Reads on Audible

 Posted by on 28 June 2011 at 1:00 pm  Advertisement, Literature
Jun 282011
 

As I’ve blogged before, I’ve had a subscription with Audible for many years. I listen to audiobooks in my car, as well as while doing mindless chores and gardening. I’ve found that I much prefer to listen to fiction than to read it, because a good reader adds a rich layer of color to the text.

With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I receive 24 books per year for just under $10 per book. For the less devoted, you can try Audible for free, then choose your preferred type of subscription.

Audible is part of the advertising network to which I belong. By using any of these links to purchase a subscription, you support my work without costing yourself an extra cent.

Here are the audiobooks that I’ve read lately:

  • Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: Painfully naturalistic and malevolent, yet also epic and unforgettable.
  • The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: Also naturalistic, although more benevolent, but ultimately lacking in needed psychological depth.
  • The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: Compelling dystopia written for young adults, with shining and complex heroes.
  • The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot: Compelling but heart-wrenching, definitely recommended to fellow fans of Jane Austen.

A Plug for Audible

 Posted by on 22 April 2011 at 1:00 pm  Advertisement
Apr 222011
 

As many of you know, I listen to audiobooks regularly. I love classic literature, and I’ve found that I understand and enjoy it much better when read to me, rather than when I read it myself. Plus, I can consume so much more of my beloved literature when I read what fiction I can via audiobook, then the rest on my Kindle. Lately, I’ve listened to:

  • Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
  • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
  • Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Often, I hear people bemoan the expense of audiobooks. They’re looking at the crazy-expensive list prices on Amazon and elsewhere, and occasionally buying audiobooks that way. That’s a huge waste of money, in my view. Since 2005, I’ve had a subscription with Audible.com. That’s my sole source of audiobooks. With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I get 24 books per year, for just under $10 per book. That’s awesome. And they offer lesser subscriptions too, e.g. a $15 per month membership. Even that’s so much less than buying audiobooks on CD or through Amazon.

As it happens, Audible.com is part of the advertising network to which I belong. So I’ve decided to periodically remind you of how awesome they are — a subscription or even an individual audiobook would make a great Christmas present, for example — so that if you decide to purchase an audiobook or a subscription from Audible.com, you can contribute a bit to my work by doing so through me.

With any of the Audible.com links on this post — or with the one on the blog sidebar, you can enjoy a free 14-day offer of a free audiobook. Sounds good, no?

A Plug for Audible

 Posted by on 20 December 2010 at 8:00 am  Advertisement
Dec 202010
 

As many of you know, I listen to audiobooks regularly. I love classic literature, and I’ve found that I understand and enjoy it much better when read to me, rather than when I read it myself. Plus, I can consume so much more of my beloved literature when I read what fiction I can via audiobook, then the rest on my Kindle.

Often, I hear people bemoan the expense of audiobooks. They’re looking at the crazy-expensive list prices on Amazon and elsewhere, and occasionally buying audiobooks that way. That’s a huge waste of money, in my view.

Since 2005, I’ve had a subscription with Audible.com. That’s my sole source of audiobooks. With my super-fancy “Platinum Annual Membership,” I get 24 books per year, for just under $10 per book. That’s awesome. And they offer lesser subscriptions too, e.g. a $15 per month membership. Even that’s so much less than buying audiobooks on CD or through Amazon.

As it happens, Audible.com is part of the advertising network to which I belong. So I’ve decided to periodically remind you of how awesome they are — a subscription or even an individual audiobook would make a great Christmas present, for example — so that if you decide to purchase an audiobook or a subscription from Audible.com, you can contribute a bit to my work by doing so through me.

With any of the Audible.com links on this post — or with the one on the blog sidebar, you can enjoy a free 14-day offer of a free audiobook. Sounds good, no?

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