Mental Efficiency
Arnold Bennett
Read by Ruth Golding
In this light-hearted yet thought-provoking collection of articles, Bennett offers his thoughts on exercising the mind, organising your life, the advantages (and disadvantages) of marriage and other pocket philosophies.
The book stands the test of time, and much is still relevant and amusing - perhaps even more so, with nearly 100 years of hindsight, than when it was originally written.
The book "X" to which Bennett refers in Chapter 5 is An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus, of which there is also a Librivox recording. (Summary by Ruth Golding) (2 hr 50 min)
Chapters
| 1 - Mental Efficiency | 39:25 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 2 - Expressing One's Individuality | 10:05 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 3 - Breaking with the Past | 9:04 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 4 - Settling Down in Life | 12:07 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 5 - Marriage | 28:13 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 6 - Books | 17:46 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 7 - Success | 30:23 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 8 - The Petty Artificialities | 11:39 | Read by Ruth Golding |
| 9 - The Secret of Content | 12:02 | Read by Ruth Golding |
Reviews
Very good reading!
Philippe Horak
This book provides hints for a better life and successful personal growth. The book covers the topic of mental efficiency, expressing one's individuality, breaking with the past, settling down in life, marriage, books, success, the petty artificialities and the secret of content. Ruth Golding did it again and as well as usual! Many thanks for your valuable reading.
ðReadBetweenTheLinezð
A LibriVox Listener
I can't believe this fell in my lap when it did! I really enjoyed. I feel it is a timeless piece teetering between quantum physics and the quarrels of everyday life (i.e., feeling completely stuck in a mental haze for years and the remedies for relief. Apparently my search for such a correlation isn't at all a new dilemma).
Decent
TAReader1490
The reader of this book was fantastic, the material on the other hand was questionable at times. I appreciated the ideas that were presented in this book but at the same time the material did not necessarily have anything to do with mental efficiency. Most of the time it seemed that the author was just rambling on about one thing or another with no true central idea.
Outstanding!
Darus
Enjoyed the rambling nature of the content with fascinating insights throughout. Am looking forward to following the recommendations in the last chapter.
fun book
A LibriVox Listener
an excellent and fun read, manifesting a magnificent nonchalant and casual pose, touching an array of topics all respectful and ingenious in their own right which, read by the infalable Ruth Golding is definitely a worthwhile read.
A LibriVox Listener
definitely worth the time. read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin first. i did by happy coincidence. the reader is first rate, thanks for her excellent interpretation.
Worth Listening To
gaboora
The best chapter is chapter seven on success. Not everyone can succeed and not everyone wants to. This is an apt corrective to the idea that we should be weary of hearing: that anyone can accomplish anything. Chapter eight is an amusing chapter on the necessity of petty artificialities. Chapter nine is about contentment, from a Humanist, not a Christian, perspective. There is also a chapter on marriage, and another on forming a library. The bookman buys according to need, not according to what a seller has bound in a series. By series he means a series of classics, not the works of one man. Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) confesses to reading for pleasure merely, and not very much. This is why 'Mental Efficiency' is not as deep as so many other books from his era that touch on similar subjects. It is much better than self-help books that have been written since, however. The style is above average, and often witty. "The wisdom is Johnson's," he says once, "but I flatter myself on the italics." Ruth Golding is the favorite reader of so many listeners because her voice is expressive and it always rises to the occasion of the book she reads, no matter how erudite it is.
استمتعت بالاستماع
صالح زوبيري
أعجبتني خمسة فصول من أصل التسعة في الكتاب، الصوت واضح و يجذب المستمع في كامل التسجيل، و انا متأكد أنني لم أكن لأكمل الفصول التي لم تعجبني أو أن أطلع على كامل محتواها للتأكد من عدم إعجابي بها لولا سلاسة السرد و هدوء صوت الراوي. أنصح الجميع به