-
The Library of Ancient Wisdom
- Length: Not Yet Known
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Library of Ancient Wisdom
Pre-order for $30.54
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
When a team of Victorian archaeologists began to dig into a grassy hill in Iraq, they chanced upon one of the oldest stores of knowledge ever seen: a library. As they excavated, and deciphered the library’s forgotten languages, they discovered that it had belonged to Ashurbanipal, a scholar king and conqueror who had ruled the kingdom of Assyria over two thousand years before.
After Ashurbanipal’s death, vengeful rivals burned his carefully curated library to the ground, and eventually the grass grew over it. Yet the library’s knowledge survived, carved on clay tablets which were accidentally, miraculously preserved, baked into longevity by the flames.
Assyriologist Selena Wisnom has spent years studying the tablets and is our expert, lively guide through the library stacks. These rich, strange texts reveal the extraordinary and little-known influence of an ancient society on our modern world: our understanding of the constellations, the aqueducts, the invention of medical diagnosis, the sixty-minute hour and much more is owed to the scholars of the ancient Middle East.
Beyond the scholars, the library also allows us to discover the everyday lives of the Assyrians in extraordinary detail, with letters recording their concerns about job security, disputes with in-laws, jealous rivalries, profound friendships and questions about the meaning of life. Here a long silent civilization can speak across thousands of years with its own voice, uncovering again the world beneath the hill.
Related to this topic
-
Here One Moment
- By: Liane Moriarty
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,420
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,370
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,370
The plane is jam-packed. Every seat is taken. So of course the flight is delayed! Flight attendant Allegra Patel likes her job—she’s generally happy with her life, even if she can’t figure out why she hooks up with a man she barely speaks to—but today is her twenty-eighth birthday. She can think of plenty of things she’d rather be doing than placating a bunch of grumpy passengers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By Feviegirl on 09-18-24
By: Liane Moriarty
-
The Boyfriend
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Victoria Connolly, Adam Blanford
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 361
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 357
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 357
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it all: men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot. Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet. Then the brutal murder of a young woman—the latest in a string of deaths across the coast—confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
The story whole thing is agonizing to listen to.
- By G Andrew Smith on 10-01-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
Atomic Habits
- An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- By: James Clear
- Narrated by: James Clear
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 137,844
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 112,790
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 111,736
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
start here, if you are looking to achieve in life
- By NL on 10-22-18
By: James Clear
-
Be Ready When the Luck Happens
- A Memoir
- By: Ina Garten
- Narrated by: Ina Garten
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 112
In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with those hungry for a seat at her table. Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ina’s Open Honesty
- By Marylin Angeloff on 10-03-24
By: Ina Garten
-
Revenge of the Tipping Point
- Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Why is Miami… Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena. Through a series of gripping stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Intriguing stories & insightful analysis
- By Lucy A. Pithecus on 10-02-24
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
All the Colors of the Dark
- By: Chris Whitaker
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,677
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,677
1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best book of 2024
- By Jmo930 on 07-04-24
By: Chris Whitaker
-
Here One Moment
- By: Liane Moriarty
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,420
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,370
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,370
The plane is jam-packed. Every seat is taken. So of course the flight is delayed! Flight attendant Allegra Patel likes her job—she’s generally happy with her life, even if she can’t figure out why she hooks up with a man she barely speaks to—but today is her twenty-eighth birthday. She can think of plenty of things she’d rather be doing than placating a bunch of grumpy passengers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful
- By Feviegirl on 09-18-24
By: Liane Moriarty
-
The Boyfriend
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Victoria Connolly, Adam Blanford
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 361
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 357
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 357
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it all: men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot. Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet. Then the brutal murder of a young woman—the latest in a string of deaths across the coast—confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
The story whole thing is agonizing to listen to.
- By G Andrew Smith on 10-01-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
Atomic Habits
- An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- By: James Clear
- Narrated by: James Clear
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 137,844
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 112,790
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 111,736
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
start here, if you are looking to achieve in life
- By NL on 10-22-18
By: James Clear
-
Be Ready When the Luck Happens
- A Memoir
- By: Ina Garten
- Narrated by: Ina Garten
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 112
In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with those hungry for a seat at her table. Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ina’s Open Honesty
- By Marylin Angeloff on 10-03-24
By: Ina Garten
-
Revenge of the Tipping Point
- Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Why is Miami… Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena. Through a series of gripping stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Intriguing stories & insightful analysis
- By Lucy A. Pithecus on 10-02-24
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
All the Colors of the Dark
- By: Chris Whitaker
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,829
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,677
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,677
1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best book of 2024
- By Jmo930 on 07-04-24
By: Chris Whitaker