The Lie Behind the Lie Detector – and how to beat a polygraph
The Lie Behind the Lie Detector is now out in its fifth edition. The free book outlines the history of the lie detector, the science behind polygraphs and why they are highly unreliable bordering to plain pseudoscience. The authors George W. Maschke and Gino J. Scalabrini, who runs the website AntiPolygraph.org, takes the reader through the […]
The Ramayana Condensed into English Verse
This translation is the sixt attempt to make the Hindu epic Ramayana available in English from the original Sanskrit material. Romesh Dutt’s approach was to approximate the original presentation by translate it into English verses, a huge task, which he published in 1899. Romesh Dutt was born in Bengal and he had complete mastery of English. His first […]
The Perfumed Garden
The Perfumed Garden also known as The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight is a classic Arabic sex manual and a piece of erotic literature. Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Nafzawi probably wrote The Perfumed Garden sometime during the twelfth century somewhere around today’s Tunisia. The book is interesting because of its no-tabu approach, amusing stories and somewhat naive assumptions about human […]
Ten books for this summer
Some of you have asked me if I read all the books I post here on the site. I do not. I don’t even think that would be possible in my lifetime because of the number of books. But I have made a selection for myself for this summer to catch up, and I would like […]
Gitanjali – Song Offerings
Gitanjali – Song Offerings is the magnum opus of Rabindranath Tagore and the work that gave him the Nobel Prize. This is the English translation, Tagore wrote in Bengali and translated to English himself. The book consists of 103 poems rooted in the ancient spiritual wisdom of India. Most of the poems found in Gitanjali are […]
The book of spirits
The Book of Spirits was sent to me by the author last week. It is a short book he wrote for himself in order to “help me a little through this strange rabbit-hole we call life.” The author, his real name is not Funky Looking Monkey, writes us: “Reality is constant and always changing. I am […]
Holybooks just got a little sister
When I am looking for new additions to Holybooks.com, I often come across books in another niche I am very keen on. Books about adventurers, explorers, and logbooks from the travels in the ages of discovery. https://www.greatestadventurers.com is the new home for those works. So far only a handful books have been uploaded, but rest […]
Bayatu by G. I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann
Dear friends, today just a piece of music very dear to me by G. I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann called Bayatu. This is the piano and cello arrangement.
Join Holybooks.com on Twitter
Finally Holybooks.com is on Twitter, please also join us there: https://twitter.com/wwwholybookscom Twitter will be used like the Facebook page to announce new books, feature updates about the site and discuss suggestions etc.
Apollo 11 Flight Plan
Apollo 11 Flight Plan is a very special document. It was published by the NASA 1. Juli 1969 and it is detailed description of the entire mission to the moon. It includes precise time plans minute by minute for the days of the mission, info-graphics depicting the communication systems, the calculations for the series of […]
Belcher Mosaic Glass
I just came across this Public Domain gem. Henry F. Belcher was a master mosaic craftsman and he refined the art in the late 1800′ and gave name to the special Belcher process. This mosaic process makes it possible to create large mosaics with tiny pieces of glass that are both wind and water proof. This […]
Bizarre, Tantra and Radical Liberation categories added
In order to make it easier to find books here on holybooks.com I have added three new categories of books: Bizarre, Tantra and Radical Liberation. Earlier this year I added Biographies, Literature, Complete Works and Reference. I hope this all makes sense and will help you navigate the site more conveniently.
Science Without Bounds – A Synthesis of Science, Religion and Mysticism by Arthur D’Adamo
Science Without Bounds A Synthesis of Science, Religion and Mysticism by Arthur D’Adamo is a great attempt at discussing and documenting the gap and bridges between previously very diverse ideas. The author writes: I’ve never seen a book that presents this world view as a harmonious whole, though I’ve seen books that discuss bits and pieces, and even large sections. […]
Prologues by The TS Network
Prologues by The TS Network. In the early 2010’s the question of secular enlightenment began to gather steam on the philosophical discussion boards of the internet. Skeptic websites like Truth Strike, Open Source Analysis and Ruthless Truth stripped enlightenment of its spiritual garb and presented a simple means of attainment: Direct empirical observation of the […]
Sign up for the Holybooks.com newsletter
Did you know that Holybooks.com has a newsletter? Sign up here and receive the monthly email with all the latest books I have added to the library since last time. It is easy to sign up, I only ask for your email and name, and you can sign-out any time you want. Sign up here: Newsletter. Here […]
Broad View, Boundless Heart
Broad View, Boundless Heart by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. The Theravada tradition works with three characteristics of existence — anicca, dukkha, anatta (impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, selflessness).These are “chapter-one, page-one” Buddhism. But the Theravadans also talk about three other characteristics of existence, at a more refined level: suññata, tathata, and atammayata. Suññata is emptiness, which is talked about a lot. That […]
Facebook page and Gigabit uplink
Great news from the Admin-desk of Holybooks.com. I finally figured out how to create a Facebook page for Holybooks.com please take a look here: Link – give it a like, throw a comment and share with your friends. A sponsor have made it possible to switch to a gigabit uplink for the dedicated server that hosts Holybooks.com. In theory this […]
The First Six Books of The Elements of Euclid by Oliver Byrne
The First Six Books of The Elements of Euclid by Oliver Byrne – with the subtitle: In which coloured diagrams and symbols are used instead of letters for the greater ease of learners. This is a classic, illustrated textbook on geometry and a remarkable example of Victorian printing which has been described as one of the […]
A Guide to Shamatha Meditation by Thrangu Rinpoche
A Guide to Shamatha Meditation. Traditionally, it is said that to achieve enlightenment one has to first listen to or study the dharma, next one has to contemplate it, and finally one has to actually practice what has been learned through meditation. All Buddhist schools share and emphasis on meditation, particularly on tranquillity and insight meditation. These are often called by […]
The Discourse on the Snake Simile Alagaddupama Sutta
The Snake Simile is a teaching by the Buddha also known as Alagaddupama Sutta. The main concern of this discourse is to warn against misconceptions and dilution of the teachings Buddha revealed to his students. While the Buddha repeatedly stressed that his Teaching should be accepted only after due investigation, and uninfluenced by tradition or external authority; while he […]
Things as they are by Ajaan Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
Things as the are are talks originally given to the monks at Acariya Maha Boowa’s monastery, Wat Pa Baan Taad, in Udorn Thani Province, Thailand. As might be expected, they deal in part with issues particular to the life of Buddhist monks, but they also contain much that is of more general interest. Since the monks who had assembled to listen […]
Supermundane – The Inner Life – Book I-IV
Supermundane -The Inner Life – quadrilogy was written in 1938 by Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena. From the intro: “Friend, how can we discuss the Supermundane if energy is not yet realized as the foundation of Existence? Many will not understand at all what is meant by this, while others may think that they […]
Vedanta-Sutras With the Commentary by Sankaracharya
Vedanta-Sutras With the Commentary by Sankaracharya. The doctrine advocated by Sankaracharya’s comments is the most important and interesting one which has arisen on Indian soil; neither those forms of the Vedânta which diverge from the view represented by Sañkara nor any of the non-Vedantic systems can be compared with orthodox Vedânta in boldness, depth, and […]
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga Pradipika the original Sanskrit Swatmarama translated by James Mallinson and published in 2004. Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a classic root text of Hatha Yoga written in 15th century CE. The book is build around four chapters, including material on asanas, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis and mudras among other topics. Download […]
SELVES & NOT-SELF – THE BUDDHIST TEACHING ON ANATTA
Not all books here are 2.500 years old. This little gem, written by Thanissaro Bhikkhu was published in August 2011. The subtitle reveals the subject: Anatta – the Sanskrit word often translated to not-self. This book is written on the notes Thanissaro Bhikkhu wrote for at retreat in France with focus on Anatta. The book draws on […]
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