Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast

What gives someone the courage to leave behind everything familiar and travel to 147 countries in service of a higher calling? In 1953, a life-changing encounter with Shoghi Effendi transformed the path of Meherangiz Munsif. Leaving London behind, she set out alone to Madagascar and the French Cameroons, earning the title of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh.

In this episode, Jyoti Munsiff discusses her mother’s extraordinary journey and the book, Lifeline - co-authored with Pixie MacCallum. Part biography and part spiritual testament, Lifeline is an inspiring account of a courageous woman who anchored her life in daily prayer and meditation.

Lifeline - A Life of Prayer and Service as Experienced by Meherangiz Munsiff, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Meherangiz and Jyoti Munsiff can be purchased here >

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast ©2026 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is peace simply the absence of war? Or does lasting peace demand a far deeper transformation of how we understand ourselves, one another, and society?

Rather than approaching the question through history or sociology, Miguel Sanesteban Gil traces what Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá actually meant by peace, and why it is inseparable from unity and justice. What assumptions did they make about human nature? What moral transformation did they believe was necessary? And might the seemingly utopian ideal of world peace demand something intensely practical from every one of us?

The Concept of Peace in the Baha'i Faith by Miguel Santesteban Gil can be purchased here >

Presented and Produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast ©2026 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could the world’s smallest farms hold the key to feeding humanity? And can agriculture help reverse climate change rather than deepen it?

Hugh Locke - author of the new GR publication, Whole Earth Farming: Smallholders and the Great Regenerative Transformation - argues that, by embracing regenerative agriculture, global food production could be transformed, soils could be restored and communities strengthened. And remarkably, smallholder farmers working only a fraction of the world’s arable land could meet the world's food demand by the year 2050.

Whole Earth Farming: Smallholders and the Great Regenerative Transformation can be purchased here >

Presented and Produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast ©2026 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The nineteenth century not only saw the appearance of two Manifestations of God; it also witnessed the most far-ranging transformations, wrought by the Spirit of the Age upon human society and the rulers who - consciously or unconsciously - laboured under its influence. In His letters to the Kings of His time, Baha'u'llah commented upon the state of the masses, foreseeing in prophecy and allusion the tragic consequences of neglecting His call. In the George Ronald Publication, Baha'u'llah, The West and the Birth of Modernity - An Essay on the Awakening of Humanity, Stephen Beebe offers a perspective on Bahá’u’lláh’s messages to the Kings and the significance of His Revelation for the spiritual empowerment of the masses to become protagonists of their own advancement.

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Stephen Beebe speaks about Bahá’u’lláh’s call to the Rulers of His time, the spiritual awakening of humankind and its role in advancing civilization.

Baha'u'llah, The West and the Birth of Modernity - An Essay on the Awakening of Humanity can be purchased here >

Presented and Produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2025 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early years of the twentieth century, a galaxy of unforgettable women became the principle exponents of the Bahá’í message on both sides of the Atlantic. Among them were Lady Blomfield, whose social position lent added force to the ardour with which she championed the teachings, and Ethel Jenner Rosenberg, who was described by Shoghi Effendi as England's outstanding Bahá’í pioneer worker. These two unforgettable women are the subject of full length biographies written by Robert Weinberg and published by George Ronald.

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Yas Taherzadeh speaks to Robert Weinberg about these two unforgettable and pioneering women Bahá’ís.

Ethel Jenner Rosenberg: The Life and Times of England’s Outstanding Bahá’í Pioneer Worker can be purchased here >

Lady Blomfield: Life and Times can be purchased here >

Presented by Yas Taherzadeh

Produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the essence of the human spirit, and why does it hold the key to addressing the pressing challenges of our time? Could reclaiming the human spirit transform the 21st century into an era of hope and progress? In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Dr. Michael Penn - author of Our Common Humanity: Reflections on the Reclamation of the Human Spirit - shares why he believes that this shift in focus is essential for creating a more just and compassionate world. 

Our Common Humanity: Reflections on the Reclamation of the Human Spirit can be purchased here >

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The practice of fasting has been used for both spiritual development and physical healing for many centuries. In the Bahá’í Faith, as in many religions, a period of fasting once a year is seen as a symbol of purification and a means of moving closer towards our Creator, putting us in touch with our duty and destiny here on Earth. 

In her book The Supreme Remedy: Reflections on Applying Natural Healing Arts to the Baha’i Fast, Deborah Walters - a Doctor of Naturopathy - draws on both the Bahá’í teachings and her professional experience to examine the human condition of soul, mind and body, how they are interrelated, and how they can be integrated, transformed and energized through the spiritual discipline of the Bahá’í Fast.

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald podcast, Deborah Walters discusses how we can purify and energize soul, mind and body during the Fast and live a healthy lifestyle all year round.

Purchase The Supreme Remedy: Reflections on Applying Natural Healing Arts to the Baha’i Fast here >

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast (c) 2025 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Portals to Freedom by Howard Colby Ives - the second ever book published by George Ronald in 1943 - has been loved for more than eight decades for its pen portraits of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.  But not many people know the story of Howard Colby Ives and of his wife Mabel Rice-Wray Ives, whose dedication to the Bahá’í Faith made her a powerhouse in her own right. Together, they formed a powerful partnership, travelling across the United States and Canada in their service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. 

A Day for Very Great Things - The Lives of Howard Colby Ives and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives by Howard’s Great-Granddaughter Erica Toussaint and Earl Redman is the moving account of a husband and wife who strove to serve the Bahá’í Faith with complete commitment and constant sacrifice.

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Erica and Earl share their journey of research and recount some of the stories they found in more than 900 letters between this devoted couple, whose lives continue to offer inspiration today.

Purchase A Day for Very Great Things - The Lives of Howard Colby Ives and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives here >

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, a French baron Pierre de Coubertin promoted the idea of a world-embracing sporting contest which could bring nations together and promote internationalism and peace. Coubertin's conviction aligned closely with Bahá'u'lláh's emphasis on the oneness of humanity and the need to eliminate prejudice to achieve world peace. In his new book, Advancing the Oneness of Humanity - The Olympic Games, Kiser Barnes explores how Bahá'u'lláh's vision of the unity and oneness of humanity resonates with the Olympics through their shared emphasis on bringing together the diverse peoples of the world in a spirit of harmony and cooperation. 

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Kiser Barnes reveals the profound impact of the Olympics on global unity, inspiring generations to embrace these ideals. 

Purchase Advancing the Oneness of Humanity - The Olympic Games here >

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing was easy about transforming the barren and rocky mountainside of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land into the spectacular garden paradise it is today.

Its dramatic story began with the secret rescue in 1850 of the sacred remains of the Báb, Prophet-Herald of the Baha’i Faith. For almost 60 years, His casket was hidden in place after place. With infinite difficulty, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá raised up the first simple building to enshrine the Báb’s remains. Then, over successive decades, Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith completed the golden-domed superstructure and extended the gardens around it. In the 1990s, the stairway of 19 garden terraces, envisaged by 'Abdu'l-Bahá was constructed - completing a century of devotion, sacrifice and supreme expertise in architecture, engineering and horticulture.

This fascinating history of the Shrine of the Báb and its terraces is compellingly told in a trilogy of three books published by George Ronald - Journey to a Mountain, Coronation on Carmel and Sacred Stairway - written by Michael Day.

In this episode of Great Reads: The George Ronald Podcast, Michael Day talks about his own journey to telling the story of the mountain of God.

Purchase Journey to a Mountain, here >

Purchase Coronation on Carmel here >

Purchase Sacred Stairway here >  

Presented and produced by Rob Weinberg

This podcast © 2024 George Ronald Publisher. To use all or any part of it, kindly request permission by emailing [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.