For the ancient Greeks, the center of social activity was the Agora, a lively marketplace where people came not only to buy and sell goods but also to meet to exchange news and ideas.

Agora, Inc., a holding company of various international publishers of financial, health, travel and special interest books and newsletters, seeks to serve as a modern marketplace for news and breakthrough ideas.

Agora’s various companies offer their customers ideas, information and insights. But they do so in a manner very different from the traditional publishing house.

Rather than being centered on the medium — say books, magazines, or newsletters — Agora’s companies are centered on the ideas themselves. When they have something to say about a subject — whether it is speculative investing or natural health — they offer their ideas in many different ways, including books, newsletters, web sites, conferences, tours, and special reports. The medium is important from a business perspective... but it is not as important as the message itself.

And what is the message? Agora’s companies publish ideas on a variety of subjects. Some of these ideas are very practical — such as how to get the best price for an airline ticket. Others are rather abstract — such as their discussion of man's relationship to the state. But all of their messages have something in common. They all celebrate the virtue of thinking independently and taking responsibility for your own life.

Thus, through our subsidiaries in London and Paris, Pickering and Chatto...and Les Belles Lettres respectively, Agora's companies are publishing the great ideas upon which our western civilization is built. Those include ancient Greek and Roman authors in the original texts, the works of great pre-modern thinkers such as Charles Darwin and Adam Smith, and contemporary philosophers and thinkers such as Philippe Muray and David Friedman.

Not only are the businesses centered on ideas, but they're also organized according to the ideas. Each major idea, say for example, the idea that health improvements can be generated from the bottom up...from the experience of ordinary people networking together with health practitioners rather than passively awaiting the services of the health care industry, becomes a business in and of itself. And these businesses are led by someone who understands the idea and desires to realize its full potential. In the case of the informal health network mentioned above, the business leader has set up a worldwide system by which ordinary people as well as medical professionals share information. How do people really react to various health approaches? How do they feel about them? What new treatments, supplements, and health regimens are proving effective? These are just a few of the many questions this health network seeks to answer.

The idea of experiential, as opposed to theoretical, health research goes back to the ancient Greeks. Here again, the connection between the very old with the very new although now delivered with the very newest technology. One of the most effective tools for this kind of business is, of course, the internet. It makes gathering and dispensing information much cheaper and faster. Thus it is perfect for the health network, called Health Science Institute, and for many of the other businesses. Indeed, these companies are making use of the newest technology...and the oldest form of communication too. While they encourage their customers, partners and friends to stay in touch with us over the internet, they also make use of conferences, seminars and old-fashioned group meetings to facilitate, enliven and enrich the process of sharing ideas and information.

Our History

Launched outside Washington, D.C. in 1979, Agora started with the publication of International Living, a simple eight-paged typed newsletter about travel and retirement. More than 100,000 subscribers around the world are now familiar with this flagship publication.

Today Agora’s companies publish more than 300 books and 40 newsletters, reaching 1 million readers from around the world. There are also French, Spanish, German and Italian language versions of many of our titles.

Agora also maintains a partnership with Pickering & Chatto, one of Britain’s oldest academic book publishers.

International Living has moved its center of operations to Waterford, Ireland — fulfilling the dream it shared with its readers to live an international life.

Housed in a collection of 19th century mansions in the historic Mount Vernon district of Baltimore, Agora's companies also have affiliate offices in London, Bonn, Paris, Johannesburg, and Waterford.