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Home > Periodicals > Digital Books > 2009 > Adult Nonfiction
End of the Spear: A True Story RC 62833
15 hours 8 minutes
by Steve Saint
read by Lewis Grenville
Author's memoir of life among Ecuador's Waodani tribe, whose members murdered his missionary father in 1956. Recounts moving his family back to Ecuador in 1995 to help tribe members improve education and health care. Describes how these experiences and his faith allowed him reconcile with his father's reformed killers. 2005.
Forever on the Mountain: The Truth behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters RC 67223
16 hours 28 minutes
by James M. Tabor
read by Patrick Downer
The author uses diaries, letters, personal interviews with survivors, and government documents to investigate the disappearance of seven men in July 1967 when a storm hit as they attempted to scale Alaska's Mt. McKinley. Discusses allegations of incompetence and a cover-up. 2007.
The Gold of Exodus: The Discovery of the True Mount Sinai RC 65259
11 hours 53 minutes
by Howard Blum
read by Jake Williams
Describes how, in the late 1980s, Larry Williams, a self-made millionaire, and Bob Cornuke, an ex-policeman, discovered what they believed to be Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia. Recalls drawing the attention of both Saudi and Israeli agents when the site was revealed to be a top-secret Saudi military installation. 1998.
Miracle in the Andes: Seventy-two Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home RC 65781
9 hours 26 minutes
by Nando Parrado
read by Barry Bernson
A Uruguayan rugby player recounts surviving the 1972 plane crash that is remembered for causing acts of heroism and cannibalism. Discusses the physical perils of subzero weather, the group's reaction upon hearing that the rescue operation was called off, and the author's hike over the mountains for help. 2006.
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer RC 66847
23 hours 42 minutes
by Tim Jeal
read by Roy Avers
The biographer of Livingstone (RC 07906) reappraises the character and reputation of adventure traveler Henry Morton Stanley, based on access to previously sealed Stanley family archives. Provides details about Stanley's expeditions across Africa and examines misperceptions about his public career and intimate life. National Book Critics Circle Award. 2007.
The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild RC 67492
12 hours 27 minutes
By Craig Childs
read by Guy Williams
Childs, a naturalist and NPR contributor, recounts his personal experiences with wild animals, birds, and sea creatures. Describes swimming with sharks, rescuing a trapped raccoon, and observing an errant praying mantis, among other adventures. Reflects on his encounters and provides facts about each species. 2007.
Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo RC 66089
8 hours 34 minutes
By Lawrence Anthony
read by Christopher Hurt
South African conservationist chronicles efforts to restore the Baghdad Zoo, where most of the inhabitants succumbed to combat, looters, or starvation following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Describes the collaboration between zoo staff and American soldiers to save animals. Discusses the zoos 2003 reopening. Strong language and some violence. 2007.
Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog and Your Life RC 65205
10 hours 1 minute
By Cesar Millan
read by Bill Wallace
Dog trainer and author of the bestselling Cesar's Way (RC 62405) gives tips and techniques for disciplining and training canines. Discusses different breeds and dog psychology. Explains the importance of owners developing the behavior of a leader. Makes suggestions for managing stress in both owner and pet. 2007.
Chasing Kangaroos: A Continent, a Scientist, and a Search for the Worlds Most Extraordinary Creature RC 66755
8 hours 48 minutes
By Tim Flannery
read by Bill Wallace
Author of The Weather Makers (RC 63586) blends memoir, travelog, and natural history to portray the evolutionary origins of Australia's distinctive marsupial. Traces the development of modern-day kangaroos from ancestors including tiny, possum-like creatures and now-extinct ice age species. Discusses facts, fossil discoveries, and Australias unique environment. Strong language. 2004.
Chosen by a Horse: A Memoir RC 65349
5 hours 43 minutes
By Susan Richards
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
The author, a divorced social worker and recovering alcoholic, recounts her adoption of a sick, emaciated mare named Lay Me Down from among forty rescued horses at a local SPCA. Describes how, through Lay Me Downs love, she was able to heal her own wounds. Bestseller. 2006.
Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm RC 66105
7 hours 52 minutes
By Jon Katz
read by L.J. Ganser
Former New Jersey suburbanite and author of The Dogs of Bedlam Farm (RC 62296) relates additional adventures in upstate New York. Reflects on lessons learned from animals and people as he describes the challenges and rewards of rural life and of caring for an ever-growing menagerie. 2007.
Dogs: A Natural History RC 66357
6 hours 32 minutes
By Jake Page
read by Andy Pyle
Author of In the Hands of the Great Spirit: The 20,000-Year History of American Indians (RC 56097) traces sixty million years of canine evolution. Discusses wild relatives such as wolves and the process of domestication. Describes dog behavior, communication, and intelligence and ponders the relationship between dogs and humans. 2007.
Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons RC 65884
4 hours 52 minutes
By Gerald Durrell
read by Gary Tipton
Durrell, a naturalist and zookeeper, recounts voyages to the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, once home to the now-extinct dodo bird. Describes the efforts of his team to collect endangered species and bring them to his Jersey sanctuary to ensure their survival. 1977.
A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life RC 63830
6 hours 26 minutes
By Jon Katz
read by Bruce Nelson
The Dogs of Bedlam Farm (RC 62296) author recalls his relationship with his troubled border collie Orson. Describes efforts to correct Orson's behavioral problems on Katz's upstate New York farm and the evolution of their bond, which, Katz writes, tested the limits of training, knowledge, patience, of love itself. 2006.
Hand-Feeding Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide RC 66627
3 hours 41 minutes
By Hugh Wiberg
read by Butch Hoover
Massachusetts author discusses his twenty years of experience patiently feeding wild birds from his hand and gives step-by-step instructions for others to learn to hand-feed. He provides information on each of the species of birds he has successfully befriended and includes tips on photographing birds. 1999.
The Loved Dog: The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior RC 64854
5 hours 15 minutes
By Tamar Geller
read by Leslie Stewart
Humane Society advisor and owner of a cage-free boarding facility offers a training manual based on positive reinforcement, not punishment. Discusses effective communication techniques and nonviolent ways to attain good behavior such as sitting and walking on a leash and to correct bad behavior, such as jumping and begging. 2007.
Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog RC 65346
14 hours 24 minutes
By Ted Kerasote
read by Bill Wallace
Award-winning outdoor writer relates his adventures with a mixed-breed Labrador dog, Merle, which he found wandering in the Utah desert and adopted. Describes how Kerasote allowed Merle to come and go freely to promote self-reliance and intelligence. Discusses canine psychology and the lessons they exchanged about partnership. Bestseller. 2007.
Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Bronté, Emily Dickinson, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf
9 hours 31 minutes
By Maureen B.Adams
read by Polly Stone
A psychologist researches five women writers who relied on their dogs for emotional support during crises. Discusses the relationships authors Elizabeth Barrett, Emily Bronté, Emily Dickinson, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf had with their favorite pets. Commercial audiobook. 2007.
Steve and Me RC 66251
7 hours 31 minutes
By Terri Irwin
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Former Oregonian wildlife rehabilitator Terri Irwin describes her late husband Steve Irwins work rescuing crocodiles and other endangered animals, both as a television personality in The Crocodile Hunter and as an Australian zoo owner. Discusses family life, before and after Steve's 2006 death from a stingray barb. 2007.
Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon RC 66505
10 hours 32 minutes
By Nick Trout
read by Joe Peck
Boston veterinary surgeon Trout describes his typical work day, recounting anecdotes about his patients and their owners. Discusses interpreting animal behavior and symptoms to determine a diagnosis, the impact of technology on his practice, human-pet bonds, and the emotional effects of euthanizing companion animals on all involved. 2008.
Gay Artists in Modern American Culture: An Imagined Conspiracy RC 66843
12 hours 14 minutes
By Michael S. Sherry
read by Gary Tipton
History professor addresses the influence of gay men on mid-twentieth-century American culture and examines antihomosexual attitudes prevalent then. Discusses the conspiracy theories that a homosexual mafia dominated the arts and describes changes in perceptions that occurred after the 1969 Stonewall riots, when gays rebelled against police in New York. 2007.
Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography RC 67443
28 hours 2 minutes
By David Michaelis
read by John Polk
Biography of Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, which he drew from 1950 until his death in 2000. Describes his childhood, the realization of his long-held desire to be a cartoonist, his family life, his two marriages, and the autobiographical aspects of his characters. 2007.
The Hazards of Space Travel: A Tourist's Guide RC 66404
9 hours 17 minutes
By Neil F. Comins
read by John Haag
Scientific facts and fictional log entries from an imaginary astronaut reveal the risks and challenges awaiting tourists in outer space. Discusses air, land, and water problems on other planets; reentry and impact dangers; equipment failures; and radiation, medical, and mental health issues. Examines likely locations. 2007.
Lives of the Planets: A Natural History of the Solar System RC 66469
10 hours 7 minutes
By Richard Corfield
read by Jake Williams
A survey of the solar system from the Sun to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Chronicles the technological developments, space missions, and discoveries particularly in the last half of the twentieth century that deepened human understanding of each planets unique surface chemistry, atmospheric conditions, and 4.5-billion-year natural history. 2007.
Rockets RC 64859
11 hours 15 minutes
By Joseph A. Angelo Jr.
read by Butch Hoover
The history of rocket development from thirteenth-century Chinese fire arrows to powerful launch vehicles for twentieth- and twenty-first-century space exploration. Describes the historic events, scientific principles, and technical breakthroughs that led to satellites and robot spacecraft. Includes biographies of scientists and aerospace engineers. For senior high and older readers. 2006.
Space Race: The Epic Battle between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space RC 64644
14 hours 29 minutes
By Deborah Cadbury
read by Butch Hoover
Examines the superpower rivalries that fueled the race to the moon and the engineering masterminds behind it: Sergei Korolev in the Soviet Union and Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi, in the United States. Discusses the political paranoia of the cold war era and the technological advances it produced. 2006.
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Ace of Spades: A Memoir RC 64657
8 hours 11 minutes
By David Matthews
read by David Hartley-Margolin
Biracial author recounts growing up in Baltimore in the 1970s and 1980s. Discusses being raised by his African American father after his Caucasian mother deserted them, passing for white in high school, and blending in with the black students in college. Strong language. 2007.
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt RC 64865
20 hours 45 minutes
By Eleanor Roosevelt
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Self-portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), wife of U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a champion of human rights. Recalls her childhood years, her involvement in politics, her role as first lady, and her international focus after FDRs death in 1945. Includes personal observations about her husband and children. 1961.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X RC 65510
20 hours 17 minutes
By Malcolm X
read by L.J. Ganser
The life of African American religious leader Malcolm X (1925–1965). The author describes his boyhood in Lansing, Michigan, street life in Harlem, conversion to the Black Muslim movement while imprisoned for robbery, and evolution into a high-profile spokesman for black dignity, power, and separatism. Foreword by Alex Haley. 1964.
Barack Obama RC 64442
2 hours 18 minutes
By Sherri Devaney and Mark Devaney
read by Chuck Young
Biography of the biracial Illinois senator who became a Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election. Describes Obama's childhood, education including Harvard Law School, early experiences as a community organizer, and later career as a state senator and congressman. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption RC 64590
13 hours 14 minutes
By William Cope Moyers
read by Ray Hagen
Broadcaster Bill Moyers's son William, once employed at CNN, details his struggle with alcohol and drugs that culminated in a crack addiction in 1994. Describes his father's attempts to help him, his relapses, his successful rehabilitation, and his current work at the Hazelden Foundation. Some strong language. 2006.
Brother, I'm Dying RC 66074
7 hours 58 minutes
By Edwidge Danticat
read by Robin Miles
Author recalls her childhood in Haiti where she was raised by her uncle Joseph, a minister. Describes their volatile Port-au-Prince neighborhood and her uncle's treatment at the hands of a pro-Aristide mob and U.S. Customs officials. Some violence and some strong language. National Book Award finalist. 2007.
Circling My Mother: A Memoir RC 66360
10 hours 56 minutes
By Mary Gordon
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Author of Shadow Man (RC 43651) and other works creates a portrait of her Catholic career-woman mother whose ninety-four years were shaped by childhood polio, alcoholism, and senile dementia. Gordon reflects on her bond with her mother and on the blessings and the burdens of loving her. 2007.
Freedom: The Story of My Second Life RC 64069
6 hours 11 minutes
By Malika Oufkir
read by Yolande Bavan
Moroccan woman continues her autobiography after recalling her family's twenty years in prison in Stolen Lives (RC 52093). Describes her years under house arrest following her release and her emigration to France and later the United States. Tells of coping with modern inventions and a culture of excess. 2006.
Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them RC 65557
18 hours 47 minutes
By John McCain
read by John Polk
U.S. senator from Arizona profiles individuals who made courageous choices under difficult circumstances. Details the need for awareness, foresight, timing, confidence, humility, and inspiration. Includes Gerald Ford's pardoning of Richard Nixon, astronaut Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon, and Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball. Some strong language. 2007.
Huey: Spirit of the Panther RC 65331
9 hours 31 minutes
By David Hilliard
read by Chuck Young
Author recalls the life of his colleague Huey P. Newton (1942–1989), who cofounded the Black Panther Party in 1966 with Bobby Seale. Describes Newton's relationship with Eldridge Cleaver and involvement in social justice. Discusses Newton's flight from criminal charges to Cuba and eventual murder. Violence and strong language. 2006.
Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford RC 66566
15 hours 23 minutes
By Julia Fox
read by Suzanne Toren
Recounts the life of Jane Parker, the sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife. Describes Jane's marriage to Anne's brother George and her loyalty to the Boleyn clan. Discusses her life in the royal court after George and Anne were executed and Jane's own beheading years later. 2007.
Kinfolks: Falling off the Family Tree; the Search for My Melungeon Ancestors RC 65489
8 hours 35 minutes
By Lisa Alther
read by Mary Kane
Novelist of Original Sins (RC 22323) depicts her intensive genealogical search for her Melungeonor multi- racial Appalachian ancestors. Describes trekking across Europe, the Middle East, and the American Southwest while seeking clues about her family's origins. Discovers Pocahontas and colonialists from various countries are part of her family tree. 2007.
A Leader Born: The Life of Admiral John Sidney McCain, Pacific Carrier Commander RC 67168
10 hours 14 minutes
By Alton Keith Gilbert
read by Jake Williams
Biography of career sailor John Slew McCain, who graduated from Annapolis in 1906. Describes his World War I service on an armored cruiser and aviation expertise that led him to command aircraft in World War II under William Bull Halsey. Introduction by his grandson, Arizona senator John McCain III. 2006.
The Lost Life of Eva Braun RC 64845
22 hours 50 minutes
By Angela Lambert
read by Madelyn Buzzard
British author's biography of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's mistress Eva Braun (1912–1945), a Catholic, middle-class woman who met Hitler when she was seventeen. Examines the cultural history of Germany during Braun's lifetime and attempts to decipher the enigma of the couple's mutual attraction. Includes interviews with Braun's cousin. 2006.
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World RC 66801
14 hours 10 minutes
By Lucette Lagnado
read by Suzanne Toren
Wall Street Journal reporter presents her family's life in post-World War II Cairo. Lagnado, focusing on her dashing and resilient father Leon, chronicles her Jewish upbringing in Nasser's Egypt and the political and social upheavals that precipitated the emigration of her family to Paris and subsequently New York. 2007.
Mississippi Sissy RC 64850
11 hours 11 minutes
By Kevin Sessums
read by Gary Tipton
Former Vanity Fair editor describes his Jackson, Mississippi, youth in the 1950s and 1960s. Recounts his parents' early deaths, the sexual abuse he suffered, his introduction to the arts and gay communities, and his association with journalist Frank Hains. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2007.
My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir RC 65396
11 hours 44 minutes
By Clarence Thomas
read by Richard Hauenstein
Autobiography of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas (born 1948), who reminisces about being raised by his maternal grandfather, a strict Catholic, in segregated Georgia. Describes his education, graduation from Yale Law School, and professional career up to his controversial 1991 ascent to the high court. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir RC 66017
11 hours 56 minutes
By Marina Nemat
read by Yolande Bavan
Author recalls her life as a Christian in Iran. Discusses her childhood, her two-year internment in Ayatollah Khomeini's prison from age sixteen, and her rescue by her interrogator, Ali. Covers her marriage to Ali, his death, and Nemat's emigration to Canada. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2007.
Sandra Day O'Connor: Justice in the Balance RC 64684
8 hours 14 minutes
By Ann Carey McFeatters
read by Kristin Allison
Biography of the first woman U.S. Supreme Court justice. Describes O'Connor's youth on an isolated Arizona ranch, her difficulty finding jobs after her 1952 graduation from law school, her 1981 appointment to the Supreme Court, and her life as a wife and mother. For senior high readers. 2005.
The Seventeen Traditions RC 65025
3 hours 28 minutes
By Ralph Nader
read by Jack Fox
Civic activist shares life lessons gleaned from family and community during his boyhood in rural Connecticut. Revisits the people and events that shaped his youth as he reflects on the importance of history, health, sibling equality, education, listening, independent thinking, simple enjoyments, work, discipline, reciprocity, charity, patriotism, and solitude. 2007.
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood RC 65740
5 hours 34 minutes
By Ibtisam Barakat
read by Yolande Bavan
Young woman from Ramallah describes her childhood memories from 1967 to 1971. Recalls Islamic traditions, visits to relatives, family celebrations, being detained by Israeli soldiers, the Six-Day War, and the fears that constantly stalked her as a Muslim living in Israel. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
Ten Green Bottles: The True Story of One Family's Journey from War-Torn Austria to the Ghettos of Shanghai RC 67434
11 hours 56 minutes
By Vivian Jeanette Kaplan
read by Suzanne Toren
Memoir of a family's 1939 escape from the Nazis and ten-year struggle to survive in China. Daughter Nini describes marrying her Polish friend Poldi, enduring the Japanese occupation and communist takeover, and emigrating to Canada with her own daughter, the author. Compares life to fragile green bottles. Some violence. 2002.
Teta, Mother, and Me: Three Generations of Arab Women RC 63183
17 hours 22 minutes
By Jean Said Makdisi
read by Suzanne Toren
Jerusalem-born professor recounts the lives of her mother, Hilda Musa Said, and maternal grandmother, Munira Badr Musa Teta, throughout the turbulent late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Makdisi compares their lives to her own as she struggles to balance family and work with the notions of feminism, Arab culture, modernity, and tradition. 2005.
A Three-Dog Life RC 65383
4 hours 1 minute
By Abigail Thomas
read by Michele Schaeffer
Author describes rebuilding her life after her husband was institutionalized for a traumatic brain injury he sustained when a car hit him in 2000. Thomas reflects on the evolution of their relationship and how she copes with help from family, friends, knitting, and her three dogs Rosie, Harry, and Carolina. 2006.
Too Close to the Sun: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton RC 66911
12 hours 49 minutes
By Sara Wheeler
read by Corrie James
Biography of the English big-game hunter and bush pilot who, after his accidental death in 1931, was immortalized by his lover Karen Blixen (a.k.a. Isak Dinesen) in her book Out of Africa (RC 23011) and also by Beryl Markham in her memoir West with the Night (RC 23744). 2006.
When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided by Race RC 66420
14 hours 10 minutes
By Judith Stone
read by Lisette Lecat
Documents the life of South African Sandra Laing who in 1966 at age ten was expelled from a white school after being reclassified as colored due to her appearance. Recounts how, at fourteen, Sandra ran away with an African boyfriend and endured a lifetime of poverty. Some strong language. 2007.
A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father RC 66665
6 hours 30 minutes
By Augusten Burroughs
read by Michael Scherer
Author of Running with Scissors (RC 54817) and Magical Thinking (RC 59479) reexamines his relationship with his father John, an emotionally distant, alcoholic professor. Recalls early childhood attempts to win Johns affections and lifelong fear of becoming like him. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. Bestseller. 2008.
The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir RC 65784
12 hours 20 minutes
By Victoria Rowell
read by Erin Jones
Biracial ballerina-turned-actress, who was born a ward of the state of Maine, recounts being raised by several extraordinary foster mothers. Describes her various mentors, both black and white, including farm and city folk, professional dancers, and a suburban teacher and their extended families. Some strong language. 2007.
The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life RC 64691
8 hours 9 minutes
By Allen Rucker
read by Bill Wallace
Memoir by a screenwriter who at age fifty-one suddenly became paralyzed from the waist down by transverse myelitis. Discusses his rehabilitation and laments the lack of positive wheelchair role models in the movies. Relates interactions with the able-bodied from his wheelchair and his thoughts on disability. Some strong language. 2007.
The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story, a Biography RC 64720
8 hours 17 minutes
By Rosalind Perlman
read by John Haag
Biography of Chicago-born Jacob Bolotin (1888–1924), blind from birth. The author, whose husband was related to Bolotin, discusses Bolotin's determination to become a physician and describes the hard-won training that enabled him to practice medicine as a respected heart and lung specialist. Some strong language. 2007.
Blind Rage: Letters to Helen Keller RC 63900
9 hours 40 minutes
By Georgina Kleege
read by Nicola Daval
A blind professor, author of Sight Unseen (RC 48328), pens letters to the deceased Helen Keller and probes for the private feelings behind Keller's idealized public image. Kleege expresses admiration for Keller but criticizes her as an unrealistic model. Speculates about Keller's love life and personal emotions. 2006.
Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar of Expectations
9 hours 38 minutes
By Judy Winter
read by Catherine Byers
Award-winning journalist and mother of a son with cerebral palsy offers a motivational, how-to approach to raising a child with special needs, including multiple sclerosis, Down syndrome, autism, and hearing and sight impairments. Focuses on the importance of interactions between families, professionals, and communities. Includes success stories and resources. 2006.
Cassette Books, 2005 RC 64840
18 hours 48 minutes
By National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
read by various narrators
Annual catalog of talking books produced on cassette during 2005 for adult and young adult readers. Lists fiction and nonfiction by subject categories. Separate listings identify teen selections, Spanish-language books, and bestsellers. 2006.
Cassette Books, 2006 RC 64841
18 hours 3 minutes
By National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
read by various narrators
Annual catalog of talking books produced on cassette during 2006 for adult and young adult readers. Lists fiction and nonfiction by subject categories. Separate listings identify teen selections, Spanish-language books, and bestsellers. 2007.
Disability Awareness—Do It Right! Your All-in-One How-to Guide: Tips, Techniques, and Handouts for a Successful Awareness Day RC 64616
6 hours 22 minutes
edited by Mary Johnson
read by Colleen Delany
The Ragged Edge Online community's guide to planning and presenting a disability awareness event. Explains the negative consequences of disability simulations and suggests alternative activities that promote the concept of ableism, as advocated by the disability rights movement. Includes a countdown calendar, a checklist, resources, and readings. 2006.
Eavesdropping: A Life by Ear RC 63716
6 hours 30 minutes
By Stephen Kuusisto
read by Neil Berman
The author of Planet of the Blind (RC 45500), who has been legally blind since birth, explains how he perceives the world around him through listening. In these essays he describes childhood influences, adult travels, artful eavesdropping, and love of poetry and Caruso's singing. 2006.
Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism RC 65495
5 hours 1 minute
By Jenny McCarthy
read by Suzanne Toren
The actress who shared her pregnancy in Belly Laughs (RC 58301) and first year of parenthood in Baby Laughs (RC 60589) describes dealing with her two-year-old son's seizure and subsequent diagnosis of autism. McCarthy details the healing therapy she gives to her son. Strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Poster Child: A Memoir RC 64965
8 hours 37 minutes
By Emily Rapp
read by Nicola Daval
Former March of Dimes poster child recounts both physical and emotional struggles following a foot amputation at age four. Describes the effect of subsequent operations and prosthetics on her self-image and relationships and relates how she eventually accepted her body, considering it individual, imperfect, and unique. Strong language. 2007.
Seeing beyond Blindness RC 65093
11 hours 7 minutes
By Shelley Kinash
read by Margaret Strom
Inquiry into the blind person's online-learning experience. Author presents interpretive research culled from interviews with seven blind online learners and twenty-five others—blind and sighted—including parents, teachers, and inventors of accessibility resources. Discusses usability and user issues such as technological proficiency and working knowledge of adaptive technology. 2006.
Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness: The Process of Responding to Lifes Demands
13 hours 35 minutes
By Dean W. Tuttle and Naomi R. Tuttle
read by Lou Harpenau
Third edition of a manual written for professionals who work with blind and low-vision individuals. Topics include an overview of blindness and its meaning for the individual. Describes the adjustment to the condition, psychological implications, and issues of self-esteem. Includes case studies. 2004.
The Short Bus: A Journey beyond Normal RC 65310
10 hours 17 minutes
By Jonathan Mooney
read by Erik Synnestvedt
The author relates graduating from Brown University and buying a bus similar to the one he rode in childhood to attend a special-education learning-disabilities program. Describes his four-month trip across America and meeting other adults and children who challenge society's definition of normal. Strong language. 2007.
Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope RC 66580
10 hours 19 minutes
By Richard M. Cohen
read by Gordon Gould
Author of Blindsided (RC 57643) relates his interviews with five people who, like himself, are dealing with chronic illness. They discuss the experiences that helped them to find control, peace, and grace since their diagnoses of ALS, muscular dystrophy, bipolar disorder, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and Crohns disease. 2008.
Supportive Parenting: Becoming an Advocate for Your Child with Special Needs RC 65114
11 hours 17 minutes
By Jan Starr Campito
read by Kerry Dukin
A mother of children with special needs explains how parents can look after their own child's best interests at school and at home. Details ways to obtain diagnoses, therapeutic interventions, and educational services. Describes special-education bureaucracy, support networks, a child's transition to adulthood, and successfully structuring the home. 2007.
Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood at FDRs Polio Haven RC 65783
7 hours 13 minutes
By Susan Richards Shreve
read by Kerry Dukin
Novelists account of her childhood with polio. Describes entering the Georgia Warm Springs Polio Foundation at age eleven in 1950, the care she received there, the personnel and patients she befriended, and getting kicked out two years later because of her preadolescent high jinks. 2007.
The Wounded Warrior Handbook: A Resource Guide for Returning Veterans DB/RC 68275
20 hours 2 minutes
By Don Philpott and Janelle Hill
read by Kerry Dukin
Guide for injured U.S. military veterans and their families provides information on medical treatment, rehabilitation, mental-health counseling, family support, and transitioning to civilian life. Details benefits, taxes, and legal issues and discusses bereavement. Includes resources and success stories. 2009.
The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World RC 65374
22 hours 25 minutes
By Alan Greenspan
read by Christopher Hurt
Autobiography of the head of the Federal Reserve Board from 1987 to 2006. Focuses on his career as an economist during six presidential administrations. Discusses key economic factors, including stock-market crashes, globalization, and public policy. Speculates on future trends in U.S. and world economies, based on historical continuity. Bestseller. 2007.
The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger RC 67484
14 hours 22 minutes
By Marc Levinson
read by Butch Hoover
Economist traces the development of the shipping container as a cheap means to transport goods, beginning in the 1950s. Explains its effects on the economic landscape, such as eliminating longshoremen's jobs and changing port communities. Features Malcom McLean, a trucking company owner, as the major force in this dynamic. 2006.
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future RC 65890
9 hours 14 minutes
By Bill McKibben
read by Butch Hoover
Author of Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age (RC 62090) contends that economic growth no longer brings wealth but instead generates inequality and insecurity. Addresses unsustainable production and negative effects such as environmental degradation and emotional dissatisfaction. Advocates restructuring local economies to be more self-sufficient and community oriented. 2007.
Does Outsourcing Harm America? RC 66812
3 hours 4 minutes
edited by Katherine Read Dunbar
read by Kevin Collins
Discusses the practice of hiring contractors from outside a firm—often outside the country—to perform work less expensively than staff members would. Critics claim that sending work overseas deprives Americans of jobs, while corporations assert that out- sourcing is efficient, cost-effective, and necessary in the global marketplace. For senior high readers. 2006.
The Everything Home-Based Business Book: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run a Successful Home-Based Business RC 66152
9 hours 41 minutes
By Jack Savage
read by Lou Harpenau
Owner of a home-based publishing company offers a guide to starting and maintaining a business out of ones residence. Discusses business plans, financing strategies, technology systems (including Internet use), legal and tax issues, marketing techniques, and more. 2000.
Flower Confidential RC 65156
10 hours 46 minutes
By Amy Stewart
read by Kerry Dukin
Horticulturalist travels the world examining the floral industry–from breeding and growing to harvesting and selling. Describes the work of hybridizers, geneticists, and farmers to produce flowers engineered for fragrance, color, size, and durability to supply the global marketplace. Includes tips on caring for and feeding cut flowers. 2007.
Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill) RC 65751
13 hours 10 minutes
By David Cay Johnston
read by Robert Sams
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Perfectly Legal (RC 57892) asserts that federal subsidies and deregulation policies benefit large corporations and wealthy individuals while adversely affecting the middle class and the poor. Argues that the government gives handouts to Wal-Mart and free loans to billionaires like Warren Buffet. Bestseller. 2007.
Internet Riches: The Simple Money-Making Secrets of Online Millionaires RC 66994
8 hours 18 minutes
By Scott Fox
read by Scott Fox
Business consultant describes simple methods for making money on the Internet, including some that require no start-up capital or technical training. Identifies e-business opportunities and ways to test ideas. Also offers legal, financial, and marketing advice. Commercial audiobook. 2008.
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman RC 64777
6 hours 56 minutes
By Yvon Chouinard
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Autobiography of environmentalist and founder of the California company Patagonia, Inc. Describes both his background as an avid outdoorsman and his foray into business. Chouinard details his nontraditional philosophies on design, production, finances, employment practices, and the environment and contends that business can enrich lives and still be profitable. 2005.
Service and Style: How the American Department Store Fashioned the Middle Class
13 hours 54 minutes
By Jan Whitaker
read by Kristin Allison
Social and cultural history of large, independently owned, downtown department stores from their 1870s beginnings to their post-WWII decline following the proliferation of chain and discount retailers. Examines their impact on fashion, gender roles, urban development, and consumerism. Discusses the redefinition of middle-class living standards to include material expression. 2006.
Small Business, Big Life: Five Steps to Creating a Great Life with Your Own Small Business RC 65474
6 hours 28 minutes
By Louis Barajas
read by Mark Ashby
Barajas, a successful financial planner who returned to his East Los Angeles roots to help the working class, presents his blueprint for creating a profitable small business without sacrificing family life and fun. He discusses the four values—truth, responsibility, awareness, and courage—he considers necessary to achieve this balance. 2007.
Supercrunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart RC 64544
7 hours 43 minutes
By Ian Ayres
read by Michael Kramer
Yale economist contends that information culled from huge databases, such as those created by Amazon and Google, can provide insight into human behavior and make accurate predictions if properly analyzed. Discusses the use of number crunching in medical diagnosis, online dating, airline ticket pricing, and baseball recruitment. Commercial audiobook. 2007.
The Trillion-Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash
5 hours 52 minutes
By Charles R. Morris
read by Bill Wallace
Morris, a lawyer and former banker, analyzes the rise and fall of the early 2000s credit bubble. Predicts devaluations and defaults on assets including mortgages, high-yield bonds, leveraged loans, and credit cards. Examines the enabling role of monetary authorities and suggests ways to restore market faith and credibility. Bestseller. 2008.
Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life) RC 65201
7 hours 57 minutes
By Cathie Black
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Female president of Hearst Magazines offers advice on achieving career success and personal contentment. Black highlights her rise in the media industry, including becoming the first woman publisher of a weekly magazine and building USA Today from an upstart to a widely read newspaper. 2007.
Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America RC 66262
9 hours 37 minutes
edited by Sue Grafton
read by Kristin Allison
Tony Hillerman, Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky, and others provide advice on such topics as composing convincing dialog, mastering pacing and suspense, developing series characters, depicting violence, and revising and marketing manuscripts. They also cover writing mystery-genre specialties including young adult, medical, legal, historical, and true-crime stories. Some violence. 2002.
Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American RC 64663
25 hours 25 minutes
By Richard S. Tedlow
read by Jake Williams
Harvard professor traces the life of Andy Grove, from his youth in war-torn Hungary in the 1940s to his 1987–98 leadership of Intel. Also follows Intel's evolution, from its 1968 creation to its trajectory from semiconductors to microprocessors under Grove's management. Discusses Grove's ability to survive corporate setbacks. 2006.
Grace Hopper: Admiral of the Cyber Sea RC 65262
11 hours 14 minutes
By Kathleen Broome Williams
read by Kerry Dukin
History professor focuses on the naval career of computer scientist Grace Hopper (1906–1992), known as the grand lady of software, from her work during World War II until her retirement in 1986. Describes Hopper's civilian work in creating languages and programming for the first generation of computers. 2004.
The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness RC 66165
9 hours 49 minutes
By Steven Levy
read by Butch Hoover
Newsweek correspondent interviews Steve Jobs and others at Apple Computer to reveal the development of transistor technology that led to the creation of the iPod. Highlights Jobs's enlistment of all major record labels to distribute their music via the iTunes Music Store. For senior high and older readers. 2006.
Bobbi Brown Living Beauty RC 65029
5 hours 6 minutes
By Bobbi Brown
read by Kerry Dukin
Cosmetics mogul Bobbi Brown, entering her fifties, explains the art of makeup for women over forty. Offers tips on skin care, nutrition, and fitness, and advocates using makeup instead of plastic surgery to correct problems. Also gives advice on clothing and hair. Includes case studies. 2007.
Go Green, Live Rich: Fifty Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying RC 66850
5 hours 20 minutes
By David Bach
read by John Polk
Financial expert and author of The Automatic Millionaire (RC 57712) describes ways to improve the environment and save money. Suggestions include reducing home utility bills, improving fuel economy, using recycled materials, opting out of junk mail, paying bills online, telecommuting, and investing in socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Bestseller. 2008.
Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer) RC 65689
10 hours 46 minutes
By James J. Cramer
read by Bill Wallace
Market pundit and author of Jim Cramer's Mad Money (RC 64090) offers a monetary guide for readers of all ages. Discusses lifetime investing, family finances, bull markets, stocks, and mutual funds. Highlights twenty long-term money-making stocks. Bestseller. 2007.
Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won't Tell You
7 hours 40 minutes
By David Reed
read by Jack Fox
Loan officer and author of Mortgages 101 (RC 59734) demystifies the loan process for potential homebuyers. Covers filling out mortgage applications, understanding credit reports, choosing between fixed and adjustable rates, saving money on closing costs, and refinancing. Includes tips on avoiding scams and dealing with brokers. 2007.
Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial IQ: Get Smarter with Your Money
7 hours 56 minutes
By Robert T. Kiyosaki
read by John Haag
The author of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series explains, to laypeople, his principles of investing and successfully managing money. Offers five basics of financial intelligence: make more money, protect it, budget it, leverage it, and improve financial knowledge. Provides practical applications. Foreword by Donald Trump. 2008.
Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan DB/RC 67859
7 hours 51 minutes
By Suze Orman
read by Mary Kane
Financial advisor offers practical steps for dealing with difficult economic times. Gives a breakdown of the conditions that led to the 2008 global credit crisis and posits that consumers must take action to avoid further financial problems. Covers savings, retirement investing, homeownership, college funds, credit, and unemployment. Bestseller. 2008.
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Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral RC 65127
5 hours 8 minutes
By Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays
read by Faith Potts
Hostesses' suggestions for arranging an authentic Southern funeral that both respects the dead and flatters the survivors. Answers such questions as Can you be properly buried without tomato aspic? Includes dozens of recipes as well as tips on music and flower selection. 2005.
Christmas with Paula Deen: Recipes and Stories from My Favorite Holiday RC 65761
4 hours 24 minutes
By Paula Deen
read by Erin Jones
Television chef presents recipes for the Christmas holiday including ideas for giving gifts of food and for hosting an open house. Also covers baking traditional cookies and preparing breakfast and dinner on the special day. Shares her memories of celebrating the season with family and friends. Bestseller. 2007.
Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family RC 66856
13 hours 5 minutes
By Ken Haedrich
read by Gary Tipton
Food writer and father of four offers recipes and advice for vegetarian families. Offers a wide variety of dishes that are quick to prepare and contain easy-to-find ingredients. The selections allow families to explore different styles of vegetarianism, including vegan and lacto-ovo diets. 1998.
Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours DB/RC 67657
5 hours 45 minutes
By Trisha Yearwood
read by Kerry Dukin
Grammy Award-winning country and western singer Trisha Yearwood and her mother and sister compile their family's Georgia recipes. Trisha, who is married to fellow entertainer Garth Brooks and lives in Oklahoma, shares personal anecdotes along with ideas for the beginning cook. Includes simple steps and supermarket shortcuts. Bestseller. 2008.
The Gluten-Free Bible: The Thoroughly Indispensable Guide to Negotiating Life without Wheat RC 62808
23 hours 9 minutes
By Jax Peters Lowell
read by Kerry Dukin
Comprehensive guide to living with celiac disease, the inability to digest grains containing gluten. Identifies edible and off-limits foods, providing dozens of recipes. Includes advice on emotional, social, family, and medical issues and tips on grocery shopping, traveling, and eating out. Lists celiac-friendly companies, restaurants, hotels, and products. 2005.
I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence RC 65319
3 hours 44 minutes
By Amy Sedaris
read by Amy Sedaris
Playwright and comedian offers tongue-in-cheek advice on entertaining and shares more than one hundred recipes, including meat loaf wreath and Poppy's shake-a-leg drumsticks, for occasions such as ladies' night and blind dates. Provides craft ideas—most of which involve panty hose—for decorating theme parties. Commercial audiobook. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2006.
The Improvisational Cook RC 64594
13 hours 56 minutes
By Sally Schneider
read by Faith Potts
Columnist and former chef presents dozens of basic recipes intended to be built upon to bring spontaneity and creativity to the kitchen. Explains the fundamentals of flavor combinations and logic behind each dish that can be easily modified using on-hand ingredients. Offers scores of suggested adaptations. 2006.
Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table RC 66340
8 hours 4 minutes
By Moosewood Collective
read by Gary Tipton
Dozens of recipes for meals that can be prepared quickly and require only a few nonperishable pantry items and high-quality fresh ingredients. Dishes include pasta, beans, tofu, salads, sandwiches, sauces, grains, and fish. Provides tips on substitutions and variations, cooking techniques, and advance meal preparation and suggestions for leftovers. 2005.
Rachael Ray: Just in Time! All-New Thirty-Minute Meals, Plus Super-Fast Fifteen-Minute Meals and Slow-It- Down Sixty-Minute Meals RC 65762
9 hours 6 minutes
By Rachael Ray
read by Erin Jones
Providing new recipes for her trademark quick and simple meals, television chef Ray also offers some dishes that are more complex. Both types cover a variety of categories including burgers, sandwiches, thick soups (stoups), stews, seafood, pasta, and entrees made of vegetables, meat, and poultry. Bestseller. 2007.
Rosa's New Mexican Table RC 66625
11 hours 4 minutes
By Roberto Santibañez
read by Gary Tipton
A variety of dishes from the chef of the New York restaurant Rosa Mexicano. Provides information on ingredients, equipment, and cooking techniques often used in Mexican cuisine. Includes recipes for chicken flautas, tortilla soup, red rice, refried beans, crab enchiladas, and poblanos stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. 2007.
Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink DB/RC 66647
26 hours 18 minutes
edited by David Remnick
read by Roy Avers
Essays, poems, short stories, and memoirs about regional and ethnic cooking gathered from the New Yorker. Includes commentary from gastronomes such as Calvin Trillin, Adam Gopnik, and Jane Kramer. Features M.F.K. Fishers homage to cookery witches and Roald Dahl's tale Taste, about a wine snob's comeuppance. 2007.
The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation RC 64664
16 hours 1 minute
By David Kamp
read by Jake Williams
Magazine editor chronicles the rise of epicurean cuisine in America from the 1930s to the twenty-first century. Examines the introduction of international foods, the emergence of culinary media, and the improvement in ingredients variety and quality. Highlights the impact of chefs like Julia Child on the food revolution. Some strong language. 2006.
The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone RC 64991
5 hours 38 minutes
By Jacqueline Mallorca
read by Michele Schaeffer
Dozens of recipes using gluten-free grains, flours, and other ingredients for people with wheat allergies or celiac disease. Covers everyday cooking and weekend entertaining, including pastas, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, breads, cookies, cakes, and more. Provides tips on grocery shopping and a list of mail-order suppliers. 2007.
Yum-o! The Family Cookbook RC 66865
5 hours 34 minutes
By Rachael Ray
read by Erin Jones
Food Network host Ray suggests ways to make healthful eating easier, more affordable, and fun for families. Offers recipes designed to encourage children to help prepare meals. Provides ideas for breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners, including rollover suppers that make use of leftovers. 2008.
Armed and Dangerous: The Hunt for One of America's Most Wanted Criminals RC 64543
5 hours 52 minutes
By William Queen and Douglas Century
read by Jim Zeiger
Vietnam veteran and author of Under and Alone (RC 60481) recalls his career as an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) in Southern California. Describes the 1986 apprehension of drug dealer and survivalist Mark Stephens. Violence and some strong language. 2007.
The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival RC 66015
11 hours 26 minutes
By Stanley N. Alpert
read by Nick Sullivan
The author, a New York federal environmental prosecutor and Brooklyn native, describes being kidnapped at gunpoint on the eve of his thirty-eighth birthday, forced into a carload of thugs, and held captive for twenty-five hours. Explains how he later helped police track down his captors. Violence and strong language. 2007.
Coronary: A True Story of Medicine Gone Awry RC 64774
12 hours 25 minutes
By Stephen Klaidman
read by Ted Stoddard
Journalist exposes the case of two California physicians who allegedly performed unnecessary cardiac surgery on unsuspecting patients for profit. Using interviews with patients, administrators, and the FBI, describes the cases against Chae Hyun Moon and Fidel Realyvasquez, the damage to their patients' health, and the civil settlements. Some strong language. 2007.
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets RC 66836
9 hours 34 minutes
By Sudhir Venkatesh
read by Alec Volz
Venkatesh, a sociologist profiled in Freakonomics (RC 60337), recounts gaining access to a Chicago-based drug gang in the 1990s when he was a graduate student. Describes his protective relationship with gangleader J.T. that allowed Venkatesh to document the organizations inner workings and illicit activities. Strong language and some violence. 2008.
If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer RC 65392
7 hours 46 minutes
By O.J. Simpson
read by Ray Foushee
O.J. Simpson, acquitted in criminal court but found liable in a civil trial for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, wrote this account of how, hypothetically, he would have killed Nicole. Commentary by the Goldman family. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2006.
If Looks Could Kill RC 66984
12 hours 8 minutes
By M. William Phelps
read by Jay Charles
Traces the police investigation into a motorcyclist's execution of Jeff Zack in an Akron, Ohio, parking lot in 2001. Describes Zack's lifestyle of adultery, lies, and financial dealings that led police to a suspect with a deadly motive. Commercial audiobook. 2008.
Internal Combustion: The True Story of a Marriage and a Murder in the Motor City RC 66304
17 hours 42 minutes
By Joyce Maynard
read by Faith Potts
Explores the 2004 murder of a retired automobile engineer by his schoolteacher wife of thirty-two years. Describes the couple's grown sons' opposing views—one depicted a battered woman defending herself, the other a bitter person punishing her husband for planning to leave. Some strong language. 2006.
Lethal Guardian RC 66985
13 hours 33 minutes
By M. William Phelps
read by Jay Charles
Describes Connecticut real estate lawyer Beth Carpenter's attempt to obtain guardianship of her two-year-old niece after Beth's estranged sister married former exotic dancer Buzz Clinton. Discusses Beth's plan to win custody allegedly hiring hit men in 1994 to kill Clinton. Commercial audiobook. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2004.
Never Enough RC 65896
9 hours 29 minutes
By Joe McGinniss
read by Ray Foushee
Details events leading to the 2003 murder in Hong Kong of wealthy investment banker Rob Kissel by his wife Nancy. The author's portrayal of the Kissel family includes Rob's embezzling older brother Andrew, whose unsolved murder occurred three years later in Connecticut. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2007.
Scambusters! More than Sixty Ways Seniors Get Swindled and How They Can Prevent It
5 hours 52 minutes
By Ron Smith
read by Gary Tipton
Concise manual on recognizing fraudulent activity and avoiding becoming a victim. Describes dozens of scenarios involving banking and credit, nursing homes, health care, online pharmacies, insurance, investments, the Internet, car repairs, charitable donations, shopping, and telemarketing. Includes resources. 2006.
Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder: And Other True Cases; Ann Rules Crime Files, Volume 12
12 hours 48 minutes
By Ann Rule
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Marriages gone wrong are featured in this true-crime collection. In The Deputy's Wife a retired cop plotted to have his family killed so he could inherit his wife's money. The Minister's Wife recounts the murder of the Reverend Winkler by his quiet wife. Some violence and some strong language. 2008.
Stealing Your Life: The Ultimate Identity Theft Prevention Plan RC 64907
7 hours 38 minutes
By Frank W. Abagnale
read by Butch Hoover
Former criminal, now a fraud expert, provides a guide to safeguarding personal information. Exposes criminal tactics and offers a twenty-step prevention plan with tips including using a shredder, avoiding questionable web sites and ATMs, and consolidating credit cards. 2007.
Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal RC 64880
13 hours 3 minutes
By Ann Rule
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Crime journalist interviews investigators, prosecutors, and victim's families to chronicle the investigation of Jenn Corbin's 2004 murder and the conviction of her husband, dentist Bart Corbin, in Georgia. Discusses the circumstances surrounding Jenn's death that led authorities to reopen the 1990 suicide case of Bart's ex-girlfriend. Some violence. 2007.
You Can Run, but You Can't Hide RC 65351
12 hours 38 minutes
By Duane Dog Chapman
read by Jim Zeiger
Memoir of a bounty hunter. Describes his life as a gang member, chronicles his substance-abuse issues and prison experience, and discusses his recommitment to his faith and his transformation. Highlights his bounty-hunting assignments, including the capture in Mexico of convicted rapist Andrew Luster. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2007.
Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating DB/RC 67688
18 hours 2 minutes
By Walter C. Willett
read by Gary Tipton
Harvard Medical School professor challenges the USDA food pyramid while explaining his and other scientists' research on the long-term effects of diet on health. Whole grains, healthy oils, fruits, vegetables, good sources of protein, and a multivitamin are among his recommendations. Stresses weight control and exercise. Includes recipes. 2001.
Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
9 hours 43 minutes
By Lisa Lillien
read by Madelyn Buzzard
A cookbook that evolved from a daily e-mail service about guilt-free eating. The author describes her recipes as simple, fun, and easy meals made using packaged foods and shortcuts. Provides nutritional information and tips on foods to avoid. Includes guides for surviving parties, movies, restaurants, and convenience stores. Bestseller. 2008.
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto RC 65229
7 hours 33 minutes
By Michael Pollan
read by Jake Williams
The author of The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (RC 62557) asserts that food-industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists have distorted our notions of a balanced diet. Advocates eating a traditional diet and regionally grown food. 2008.
The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals RC 65528
6 hours 52 minutes
By Missy Chase Lapine
read by Kerry Dukin
Guide to utilizing creative recipes for healthy meals that kids enjoy eating. The author experiments with food her children rejected to make nutrient-rich dishes that they eat without complaint. Includes grocery lists, nutritional information, and required kitchen tools along with recipes. Bestseller. 2007.
You Can Eat That! Awesome Food for Kids with Diabetes RC 66342
6 hours 18 minutes
By Robyn Webb
read by Kerry Dukin
Nutritionist Webb discusses diabetes management for children and provides kid-friendly recipes for smoothies, packed lunches, snacks, sweets, soups, and main entrees designed to meet a diabetic's requirements. Includes food suggestions for parties and holidays. 2007.
You, on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management RC 67442
10 hours 57 minutes
By Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
read by Jack Fox
The authors of You: The Owner's Manual (RC 60685) explain the physiology and psychology of gaining weight and provide a diet and activity plan. Includes recipes and describes exercises. Appendixes discuss medical options for weight control, such as drugs and surgery. Bestseller. 2006.
The Last Word: The Best Commentary and Controversy in American Education RC 65782
8 hours 56 minutes
selected by Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily and Veronika Herman Bromberg
read by Butch Hoover
Essays on issues surrounding the U.S. elementary and secondary educational system from the opinion section of Education Week, a nonpartisan, independent newspaper. Educators, administrators, and other contributors discuss topics such as class size, teacher salaries, testing standards, curricula, technology in the classroom, and public versus charter and private schools. 2007.
Making It Work: Educating the Blind/Visually Impaired Student in the Regular School
8 hours 6 minutes
By Carol Castellano
read by Michele Schaeffer
This practical guide offers techniques for making the public-school experience successful for blind and visually impaired children. Covers skills, tools, and principles for constructing an effective program in the classroom. 2005.
China Ghosts: My Daughter's Journey to America, My Passage to Fatherhood RC 66515
8 hours 16 minutes
By Jeff Gammage
read by Robert Sams
Reporter recalls the emotional experience he and his wife shared when adopting two girls from China. Describes meeting their first daughter, Jin Yu, in Changsha and their initial anxiety over her health. Examines his mixed emotions toward the parents who abandoned Jin Yu and the orphanage that housed her. 2007.
The Confident Child: Raising a Child to Try, Learn, and Care RC 66409
8 hours 44 minutes
By Terri Apter
read by Judith Ann Gantly
Child psychologist and author of The Myth of Maturity (RC 53165) offers advice to parents on raising a child with self-esteem. Focuses on the years five to fifteen when emotional intelligence is formed. Uses scenarios to cover topics such as discipline, school success, sibling rivalry, friendship, and morals. 1997.
The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be RC 66639
11 hours 8 minutes
By Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash
read by Butch Hoover
Month-by-month guide to emotional, financial, and physical changes men may experience during the course of their partners pregnancy. Offers advice on understanding prenatal testing, starting a college fund, strengthening ones relationship with the mother-to-be, providing support during labor and delivery, and preparing for life with a new baby. 2001.
Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited RC 66863
8 hours 36 minutes
By Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
read by Erin Jones
Authors describe learning in their mid-thirties that they are identical twins who as infants were separated by a New York adoption agency. They recount their experiences before and after being reunited and discuss their birth mother and the nature versus nurture study that separated them. Some strong language. 2007.
It's a Boy: Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age Eighteen DB/RC 66844
20 hours 41 minutes
By Michael Thompson and Teresa H. Barker
read by Gary Tipton
The clinical psychologist and the journalist who collaborated on Raising Cain (RC 50309) address concerns of boys—and their parents—during each stage of childhood and the teen years. The authors discuss physical, social, academic, moral, and cognitive development. They also cover parental attachment, emotional self-regulation, and identity issues. 2008.
The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child: With No Pills, No Therapy, No Contest of Wills DB/RC 66636
10 hours 2 minutes
By Alan E. Kazdin
read by Jack Fox
Director of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic details his method of identifying a child's defiant behavior, determining a positive opposite, and using a temporary reward system to mark a child's progress toward that goal. Discusses touch and tone of voice and provides instructions for various ages. 2008.
Scream-Free Parenting: A Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool RC 64981
4 hours 56 minutes
By Hal Edward Runkel
read by Hal Edward Runkel
Family therapist uses anecdotes to offer an attitude-based methodology for raising children. Advises parents to take control of their own emotional responses. Advocates raising self-directed individuals by allowing them space to make their own mistakes rather than providing continual direction and supervision. Includes discussion questions. Commercial audiobook. 2007.
Touchpoints, Birth to Three: Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development RC 65050
20 hours 32 minutes
By T. Berry Brazelton
read by Timothy Hayes Lynch
Pediatrician defines touchpoints as predictable times preceding growth spurts when a child briefly regresses. Covers development from the prenatal period through age three, emotional and behavioral patterns through age six, and the role of caregivers in a child's life. Updated edition includes information on ADHD and obesity prevention. 2006.
Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship between Adult Children and Their Parents RC 66279
7 hours 0 minutes
By Jane Isay
read by Jill Ferris
Author conducts dozens of interviews to explore complicated, sometimes strained, relationships between parents and their grown children. Examines underlying desires—of children for independence and of parents for authority—and suggests ways to reconcile conflicts, set boundaries, and strengthen bonds. Addresses factors such as divorce and finances. 2007.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life RC 64800
16 hours 44 minutes
By Barbara Kingsolver
read by Catherine Byers
Novelist Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible (RC 46882), describes moving back to an ancestral farm in the Appalachians with her biologist husband and two daughters to live off the land. Details caring for the garden, canning vegetables, and buying local meats. Decries the toxicity of industrial agriculture. Bestseller. 2007.
Dog-Friendly Gardens, Garden-Friendly Dogs RC 66349
6 hours 36 minutes
By Cheryl S. Smith
read by Kerry Dukin
Tips on keeping both a garden and a dog harmoniously. Provides recommendations for bed design and vegetation, including groundcovers and grass, and warns against harmful plants and products. Covers mulches, composts, vegetables, paths, fencing, and some aspects of dog play. Discusses designating pet-digging areas. 2004.
The Elements of Organic Gardening: Highgrove, Clarence House, Birkhall RC 66180
5 hours 39 minutes
By Charles, Prince of Wales
read by Butch Hoover
The Prince of Wales discusses the organic gardens he helped design and maintain during twenty-six years at Highgrove, and the two gardens he managed in London and Scotland after his grandmothers death. Describes using organic principles and stewardship to create a sustainable garden. 2007.
Fallscaping: Extending Your Garden Season into Autumn
7 hours 58 minutes
By Nancy J. Ondra and Stephanie Cohen
read by Jill Fox
After introducing key plants for providing fall blooms, berries, seedheads, and foliage, the authors offer advice on combining these to create gardens that look good not only in the autumn but in one or more other seasons as well. Includes a fall garden-care primer and lists gardening techniques. 2007.
Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates, and Fences RC 66341
4 hours 51 minutes
By Jim Long
read by Lou Harpenau
Describes how to make garden structures with a few simple tools by using the age-old craft of bending freshly cut saplings. Lists appropriate woods, their durability, and tips on finding them. Includes step-by-step instructions, suggestions for selecting complementary plants, and tea-party recipes to enjoy with completed projects. 1998.
The Victory Garden Companion: America's Most Popular Gardening Series Offers Expert Advice for Creating a Beautiful Landscape for Your Home RC 65555
10 hours 46 minutes
By Michael Weishan and Laurie Donnelly
read by Butch Hoover
Weishan, host of a public television gardening show, provides a comprehensive guide to landscaping for all experience levels. Stresses the importance of planning and design in choosing appropriate plants and outdoor features. Includes step-by-step instructions for weekend projects and advice on soil preparation, maintenance, and common problems. 2006.
American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction RC 66001
7 hours 7 minutes
By L. Sandy Maisel
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Distills the American electoral process and critiques its imperfections. Surveys the history of political parties, the electoral-college system, presidential campaigns, and state party organizations. Author laments low voter turnout, the lack of competition among political parties, and the state of campaign financing. 2007.
. . . And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress RC 65068
13 hours 46 minutes
By Charles B. Rangel
read by Bob Moore
Memoir of African American Democratic U.S. congressman from New York. Recalls his impoverished youth in Harlem, his U.S. army service in Korea, and his four-decade political career. Discusses his philosophy for overcoming obstacles and his positions on social and legislative issues, including the war in Iraq. Some strong language. 2007.
Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency DB/RC 67659
16 hours 4 minutes
By Barton Gellman
read by Butch Hoover
Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman details the inner workings of Vice President Dick Cheney's office through interviews with Cheney's colleagues and critics. Discusses the war in Iraq, the interrogation of prisoners, domestic espionage, and Cheney's beliefs supporting a strong commander in chief. Bestseller. 2008.
Are American Elections Fair? RC 66057
3 hours 15 minutes
edited by Stuart A. Kallen
read by Peter Johnson
Ten essays debate the U.S. election process. Includes arguments for and against the electoral college, electronic voting machines, felons and illegal aliens voting rights, and campaign finance reform. Discusses the disputed presidential election of 2000 and provides a list of relevant organizations. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
The Assault on Reason RC 65009
9 hours 2 minutes
By Al Gore
read by Steven Carpenter
Former U.S. vice president denounces the unhealthy atmosphere of American politics and posits that democracy is in danger. Decries media consolidation, threats against the judiciary, and the denigration of science. Suggests restoring the rule of reason. Bestseller. 2007.
Bill of Wrongs: The Executive Branchs Assault on America's Fundamental Rights RC 65200
7 hours 20 minutes
By Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Political commentator Molly Ivins (1944–2007), who toured the country for fifteen years speaking in defense of constitutional freedoms, describes the like-minded individuals she met. Protests illegal wiretaps, unlawful imprisonment, undermining freedom of the press, and the Patriot Act. 2007.
Bridging the Divide: My Life RC 65129
12 hours 53 minutes
By Edward W. Brooke
read by Bob Moore
Autobiography of the African American Republican U.S. senator from Massachusetts first elected to his post in 1967. Recalls growing up in segregated Washington, D.C., and serving as an officer in World War II. Looks back on the civil rights movement, the Watergate scandal, and other historic events. 2007.
Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President
21 hours 15 minutes
By Stephen F. Hayes
read by Jake Williams
Journalist interviews the forty-sixth U.S. vice president, his friends, and his colleagues to chronicle Cheney's political career, which began in 1968 as a congressional intern. Discusses Cheney's choice of politics over academe, his work in several administrations, and the intelligence measures he enforced following the September 11 terrorist attacks. 2007.
Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels among the Youth of the Middle East RC 66405
12 hours 4 minutes
By Jared Cohen
read by Peter Ganim
Account of Jewish American Rhodes scholars 2004–2005 travels throughout the Middle East. Details author's attempts to befriend members of Hezbollah in Lebanon, college students in Iran, Palestinian refugees, and Kurds to ascertain their political attitudes and identify technologys role in shaping their worldviews. For senior high and older readers. 2007.
Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History RC 67000
22 hours 21 minutes
By Ted Sorensen
read by Bill Wallace
Nebraska-born Sorensen, advisor and speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy from 1953 to 1963, highlights his role in writing Profiles in Courage (RC 58855) and in the events that engulfed the nation during Kennedy's term, including the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Sorensen also discusses his later political and legal career. Bestseller. 2008.
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals DB/RC 67341
14 hours 57 minutes
By Jane Mayer
read by Steven Carpenter
Author of Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas (RC 39587) investigates America's use of forceful interrogation techniques to obtain information from radical Islamists after the September 11, 2001, attacks and the 2001 anthrax mailings. Details battles within the Justice Department over constraints on the treatment of detainees. Bestseller. 2008.
Fair Game RC 65411
12 hours 36 minutes
By Valerie Plame Wilson
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Valerie Plame Wilson's account of her career focuses on events surrounding her exposure as a CIA agent after her husband contradicted President Bush on whether Iraq sought uranium from Africa. Reporter Laura Rozen's afterword provides information that is lost in the CIA's extensive redaction. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
The Final Move beyond Iraq RC 64931
14 hours 56 minutes
By Mike Evans
read by Ray Childs
Award-winning journalist warns of the threat of Islamofascism, a radical form of Islam that seeks world domination. Posits that Islamic revolutionary ideas have spread from Iran to Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territory. Urges action to stop Iran's nuclear program. Includes interviews with world military and political leaders. Bestseller. 2007.
Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments Are Scamming Usand What to Do about It DB/RC 67191
11 hours 43 minutes
By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
read by Bob Moore
Political analysts allege that the actions of lobbyists, credit-card companies, subprime real-estate loan providers, Chinese toy manufacturers, and others waste taxpayers' money. Bestseller. 2008.
Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton RC 64985
14 hours 36 minutes
By Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr.
read by Michele Schaeffer
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters analyze Hillary Clinton's personal and public life, including her years in Arkansas, the White House, and the U.S. Senate and as a 2008 presidential candidate. Authors conducted interviews and researched documents to portray Clinton's legislative career, faith-based social activism, and marriage. 2007.
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy RC 65702
23 hours 34 minutes
By John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt
read by Bill Wallace
Political scientists posit that the pro-Israel lobby has pressured the U.S. government into Middle East policies including the war with Iraq—that are strategically and morally unjustifiable and against the country's best interests. Traces anti-Americanism in the Arab world and outlines a new approach to addressing the lobby's power. 2007.
Journals: 1952–2000 RC 65529
28 hours 42 minutes
By Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
read by Fred Major
Journals of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Schlesinger (1917–2007) continue his memoirs begun in A Life in the Twentieth Century (RC 51449). Offers an informal survey of political, social, intellectual, and historical events of the second half of the twentieth century. Highlights his work for and friendship with President Kennedy. Bestseller. 2007.
Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Laws That Changed America RC 66592
23 hours 11 minutes
By Nick Kotz
read by Peter Johnson
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist details the partnership between Johnson and King that enabled the passing of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, 1965, and 1968. Stresses that the mens common values, love of the South, and belief in American democracy fostered their success despite their division over the Vietnam War. 2005.
Kids Are Americans Too RC 65835
2 hours 42 minutes
By Bill O'Reilly and Charles Flowers
read by Gregory Gorton
Television talk-show host and author of The O'Reilly Factor for Kids (RC 59422) explains constitutional rights and responsibilities. Tackles such questions as, Do schools have the right to search students belongings without probable cause? and, Can music be downloaded for free? For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism DB/RC 67530
7 hours 4 minutes
By Andrew J. Bacevich
read by Joe Peck
Professor and retired army colonel alleges that American citizens are complicit in the twenty-first-century economic, political, and military crises facing the country. Decries the United States as a nation of debtors led by an incompetent Congress, engaged in multiple wars, and dependent on foreign oil. Bestseller. 2008.
The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality DB/RC 67073
11 hours 43 minutes
By Jerome R. Corsi
read by Mark Ashby
Corsi, coauthor of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out against John Kerry (RC 58936), began tracing Illinois senator Barack Obama's political and personal background in 2004. Posits that an Obama administration and far left agenda will leave the United States militarily weakened and economically diminished. Bestseller. 2008.
Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the United Nations, Congressional Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection, and Drug Companies Are Ripping Us Off . . . and What to Do about It RC 64986
12 hours 31 minutes
By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
read by Mary Kane
Political analysts allege systematic corruption by special-interest groups that exploit the American political and legal systems for profit. Cites Fannie Mae, the estate tax, the teachers union, and the U.S. Congress as examples. Bestseller. 2007.
Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics RC 67337
17 hours 42 minutes
By Joe Biden
read by Jim Zeiger
Autobiography of the U.S. senator from Delaware who was first elected to Congress in 1972 at age twenty-nine. Recalls his Irish Catholic upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington and the tragic deaths of his first wife and daughter. Highlights political and social issues that arose during his tenure. 2007.
The Reagan Diaries RC 64804
36 hours 37 minutes
By Ronald Reagan
read by Peter Johnson
Historian Douglas Brinkley, author of The Boys of Pointe du Hoc (RC 61223), edits journals kept by fortieth president Ronald Reagan during his two terms in office, from 1981 to 1989. Daily chronicles include Reagan's thoughts on his family, political issues, religion, and his empathy for citizens with physical disabilities. Bestseller. 2007.
The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America RC 66266
19 hours 23 minutes
By Ronald Brownstein
read by Jake Williams
Political correspondent posits that hyperpartisanship between Republicans and Democrats has impeded the solution of America's most pressing problems, including immigration, health insurance, and dependence on foreign oil. Chronicles the cycles of conflict and cooperation between the parties from 1896 to the twenty-first century and suggests ways to reach consensus. 2007.
Why Women Should Rule the World RC 66331
8 hours 27 minutes
By Dee Dee Myers
read by Kerry Dukin
Political commentator and former White House press secretary discusses the persistence of a cultural glass ceiling. Posits that if there were more women leaders in society, there would be more cooperation, progress, and conversation. Offers examples of a double standard from her own career in politics. Bestseller. 2008.
Label It! Braille and Audio Strategies for Identifying Items at Home and Work DB/RC 67704
2 hours 30 minutes
By Judith M. Dixon
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Advocates investing time and energy to label items to organize ones environment and make daily life more manageable. Offers tips on methods, tools, and materials for creating labels for apparel, medications, food containers, appliances, and miscellaneous items. 2008.
Popular Mechanics Garage Makeovers: Adding Space without Adding On RC 65031
5 hours 34 minutes
By Rick Peters
read by Lou Harpenau
Author of Woodworkers Hand Tools (RC 55981) offers a guide to exterior and interior garage upgrades for better space utilization. Includes instructions for enclosing a carport or creating a craft room, workshop, or living space. Provides information on flooring, walls, ceilings, windows, doors, storage, and plumbing and electrical systems. 2006.
Popular Mechanics When Duct Tape Just Isn't Enough: Quick Fixes for Everyday Disasters DB/RC 66635
3 hours 45 minutes
By C.J. Petersen
read by Lou Harpenau
Tips for dealing with home plumbing, electrical, gardening, cleaning, and structural problems, as well as issues with tools, furniture, and appliances. Topics include handling noisy sinks and radiators, freeing jammed garbage disposal blades, deodorizing micro- waves, watering plants while you are on vacation, and collecting a basic set of tools. 2007.
Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most RC 67113
10 hours 58 minutes
By Ciji Ware
read by Carol Dines
Aiming her advice primarily at mid- lifers who are relocating, Ware describes ways to deal with the practical and emotional aspects of winnowing possessions to fit a new lifestyle and a smaller living space. Includes seven steps to accomplish rightsizing, tips on maintaining the changes, and a resource directory. 2007.
Sink Reflections RC 66849
6 hours 47 minutes
By Marla Cilley
read by Carol Dines
Web-based housecleaning authority Cilley, www.FlyLady.net, offers suggestions for making housework fun and organized. Begins with shiny sink 101 and provides steps for a five- minute room rescue and a before bed routine. Mandates family cooperation and a touch of spirituality. Includes testimonials from online readers. 2002.
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Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far) RC 65405
4 hours 36 minutes
By Dave Barry
read by Michael Kramer
A compilation of Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist's Year in Review columns for the years 2000–2006, supplemented with a bonus overview of the past millennium. He addresses terrorism, global warming, nuclear proliferation, reality television, and people walking around wearing cell-phone earpieces even when theyre not talking on their phones. 2007.
Jokes to Go: One Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-six of the Funniest Bits from the Best Comedians RC 67123
6 hours 3 minutes
edited by Judy Brown
read by Jack Fox
One-liners, quips, and humorous observations arranged alphabetically by topic. Includes favorites of Dave Barry, Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, David Letterman, George Lopez, Dennis Miller, and Conan O'Brien, who cover everything from breakups and marriages to sports and taxes. 2003.
Jolly Jokes for Older Folks RC 65362
3 hours 40 minutes
By Bob Phillips
read by Erik Sandvold
Alphabetized compendium of hundreds of wholesome jokes and one-liners for the young at heart from the author of The Best Ever Book of Good Clean Jokes (RC 63784). Includes quips on doctors, memory loss, the IRS, computers, and other situations. 2007.
Laughter, the Best Medicine: A Laugh-Out-Loud Collection of Our Funniest Jokes, Quotes, Stories, and Cartoons RC 67219
5 hours 6 minutes
by Readers Digest Association, Inc.
read by Gregory Gorton
Hundreds of quips that poke fun at life, compiled from fifty years of Readers Digest magazine. Includes items from both professional comedians and ordinary subscribers. 2008.
Out of My Mind RC 66172
11 hours 59 minutes
By Andy Rooney
read by Fred Major
Candid essays from 60 Minutes television show commentator discuss daily living, politics, sports, money, work, war, food, and the English language. 2006.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames RC 67035
9 hours 55 minutes
By David Sedaris
read by Nick Sullivan
Humor essayist recounts his experiences at home and abroad, including his encounter with dingoes in Australia, purchase of a skeleton in France, and attempt to quit smoking in Tokyo. The book title comes from a safety brochure Sedaris found in Hiroshima. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2008.
The Year of Living Biblically: One Mans Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible RC 65886
12 hours 57 minutes
By A.J. Jacobs
read by Barry Bernson
Jacobs, a non-practicing Jew, describes his efforts to follow the laws of the Bible for one year. He relates his attempts to stone adulterers, be fruitful and multiply, and leave the edges of his beard unshaven. Chronicles his travels, including pilgrimages to Pat Robertson's church and to Israel. 2007.
The Art of Power DB/RC 66111
6 hours 23 minutes
By Thích Nhát Hanh
read by Ted Stoddard
Zen Buddhist monk, born in 1926 in Vietnam and exiled because of his wartime activism for peace, explains his belief that power comes from within. Posits that the daily struggle for control prevents people from achieving true happiness. Uses anecdotes to illustrate ways to obtain freedom and happiness. Bestseller. 2007.
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind RC 65323
6 hours 28 minutes
By Joyce Meyer
read by Pat Lentz
Minister and author of How to Hear from God (RC 58704) offers advice on recognizing and overcoming negative thoughts to find inner peace. Uses scripture and her personal experiences to illustrate her beliefs. Defines ten wilderness mentalities that she says represent the counterproductive attitudes keeping people from God. Commercial audiobook. 1995.
Become a Better You: Seven Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day RC 65690
14 hours 58 minutes
By Joel Osteen
read by Bill Wallace
Pastor of Houston's Lakewood Church and author of Your Best Life Now (RC 59330) offers advice on applying biblical principles to make positive changes in ones life. Advocates becoming more self-confident and developing better relationships and habits. Includes examples of transformation from his ministry. Bestseller. 2007.
Being Well When Were Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity RC 66901
8 hours 43 minutes
By Marva J. Dawn
read by Annie Wauters
Theologian with multiple disabilities offers advice on attaining emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wholeness despite physical infirmities. Suggests scripture to deal with the sorrows of loneliness, pain, worry, boredom, depression, and dying and provides practical ideas for persevering in the face of severe or chronic illness. 2008.
Blessings from the Other Side: Wisdom and Comfort from the Afterlife for This Life RC 65478
6 hours 40 minutes
By Sylvia Browne
read by Margaret Strom
Psychic and author of Phenomenon: Everything You Need to Know about the Paranormal (RC 61243) offers advice on celebrating and appreciating life despite inevitable challenges. Discusses surviving grief, uncovering past lives, and contacting departed loved ones on the other side. Includes suggestions for physical exercises and spiritual affirmations. 2000.
Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta RC 65391
14 hours 25 minutes
By Mother Teresa
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Compilation of Mother Teresa's letters written to her spiritual advisors during decades of missionary service. Reveals previously unknown aspects of her interior life, including periods of despair, as well as insight into her love for God and neighbor. Edited and with commentary by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk. Bestseller. 2007.
Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation RC 66114
5 hours 9 minutes
By Mike Robbins
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Robbins, a motivational speaker and former professional baseball player, offers strategies for overcoming negative influences to improve relationships, find success and fulfillment, and experience an overall gratitude for life. Discusses five principles of appreciation, the power of positive thinking, and the importance of acknowledging others. Includes exercises. 2007.
The Good Life
16 hours 17 minutes
By Charles Colson and Harold Fickett
read by Bill Wallace
Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, an international ministry, seeks to define the purpose of life. Uses examples from his own experiences—including his incarceration for leaking damaging information while working for President Nixon—to identify what makes life meaningful and therefore worth living. 2005.
Happier than God: Turn Ordinary Life into an Extraordinary Experience RC 66565
4 hours 24 minutes
By Neale Donald Walsch
read by Bill Wallace
Author of the Conversations with God series (RC 44643, RC 44644, RC 47255) offers his formula for lasting happiness, which he calls the Process of Personal Creation. Discusses the principles of this formula, designed to make experiences with God more "present, . . . relevant, and . . . real" using the energy of attraction. 2008.
Heaven Is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy—from the Man Who Spent Ninety Minutes in Heaven RC 65919
7 hours 39 minutes
By Don Piper and Cecil Murphey
read by Bill Wallace
Testimonials from pastor Don Piper, who survived a near-fatal automobile accident described in Ninety Minutes in Heaven (RC 63761), and others who overcame physical and emotional difficulties by relying on Gods love. Offers the hope that one can endure lifes tragedies and grow from the experience. 2007.
Make the Impossible Possible: One Mans Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary RC 65197
7 hours 28 minutes
By Bill Strickland
read by Jake Williams
African American Grammy Award winner and recipient of the MacArthur genius award recalls his inner-city childhood in Pittsburgh and the inspiration of a high school teacher. Harvard-educated Strickland describes building training centers for children and adults to encourage and transform their lives. 2007.
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope RC 66537
6 hours 26 minutes
By Don Van Ryn and others
read by Kristin Allison
Two families describe relying on their faith following a 2006 traffic accident that left one of their college-student daughters in a coma and the other dead. They relate the shock of learning five weeks later that the surviving girl, thought to be Laura, was in fact Whitney. Bestseller. 2008.
One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life RC 67182
8 hours 30 minutes
By Kerry Shook and Chris Shook
read by Bill Wallace
Pastor and life coach Kerry Shook and his wife Chris, founders of Fellowship of the Woodlands church in Texas, offer advice on living a full life. They advocate asking and granting forgiveness, arranging priorities, and leaving a lasting legacy for ones family. Foreword by Rick Warren. 2008.
Reposition Yourself: Living Life without Limits RC 65083
8 hours 31 minutes
By T.D. Jakes
read by Bob Moore
Bishop Jakes offers advice on how to succeed and prosper by reassessing ones life and positioning oneself for the future. Jakes uses scripture and personal experience to illustrate the connection between faith, good works, and responsibility. Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw. Bestseller. 2007.
This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women RC 65527
6 hours 41 minutes
edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Eighty first-person essays on beliefs, culled from both the National Public Radio show This I Believe and the 1950s radio program of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The essayists include average citizens as well as notables such as Helen Keller and Albert Einstein. Bestseller. 2006.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life RC 64586
7 hours 32 minutes
By Jon Kabat-Zinn
read by Don Feldheim
Guide to achieving a state of mindfulness—an awareness of the present moment. Explains traditional Buddhist meditation techniques and exercises, such as postures that help cultivate consciousness. Offers suggestions for incorporating mindfulness into daily life to gain wisdom and find direction. Includes a 2005 afterword. 1994.
The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life DB/RC 67531
9 hours 29 minutes
By Jim Tressel
read by Patrick Downer
The head coach of the Ohio State University Buckeyes football team presents a revised version of the manual he gives his players. Wanting to encourage and motivate people, Tressel discusses planning, dreams, goals, attitude, discipline, excellence, faith, work, love, responsibility, teamwork, hope, and handling adversity and success. Bestseller. 2008.
Peter Jennings: A Reporter's Life RC 66757
11 hours 24 minutes
edited by Kate Darnton and others
read by Joe Wilson
A tribute to the Canadian high school dropout who became an ABC news anchor. Comments from friends, family, colleagues, and celebrities are culled from a television program about Jennings that aired shortly after his 2005 death from lung cancer. Also includes Jennings's own words from speeches, interviews, and newscasts. 2007.
The Prince of Darkness: Fifty Years Reporting in Washington RC 65113
33 hours 1 minute
By Robert D. Novak
read by Richard Hauenstein
Syndicated columnist and television pundit Robert Novak, self-dubbed the prince of darkness, recalls five decades of political reporting in Washington, D.C. Highlights his conversion to Catholicism, gradual shift to conservatism, relationships with U.S. presidents from Eisenhower to George W. Bush, and 2003 outing of CIA employee Valerie Plame. Bestseller. 2007.
Public Radio: Behind the Voices RC 63611
13 hours 54 minutes
By Lisa A. Phillips
read by Barbara Rappaport
Some forty profiles of popular public-radio personalities heard on a variety of programs. Features founding mother Susan Stamberg, Bob Edwards, Cokie Roberts, Ira Glass, Nina Totenberg, Garrison Keillor, and the Car Talk Magliozzi brothers. Presented in three sections: news and information, talk and entertainment, and music. 2006.
The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation RC 65007
21 hours 47 minutes
By Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff
read by Barry Bernson
The authors detail the role of journalists, both black and white, who documented the struggle for civil rights in the American south—often at risk to their lives. Chronicles coverage of the Emmett Till lynching case, the Selma march, the Montgomery bus boycott, and sit-ins. Some strong language. Pulitzer Prize. 2006.
Too Soon to Say Goodbye RC 63829
3 hours 50 minutes
By Art Buchwald
read by Ray Hagen
Octogenarian humorist Art Buchwald recounts his days in a Washington, D.C., hospice after refusing kidney dialysis and having his leg amputated. Describes entertaining his many friends, including Tom Brokaw, Ben Bradlee, and Ken Starr, and reminisces about his life and the American way of death. 2006.
What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America RC 65017
6 hours 40 minutes
By Tavis Smiley
read by Bob Moore
African American talk-show host, radio commentator, and author of How to Make Black America Better (RC 53011) candidly shares his life experiences. Recounts his Mississippi childhood, stint in foster care, Indiana University education, career in government and media, and the influence of church, race, family, class, culture, and politics. 2006.
Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet from A to Z RC 65532
13 hours 32 minutes
By David Sacks
read by Fred Major
Cultural history of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. Presents information on the origins of each letters physical shape; its particular significance for modern readers, including use in meat grading and student ranking; and its role in literature and the media. Focuses on the evolution of written language. 2003.
One Hundred Words to Make You Sound Smart RC 65457
3 hours 9 minutes
By American Heritage Dictionaries
read by Mark Ashby
A compilation of words, from accolade to zealous, that can be used to enhance everyday conversation. Provides examples of incorporating each selection into daily dialog without sounding pompous or technical. Includes etymological information on changes in usage over time. 2006.
This Year You Write Your Novel RC 65626
2 hours 13 minutes
By Walter Mosley
read by Conrad Feininger
Prolific author offers advice on writing and completing a short novel in a one-year time frame. Discusses character development, metaphor and simile, plot and story, editing, rewriting, research, and other professional and practical tips. Emphasizes the need to write every day. For senior high and older readers. 2007.
The American Bar Association Legal Guide for Americans over Fifty RC 64857
11 hours 9 minutes
By the American Bar Association
read by Butch Hoover
Legal tips designed to help with informed decision-making. Includes advice on divorce and remarriage, grandparents rights, social security, pensions, estate planning, disability, Medicare and Medicaid, housing, and consumer protection, among other topics. Highlights questions to ask a lawyer and explains legal terms. 2006.
Coyote Warrior: One Man, Three Tribes, and the Trial That Forged a Nation RC 62651
18 hours 0 minutes
By Paul VanDevelder
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Traces the fight by the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes to protect their North Dakota land that was flooded by the post-World War II construction of Garrison Dam. Highlights the work of Yale-educated attorney Raymond Cross, a tribal chairman's son, and his case before the U.S. Supreme Court. 2004.
The Foreclosure Survival Guide: Keep Your House or Walk Away with Money in Your Pocket DB/RC 67751
7 hours 57 minutes
By Stephen Elias
read by Lou Harpenau
Bankruptcy attorney discusses legal options available to homeowners facing foreclosure, including negotiating with the lender to keep the house, filing for bankruptcy, obtaining a reverse mortgage, or fighting a foreclosure in court. Explains the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and provides a summary of each states laws. 2008.
In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer RC 66335
13 hours 35 minutes
By Robert S. Bennett
read by Jack Fox
Memoir of criminal defense attorney Bob Bennett. Highlights his career under the guidance of legendary lobbyist Tommy Corcoran and cases Bennett tried, including ABSCAM and the Keating Five. Describes representing President Bill Clinton during the Paula Jones scandal and reporter Judith Miller, who was jailed for contempt of court. 2008.
Lincoln and the Court RC 67025
15 hours 21 minutes
By Brian McGinty
read by Jake Williams
Attorney reviews President Lincoln's relationship with the Supreme Court and the role it played in resolving legal issues of the Civil War, including slavery and secession. Examines the major debates over suspension of habeas corpus and the blocking of
Confederate ports. Profiles the court justices. 2008.
Planning for Uncertainty: Living Wills and Other Advance Directives for You and Your Family RC 65117
4 hours 48 minutes
By David John Doukas and William Reichel
read by Ted Stoddard
Physicians offer advice on making and communicating medical and legal decisions concerning end-of-life care. Uses a question-and-answer format to explain proxies, advance directives, living wills, and the Patient Self-Determination Act. Emphasizes the connection between values and treatment preferences. Includes resources and web sites for obtaining legal forms. 2007.
Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case RC 66082
24 hours 19 minutes
By Stuart Taylor Jr. and KC Johnson
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Chronicles the events surrounding allegations that three white Duke lacrosse players raped a black stripper. Details Durham, North Carolina, district attorney Michael Nifongs handling of the case, the lack of support from the university, and media condemnation of the students before trial. Strong language. 2007.
American Bloomsbury: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau; Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work RC 66338
8 hours 37 minutes
By Susan Cheever
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Novelist explores the relationships among five writers of the transcendentalist movement who clustered around the home of wealthy Ralph Waldo Emerson in Concord, Massachusetts, from 1840 to 1868. Highlights their intertwined families and the love affairs that contributed to the creation of their literary masterpieces. 2006.
Artists and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance RC 64172
2 hours 12 minutes
By Wendy Hart Beckman
read by Tracy Mickens-Hundley
Biographical sketches of ten African American contributors to the art, literature, music, and social commentary of the Harlem Renaissance: James Weldon Johnson, Alain LeRoy Locke, Zora Neale Hurston, Bessie Smith, Aaron Douglas, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen, and Josephine Baker. For junior and senior high readers. 2002.
Books: A Memoir RC 67371
5 hours 41 minutes
By Larry McMurtry
read by Robert Sams
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lonesome Dove (RC 22959) writes about his passion for books—as a reader, author, and bookstore owner. Recounts anecdotes involving amazing people he has met, makes observations about authors he has known, and comments on literary works. 2008.
Classics for Pleasure RC 66597
12 hours 21 minutes
By Michael Dirda
read by Gordon Gould
Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic introduces roughly ninety literary authors and recommends some of his favorite works of fantasy, science fiction, horror, adventure, biography, history, and poetry. Includes essays on writers Ovid, Petronius, Agatha Christie, and Philip K. Dick and on Arthurian romances and H. Rider Haggards She. 2007.
Creationists: Selected Essays, 1993–2006 RC 64702
4 hours 43 minutes
By E.L. Doctorow
read by Lindsay Ellison
Collection of musings on creative worksmostly literaryby PEN/Faulkner and National Book Award- winning novelist. Sixteen essays explore the writings of Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, Arthur Miller, Edgar Allan Poe, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, and others. Also ponders the comedy of Harpo Marx and the development of the atomic bomb. 2006.
Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume RC 66358
7 hours 34 minutes
edited by Jennifer O'Connell
read by Jill Fox
Twenty-four female authors recall their memorable experiences with Judy Blume books and discuss Blume's influence on their lives and writing. In The M Word Lara M. Zeises reveals that reading Deenie (RC 34307) as a ten-year-old made her feel less alone. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.
Flaubert: A Biography RC 64257
32 hours 15 minutes
By Frederick Brown
read by Robert Blumenfeld
Biography of nineteenth-century French author Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880) best known for Madame Bovary (RC 49192). Highlights the turbulence in Paris caused by the 1848 revolution and the establishment of the Second Empire. Describes Flaubert's friendship with fellow writers Zola, Maupassant, and Turgenev, and his trial for offending public morality. 2006.
Isaac B. Singer: A Life RC 65359
7 hours 28 minutes
By Florence Noiville
read by Bill Wallace
Biography of the Jewish writer and 1978 winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904–1991). Explains why little is known about Singer before he was twenty-two years old and discusses the paradoxes in his life, his interest in women, and his preference for writing in Yiddish. 2003.
James Tiptree Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon RC 64102
21 hours 44 minutes
By Julie Phillips
read by Lindsay Ellison
Biography of Alice B. Sheldon (1915–1987), who won Hugo and Nebula awards in the 1970s for science fiction short stories written under the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr. Discusses her marriages, her emergence as an author, and the gender-identity crisis she experienced when Tiptree was revealed to be a woman. 2006.
Kafka: The Decisive Years RC 65213
26 hours 18 minutes
By Reiner Stach
read by Fred Major
Biography of Franz Kafka (1883–1924) covers his most significant years, 1910–1915. Concentrates on Kafka's crucial experiences—his two engagements to Felice Bauer, interest in Zionism, and long friendship with his editor Max Brod—as well as writing such works as Metamorphosis and Other Stories (RC 38410), Amerika (RC 46668), and Trial (RC 49000). 2002.
The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved RC 65734
13 hours 1 minute
By Judith Freeman
read by Catherine Byers
Novelist Freeman describes her journey to discover the private life of crime-fiction writer Raymond Chandler and his wife Cissy. Details Freeman's research methods and visits to the Chandlers' many apartments. Portrays Raymond's marriage to Cissy—a twice-divorced former nude model who was eighteen years his senior. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing along the Borderlands RC 66606
6 hours 18 minutes
By Michael Chabon
read by Barry Bernson
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (RC 50950) pens sixteen essays about his favorite reading matter which ranges from literature to mysteries and comics—and explains how these works shaped his own writing. Declares that he reads for entertainment and writes to entertain. Bestseller. 2008.
Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee RC 64071
12 hours 56 minutes
By Charles J. Shields
read by Kate Kiley
Biography of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird (RC 36414), based on extensive interviews with acquaintances and the papers of Lees lifelong friend Truman Capote. Traces Lee's Alabama childhood, time in 1950s New York City, and reclusive life after the 1960 publication of her only novel. 2006.
A Moveable Feast RC 64589
4 hours 36 minutes
By Ernest Hemingway
read by Don Hagen
Sketches of the author's life in Paris in the 1920s provide reminiscences of his first marriage and the development of his literary style. Includes portraits of Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Ford Maddox Ford, and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, among many other artists. Some strong language. 1964.
Other Colors: Essays and a Story RC 66069
17 hours 2 minutes
By Orhan Pamuk
read by Ken Kliban
A collection of autobiographical writings by the Turkish Nobel Prize-winning author of Snow (RC 58863) and My Name Is Red (RC 62910). Discusses Istanbul, his private life, favorite books and authors, natural disasters, and European politics, among other topics. Contains his Nobel lecture "My Father's Suitcase." 2007.
Peeling the Onion RC 65363
14 hours 47 minutes
By Günter Grass
read by Bill Wallace
Memoir of the German writer and Nobel Prize for literature winner, author of The Tin Drum (RC 11512). Recalls his youthful ideals, his loves, work as a laborer, and his artistic career. Discusses his service in a WWII combat unit and describes his experience in an American POW camp. 2006.
Ralph Ellison: A Biography RC 65148
31 hours 30 minutes
By Arnold Rampersad
read by John Polk
Professor analyzes the life of African American writer Ralph Ellison, whose only novel, Invisible Man (RC 56346), won the 1953 National Book Award. Uses Ellison's correspondence to detail the personal and artistic struggles he endured, as well as his social and cultural milieu. 2007.
Reading, Writing, and Leaving Home: Life on the Page RC 63704
4 hours 26 minutes
By Lynn Freed
read by Gillian Green
Eleven essays in which the author reflects on her life, her literary craft, and the nature of fiction writing and publishing. In Sex with the Servants Freed addresses the controversy her book Home Ground (RC 24903) caused in her native South Africa for portraying an interracial relationship. 2005.
Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer RC 66495
9 hours 9 minutes
By Elmer Kelton
read by Patrick Downer
Award-winning author of more than fifty westerns describes growing up in west Texas and choosing not to follow in the footsteps of his ranch-foreman father. Kelton recalls his time as a World War II soldier, meeting his wife in Austria, and his writing career. Some strong language. 2007.
Sinclair Lewis: Rebel from Main Street RC 65179
23 hours 3 minutes
By Richard Lingeman
read by Jack Fox
Biographical reappraisal of Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951), America's first Nobel Prize for literature winner (1930). Incorporates correspondence and diaries to assess his merit and trace his development as a writer. Provides critical insight into his work including such novels as Main Street (RC 42189) and Elmer Gantry (RC 22114). 2002.
Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald RC 64708
24 hours 42 minutes
By Matthew J. Bruccoli
read by Peter Berkrot
Biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), the author of Jazz Age novels The Great Gatsby (RC 55714) and Tender Is the Night (RC 18133). Separates the facts from the myths surrounding Fitzgerald's professional career as a writer, his marriage to Zelda Sayre, and their self-destructive behavior. 2002.
Theodore Dreiser: An American Journey, 1908–1945 RC 65174
25 hours 49 minutes
By Richard Lingeman
read by John Polk
Second of a two-volume biography tracing the American novelist's life from his straitened Indiana childhood to his Hollywood demise. Follows Theodore Dreiser: At the Gates of the City, 1871–1907 (RC 65173) and covers his womanizing and his publications. Some descriptions of sex. 1990.
Theodore Dreiser: At the Gates of the City, 1871–1907 RC 65173
21 hours 11 minutes
By Richard Lingeman
read by John Polk
First of a two-volume biography of the American novelist, who depicted the social mores of the early twentieth century. Discusses connections between Dreiser's personal life and his literary works, among them Sister Carrie (RC 25296). Precedes Theodore Dreiser: An American Journey, 1908–1945 (RC 65174). Some explicit descriptions of sex. 1986.
Thomas Hardy RC 64610
18 hours 41 minutes
By Claire Tomalin
read by David Cutler
Biography of British novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840–1928). Chronicles Hardy's life from his childhood in the rural Dorset countryside to his success as a socialist and satirical writer in London. Highlights his marriage to Emma Gifford and his emergence as a poet after her death in 1912. 2006.
Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker RC 65265
10 hours 45 minutes
By Thornton Wilder
read by Laura Giannarelli
Dramas by American novelist and playwright Wilder (1897–1975). Includes Pulitzer Prize-winners The Skin of Our Teeth (1942) and Our Town (1938), which examines life's beauty and sadness through everyday happenings in a small New Hampshire town, and The Matchmaker (1954), the comedy that inspired the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! 1957.
We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live: Collected Nonfiction RC 64208
46 hours 14 minutes
By Joan Didion
read by Kerry Dukin
Seven works written by bestselling Sacramento-born author between 1968 and 2003. In her memoir Where I Was From, Didion explores California's emerging social and political problems. Miami examines the city's role in the Cold War. Also includes After Henry, Political Fictions, Salvador, Slouching towards Bethlehem, and The White Album. 2006.
The Woman Within: An Autobiography RC 66166
11 hours 24 minutes
By Ellen Glasgow
read by Mitzi Friedlander
Memoirs of writer Ellen Glasgow (1873–1945), winner of the 1942 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Honestly portraying her interior world, she examines her feelings of isolation and encroaching deafness from age twenty. Begun in 1934 and published posthumously in 1954. Includes 1994 introduction by women's studies professor Pamela R. Matthews. 1945.
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex RC 66788
9 hours 35 minutes
By Mary Roach
read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Author of Stiff (RC 58302) and Spook (RC 62108) offers her take on clinical studies of sexual physiology for achieving arousal and orgasm. Surveys research conducted in the 1900s and the findings of Masters and Johnson, Alfred Kinsey, and others. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
Sex and Diabetes: For Him and for Her RC 66258
6 hours 48 minutes
By Janis Roszler and Donna Rice
read by Jill Ferris
American Diabetes Associations guide to more rewarding romantic interludes for both male and female patients with diabetes. Describes available medications and other treatment options, explains common physical and emotional sexual complications, and offers suggestions on communicating with professionals and your partner. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2007.
Why Mars and Venus Collide: Improving Relationships by Understanding How Men and Women Cope Differently with Stress RC 66406
17 hours 4 minutes
By John Gray
read by Richard Davidson
Author examines the stressful shift in the roles of men and women and describes what he believes to be physiological gender differences in dealing with the tension. Outlines coping mechanisms for women to help both themselves and their partners improve communication, mood, energy, and levels of attraction. 2008.
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AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You—or Someone You Love—a Devastating Diagnosis RC 64868
10 hours 16 minutes
By Jessie Gruman
read by Kerry Dukin
Social psychologist offers advice for coping with news of bad health. Explains how to make informed medical decisions, find the appropriate care, search for information online, and use insurance and support systems during times of stress. Contains personal-crisis anecdotes, including the author's own. 2007.
All about Your Eyes RC 64753
8 hours 46 minutes
edited by Sharon Fekrat and Jennifer S. Weizer
read by Margaret Strom
Physicians offer a guide to all parts of the eye and its diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Suggests ways for readers to understand and participate in their own eye care. Discusses symptoms, examinations, treatment, prognosis, vision correction surgery, and eye injuries. 2006.
The Autoimmune Epidemic: Bodies Gone Haywire in a World out of Balance—and the Cutting-Edge Science That Promises Hope RC 65865
12 hours 17 minutes
By Donna Jackson Nakazawa
read by Kerry Dukin
Journalist analyzes the growing prevalence of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Posits that the environment—full of industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and toxins—has accelerated such illnesses. Reports patients' first-person accounts, evidence of cluster epidemics, and relevant medical research. 2008.
Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense RC 65465
8 hours 54 minutes
By Scott McCredie
read by Mark Ashby
Journalist posits that balance is one of humankind's primary senses. Chronicles the evolution of equilibrium in humans, medical experiments isolating its importance, and case studies about people who have lost it. Offers techniques to slow a loss of balance due to age or physical illness. 2007.
Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care Is Better than Yours RC 65594
5 hours 32 minutes
By Phillip Longman
read by Bill Wallace
Economic journalist posits that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals offer services far superior to those in private-sector hospitals. Examines the VA system and advocates giving all Americans its high-quality, cost-effective health for life model of care. 2007.
Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News from the Front Lines of Memory Research RC 67214
8 hours 58 minutes
By Sue Halpern
read by Faith Potts
Science writer Halpern recounts her three-year investigation into medical research on Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders. Describes studies involving food, herbal supplements, and game playing. Reports her findings that age-related memory loss is normal and that regular physical exercise boosts memory recall. 2008.
Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic RC 65752
11 hours 50 minutes
By Peter H.R. Green and Rory Jones
read by Gregory Gorton
Physician Green and science writer Jones research the autoimmune disorder celiac disease, which is triggered by the inability to tolerate the protein gluten found in wheat and other grains. Authors describe characteristic digestive-system damage, highlight ways to avoid the protein, and discuss the symptoms and management of the condition. 2006.
Choices in Breast Cancer Treatment: Medical Specialists and Cancer Survivors Tell You What You Need to Know RC 65810
16 hours 4 minutes
edited by Kenneth D. Miller
read by Margaret Strom
Yale oncologist presents an overview of breast cancer and treatment options—including lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, adjuvant therapy, and reconstructive surgery—in chapters written by experts in each area. Examines the process of dealing with the disease, provides personal accounts of patients, and profiles medical specialists. Emphasizes building an individual treatment plan. 2008.
The Diabetes Lifestyle Book: Facing Your Fears and Making Changes for a Long and Healthy Life RC 66790
8 hours 36 minutes
By Jennifer Gregg and others
read by Judith Ann Gantly
Psychologists offer a guide to coping with the anxieties and emotions that often inhibit the proper self-management of diabetes. Describes the principles and techniques of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an approach to embracing the lifestyle changes that are necessary to control the disease. Covers diet, exercise, and medication. 2007.
Doing It Right: Making Smart, Safe, and Satisfying Choices about Sex RC 64734
4 hours
By Bronwen Pardes
read by Peter Berkrot
The author, a sex education teacher, explains puberty and reproductive anatomy and provides information on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), birth control, sexual abuse, and gender identity issues. Includes resources, definitions, and a question-and-answer section. For senior high and older readers. 2007.
Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer RC 65549
25 hours 46 minutes
By Patrick C. Walsh and Janet Farrar Worthington
read by Butch Hoover
World-renowned urologist Walsh and science writer Worthington detail the state of knowledge and treatment available at Johns Hopkins for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Explaining the uniqueness of every individual case, the authors outline tests and factors to consider when determining the best course of treatment. 2007.
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality RC 64775
8 hours 41 minutes
By Pauline W. Chen
read by Michele Schaeffer
Author describes her struggle to reconcile her feelings about death with the professional, depersonalized response she was trained to display. Recounts her experiences with mortality throughout her medical career and relates how she reconnected with patients and families by overcoming what she calls her lessons in denial. 2007.
The First Year—Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed RC 64637
11 hours 59 minutes
By Jill Sklar
read by Kerry Dukin
A month-by-month guide for people learning to live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Discusses causes and symptoms; colonoscopies, ostomies, and other medical procedures; sexual and reproductive issues; diet and lifestyle changes; treatments; and special concerns for children with IBD. Includes resources. 2007.
Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath RC 66760
9 hours 55 minutes
By Michael Paul Mason
read by Guy Williams
A brain-injury case manager presents examples of patients he has worked with, including people involved in car, bicycle, and snowboarding accidents; those with tumors and viral infections; and wounded soldiers. Highlights the common symptoms of traumatic brain injury and asserts the inadequacy of the American medical system. Strong language. 2008.
Heal Your Aching Back: What a Harvard Doctor Wants You to Know about Finding Relief and Keeping Your Back Strong RC 66352
7 hours 55 minutes
By Jeffrey N. Katz and Gloria Parkinson
read by Butch Hoover
Describes the anatomy of the back, numerous causes of back pain, factors that put some people at greater risk, and tests and specialists that may be involved when getting a diagnosis. Discusses ways to control pain and manage a back condition, including complementary therapies, exercises, surgery, and medication. 2007.
Healing Invisible Wounds: Paths to Hope and Recovery in a Violent World RC 65867
9 hours 4 minutes
By Richard F. Mollica
read by Gary Tipton
Harvard psychiatrist who spent decades caring for trauma survivors from Southeast Asia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and New York City proposes that self-healing is the key to recovery. Describes his field experiences and the techniques used by his patientsincluding storytelling, dream analysis, and spiritual practicesthat helped them work through their crises. 2006.
The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors RC 64896
9 hours 33 minutes
By Lance M. Dodes
read by John Polk
Psychiatrist addresses addictions underlying emotional factors: feelings of helplessness, anger at being helpless, and the need to reassert power. Uses case studies to demonstrate psychological aspects of Internet, shopping, exercise, gambling, cleaning, and sex addictions. Discusses misconceptions and includes sections about teens and couples. Some descriptions of sex. 2002.
How to Prevent Your Stroke RC 64772
8 hours 30 minutes
By J. David Spence
read by Alexander Strain
Neurologists guide to reducing the risk of stroke up to 75 percent. Discusses causes and warning signs of cardiovascular disease. Stresses the importance of quitting smoking, having a diet and exercise plan, taking medication to control blood pressure and cholesterol, and undergoing surgery to widen narrow arteries. Includes recipes. 2006.
Is It Hot in Here? Or Is It Me? The Complete Guide to Menopause RC 64209
24 hours 9 minutes
By Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Newsweek health writers guide to menopausal complaints and treatments. Discusses hot flashes, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunctions, mood and memory problems, and changes in physical appearance. Outlines hormonal, medicinal, surgical, and alternative treatments. Also covers other health issues such as osteoporosis, heart disease, types of cancers, and diet and exercise. 2006.
Living Well: Twenty-one Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health, and Feel Spectacular RC 66579
8 hours 31 minutes
By Montel Williams
read by John Horton
Fifty-one-year-old talk-show host describes three epiphanies he had about fitness, nutrition, and living well that led him to refine his habits after his 1999 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Presents a three-week program based on the changes he made, offering a different step to learn and do every day. 2008.
Living with Diabetes DB/RC 67083
7 hours 36 minutes
By Katrina Parker
read by Carol Dines
Explains diabetes types 1 and 2 for teens. Emphasizes the role of diet, exercise, and medication—including insulin pumps. Highlights the effects of drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders on the condition and discusses students rights; insurance issues; and driving, travel, and participation in sports. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.
Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine RC 65520
10 hours 58 minutes
By Mayo Clinic
read by Kerry Dukin
Based on clinical experience, research, and testing, the Mayo Clinic addresses the effectiveness and appropriateness of the use of natural remedies in place of or in conjunction with traditional medicine. Covers topics such as vitamins, prayer, acupuncture, massage therapy, Chinese medicine, yoga, and herbal supplements. Discusses twenty common conditions. 2007.
Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life DB/RC 66890
8 hours 19 minutes
By Nancy Snyderman
read by Mary Kane
Physician and NBC News chief medical editor dispels seven common myths regarding health, medical care, and longevity. Covers the three leading causes of death—cancer, heart disease, stroke—and the importance of adult vaccinations and annual checkups. Includes medical truths and tips, such as laughing is good for your heart. 2008.
Mind Race: A Firsthand Account of One Teenagers Experience with Bipolar Disorder RC 65027
6 hours 7 minutes
By Patrick E. Jamieson
read by Gary Tipton
Editor of mental-health publications explains the causes, symptoms, treatment, and management of bipolar disorder. He describes his own experiences after being diagnosed at age fifteen. Discusses such issues as psychiatric hospitalization, mood-stabilizing medications, and talking about this mental illness with family and friends. For senior high readers. 2006.
Multiple Sclerosis: New Hope and Practical Advice for People with MS and Their Families RC 66327
11 hours 30 minutes
By Louis J. Rosner and Shelley Ross
read by Kerry Dukin
Rosner, a neurologist, and Ross, an award-winning journalist, offer a guide to living with multiple sclerosisa disease that strikes the central nervous system. Discusses possible causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. Advises patients, their families, and friends on coping with emotional and interpersonal challenges. Update of 1987 edition. 2008.
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain RC 65202
13 hours 35 minutes
By Oliver Sacks
read by Bill Wallace
Neurologist and author of the bestselling Awakenings (RC 33438) investigates the way music affects the human brain by observing the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and ordinary people. Describes conditions such as musical seizures and hallucinations and musicogenic epilepsy. Also explores the calming effects of sound. 2007.
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientists Personal Journey DB/RC 67075
5 hours 46 minutes
By Jill Bolte Taylor
read by Erin Jones
Neuroanatomist chronicles the severe brain hemorrhage she had when she was in her mid-thirties and the eight- year recovery period that followed. She describes the joy of the present moment she felt when she was operating solely with her brains right hemisphere and explains ways the experience changed her. Bestseller. 2008.
Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer RC 65544
13 hours 50 minutes
By Shannon Brownlee
read by Kerry Dukin
Health and medical journalist Brownlee posits that less care may actually be better for patients. Uses case studies to illustrate the overuse of technology and drugs and the resulting deaths. Traces the legislation that led to economic inefficiency and offers reforms based on the Veterans Health Administrations practices. 2007.
Parenting Children with Health Issues: Essential Tools, Tips, and Tactics for Raising Kids with Chronic Illness, Medical Conditions, and Special Healthcare Needs RC 65267
9 hours 26 minutes
By Foster W. Cline and Lisa C. Greene
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
A psychiatrist and a mother of kids with cystic fibrosis offer advice on applying the love and logic method to raising children with chronic health problems. Authors discuss childhood behavior and discipline issues. They discourage overprotecting children and suggest helping them to take responsibility for their own health care. 2007.
Parkinson's Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families RC 66154
10 hours 48 minutes
By William J. Weiner and others
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Neurologists update their books first edition by addressing innovations such as deep brain stimulation, surgery, and medications to improve the quality of life for Parkinson's patients. They discuss their recipe for living well with the disorder through understanding neuroprotective therapies and the role of drug therapy. 2007.
QuickFacts: Bone Metastasis; What You Need to Know—Now RC 66146
1 hour 44 minutes
By American Cancer Society
read by Jill Fox
Concise guide to metastatic cancer in bones—cancer that has spread from a primary site to the bones. Discusses the risk factors and causes for the disease as well as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 2008.
QuickFacts: Lung Cancer, What You Need to Know—Now; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer RC 65571
5 hours 21 minutes
By American Cancer Society
read by Bill Wallace
Comprehensive guide to two forms of lung cancer—small cell and non-small cell. Covers risk factors and causes, prevention and detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, and post-treatment care. Includes resources. 2007.
Spinal Cord Injury and the Family: A New Guide RC 66750
12 hours 57 minutes
By Michelle J. Alpert and Saul Wisnia
read by Jill Ferris
Guide to adjusting to life with a spinal cord injury (SCI), for patients and families. Covers hospitalization, rehabilitation, and getting back to work and school. Discusses dating and sex, relationship issues, pregnancy, and parenting. Includes a special section on children with SCI as well as case studies and resources. 2008.
State of the Heart: A Medical Tourist's True Story of Lifesaving Surgery in India RC 65536
9 hours 45 minutes
By Maggi Ann Grace
read by Mitzi Friedlander
The author shares the experiences of her uninsured construction-worker boyfriend who, when he learned he could not afford surgery in the United States for his defective heart valve, traveled to India to have the procedure done in a private hospital for a fraction of the cost. 2007.
The STDs Update RC 65885
2 hours 20 minutes
By Alvin Silverstein and others
read by Carol Dines
Explains the ways that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread and the dangers they present. Discusses symptoms, treatment, and prevention of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HIV and AIDS, and others. Includes personal accounts of young people suffering from STDs. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
There Is an Answer: How to Prevent and Understand HIV/AIDS RC 64769
3 hours 26 minutes
By Luis Cortés Jr.
read by Michael Scherer
The author, a pastor and president of a Hispanic faith-based community development corporation, portrays a fictional family coping with an HIV diagnosis. Reflects on social, emotional, and spiritual issues accompanying the immune disease and stresses education, compassion, outreach, and involvement. Includes resources. 2006.
Water Exercises for Osteoarthritis: The Effective Way to Reduce Pain and Stiffness, While Increasing Endurance and Strength RC 65400
6 hours 12 minutes
By Ann A. Rosenstein
read by Kerry Dukin
Fitness instructor explains osteoarthritis and the use of water exercises to treat it. Includes instructions for movements that will improve range of motion, strength, and endurance. Also provides safety tips, diet recommendations, and alternative remedies. 2007.
What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding: A Reassuring Month-by- Month Guide for the Father-to-Be, Whether He Wants Advice or Not RC 66622
4 hours 23 minutes
By Thomas Hill
read by Barry Bernson
Parody on the What to Expect series offers advice for expectant fathers. Discusses the mother-to-be's physical changes, symptoms of sympathetic pregnancy, guidelines for sex, what to say—and not say—during labor, and paternal postpartum hair loss. Includes a month-to-month breakdown of necessary purchases, such as Tivo and cigars. 2007.
What to Expect When You're Expecting RC 66600
35 hours 25 minutes
By Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
read by Kerry Dukin
Fourth edition of the classic month-by-month childbirth primer. Details the physical and emotional symptoms, medical tests, and procedures women are likely to experience before, during, and after pregnancy. Includes updated information on postpartum depression, breastfeeding, alternative birthing methods, diet, and chronic health conditions. Offers advice for expectant fathers. Bestseller. 2008.
When Illness Goes Public: Celebrity Patients and How We Look at Medicine RC 64890
13 hours 28 minutes
By Barron H. Lerner
read by Butch Hoover
Physician profiles thirteen prominent individuals diagnosed with an illness, including baseball player Lou Gehrig, who had ALS, and actress Rita Hayworth, who had Alzheimer's. Explores their influence on the medical system and on public discourse regarding treatment as well as ethical and end-of-life issues. Some strong language. 2006.
When the Mirror Lies: Anorexia, Bulimia, and Other Eating Disorders RC 65300
2 hours 20 minutes
By Tamra B. Orr
read by Kristin Allison
Discusses eating disorders and body-image problems in young men and women. Covers causes, physical and psychological side effects, and treatments for anorexia nervosa and athletica, bulimia, and compulsive overeating. Includes case studies. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
Wounded: Vietnam to Iraq RC 64076
3 hours 45 minutes
By Ronald J. Glasser
read by Dave Corey
Physician offers a concise critical analysis of combat casualties and the evolution of battlefield medical care, from the Vietnam era to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Glasser criticizes the Bush administrations policies and examines the long-term physical, emotional, and financial challenges faced by wounded soldiers. 2006.
You, Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty RC 65521
12 hours 2 minutes
By Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
read by Erin Jones
Physician authors of You: The Owner's Manual (RC 60685) offer advice on staying fit, strong, and healthy into ones eighties. They discuss increasing life expectancy by dealing with genes, bad habits, environmental toxins, and stress levels. The doctors also advocate exercise, balanced nutrition, and mental and social activities. Bestseller. 2007.
Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City RC 66934
13 hours 58 minutes
By Craig Havighurst
read by Robert Sams
Chronicles the rise of Nashville radio station WSM, established in 1925, which popularized country music including the Grand Ole Opry performances. Discusses the stations importance to the city. Profiles the businessmen and entertainers who influenced the stations popularity and protested the proposed 2002 format change. 2007.
Chopin's Funeral RC 65216
7 hours 20 minutes
By Benita Eisler
read by Jill Fox
Chronicles the rise and fall of exiled Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). Eisler describes Chopin's introduction to the elite aristocratic circles of Paris at age twenty-one, his doomed love for notorious French novelist George Sand, and his physical decline—and destitute death—from consumption. 2003.
Clapton: The Autobiography RC 65207
12 hours 41 minutes
By Eric Clapton
read by Erik Sandvold
Autobiography of rock musician Eric Clapton, who performed with the Yardbirds, Cream, and Blind Faith until going solo. Describes his childhood in rural England, rise to stardom, alcohol and drug addictions, affairs and marriages, and personal road to recovery. 2007.
Dancing in the Street: Confessions of a Motown Diva RC 65670
11 hours 44 minutes
By Martha Reeves and Mark Bego
read by Gail Nelson
Autobiography of African American lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas, who recorded hit songs for Motown in the 1960s. Reeves recalls the inner workings of the Detroit record studio, reminisces about her fellow musicians, and discusses her rivalry with Diana Ross of the Supremes. Some strong language. 1994.
Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong RC 67360
12 hours
By Joseph Lanza
read by Steven Carpenter
Surveys the twentieth-century development of background music—a subdued, unobtrusive genre such as that used in elevators, hotels, and restaurants. Chronicles the history of the Muzak corporation from the 1920s and the parallel growth of easy-listening instrumentals, while discussing prominent musicians, various applications, and cultural prejudice. Includes discography. 2004.
George Gershwin: His Life and Work RC 65242
37 hours 22 minutes
By Howard Pollack
read by Roy Avers
Biography of the twentieth-century American composer George Gershwin (1898–1937), whose brief career produced Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess, among others. Discusses his musical background, private life, and collaboration with his brother Ira. Assesses his Broadway-to-Hollywood popularity that also extended worldwide. 2006.
Girls like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation DB/RC 66664
23 hours 49 minutes
By Sheila Weller
read by Mary Kane
Intertwined biographies of singer-songwriters of the sixties and seventies. Discusses King's 1971 Grammy sweep for Tapestry, Simons number-one hit You're So Vain, and Mitchell's self-proclaimed pure opera of the soul in Blue. James Taylor figures as Mitchell's lover, Simon's husband, and collaborator for all three. Strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star RC 65394
10 hours 46 minutes
By Nikki Sixx
read by Alec Volz
Memoir of Mötley Crüe bassist details his battle with heroin and alcohol. Sixx shares his diary of 1987, the year his addiction lead to an out-of-control downward spiral. Briefly recaps later years. Interspersed with comments by band members Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars, and others. Strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
I'm Just a DJ but—It Makes Sense to Me RC 65533
4 hours 58 minutes
By Tom Joyner
read by Jack Fox
African American host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show radio program recalls growing up in segregated Tuskegee, Alabama. Describes his career, which began in college, and his eventual success. Extolls the virtues of personal responsibility, hard work, and contributing to the community. 2005.
Incurable Blues: The Troubles and Triumph of Blues Legend Hubert Sumlin RC 64251
10 hours 43 minutes
By Will Romano
read by Chuck Young
An authorized biography of Chicago blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin (born 1931), focusing on his musicianship and career. Discusses his work with Chester Howlin Wolf Burnett and Muddy Waters among others. Examines his perseverance through alcoholism, cancer, and professional difficulties to influence another generation of master guitarists. Some strong language. 2005.
It's All about Him: Finding the Love of My Life RC 65272
5 hours 13 minutes
By Denise Jackson
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Autobiography of the wife of country music superstar Alan Jackson describes marrying Alan, her Georgia high-school sweetheart, and recounts his slow rise to fame. Reveals that the breakup of her marriage seventeen years and three children later led her to a reconciliation and new relationship with God. Bestseller. 2007.
Johnny Cash: The Biography RC 63854
11 hours 45 minutes
By Michael Streissguth
read by Conrad Feininger
Author uses archives and interviews to document the life of the country-western singer Johnny Cash (1932–2003). Traces Cash's childhood as the son of an impoverished Arkansas sharecropper, his musical rise in 1950s Memphis after a stint in the air force, and his family life. 2006.
My Lord, What a Morning: An Autobiography RC 64886
10 hours 6 minutes
By Marian Anderson
read by Mitzi Friedlander
The first African American to perform as a regular member of the Metropolitan Opera shares events of her personal and professional life—from her beginnings in Philadelphia to her performances around the world, including her famous 1939 Easter concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Foreword by her nephew, James Anderson DePreist. 1956.
Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day RC 65757
7 hours 7 minutes
By Marc Spitz
read by Gregory Gorton
Journalist interviews the members of the punk rock band Green Day—guitarist and singer Billie Joe Armstrong, bass player Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool. Covers the band's emergence on the music scene, its downward spiral, and its resurgence. Strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2006.
Only the Strong Survive: Memoirs of a Soul Survivor RC 66088
10 hours 1 minute
By Jerry Butler
read by Bill Quinn
Autobiography of soul singer Jerry Butler (born 1939). Chronicles his Chicago upbringing, his 1958 rise to fame with the group the Impressions, and his musical success as a solo artist. Highlights musicians and record labels he worked with and discusses the racial tensions in the industry. Some strong language. 2000.
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century RC 66411
29 hours 5 minutes
By Alex Ross
read by Lewis Grenville
Music critic for the New Yorker examines the history of the twentieth century through its music during three time periods: 1900 to 1933, 1933 to 1945, and 1945 to 2000. Discusses the composers, the gulf between classical and popular music, and the musical works that defined each era. National Book Critics Circle Award. 2007.
Slash RC 65522
18 hours 48 minutes
By Slash
read by Alec Volz
Memoir of former Guns N Roses lead guitarist, born Saul Hudson in 1965 in England and raised in Los Angeles. Details his career and relationships with fellow band members, including Axl Rose. Describes his lifestyle that necessitated having a heart defibrillator implanted at age thirty-five. Strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music RC 66602
7 hours 43 minutes
By Steve Lopez
read by Gary Tipton
Los Angeles Times columnist describes his relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, a former student at Juilliard who became homeless after succumbing to paranoid schizophrenia. Lopez discusses his and his readers' efforts to expose callous treatment of Ayers and relates Ayers's attempts at recovery. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
Stravinsky: The Second Exile; France and America, 1934–1971 RC 64247
32 hours 46 minutes
By Stephen Walsh
read by Mark Ashby
The second half of the Russian-born composer's biography continues from Stravinsky: A Creative Spring; Russia and France, 1882–1934 (RC 64238). Examines Igor Stravinsky's private life and career in Paris and America, where his fame grew as a composer, concert pianist, and conductor. 2006.
Uh Huh! The Story of Ray Charles RC 63349
3 hours 13 minutes
By John Duggleby
read by Dave Corey
Chronicles the life of blind African American musician Ray Charles (1930–2004), who grew up impoverished in Florida. Discusses his childhood, education, and personal problems. Focuses on Charles's career, which culminated in eight posthumous Grammys for his last album. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2005.
Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me RC 65367
12 hours 23 minutes
By Pattie Boyd
read by Yolande Bavan
Former model Boyd depicts both the happiness and the heartache she endured as wife and muse of two different musicians—George Harrison and then Eric Clapton. She describes sharing the private and public lives of these men and other notable people from the rock-and-roll decades. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
The Bafut Beagles RC 65833
6 hours 44 minutes
By Gerald Durrell
read by David Cutler
British explorer and naturalist recalls his 1949 travels in the Cameroons, West Africa, where he mounted an expedition to collect animals and specimens. Relates the generosity of his host, the Fon of Bafut, who ensured his peoples cooperation, and the supply of local beasts that far exceeded Durrell's expectations. 1954.
The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival among America's Great White Sharks RC 67002
11 hours 11 minutes
By Susan Casey
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Account of the author's journey to the Farallon Islands, a renowned refuge of great white sharks twenty-seven miles from San Francisco. Casey, an editor, relates joining scientists Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson as they study the predators in their natural habitat. She describes shark attacks and the archipelagos beauty. Some strong language. 2005.
The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic RC 66582
17 hours 35 minutes
edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Francis Spufford
read by John Horton
Nonfiction and fiction selections by scientists, explorers, and novelists spanning the twentieth century. Includes excerpts from journals of Antarctic explorers Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and Robert Falcon Scott. Arctic contributions feature Robert Peary's disputed account of reaching the North Pole and "Kasiagsak, the Great Liar," a native legend. 2007.
Forests: More than Just Trees RC 66302
5 hours 43 minutes
By Julie Kerr Casper
read by Michael Scherer
Explains the importance of forests for life on Earth and discusses ways to conserve and protect them. Describes the steps scientists and politicians can take to maintain healthy ecosystems in rain, temperate, and boreal forests and to avoid deforestation, pests, and wildfires. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The Humboldt Current: Nineteenth-Century Exploration and the Roots of American Environmentalism RC 64531
24 hours 2 minutes
By Aaron Sachs
read by Lewis Grenville
Examines the philosophy and scientific achievements of the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859). Features profiles of four nineteenth-century Americans influenced by Humboldt: J.N. Reynolds, South Seas explorer; Clarence King, frontier mountain climber; George Wallace Melville, Arctic explorer; and John Muir, environmentalist. 2006.
Hurricane Katrina RC 66413
3 hours 12 minutes
edited by William Dudley
read by John Haag
Collection of articles by journalists, professors, politicians, and others. Presents contrasting views on the 2005 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast. Covers FEMA's response, racism, global warming, and tidal wetlands. Discusses whether New Orleans should be rebuilt and if so, who is responsible. For senior high and older readers. 2006.
An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do about It DB/RC 67444
5 hours 18 minutes
By Al Gore
read by Jack Fox
Companion volume to the Academy Award-winning documentary feature film presents the former U.S. vice presidents personal assessment of the dangers facing our physical world due to the climate crisis. Gore discusses symptoms of change—greenhouse gases, glacier and polar melt, bleaching of coral—and profiles scientists investigating these issues. 2006.
Minerals: Gifts from the Earth RC 66687
6 hours 16 minutes
By Julie Kerr Casper
read by Michael Scherer
Examines how rocks and minerals form and how they are extracted from the earth. Discusses the critical role they play in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation, communication, art, science, human health, and daily activities. Emphasizes the importance of resource conservation. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere RC 66140
10 hours 30 minutes
By Gabrielle Walker
read by Michael Scherer
Science writer chronicles the lives and work of explorers and scientists throughout history who have sought to understand Earths atmosphere. Describes discoveries by fifteenth-century sailors, Galileo's seventeenth-century experiments, and twentieth- century studies of greenhouse gases, the jet stream, solar radiation, weather patterns, and other meteorological phenomena. 2007.
Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding RC 65791
11 hours 41 minutes
By Scott Weidensaul
read by Bill Wallace
Living on the Wind (RC 62048) author surveys American birding from colonial times to the twenty-first century. Examines contributions of early naturalist William Bartram, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, artist John James Audubon, and field-guide author Roger Tory Peterson. Discusses the impact of conservationism and technology on birding. 2007.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek RC 65463
10 hours 3 minutes
By Annie Dillard
read by Michele Schaeffer
Author contemplates the metaphysics of nature in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains during the seasons of a year. Combines meditations with scientific observations, philosophy, and introspection. Pulitzer Prize. 1974.
Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the Continents Natural Soul RC 63669
22 hours 41 minutes
By Scott Weidensaul
read by Derald Breneman
Fifty years later, a naturalist retraces the cross-country journey of Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher who published Wild America in 1955. Assesses environmental changes that have taken place and natures inherent resiliency. Notes the conservationist policies that have enabled America to remain, in his words, a wild country. 2005.
Secrets of the Savanna: Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People RC 63824
8 hours 32 minutes
By Mark Owens and Delia Owens
read by MaryBeth Wise
The Owenses recount their efforts from the early 1990s to 2005 to conserve wildlife in and around North Luangwa National Park in Zambia by offering villagers alternatives to poaching ivory. They describe befriending an orphan elephant, encounters with lions and other African animals, and dangers from poachers. 2006.
Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming RC 66459
13 hours 48 minutes
By Chris Mooney
read by Jake Williams
Science journalist deconstructs the debate about the relationship between climate change and hurricane ferocity. Explains the fundamentals of hurricane science and discusses environmental politics, the medias influence on perceptions of climate change, and federal disaster policy. 2007.
Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations RC 64878
9 hours 26 minutes
By Eric Dinerstein
read by Barry Bernson
World Wildlife Fund conservation biologist describes his trips to Nepal, Africa, and the Americas and explains his call for the protection of endangered species and the restoration of natural habitats. Discusses the conflict between land uses and ecological issues that imperils the environment. For senior high and older readers. 2005.
The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter RC 65157
17 hours 19 minutes
By Colin Tudge
read by Lou Harpenau
Scientist presents general facts about trees and details the different kinds he encountered during his travels around the world. Covers conifers, flowering trees, palms, bamboos, oaks, mangoes, and teaks, among others. Discusses humans' interactions with trees and conservation efforts. 2006.
Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earths Last Dinosaur RC 65145
17 hours 36 minutes
By Carl Safina
read by Butch Hoover
Author of Song for the Blue Ocean (RC 47775) explores the biology and ecology of the ancient leatherback sea turtle, an endangered species. Investigates the leatherback's complex life cycle, its vast ocean migrations, and its dwindling population. Discusses conservation efforts. 2006.
Water and Atmosphere: The Lifeblood of Natural Systems RC 66141
6 hours 37 minutes
By Julie Kerr Casper
read by Michael Scherer
Presents key issues in the management of Earths water and atmosphere. Includes discussions of climate change, global warming, renewable resources, aquifers, reservoirs, and surface and ground water. Covers drinking water, sea levels, pollution, and deep-sea exploration. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet's Largest Mammals RC 66530
10 hours 5 minutes
By Peter Heller
read by Michael Scherer
NPR contributor and award-winning adventure writer recounts his two months aboard Farley Mowat, the flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a radical environmental group. Chronicles the efforts of the groups founder, Paul Watson, and the all-volunteer crew as they patrol Antarctic waters to stop a Japanese whaling fleet. 2007.
The Whispering Land RC 65565
7 hours 6 minutes
By Gerald Durrell
read by Alec Volz
Naturalist recounts his eight-month sojourn to Argentina, where he and his team obtained specimens for England's Jersey Zoo, first mentioned in A Zoo in My Luggage (RC 18117). Describes the Patagonian landscape and the setbacks and successes the team experienced as it collected penguins and other rare species. 1961.
The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations RC 66586
11 hours 24 minutes
By Eugene Linden
read by J.P. Linton
Environmental journalist posits that climate change contributed to the decline of the Akkadian, Anasazi, Norse, Mayan, and other civilizations. Examines scientific evidence for and against the impact of weather and other geophysical forces, such as El Niño, on humanity. Speculates on implications for modern—and future—and society. 2007.
With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change RC 65135
11 hours 8 minutes
By Fred Pearce
read by Bob Moore
Journalist examines climate-related planet changes known as tipping points that, once reached, can abruptly and irreversibly accelerate global warming. Details scientists' research to explain the effects of greenhouse gases, ocean currents, solar pulses, and other environmental phenomena on Earths interconnected systems. 2007.
The Analects of Confucius RC 65456
7 hours 19 minutes
By Confucius
read by Mary Kane
Brief statements, short dialogues, and anecdotes compiled by the Chinese scholar's disciples around 400 B.C. These maxims convey the intellectual and spiritual ideals of Confucius, his political beliefs, and humanist ethics—and still influential in much of the world. New translation by Chinese scholar Pierre Ryckmans under pseudonym Simon Leys. 1997.
Change Your Thoughts—and Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao RC 65369
12 hours 15 minutes
By Wayne W. Dyer
read by Lewis Grenville
Inspirational author suggests modern applications for the eighty-one verses of the Tao Te Ching, a Chinese book of wisdom written in the sixth century B.C.E. by prophet Lao-tzu. Posits that adhering to this Eastern philosophy can lead to a life of integrity, joy, peace, and balance. Bestseller. 2007.
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . : Understanding Philosophy through Jokes RC 64932
5 hours 23 minutes
By Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
read by Ray Childs
Authors present dialogs, one-liners, and limericks to illuminate key concepts of Western philosophy. Cathcart and Klein show how humor often contains philosophy and exposes hidden truths about life. Topics include ethics, epistemology, existentialism, logic, metaphilosophy, metaphysics, and relativity, as well as theories of language, politics, society, and religion. Bestseller. 2007.
The Amputee's Guide to Sex RC 64884
1 hour 6 minutes
By Jillian Weise
read by Erin Jones
The author, an amputee with a prosthetic leg, offers her poetic meditations on the emotional and physical complexities of sexual intimacy. In the poem "The Old Questions," a new lover seems more interested in the authors artificial limb than in having sex. Some strong language. 2007.
Anna of All the Russias: The Life of Anna Akhmatova RC 66087
14 hours
By Elaine Feinstein
read by Suzanne Toren
Biographer details the life of poet Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) against the backdrop of post-Czarist Russia. Discusses Akhmatova's political activism, her criticism of Soviet oppression, and the brutality she suffered at the hands of the authoritarian regime that banned her poetry and imprisoned her family. 2005.
Collected Poems RC 64566
10 hours 33 minutes
By John Betjeman
read by Geoffrey Centlivre
Verse that evokes traditional English village life and the Victorian era by British poet laureate John Betjeman (1906–1984). Includes Summoned by Bells (1960), Betjeman's classic verse autobiography. 1960.
Complete Poems and Selected Letters RC 65223
31 hours 38 minutes
By Hart Crane
read by Gary Tipton
All the poetry—some previously unpublished—of American Hart Crane (1899–1932). Also contains selections from his correspondence with contemporaries Marianne Moore, e.e. cummings, William Carlos Williams, Katherine Anne Porter, and others and various essays and reviews. Includes his debut volume "White Buildings" (1926) and his homage to the Brooklyn Bridge. 2006.
Edgar Allan Poe and the Juke-Box: Uncollected Poems, Drafts, and Fragments RC 65155
10 hours 27 minutes
By Elizabeth Bishop
read by Erin Jones
Previously unpublished material written by award-winning American poet Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979). Includes poems dating from her youth, her years traveling, and her maturity, and several of her essays and remarks. The title poem reflects Bishop's immersion in Poe's work. Notes by editor Alice Quinn provide commentary and context. 2006.
E.E. Cummings
4 hours 15 minutes
By Catherine Reef
read by Jill Fox
Portrait of the experimental American poet E.E. Cummings (1894–1962). Discusses his life chronologically, emphasizing his feelings about war and fatherhood. Examines verse excerpts that demonstrate his inventive use of written language. Places his work in the cultural context of his times. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
Emily Dickinson: A Biography RC 66501
3 hours 5 minutes
By Milton Meltzer
read by Laura Giannarelli
Portrait of reclusive poet Emily Dickinson (1830–1886), who wrote verses on scraps of paper. Describes her education at Amherst Academy and her treasured quiet family life. Examines the universal appeal of her poetry, found in The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson (RC 56797). For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
Horse Latitudes RC 65517
1 hour 41 minutes
By Paul Muldoon
read by John Lescault
This 2006 collection of works by the Irish-born, postmodern, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet experiments with a variety of form—shaiku, sonnet, and prose poems. "Ninety Instant Messages to Tom Moore" consists of a series of text messages written to the nineteenth-century Irish poet. Some strong language. 2006.
Native Guard RC 65666
1 hour 2 minutes
By Natasha Trethewey
read by Catherine Byers
Poet explores both the racial legacy of the Civil War and her own biracial identity. The title poem tells the harrowing story of a soldier in Louisiana's Native Guard, a Union Army regiment made up of newly freed slaves. South expresses Trethewey's ambivalence toward her home, Mississippi. Pulitzer Prize. 2006.
One Hundred Essential Modern Poems RC 65015
11 hours 52 minutes
compiled by Joseph Parisi
read by Annie Wauters
Anthology arranged chronologically by the poets' dates of birth. Biographical sketches provide historical background and brief commentary. Includes selections from William Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Ogden Nash, Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, Seamus Heaney, and Rita Dove. For senior high and older readers. 2005.
The Pleasures of the Damned: Poems, 1951–1993 RC 66380
17 hours 4 minutes
By Charles Bukowski
read by Christopher Hurt
Poems by Los Angeles counterculture icon Charles Bukowski (1920–1994), edited by his friend and publisher John Martin. Includes Bukowski's previously uncollected works. "Girl on the Escalator" reflects both the poet's dyspeptic viewpoint and his lifelong interest in young women. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.
Poems (1945-1971) RC 65273
2 hours 51 minutes
By Miltos Sachtouris
read by Jim Zeiger
Poetry by Miltos Sachtouris (1919–2005) expressing his reactions to three decades of political and social upheaval in Greece. Begins with his collection The Forgotten Woman, written during the World War II Axis occupation, and ends with selections from The Vessel, published in 1971 under a military dictatorship. 1971.
Selected Poems RC 66526
8 hours 51 minutes
By Derek Walcott
read by Joe Peck
Poems chosen from fifty years of the Nobel laureate's works, from his first published book In a Green Night: Poems 1948–1960 to his most recent The Prodigal (2004). Many reflect on Walcott's Caribbean heritage and grapple with his conflicted love of home. Introduction by Edward Baugh. 2007.
These Are My Rivers: New and Selected Poems, 1955–1993 RC 64517
5 hours 33 minutes
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti
read by Jonathan Davis
The bard of San Francisco expresses the moods of four decades in poetry. Includes selections from A Coney Island of the Mind, Who Are We Now? and Landscapes of the Living and Dying, among other previously published volumes. "The Canticle of Jack Kerouac" is one of the later poems. 1993.
Three Great Poems: Thanatopsis, Flood of Years, and Among the Trees RC 66403
0 hours 24 minutes
By William Cullen Bryant
read by Christopher Hurt
American poet William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878) meditates on death in Thanatopsis, which he first drafted in 1811 at age seventeen and published in 1817. It and others of his early poems reflect the influence of British poets he admired. 1877.
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism RC 67094
19 hours 47 minutes
by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
read by John Polk
Fourth edition of the basic 1939 text of Alcoholics Anonymous, the "big book." Describes the recovery program and includes personal histories of recovering members. Highlights founder Bills story, the self-help group's twelve traditions, plus medical and religious views of the organization. 2001.
Anxiety Disorders RC 64883
3 hours 43 minutes
By Sucheta Connolly and others
read by Erin Jones
Describes common psychological disorders, including panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behavior, phobias, separation anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, along with causes and treatment. Uses case studies of teens to illustrate symptoms and ways people can be helped. For senior high readers. 2006.
The Body, Mind, Soul Solution: Healing Emotional Pain through Exercise RC 65832
5 hours 36 minutes
By Bob Livingstone
read by Bob Moore
Clinical therapist's holistic approach to finding balance among mental, physical, and emotional health. Livingstone advocates a technique of self-questioning combined with an exercise regimen to promote calmness, self-esteem, mental strength, and physical well-being. Includes case studies in which patients connected to their higher selves. 2007.
Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife RC 65246
10 hours 35 minutes
By Cathryn Jakobson Ramin
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
A journalist in her forties, dismayed by her unreliable memory, chronicles her journey in pursuit of an agile brain. She interviews experts in the fields of physiology, psychology, and sociology to explore such factors as sleep, stress, diet, exercise, medication, and genetics. 2007.
A Complaint-Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted RC 65203
4 hours 49 minutes
By Will Bowen
read by Bill Wallace
Minister presents a plan for people to improve their mental attitudes based on the idea that good things will happen if they quit grumbling. Believes that by altering their words, people can change their thoughts and thus, their lives. Posits that better health and relationships will follow. 2007.
Do You! Twelve Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success RC 65065
10 hours 9 minutes
By Russell Simmons
read by Bob Moore
Hip-hop entrepreneur shares his twelve faith-based success strategies. Uses examples from his own urban childhood and twenty-five-year career in the entertainment industry to demonstrate the importance of having a vision, connecting with the right people, giving back to society, and keeping an open mind. Foreword by Donald Trump. 2007.
The Flip: Turn Your World Around! RC 65889
11 hours 5 minutes
By Jared Rosen and David Rippe
read by Gary Tipton
Advice for teens on turning a world of stress, war, pollution, crime, and violence into one of calm, nurturing, health, and lightheartedness. Provides tips for making changes. Offers encouragement from notables in various fields, including Philippe Cousteau, Yolanda King, Dr. Christiane Northrup, and others. For senior high readers. 2006.
Happy for No Reason: Seven Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out RC 66372
12 hours 9 minutes
By Marci Shimoff
read by Carol Dines
Author presents a holistic approach to finding lasting happiness. Describes a seven-step program corresponding to personal power, mind, heart, body, soul, purpose, and relationships—as well as twenty-one associated happiness habits and exercises. Includes inspirational accounts and tips on applying principles to daily life. Foreword by Jack Canfield. 2008.
Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love RC 67429
9 hours 6 minutes
By Sue Johnson
read by Sandra Burr
Clinical psychologist explains her emotionally focused therapy, which views a love relationship as an attachment bond. Uses case studies and exercises to teach couples ways to save and enrich a relationship. Commercial audiobook. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2008.
Hope's Boy RC 66108
9 hours 54 minutes
By Andrew Bridge
read by Mark Delgado
Harvard Law School graduate describes his dysfunctional upbringing. Details the abuse he experienced from the time he was placed as a seven-year-old into California's foster-care system until the day he left to go to college on scholarship. Advocates for children's rights. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
It's So Hard to Love You: Staying Sane When Your Loved One Is Manipulative, Needy, Dishonest, or Addicted RC 65491
6 hours 41 minutes
By Bill Klatte and Kate Thompson
read by Margaret Strom
A psychotherapist and his sister, a life-skills coach, provide tips and exercises for dealing with troubled loved ones. The authors stress the importance of creating firm boundaries and of taking care of oneself. They advise finding middle ground, rather than becoming too enmeshed or disconnecting completely. Some strong language. 2007.
No Regrets: A Ten-Step Program for Living in the Present and Leaving the Past Behind RC 66488
8 hours 44 minutes
By Hamilton Beazley
read by Margaret Strom
Self-help expert presents his program for overcoming the burden of pain, guilt, and shame associated with past mistakes, missed opportunities, and failed expectations. Suggests spiritual and psychological tools such as prayer, creative visualization, and journal writing for finding hope in the promise of new possibilities. 2004.
Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness DB/RC 67076
8 hours 17 minutes
By Kathy Freston
read by Jill Fox
Believing wellness to involve the body, mind, and spirit, Freston teaches ways to become aware of the state of all three areas and uses a cross-training approach to address any concerns. Tools include meditation, visualization, conscious eating, exercise, self-work, spiritual practice, and service. Includes recipes. Bestseller. 2008.
Real Life: Preparing for the Seven Most Challenging Days of Your Life DB/RC 67660
12 hours 9 minutes
By Phil McGraw
read by John Polk
Dr. Phil discusses ways to cope when facing—or helping someone face seven types of devastating events. They include losing someone, becoming physically or mentally ill, falling prey to addiction, having an existential crisis, becoming overwhelmed by demands and responsibilities, or realizing you've lost your purpose in life. Bestseller. 2008.
Secret Societies: And How They Affect Our Lives Today RC 65709
6 hours 11 minutes
By Sylvia Browne
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Psychic examines clandestine organizations past and present, including Skull and Bones, the Bilderberg Group, Freemasons, Knights Templar, Priory of Sion, and Opus Dei. Using her spirit guide and her own clairvoyance, Browne offers explanations of the inner workings, agendas, and influence—as well as the possible dangers of such societies. 2007.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide DB/RC 66870
8 hours 35 minutes
By Sean Covey
read by Jack Fox
The author of The Six Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens (RC 65095) analyzes behavior that leads to happiness. Claims good habits lead to improved self-image, friendships, control over life, goal achievement, and peace with parents. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1998.
The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything DB/RC 67190
12 hours 50 minutes
By Stephen M.R. Covey
read by Bob Moore
Defining trust as confidence, the author explores the concept as it contributes to personal and professional success. Examines the ways trust improves the effectiveness of interactions. Uses anecdotes to illustrate the effect of integrity and competence on credibility and provides tips for inspiring confidence and increasing trust. Bestseller. 2006.
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death RC 66619
7 hours 20 minutes
By Irvin D. Yalom
read by Gary Tipton
Psychiatrist and author of Love's Executioner (RC 30621) offers anecdotes and methods, from his personal experience and clinical work, for dealing with anxieties about death. Encourages readers to transcend fear and find fulfillment by confronting ones own mortality, communicating more deeply with loved ones, and appreciating life's beauty. 2008.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior RC 67217
5 hours 11 minutes
By Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
read by Margaret Strom
Organizational expert Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, explore the psychological forces that undermine rational thinking. They use real-life examples to demonstrate that the desire to avoid loss and the inclination to remain committed to initial assessments can influence ones decision-making process sometimes with detrimental effects. 2008.
What Happy Women Know: How New Findings in Positive Psychology Can Change Women's Lives for the Better RC 65291
9 hours 15 minutes
By Dan Baker and Cathy Greenberg
read by Bill Wallace
Advice for women on overcoming fear and insecurities to achieve meaningful, happy lives. Authors identify six common detrimental situations, or traps, into which women fall. Discusses perfectionism, materialism, and dependent relationships and offers ways to avoid them. Includes firsthand accounts of women who describe their paths to fulfillment. 2007.
When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens about Grieving and Healing RC 66273
1 hour 6 minutes
By Marilyn E. Gootman
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Advice for teens on handling grief, anger, guilt, and depression after a friend dies. Includes quotes from youths who have experienced the loss of someone their age. Offers suggestions for seeking help from family, counselors, and/or therapists. For junior and senior high readers. 2005.
Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy RC 66675
7 hours 12 minutes
By Debbie Ford
read by Annie Wauters
The author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers (RC 52168) explores reasons why good people sometimes act in self-destructive, inappropriate ways. Posits that acts of self-sabotage arise from ones dark side, which holds weaknesses, flaws, and shortcomings. Offers suggestions for healing and moving on. 2008.
Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life RC 64904
10 hours 0 minutes
By Allen Shawn
read by John Polk
The author–a composer plagued by fears of heights, water, bridges, tunnels, and closed and open spaces–describes his life-changing journey to an understanding of his debilitating condition. Shawn seeks answers in modern psychological research, Freudian theories, and his own family history. Some strong language. 2007.
The Bible: A Biography RC 65836
7 hours 28 minutes
By Karen Armstrong
read by Mary Kane
Religious historian examines the transformation of the Bible's two testaments from oral history to written scripture. Explains changes in biblical interpretation by Christian and Jewish religious leaders and discusses the challenges to the Bible's accuracy in the scientific age. 2007.
The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart RC 65662
6 hours 27 minutes
By Motohisa Yamakage
read by Gordon Gould
The author, former grand master of Yamakage Shinto, explains the fundamentals of the indigenous Japanese religion of Shinto, which emphasizes nature, place, and harmony. Discusses the origins of Shinto and provides instruction on Chinkon, a systematic practice for increasing spiritual awareness. 2006.
God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question—Why We Suffer RC 66463
10 hours 49 minutes
By Bart D. Ehrman
read by Bill Wallace
Former minister and author of Misquoting Jesus (RC 61941) examines the Old and New Testaments for answers to the problem of suffering in the world. Ehrman finds the Bible offers different viewpoints—suffering as punishment, as a redemptive process, and as a test of faith–and analyzes the answers. Some violence. 2008.
The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House RC 65839
16 hours 5 minutes
By Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
read by Robert Sams
The authors interviewed Billy Graham before examining the relationship between the evangelist and the eleven American presidents—from Harry Truman to George W. Bush—he befriended over six decades. Emphasizes Graham's lack of an agenda. Examines the rise of faith-based political activism in both parties. 2007.
Prisoners: A Muslim and a Jew across the Middle East Divide RC 64275
14 hours 24 minutes
By Jeffrey Goldberg
read by Ken Kliban
Journalist recounts his experiences as an American Jew in Israel and the friendship that he established with Rafiq, a Palestinian prisoner. Goldberg describes the desert prison camp where he served as a military guard and initiated a debate with Rafiq on the conflict between Muslims and Jews. Strong language. 2006.
Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn't RC 64243
12 hours 8 minutes
By Stephen Prothero
read by Ted Stoddard
Professor traces the rise and fall of religious knowledge in America and recommends that the study of the historical and cultural role of religion be returned to school curricula. Covers the core tenets of the world's major religions and the differences among them. 2007.
Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story RC 65358
7 hours 52 minutes
By Brian "Head" Welch
read by Bill Wallace
Memoir of Brian "Head" Welch, former lead guitarist for the controversial nu-metal band Korn, who gave up his career in 2004 when he found God. Welch chronicles his rock-star lifestyle, his addiction to speed, and the later transformation of his life by Christianity. Some strong language. 2007.
Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk about Being Jewish RC 64459
17 hours 7 minutes
By Abigail Pogrebin
read by Barbara Rappaport
Jewish freelance journalist's interviews with sixty-two prominent Jews on the subject of being famous and being Jewish, and how their heritage factors into their public lives. Interviewees include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil Simon, Beverly Sills, Joan Rivers, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nora Ephron, Barney Frank, Mike Wallace, and Larry King. 2005.
Stories behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter RC 66620
4 hours 42 minutes
By Ace Collins
read by Jack Fox
Award-winning author explores historical and religious origins of customs associated with the Christian holiday of Easter. Discusses the roots of Lent, passion plays, sunrise services, Easter parades, Easter eggs, and the Easter bunny as well as the inspiration for such hymns as "He Lives!" and "The Old Rugged Cross." 2007.
What the Gospels Meant RC 67346
6 hours 4 minutes
By Garry Wills
read by Bob Moore
Pulitzer Prize winner and author of What Jesus Meant (RC 62385) and What Paul Meant (RC 63893) examines the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; explains their methods and styles; and interprets their goals. Suggests that each Gospel is a meditation on the meaning of Jesus. 2008.
The Wisdom of Zen RC 65755
3 hours 52 minutes
compiled by Roger England and Anne Bancroft
read by Margaret Strom
Reflections on Zen Buddhism by pupils, teachers, and masters of the ancient Eastern tradition. Literary and scholarly excerpts explore with humor, wit, and wisdom the origins and art of Zen, clarity and emptiness, meditation, living a Zen life, nature, teachings, and Zen in the West. 2001.
Apollo's Fire: A Day on Earth in Nature and Imagination RC 66861
7 hours 56 minutes
By Michael Sims
read by Jack Fox
Describes events in a distilled, ideal day as the line of demarcation between darkness and light creeps around the globe. Sims draws on both natural and cultural history to examine such topics as dawn cloud shows, circadian rhythms, high noon, changing shadows, and the three kinds of twilight. 2007.
Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science RC 66912
13 hours 11 minutes
By James D. Watson
read by Ted Stoddard
Nobel Prize-winning DNA scientist punctuates his autobiography with irreverent lessons learned along the way, like the one in the title. Discusses his career, highlighting his work at Harvard and with fledgling scientists, and his personal life, including his marriage to a woman who is twenty years his junior. 2007.
Beyond Human: Living with Robots and Cyborgs RC 67498
8 hours 40 minutes
By Gregory Benford and Elisabeth Malartre
read by Kristin Allison
Benford, a physicist and Nebula Award-winning novelist, and Malartre, a noted biologist and environmentalist, examine technological developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and human modification. They speculate on future roles of robots at home, in the workplace, and in battle, and discuss social and cultural implications of bionics. 2007.
Beyond Reach: The Search for the Titanic RC 66711
5 hours 9 minutes
By William Hoffman and Jack Grimm
read by Erik Synnestvedt
An account of the 1981 search for the wreck of the Titanic financed by Texas oilman and coauthor Jack Grimm. Describes the partially successful attempts of oceanographers, geologists, photographers, and the crew of the Gyre to locate wreckage in the North Atlantic. Also recounts Titanic's sinking in 1912. 1982.
The Bone Museum: Travels in the Lost Worlds of Dinosaurs and Birds RC 65220
11 hours 35 minutes
By Wayne Grady
read by Richard Hauenstein
Award-winning science writer accompanies paleontologist Phil Currie in search of fossil evidence linking modern-day birds to dinosaurs. On his adventure from his native Canada to Patagonia and back, Grady explores the theory that dinosaurs escaped extinction by evolving into birds. 2000.
The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science RC 64842
16 hours 4 minutes
By Natalie Angier
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist reviews the fundamental principles of chemistry, physics, biology, geology, and astronomy that she thinks the educated populace should understand. Asserts that basic scientific literacy is required for informed opinions on such issues as global warming, alternative energy, embryonic stem-cell research, and missile defense. 2007.
Energy: Powering the Past, Present, and Future RC 66138
7 hours 20 minutes
By Julie Kerr Casper
read by Michael Scherer
Considers Earth's energy resources. Discusses renewable sources such as water, solar, wind, and biofuels and nonrenewable ones produced from tar sands, fossils, and oil. Focuses on future development of other types of energy including geothermal, hydrogen, and methane. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The Flying Circus of Physics RC 64310
35 hours 31 minutes
By Jearl Walker
read by Ted Stoddard
A compilation of questions and answers that explores the curious physics of the everyday world. Explains whether a human voice can shatter a wineglass, why popcorn pops, why plastic food wrap stays in place, why ducks stay dry when swimming, and other phenomena. For senior high and older readers. 2007.
How to Be a Christian in a Brave New World RC 66581
8 hours 10 minutes
By Joni Eareckson Tada and Nigel M. de S.Cameron
read by Susan McInerney
Bioethics research professor Cameron and Tada, the quadriplegic founder of a Christian disability advocacy organization and author of When God Weeps (RC 49793), offer Christian perspectives on biotechnology issues. They discuss the moral and ethical debates surrounding cloning, genetic engineering, in vitro fertilization, stem-cell research, and other developments. 2006.
Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man RC 64636
36 hours 52 minutes
By Dale Peterson
read by Kerry Dukin
Biography of Jane Goodall (born 1934), who revolutionized the study of primates. Colleague uses letters, conversations, and first-person accounts to describe Goodall's life, including her childhood, work with chimpanzees, personal relationships, and advocacy for primates in the wild and in captivity. Discusses Louis Leakey's influence on Goodall's career. 2006.
The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom RC 66913
12 hours 3 minutes
By Simon Winchester
read by Mary Kane
Biography of British biochemist Joseph Needham (1900–1995) discusses his intellectual development, marriage, and long-standing love affair with a visiting Chinese student. Features his travels to China and his investigations into the history of Chinese inventions and technology, including the compass, explosives, and suspension bridges. 2008.
Mind, Life, and Universe: Conversations with Great Scientists of Our Time RC 66764
13 hours 33 minutes
edited by Lynn Margulis and Eduardo Punset
read by Kristin Allison
Candid interviews with thirty-seven leading scientists who provide insight into their lives and work. Features evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, Nobel Prize winner Sheldon Lee Glashow, chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall, Gaia Theory conceptualist James E. Lovelock, physicist Lisa Randall, and biologist Edward O. Wilson. Includes suggested readings and contributor biographies. 2007.
My Tank Is Fight! RC 66462
9 hours 1 minute
By Zack Parsons
read by Peter Johnson
Writer for cult humor web site somethingawful.com examines nineteen World War II inventions that were never completed. Describes technical details and developmental history of weapons from Japan, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, including an aircraft carrier made of ice and a 1,344-ton gun. 2006.
The Nuclear Jihadist: The True Story of the Man Who Sold the Worlds Most Dangerous Secrets . . . and How We Could Have Stopped Him RC 67441
17 hours 4 minutes
By Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins
read by Bob Craig
Married journalist couple investigates the sale of European nuclear secrets through a global black market to Iran, North Korea, and Libya by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani father of the Islamic bomb. They posit that the information was known to U.S. intelligence since 1975. Commercial audiobook. 2007.
One Hundred Greatest Science Inventions of All Time RC 64790
13 hours 30 minutes
By Kendall Haven
read by Steven Carpenter
Highlights significant inventions from 250 B.C. to the twenty-first century. Identifies the items creator and includes a narrative about the innovations importance and its development and use over time. Features paper, eyeglasses, the cotton gin, the electric motor, aspirin, television, and cloning. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell RC 66464
8 hours 16 minutes
By Rachel Herz
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
A leading expert in the psychology of smell explains the reasons that sense is so important in our lives and the consequences of losing it. Topics include desire, sensuality, memories, food cravings, body odor, the truth about aromatherapy, and the ways smell may be used in the future. 2007.
The Science of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy RC 66702
6 hours 45 minutes
By Michael Hanlon
read by David Cutler
Using the cosmology and theoretical physics found in Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books as starting points, the author discusses alien life, parallel universes, instant translation devices, sentient computers, genetic engineering, space tourism, time travel, and related concepts. 2005.
Snowball Earth: The Story of the Great Global Catastrophe That Spawned Life as We Know It RC 65211
7 hours 57 minutes
By Gabrielle Walker
read by Jill Fox
Science writer chronicles the work of Harvard geologist Paul Hoffman in uncovering evidence of Earth's prehistoric catastrophic climate changes to support his snowball theory. According to Hoffman, complex life emerged from periods of complete ice encasement and dramatic thaws, the last of which ended roughly 600 million years ago. 2003.
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments RC 67102
4 hours 40 minutes
By George Johnson
read by Butch Hoover
Award-winning science writer recounts landmark historic experiments whose simplicity he finds beautiful. Explores discoveries made by Galileo on the laws of motion, William Harvey on blood circulation, Isaac Newton on the color spectrum, Michael Faraday on electromagnetism, and Ivan Pavlov on conditioned responses. 2008.
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree RC 65364
9 hours 21 minutes
By Megan Smolenyak and Ann Turner
read by Kristin Allison
Researchers explain to amateur genealogists the science of genetics, which is useful in pinpointing ancestors, verifying family trees, and finding relationships with people having the same surname. Discusses genetic typing, including male and female heirloom markers and tests for geographical origins to determine African, European, and Native American connections. 2004.
Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science RC 66137
6 hours 38 minutes
By David Lindley
read by Steven Carpenter
Astrophysicist chronicles the evolution of the uncertainty principle, a quantum-mechanics theory announced by physicist Werner Heisenberg in 1927 that stated that it is impossible to know both a particles position and its momentum. Relates that the theory undermined the very foundations of science and pitted Heisenberg against Albert Einstein. 2007.
Welcome to BioTech Nation: My Unexpected Odyssey into the Land of Small Molecules, Lean Genes, and Big Ideas RC 67224
10 hours 10 minutes
By Moira A. Gunn
read by Mary Kane
Science journalist and radio host explores biotechnology and its implications. Blends anecdotes from her career with reports on developments in the field. Discusses genetically modified food, tumor-killing viruses, obesity genes, and industrial enzymes. 2007.
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Afraid of the Dark: What Whites and Blacks Need to Know about Each Other RC 64834
17 hours 19 minutes
By Jim Myers
read by Ralph Lowenstein
Caucasian journalist explores the psychological issues of race relations between blacks and whites in America. Focuses on the attitudes and beliefs each group holds about the other. Describes cultural differences, dispels myths, and offers suggestions for improving communication. Foreword by Jesse Jackson. Some strong language. 2000.
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope RC 66796
4 hours 10 minutes
By Jenna Bush
read by Aimee Jolson
First daughter Jenna Bush portrays an HIV-positive Latin American teenage mother whom she met while working with UNICEF. Relates Ana's life after her mother's death—the sexual abuse Ana endured, her health issues, and her daughters birth. Offers resources for protecting yourself and others from AIDS. For senior high readers. 2007.
Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey through His Son's Addiction RC 66107
10 hours 49 minutes
By David Sheff
read by Steven Carpenter
Expanding on an award-winning New York Times Magazine article, journalist Sheff chronicles his son Nic's descent into methamphetamine addiction and its devastating effects on their family. Relates Nic's cycles of rehabilitation and relapse and his own struggles and realizations. Offers information on the nature of drugs. Strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable RC 64557
21 hours 43 minutes
By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
read by Ray Childs
Discusses the phenomenon of the black swan, a highly improbable event with enormous impact that in hindsight seems predictable, such as the 9/11 attacks and the development of Google. Taleb argues that our misplaced confidence in standardized narratives and unexamined generalizations obscures the importance of random events and uncertainties. Bestseller. 2007.
The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History RC 66514
10 hours 16 minutes
By Katherine Ashenburg
read by Margaret Strom
A history of cleanliness in Western culture from ancient Greece and Rome to medieval Europe and modern-day America. Explores changing standards of personal hygiene and notions of clean as related to health, religion, sexuality, and social class. Reflects on archetypal links between dirt and guilt. 2007.
Fine, I'll Go Online! The Hollywood Publicists Guide to Successful Internet Dating RC 66632
4 hours 23 minutes
By Leslie Oren
read by Carol Dines
Guide to online dating. Oren draws on her career as a Hollywood publicist to help women create an authentic personal image that Oren says will attract potential candidates. Gives advice on writing a profile, posting photos, responding to e-mails, making initial conversation, and planning a first date. 2007
The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History through DNA RC 66508
7 hours 53 minutes
By Edward Ball
read by Gregory Gorton
National Book Award winner for Slaves in the Family (RC 46018) uses forensic science to analyze the hair of nine of his nineteenth-century relatives. Relates his reaction upon receiving reports of African and Native American ancestry from one DNA lab, results later challenged by other labs. 2007.
Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World RC 65228
8 hours 20 minutes
By Bill Clinton
read by Bill Wallace
Former American president provides examples of companies, organizations, and individuals who solve problems and save lives. Discusses going green and promoting fair wages and working conditions. Urges every citizen to help others through volunteer gifts of time, skills, resources, and ideas. Bestseller. 2007.
Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters RC 65388
6 hours 46 minutes
By Anne Kreamer
read by Barbara Rappaport
A photograph of herself at forty-nine prompted the author to rethink her decades-long habit of dying her hair. Having decided to conduct an informal research project while transitioning to her natural hair color, Kreamer examines the way gray hair is viewed in the worlds of dating and work. 2007.
The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight against AIDS RC 66510
11 hours 40 minutes
By Helen Epstein
read by Annie Wauters
Molecular biologist chronicles the African AIDS epidemic since 1993 when she first worked on a vaccine project. Compares the slowing infection rates in Uganda with rates in eastern and southern Africa. Posits that underlying social, political, economic, and sexual aspects of different cultures determine the course of the disease. 2007.
Isn't It Their Turn to Pick Up the Check? Dealing with All of the Trickiest Money Problems between Family and Friendsfrom Serial Borrowers to Serious Cheapskates RC 67124
6 hours 12 minutes
By Jeanne Fleming and Leonard Schwarz
read by Carol Dines
Money magazine contributors explain etiquette and ethics for everyday financial situations. They provide advice on interactions that involve loaning, borrowing, and inheriting money. Authors also describe fiscal problems that arise over moral flaws, irresponsibility, and obligations and suggest ways to resolve such difficulties. 2008.
Microtrends: The Small Forces behind Tomorrows Big Changes RC 66822
12 hours 40 minutes
By Mark J. Penn
read by Brett Barry
Pollster Penn defines microtrends as the formation of small but powerful under-the-radar groups of people who share common interests. He identifies seventy-five disparate categories, including interracial families, individuals with hearing impairments, extreme commuters, young knitters, vegan children, shy millionaires, old new dads, older kindergarteners, and recent convicts. Commercial audiobook. 2007.
The Old Way: A Story of the First People RC 64812
14 hours 33 minutes
By Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
read by Lisette Lecat
This follow-up to the authors 1959 work The Harmless People (RC 27489) describes the fate of the Bushmen living in Africas Kalahari Desert, whose hunter-gatherer way of life—which she believes was preserved for thirty-five thousand years was ended by modernization and governmental interference in the 1970s and 1980s. 2006.
Once upon a QuinceaZera: Coming of Age in the USA
9 hours 17 minutes
By Julia Alvarez
read by Annie Wauters
The author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent (RC 34544) researches the sweet fifteen birthday celebration that heralds a Latin girls entrance into womanhood. Reminisces about her own coming-of-age and discusses the trends she observes in American quinceaZeras. Also advocates for a support system for Hispanic teens. 2007.
Power to the People RC 65398
12 hours 4 minutes
By Laura Ingraham
read by Madelyn Buzzard
Political talk-show host and author of Shut Up and Sing (RC 57013) denounces politicians, Hollywood, public schools, the media, and judges for degrading traditional values. Discusses the war in Iraq, immigration, terrorism, and pornography and calls on Americans to reconnect to their heritage. Bestseller. 2007.
Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement RC 67259
12 hours 3 minutes
By Sally G. McMillen
read by Kristin Allison
History of the 1848 Seneca Falls convention that galvanized the women's rights movement in America. Highlights the work of suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone. Describes the social and legal injustices women faced and the Civil War's effect on the movement. 2008.
Something in the Air: Radio, Rock, and the Revolution That Shaped a Generation RC 64347
14 hours 32 minutes
By Marc Fisher
read by Don Hagen
Washington Post journalist chronicles the history of radios impact on pop culture from the 1950s to the twenty- first century. Profiles Top 40 deejays and describes rock programming's influence on youth, despite the growing popularity of television. Covers talk-radio hosts from Jean Shepherd to Howard Stern. 2007.
Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally; First-Generation Women Reflect on Identity RC 63191
8 hours 38 minutes
edited by Angela Jane Fountas
read by Catherine Byers
Twenty-one essays by women who either immigrated to the United States as children or whose parents immigrated. Works explore the writers search for identity while coming of age biculturally. Some strong language. 2005.
Whos Your City? How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life RC 66854
13 hours 53 minutes
By Richard Florida
read by Butch Hoover
Author posits that where you live affects every aspect of your life. Focuses on various types of communities—gay, straight, affluent, low-income, and others—and on the different life stages, such as single, married with children, and empty nester, of community residents. Discusses the geography of happiness. 2008.
The World without Us RC 65268
14 hours 0 minutes
By Alan Weisman
read by Jake Williams
Science journalist posits the scenario of the Earth without humans. Observes people-free environments in Chernobyl, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Europe's primeval forest, and other places. Speculates that plastics, tires, nuclear wastes, and the like would remain while nature would take over the rest. Suggests limiting population growth. Bestseller. 2007.
Always by My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey unlike Any Other DB/RC 67078
8 hours 48 minutes
By Jim Nantz
read by John Polk
CBS sportscaster Nantz recounts his career, which has included calling the play-by-plays at the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the Masters. Offers anecdotes about the athletes and coworkers he's befriended over the years and memories of his beloved father—his mentor until Alzheimer's took its toll. Bestseller. 2008.
Bat Boy: My True Life Adventures Coming of Age with the New York Yankees RC 65128
8 hours 12 minutes
By Matthew McGough
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Lawyer recalls his two seasons as a batboy for the New York Yankees in 1992 and 1993. Describes his experiences and responsibilities, including cleaning sinks and fetching equipment; enduring players' demands; meeting girls; interacting with his heroes; and nearly failing high school because of his job. Some strong language. 2005.
Batista Unleashed RC 65818
7 hours 26 minutes
By Dave Batista
read by Mark Ashby
Autobiography of world heavyweight wrestling champion Dave Batista, a.k.a. the Animal, who at almost thirty entered the sport. Recalls becoming a winner within two years, despite his asthmabut at the cost of his marriage. Highlights his youth in Washington, D.C., his costly injury, and his subsequent comeback. Strong language. 2007.
The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL RC 67157
7 hours 42 minutes
By Mark Bowden
read by Joe Wilson
A play-by-play account of the December 28, 1958, NFL championship game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts, the first-ever overtime game to be broadcast on national television. Highlights players such as Frank Gifford and Johnny Unitas and describes the games effect on footballs popularity. Some strong language. 2008.
The Bicycle Book: Wit, Wisdom, and Wanderings RC 67205
4 hours 40 minutes
edited by Jim Joyce
read by Steven Carpenter
A collection of articles, essays, and poetry that Joyce deems a celebration of the bicycle by people who ride. Includes Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas Hylton's editorial about cycling-friendly communities, an interview with Lance Armstrongs coach Chris Carmichael, joyful accounts of cycling adventures, and travel and mechanical advice. 2007.
Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits RC 64968
8 hours 12 minutes
By David Ortiz
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Autobiography of baseball player David "Big Papi" Ortiz, who helped the Boston Red Sox break the curse of the Bambino by winning the 2004 World Series. Ortiz recalls his childhood in the Dominican Republic and discusses his career with the Seattle Mariners, the Minnesota Twins, and the Red Sox. 2007.
Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life RC 65479
6 hours 32 minutes
By James Blake
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Tennis pro focuses on events he endured in 2004: breaking his neck in a freak accident during practice, losing his father to stomach cancer, and suffering a bout of face-paralyzing shingles. Describes the strength and perspective he gained during that challenging year and his subsequent professional successes. 2007.
The Bus: My Life in and out of a Helmet RC 66091
8 hours 47 minutes
By Jerome Bettis and Gene Wojciechowski
read by L.J. Ganser
Autobiography of a former professional football player who retired after his team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, won the 2006 Super Bowl. Credits natural talent, adult guidance during his rough childhood in Detroit, and hard work for his successful career. Provides insight into critical games and sports injuries. Discusses fellow athletes. 2007.
The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport RC 66744
6 hours 54 minutes
By Carl Hiaasen
read by Erik Sandvold
Humorist Hiaasen, author of Nature Girl (RC 63561), relates his middle-aged return to golf in 2005, after a thirty-two-year hiatus. Through diary entries, Hiaasen laments that the game has not gotten easier—and still doesn't fit his temperament. Also offers anecdotes of life in Florida. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR RC 65880
16 hours 8 minutes
By Neal Thompson
read by Alec Volz
Journalist chronicles the origins of stock car racing. Highlights the Atlanta trio of Raymond Parks, Red Vogt, and Red Byron, who sold moonshine in the 1930s and 1940s and needed fast cars to outrun the law. Discusses the 1948 founding of NASCAR and its evolution. 2006.
Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit RC 64679
11 hours 33 minutes
By Ryan Nerz
read by Jim Zeiger
Freelance journalist and emcee for the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) chronicles the development of eating contests from carnival sideshow to sports league/ entertainment on an international scale. Nerz discusses famous competitions, divulges eaters' training techniques, and profiles competitors such as Sonya Thomas, Cookie Jarvis, and Takeru Kobayashi. 2006.
Go Long! My Journey beyond the Game and the Fame RC 64533
5 hours 17 minutes
By Jerry Rice
read by L.J. Ganser
Former professional football player and Dancing with the Stars contestant Jerry Rice recounts his rise to fame through hard work and perseverance. Describes his rural southern childhood, his college career at Mississippi Valley State, and his success with the San Francisco 49ers. Foreword by coach Bill Walsh. 2007.
The Hardcore Diaries RC 64091
11 hours 34 minutes
By Mick Foley
read by Walter Dixon
Author of Foley Is Good (RC 53068) provides an insiders account of the six weeks of meetings, phone calls, backstage antics, and TV tapings that occurred before a wrestling match organized for Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment and televised on a pay-per-view basis. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Hate Mail from Cheerleaders: And Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly RC 66283
10 hours 27 minutes
By Rick Reilly
read by Gregory Gorton
Sportswriter and author of Who's Your Caddy? (RC 56286) presents one hundred memorable entries from his Sports Illustrated column. Includes commentary about Ben Comen, a high school cross-country runner with cerebral palsy, and about disabled golfer Casey Martin, who sued the PGA. Introduction by Lance Armstrong. 2007.
Iceman: My Fighting Life RC 65911
9 hours 8 minutes
By Chuck Liddell
read by Jim Zeiger
Autobiography of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) Iceman from Santa Barbara, California. Describes his childhood, college career, and involvement in karate, wrestling, football, professional kickboxing, and later, mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting. Highlights the development of ultimate fighting. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2008.
Miracle: Bobby Allison and the Saga of the Alabama Gang RC 64640
19 hours 9 minutes
By Peter Golenbock
read by Alec Volz
The author of American Zoom (RC 47516) showcases the Allison family of stock car fame. Follows brothers Eddie, Bobby, and Donnie from their hardscrabble start on Florida dirt tracks to fame and fortune on the NASCAR circuit. Discusses horrible crashes and heart-rending accidental deaths that haunt the family. 2006.
Quiet Strength: A Memoir RC 65352
9 hours 52 minutes
By Tony Dungy
read by Jake Williams
Autobiography of the first African American coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl win, taking the Indianapolis Colts to victory in 2007. Dungy describes the priorities and attitudes that contributed to his winning experiences and emphasizes putting God and family first. Bestseller. 2007.
Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler RC 66701
10 hours 34 minutes
By L. Jon Wertheim
read by Gregory Gorton
Biography of pool player Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich, who began his career as a hustler but turned pro when he became recognizable. Discusses how the overweight Jewish high school dropout from New Jersey became a legend in the 1990s. Covers the role of his sidekick Bristol Bob. Some strong language. 2007.
A Skating Life RC 65389
7 hours 50 minutes
By Dorothy Hamill
read by Nicola Daval
At fifty, 1976 Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill describes both her figure-skating career and her personal life in this memoir. Details her great success on the ice as well as her struggles with two adulterous husbands, money problems, and a family history of depression. 2007.
The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip through Buck O'Neil's America RC 65019
7 hours 19 minutes
By Joe Posnanski
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Kansas City sportswriter accompanies ninety-three-year-old former Negro League veteran Buck O'Neil to baseball games for a year. O'Neil reminisces about his teammates and his career as a player, a scout, and the first African American coach in the Majors. Some strong language. 2007.
Speed Show: How NASCAR Won the Heart of America RC 65123
3 hours 1 minute
By Dave Caldwell
read by Robert Sams
Discusses the history of stock-car racing and its emergence as a popular sport. Highlights famous drivers and the work of their crews and covers important races. Describes the danger involved in the sport and technological advances being made to improve safety. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
Wilma Rudolph: A Biography RC 65511
6 hours 29 minutes
By Maureen M. Smith
read by Gail Nelson
Biography of African American athlete Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994), who won Olympic track medals in 1956 and 1960 after triumphing over childhood polio. Highlights Rudolph's family life in the segregated South and her post-Olympic struggles against racism and sexism. For senior high readers. 2006.
World Wrestling Entertainment Presents: Controversy Creates Cash RC 64489
12 hours 56 minutes
By Eric Bischoff
read by Jim Zeiger
Autobiography of former president of World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Describes his time at the American Wrestling Association; his rise within Ted Turners organization, WCW; the Monday Night Wars with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment; and his relationships with stars Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Steve Austin, and others. Strong language. 2006.
The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts DB/RC 66868
10 hours 41 minutes
By Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby
read by Alec Volz
Biography coauthored by the brother of the comic actor Chris Farley, who died in 1997 at the age of thirty-three. Family members, friends, and colleagues discuss Farley's personal life, marked by substance abuse, and his career, which included various roles in the television series Saturday Night Live. Strong language. 2008.
Friends: A Love Story RC 65675
13 hours 27 minutes
By Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance
read by Robin Miles
Dual autobiography of acting couple, both graduates of the Yale School of Drama. The two recall their childhoods, travails on the road to success, and their courtship. Gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their performances, including Bassett's part in the film Waiting to Exhale. Some strong language. 2007.
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years RC 66539
13 hours 30 minutes
By Julie Andrews
read by Jill Ferris
British actress describes growing up a child star with her vaudevillian mother and stepfather. By books end she has given a royal command performance, acted in Broadway's Camelot and My Fair Lady, is married with a child, and is heading to Hollywood in 1963 to film Mary Poppins. Bestseller. 2008.
Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist RC 64583
12 hours 0 minutes
By Mike Farrell
read by Peter Berkrot
Autobiography of an actor, producer, and writer best known for his role as B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H. Highlights Farrell's Irish Catholic working-class childhood in West Hollywood, his break into show business, and his increasing involvement in politics and the human rights movement. Some strong language. 2007.
Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time RC 66058
9 hours 22 minutes
By Valerie Bertinelli
read by Catherine Byers
Bertinelli recounts her teen years acting in the 1975–1984 television series One Day at a Time and her twenty-year marriage to rocker Eddie Van Halen. Discusses being an actress, a divorced single mom, and a Jenny Craig spokesperson following a long struggle with her weight. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair RC 66864
6 hours 52 minutes
By Gary David Goldberg
read by Barry Bernson
Award-winning sitcom writer and producer details his personal and professional life before and after he was discovered in a writing class in the 1970s. Goldberg describes his work on Family Ties and Spin City and recounts his friendships with celebrities such as actor Michael J. Fox. Some strong language. 2008.
A Star Is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood's Biggest Movies RC 64671
8 hours 36 minutes
By Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Two longtime casting directors describe the behind-the-scenes work of movie-making and discuss how a part is filled. The authors recall anecdotes about actors they have discovered, including Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Scarlett Johansson, and blockbusters they helped develop, such as Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code. Strong language. 2006.
Stori Telling RC 66666
7 hours 45 minutes
By Tori Spelling
read by Victoria Gordon
Daughter of producer Aaron Spelling describes her affluent upbringing, acting in Beverly Hills, 90210, leaving her brand-new husband for a married costar, and poking fun at her tabloid image in reality television shows. She discusses her father's death, her estrangement from her mother, and living a simpler life. Bestseller. 2008.
This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood RC 63504
20 hours 9 minutes
By Jack Valenti
read by Joe Wilson
Autobiography of Jack Valenti (born 1921), the longtime head of the Motion Picture Association of America. Recalls his childhood in Texas, his service as a World War II pilot, his time as a special assistant to President Johnson, and his work as a spokesperson for the Hollywood movie industry. 2007.
True Grace: The Life and Death of an American Princess RC 64903
11 hours 21 minutes
By Wendy Leigh
read by Erin Jones
Biography of Hollywood star Grace Kelly (1929–1982), who married Prince Rainier of Monaco. Through numerous interviews with friends and associates, the author reveals Kelly's series of love affairs, problems with her children, her husbands infidelities, and the demise of her acting career. 2007.
Untold Stories RC 64281
28 hours 0 minutes
By Alan Bennett
read by George Holmes
British actor/playwright Alan Bennett (born 1934) continues the autobiographical sketches begun in Writing Home (RC 43193). Recalls his family background, working-class upbringing, scholarship at Oxford, and bout with cancer. Discusses the English theater, movie industries, and comedy writing. 2005.
Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island RC 66640
14 hours 29 minutes
By Thor Heyerdahl
read by Butch Hoover
Author of Kon-Tiki (RC 22841) recounts his 1955 expedition to the Southeast Pacific, where he and his team sought the origins of Easter Island's enormous stone statues. Heyerdahl describes his excavations and experiences uncovering the natives closely guarded secrets with help from his aku-aku—his personal guardian spirit. 1958.
America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families DB/RC 67324
18 hours 23 minutes
By Allen W. Nyhuis and Jon Wassner
read by Butch Hoover
Zoo enthusiasts profile sixty of the top U.S. zoological parks. The guide, which is organized geographically by region, describes each destinations featured exhibits, educational programs, live shows, and special attractions for children. Provides information on admissions and fees, hours of operation, driving directions from major highways, and viewing tips. 2008.
Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalaya RC 65382
4 hours 18 minutes
By Jamaica Kincaid
read by Michele Schaeffer
Caribbean-born novelist recounts her journey to eastern Nepal to gather seeds for use in her personal garden in Vermont. Chronicles her month-long trek through remote, mountainous terrain where, while searching for specimens, she and three botanist friends endured daily deprivations, altitude sickness, leeches, and encounters with violent Maoist guerrillas. 2005.
China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power RC 66394
13 hours 5 minutes
By Rob Gifford
read by George Holmes
NPR's London bureau chief recounts his three-thousand-mile journey along China's major east-west thoroughfare, Route 312, from Shanghai and coastal factory towns through the rural countryside and the Gobi Desert to the border of Kazakhstan. Examines changes wrought by globalization and a market economy on Chinas people, culture, and landscape. 2007.
Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime RC 66081
9 hours 32 minutes
compiled by Kerry Lorimer
read by Gordon Gould
Guide to nearly one hundred global destinations. Promotes principles of responsible tourism to minimize environmental impact, maximize connections to other cultures, and benefit local communities. Offers information on seeing gorillas in Rwanda, tagging turtles in Australia, and counting macaws in Peru. Includes tips on accommodations and volunteering. 2006.
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World RC 66811
6 hours 39 minutes
By Anthony Doerr
read by Frank Coffee
Prize-winning novelist recounts moving with his wife and six-month-old twin sons to Italy for a yearlong literary fellowship. Describes visiting the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel, and other historical sites; attending the vigil of Pope John Paul II; and learning Italian. Also discusses raising a family. 2007.
A House Somewhere: Tales of Life Abroad RC 65183
10 hours 9 minutes
edited by Don George and Anthony Sattin
read by Mary Kane
Twenty-six essays capturing the pleasures and pitfalls of finding a home in a foreign country. Chilean author Isabel Allende recounts falling for California's Marin County and the man who showed it to her. In an excerpt from Italian Neighbours (RC 35775) Tim Parks describes some curious acoustics of Italian dwellings. 2002.
Into and out of Dislocation RC 66135
10 hours 59 minutes
By C.S. Giscombe
read by Bob Moore
Poets travel memoir describes his trips to western Canada when he was a young man and later with his wife and daughter to research possible kinship to John R. Giscome, a black Jamaican explorer. Author meditates on borders, family, race, and finding his writers voice. 2000.
Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World RC 66506
8 hours 44 minutes
By Joan Druett
read by Ted Stoddard
Award-winning maritime historian recreates the disparate experiences of the crews of two vessels that ship- wrecked in the Auckland Islands in 1864. Describes how Captain Thomas Musgrave and the men of Grafton banded together to survive, while the crew of Invercauld succumbed to conflict and starvation. 2007.
The One Hundred Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life RC 65561
11 hours 0 minutes
By Pam Grout
read by Erin Jones
Destinations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico offering opportunities to experience the arts, volunteer, learn something new, and focus on personal wellness. Activities include donating time at a national park, helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity, and getting pampered at a ski resort. Provides detailed travel information. 2007.
PassPorters Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line: Easy Access Vacations for Travelers with Extra Challenges RC 65863
24 hours 47 minutes
By Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma
read by Kerry Dukin
Comprehensive guide to vacationing in Disney's Florida resorts or on Disney cruise ships for special-needs travelers with hearing or vision impairment, mobility issues, and other physical, mental, or dietary considerations. Provides information on finding accessible accommodations and eateries, getting around, and enjoying each theme park and attraction. Includes resources. 2007.
The River's Tale: A Year on the Mekong RC 63182
14 hours 28 minutes
By Edward A. Gargan
read by Peter Johnson
Chronicle of an American journalists yearlong journey along the Mekong River. Obsessed with Asia, Gargan pursued the challenge of backpacking alone down the rivers 3,050-mile course from Tibet to the South China Sea, through six countries. Offers insights and observations on the people and places he encounters and on the rigors of his adventure. 2002.
The Ten Best of Everything: Passport to the Best; an Ultimate Guide for Travelers RC 66363
23 hours 34 minutes
By Nathaniel Lande and Andrew Lande
read by Barry Bernson
Recommendations for many aspects of luxury travel, including airlines, sporting events, products, markets, and lodging. Suggests itineraries for literary and historical journeys, such as exploring the Silk Road and touring English gardens. Provides advice from experts—like Arnold Palmers favorite golf courses—descriptions of each selection, and contact information. 2008.
Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the Nation's Capital RC 65214
4 hours 9 minutes
By Christopher Buckley
read by Jack Fox
Satirical novelist leads four lighthearted walking tours through the District of Columbia's most familiar sites—from Union Station, across the Mall, and over the Potomac River to Arlington National Cemetery. Buckley visits the Smithsonian, presidential monuments, war memorials, Fords Theatre, and other places of interest, offering informative tidbits and personal digressions. 2003.
Way off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small-Town America RC 66185
6 hours 37 minutes
By Bill Geist
read by Jack Fox
Emmy Award-winning television news correspondent profiles unique places and people he calls resourceful, eccentric . . . and at times just plain batty—yet oddly inspiring. Describes his encounters with the Grand Canyon mail carrier who makes deliveries by mule train, and with the mayor and sole resident of Monowi, Nebraska. 2007.
America: The Last Best Hope; Volume 2, From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom, 1914—1989 RC 65535
21 hours 26 minutes
By William J. Bennett
read by Lou Harpenau
Portrays the major events and leaders in U.S. history from World War I through Ronald Reagan's presidency. Sequel to America: The Last Best Hope; Volume 1, From the Age of Discovery to a World at War, 1492–1914 (RC 63365). For senior high and older readers. 2007.
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic RC 65206
11 hours 20 minutes
By Joseph J. Ellis
read by Jake Williams
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian chronicles the period between the American Revolutionary War and the Louisiana Purchase. Discusses the founders' decision to have an evolutionary revolution by creating a liberal nation gradually, rather than abruptly abandoning traditions. Thus slavery and hostility to Native Americans were left intact. 2007.
America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation RC 66907
7 hours 59 minutes
By Kenneth C. Davis
read by Robert Sams
Author of the Don't Know Much About series describes overlooked episodes in early American history. Includes Queen Isabella's advice to Columbus to bring pigs to the New World—animals that introduced diseases to the natives—and George Washington's attack on French soldiers who were on a diplomatic mission. Violence. 2008.
Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America RC 66252
8 hours 56 minutes
By Cullen Murphy
read by Bill Wallace
Vanity Fair editor at large draws parallels between modern America and ancient Rome, including, in his judgment, a self-centered national capital, a powerful but undermanned and socially disconnected military, privatization of once-public tasks, ignorance of global affairs, and border instability. Ponders ways America might avoid imitating Rome's decay. 2007.
The Assassin's Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln RC 66976
8 hours 28 minutes
By Kate Clifford Larson
read by Laural Merlington
Author of Bound for the Promised Land (RC 64511) investigates the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Focuses on the involvement of boarding-house owner Mary Surratt. Reexamines primary documents to assert that Mary and her son John, both Confederate sympathizers, participated in John Wilkes Booths plot. Commercial audiobook. 2008.
Benedict Arnold's Navy: The Ragtag Fleet That Lost the Battle of Lake Champlain but Won the American Revolution RC 67019
14 hours 49 minutes
By James L. Nelson
read by Jake Williams
Details the 1775–1776 northern campaigns of the American Revolution involving Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, wealthy shipowner Benedict Arnold, and Major General Philip Schuyler. Highlights the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the march through Maines wilderness, battles in Canada, and the naval conflict on Lake Champlain. 2007.
Better for All the World: The Secret History of Forced Sterilization and America's Quest for Racial Purity RC 65177
15 hours 22 minutes
By Harry Bruinius
read by Jack Fox
Chronicles the state-supported eugenics movement in the early twentieth century that led to the forced sterilization of more than sixty-five thousand Americans deemed morally or mentally inferior and unfit to reproduce. Profiles victims, supporters, and scientists and discusses the influence of these policies on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. 2006.
Blue Skies, Black Wings: African American Pioneers of Aviation RC 67179
10 hours 9 minutes
By Samuel L. Broadnax
read by Jake Williams
Black journalist relates his flying experiences after enlisting in the Army Air Corp at age seventeen and graduating as a fighter pilot from the Tuskegee Institute in 1945. Recounts his and other African American pilots military careers and their struggles with racism and segregation. Also discusses historical black aviators. 2007.
Boom! Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the Sixties and Today RC 65419
20 hours 24 minutes
By Tom Brokaw
read by Bob Moore
Author of The Greatest Generation (RC 47490) television anchorman Tom Brokaw conducted dozens of personal interviews with baby boomers to document the decade of the 1960s. Includes reminiscences about the political, cultural, and socioeconomic meaning of the era and the changes that occurred. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Children of Perdition: Melungeons and the Struggle of Mixed America
7 hours 48 minutes
By Tim Hashaw
read by Richard Hauenstein
Award-winning investigative journalist examines the history of southern Appalachias mixed-race, or Melungeon, communities since the colonial era. Chronicles American attitudes toward race and the Melungeons response to legal and social discrimination. Discusses concepts of ethnic purity and connections between Nazi Germany and the eugenics movement in the United States. 2006.
The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation RC 66395
17 hours 24 minutes
By Philip Shenon
read by Christopher Hurt
New York Times reporter investigates the workings behind the 9/11 Commission Report (RC 58238) and declares shortcomings. Alleges commission conflicts, official interference including the removal of relevant documents from archives, and report distortions and omissions. Portrays the roles of executive director Philip D. Zelikow and the Jersey Girls widows. 2008.
TheDay Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction RC 66980
12 hours 38 minutes
By Charles Lane
read by Jim Bond
Journalist documents the 1873 murders of nearly one hundred African Americans by white supremacists in Colfax, Louisiana. Analyzes the event and the political, social, and legal atmosphere that led to an 1875 Supreme Court decision denying federal responsibility to protect civil rights. Commercial audiobook. Violence and strong language. 2008.
Do All Indians Live in Tipis? Questions and Answers from the National Museum of the American Indian RC 66795
6 hours 16 minutes
By National Museum of the American Indian
read by Christopher Hurt
Reference queries received by the staff of the National Museum of the American Indian. Dozens of questions answered by Native Americans cover history, culture, and language. Topics include ceremonies, totem poles, myths, captivity stories, slavery, clothing, tribal enrollment, and government benefits. For senior high and older readers. 2007.
Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives RC 67110
6 hours 51 minutes
By Jim Sheeler
read by Roy Avers
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Sheeler recounts the two years he spent shadowing marine major Steve Beck, an officer whose job is to notify the families of fallen soldiers. Sheeler relates the lives of the deceased, Becks efforts to comfort the grieving relatives, and the toll on surviving kin. 2008.
Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life RC 66938
17 hours 24 minutes
By Joseph E. Persico
read by Ted Stoddard
Examines the relationships between President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the important women in his life: his mother Sara, his wife Eleanor, Mrs. Winthrop Rutherfurd (née Lucy Mercer), his secretary Missy LeHand, and his distant cousin Daisy Suckley. 2008.
A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan RC 64851
17 hours 3 minutes
By Michael Kazin
read by Butch Hoover
Traces the life of populist politician William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925), from his midwestern boyhood to his involvement in the 1925 Scopes trial. Highlights Bryan's evangelical beliefs, which stressed charity and social justice, and stresses his progressive politics, which led to reforms in campaign financing, senatorial elections, and women's suffrage. 2006.
A Great and Godly Adventure: The Pilgrims and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving RC 65154
7 hours 49 minutes
By Godfrey Hodgson
read by Richard Hauenstein
British professor examines the origins of the Massachusetts colony. Analyzes the effects of the Reformation on world history and the motives that drove the Pilgrims, radical Protestants, to immigrate from England to Holland and then the New World. Describes the creation and the symbolism of the Thanksgiving holiday. 2006.
The Great Chicago Fire RC 66267
10 hours 33 minutes
By Robert Cromie
read by Jake Williams
Former Chicago Tribune editor presents a narrative history of the catastrophic fire that destroyed four square miles of Chicago in October 1871. Describes the course of the fire, the firemen who fought the blazes, and the people who were caught in the conflagration. 1958.
The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow RC 65881
18 hours 33 minutes
By Richard F. Bales
read by Lou Harpenau
A detailed examination of the historical evidence of one of the worst fires in American history. Using land-tract records and transcripts from the 1871 investigation, Bales posits that the more prominent theories on the fires origins—and the story of Mrs. O'Leary's cow—were implausible. Illinois State Historical Society Award. 2002.
The Great Divide: A Biography of the Rocky Mountains RC 65190
6 hours 40 minutes
By Gary Ferguson
read by Michele Schaeffer
Naturalist and historian introduces readers to the Rocky Mountains by explaining the geology of the 300,000-square-mile mountain range. He describes the diverse men and women who have traversed the mountains through the years, including trappers, runaway slaves, artists, social misfits, Gold Rush miners, and Native Americans. 2004.
The Growth of Southern Civilization, 1790–1860 RC 66926
14 hours 56 minutes
By Clement Eaton
read by Robert Sams
Antebellum history of the American South uses original sources to describe its broad variety of geographic, ethnic, and economic cultures, consisting of rice planters, tobacco farmers, poor whites, Creoles, slaves, a middle class, and city folk. Editor's introduction by Henry Steele Commager and Richard Brandon Morris. 1961.
House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization across the American Southwest RC 65104
19 hours 11 minutes
By Craig Childs
read by Jake Williams
National Public Radio contributor, author of Soul of Nowhere (RC 63294), recounts his travels among the ruins of the pre-Columbian pueblo people known as the Anasazi. Childs discusses their once-flourishing culture and mysterious demise while he describes visiting their lands, including New Mexicos Chaco Canyon and Colorados Mesa Verde. 2006.
The Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America RC 66398
14 hours 21 minutes
By Beth S. Wenger
read by Suzanne Toren
Companion piece to a 2008 PBS television series uses first-person accounts to examine the history, social integration, ethnic relations, and cultural assimilation of Jews in America from 1654 to 2008. Profiles individuals such as Abraham Kohn, a 1840s peddler who voiced the initial disappointment felt by many Jewish immigrants. 2007.
The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History RC 65055
10 hours 45 minutes
By Joseph M. Marshall III
read by Ted Stoddard
Sioux author examines the life of Lakota warrior Crazy Horse (ca. 1842–1877) using oral accounts and established historical facts. Discusses Lakota culture, societal expectations placed on male tribal members, courtship and marriage customs, and power struggles among Lakota leaders. Depicts the changing Great Plains of the late nineteenth century. 2004.
Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation DB/RC 66603
17 hours 43 minutes
By Cokie Roberts
read by Kerry Dukin
News analyst Roberts portrays influential American women who lived between the 1797 inauguration of John Adams and that of his son John Quincy in 1825. Highlights accomplishments of first ladies, reformers, educators, writers, and explorers, including Abigail Adams and Sacagawea. Companion to Founding Mothers (RC 58361). Bestseller. 2008.
LeMay RC 66096
7 hours 5 minutes
By Barrett Tillman
read by Peter Johnson
Biography of American air force general Curtis LeMay, who in World War II directed campaigns over Germany and Japan. Discusses LeMay's leadership of the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War and his decision to become George Wallace's presidential running mate in 1968. Foreword by General Wesley K. Clark. 2007.
Lewis and Clark through Indian Eyes RC 62428
7 hours 7 minutes
edited by Alvin M. Josephy Jr.
read by Richard Hauenstein
Modern members of the tribes that Lewis and Clark encountered during their 1804–1806 western travels provide nine wide-ranging essays on the impact of the expedition on Native Americans. Contributors, including Kiowa Pulitzer Prize-winner N. Scott Momaday and Sioux professor Vine Deloria Jr., blend familial, tribal, and American history. 2006.
Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power RC 65350
18 hours 13 minutes
By Richard Carwardine
read by Jake Williams
Assesses Abraham Lincoln's political career in peacetime and as the only U.S. president to contend with civil war. Examines his beliefs and ambitions, effectiveness in state politics and Congress, and emergence as a national leader. Discusses Lincoln's development on issues from restoring the Union to emancipation. Lincoln Prize. 2006.
Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans, and Vagabonds: Mexican Immigration and the Future of Race in America RC 65432
11 hours 3 minutes
By Gregory Rodriguez
read by Mark Ashby
Mexican American columnist examines the history of Mexican immigration to the United States and its effect on U.S. culture, politics, and race. Posits that the sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of Mexico led to mestizaje—a racial and cultural synthesis. Analyzes the Chicano movement and changes in the attitudes of his people. 2007.
Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s RC 66513
13 hours 48 minutes
By Frederick Lewis Allen
read by Faith Potts
Interpretive account of the tumultuous period between the end of World War I in 1918 and the 1929 stock market crash. Highlights events and figures of the era and their impact on public consciousness. Covers Prohibition, the Harding scandals, labor issues, women's suffrage, Sigmund Freud, and more. 1931.
The Pentagon: A History; the Untold Story of the Wartime Race to Build the Pentagon—and to Restore It Sixty Years Later RC 65287
22 hours 35 minutes
By Steve Vogel
read by Jake Williams
Military reporter delineates the Pentagons development from concept to establishment as a world-recognized symbol. Covers the enormity and speed of construction during World War II and the rebuilding after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Presents its key figures and the social and political climate throughout its history. Some strong language. 2007.
The Perils of Peace: America's Struggle for Survival after Yorktown RC 66275
15 hours 0 minutes
By Thomas Fleming
read by Jake Williams
Focuses on the time period immediately after the 1781 American victory at Yorktown until the 1783 final treaty. Highlights the British, French, and colonial statesmen involved in peace negotiations. Posits that George Washington's renunciation of absolute power to become a private citizen was the pivotal affirmation of democracy. 2007.
Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough: Three Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown RC 65086
11 hours 13 minutes
By Helen C. Rountree
read by Annie Wauters
History of the Jamestown colony from the perspective of the coastal Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe whose lands the English settlers occupied. Uses archives and archaeological research to describe brothers Powhatan and Opechancanough and Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas and the ways they were affected by the clash of cultures. 2005.
President Lincoln: The Duty of a Statesman RC 66880
21 hours 34 minutes
By William Lee Miller
read by Butch Hoover
The author of Lincoln's Virtues (RC 57259) continues his examination of the sixteenth president's moral and intellectual life—this time covering Lincoln's term in the White House. Discusses his determination to preserve the Union and to avoid armed conflict. Describes the ethical challenge of slavery. 2008.
Seven Fires: The Urban Infernos That Reshaped America RC 66521
15 hours 20 minutes
By Peter Charles Hoffer
read by Bob Moore
Chronicles city fires that changed American social, economic, and political structure from the colonial 1760 Boston blaze to the September 11, 2001, conflagration in Manhattan. Reconstructs tragedies in 1845 Pittsburgh, 1871 Chicago, 1904 Baltimore, 1967 Detroit, and 1991 Oakland Hills, California. Includes a primer on fire and urban renewal. 2006.
A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom; Including Their Own Narratives of Emancipation RC 65232
10 hours 13 minutes
By David W. Blight
read by Jake Williams
Yale historian's dual biography of former slaves Wallace Turnage (1846–1916) and John Washington (1838–1918). Includes their personal accounts of escaping from servitude. Describes each mans eventual success in reaching Union troops, journey north, reunion with his family, and climb to working-class stability. 2007.
Smoke Jumping on the Western Fire Line: Conscientious Objectors during World War II
9 hours 54 minutes
By Mark Matthews
read by L.J. Ganser
Journalist documents the experiences of pacifists who, instead of enlisting in the military, volunteered for the Civilian Public Service to fight fires for the U.S. Forest Service. Describes the jumpers' reasons (primarily religious) for not going to war and their contributions to wildfire management. Foreword by Senator George McGovern. 2006.
The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution RC 65222
11 hours 34 minutes
By David O. Stewart
read by Alec Volz
Attorney studies the debates held on political and economic issues during the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Highlights the roles of George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, and John Rutledge, among others. Contrasts the New Jersey and the Virginia plans and the problems concerning slavery and new territories. 2007.
The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country RC 66368
12 hours 10 minutes
By Laton McCartney
read by Butch Hoover
Journalist uses official documents and newspaper articles to examine political corruption surrounding the 1920 presidential election of Ohio senator Warren G. Harding. Details the investigation into oil leasings, the hearings led by Montana senator Thomas J. Walsh, and the trial of secretary of the interior Albert Fall. 2008.
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War RC 65912
11 hours 39 minutes
By Drew Gilpin Faust
read by Bill Wallace
President of Harvard University interprets the significance of the U.S. Civil War's death toll. States that two percent of the country's population was killed and many died without proper burials. Analyzes the way those losses transformed American society, culture, and politics through the experience of shared suffering. Violence. Bestseller. 2008.
Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief DB/RC 67863
10 hours 2 minutes
By James M. McPherson
read by Butch Hoover
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian highlights the role President Abraham Lincoln played as the head of the U.S. military during the Civil War. Stresses Lincoln's study and application of war strategies and his development of a political and national policy that focused on preserving the Union. Bestseller. 2008.
Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson RC 66246
11 hours 37 minutes
By Alan Pell Crawford
read by Jake Williams
Uses primary sources to chronicle the postpresidential years (1809–1826) of Thomas Jefferson. Describes problems he had with a dysfunctional extended family, agricultural mismanagement, soaring debt, and deteriorating health. Highlights Jefferson's establishment of the secular University of Virginia and his correspondence with John Adams. 2008.
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World DB/RC 67047
16 hours 53 minutes
By Tony Horwitz
read by Gordon Gould
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Blue Latitudes (RC 55707) examines European explorations of America that occurred before the Pilgrims landing in 1620. Recounts the journeys of Leif Eiriksson and the Vikings, Coronado and the Spanish conquistadors, and Ribault and the French Huguenotsand his own adventures tracing their footsteps. 2008.
West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War RC 66553
18 hours 6 minutes
By Heather Cox Richardson
read by Bill Wallace
History professor focuses on the formation of a middle class in post-Civil War America and asserts that its members defined the nation's identity at home and abroad for the next century and beyond. Highlights the era's sectional animosities, racial tensions, booming industrialization, suffragist activism, and westward expansion. 2007.
Women of Courage RC 64170
7 hours 17 minutes
By Margaret Truman
read by Susan Mcinerney
Author profiles twelve women who overcame adversity to influence U.S. history. Provides biographies of First Lady Dolley Madison; Paiute Indian Sarah Winnemucca; Ida Wells, a daughter of slaves; Elizabeth Blackwell, America's first woman doctor; suffragette Susan B. Anthony; and singer Marian Anderson, among others. 1976.
Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford
9 hours 8 minutes
By Thomas M. DeFrank
read by Gregory Gorton
Former White House reporter DeFrank presents an anecdotal memoir of U.S. president Gerald Ford's life in politics, which Ford asked to remain unpublished until after his death. Using interviews from 1991 to 2006, DeFrank highlights Fords character and his candid assessments of contemporaries, including Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. 2007.
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Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal RC 65231
12 hours 45 minutes
By Ben Macintyre
read by Bill Wallace
Author recounts the exploits of career criminal Eddie Chapman, who trained as a German spy after the Nazis released him from a British jail on the isle of Jersey. Describes how Chapman became a double agent for MI5 and successfully fooled his Axis handlers throughout the war. 2007.
America's Fighting Admirals RC 65466
16 hours 41 minutes
By William Tuohy
read by Ted Stoddard
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and navy veteran describes U.S. naval action in World War II. Examines the skills and personalities of the American admirals who led the battles. Provides background information on the commanders and includes facts about the Naval War College. 2007.
America's First Battles, 1776–1965 RC 65769
19 hours 19 minutes
edited by Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft
read by Roy Avers
Essays by military historians on the initial battles of each of the ten major U.S. wars or campaigns, from the Revolutionary era to Vietnam. Posits that preparation in peacetime, mobilization, and adaptation to a new engagement affect outcome and loss of troops. Analyzes the prewar army's adjustment to conflict. 1986.
Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace DB/RC 66657
5 hours 23 minutes
By Kurt Vonnegut
read by Gregory Gorton
Twelve fiction and nonfiction pieces representing Vonnegut's views on violence and war and his desire for world peace. Contains both a 1945 letter to his family summarizing his prisoner-of-war experience in Germany and his last speech, written in 2007. Introduction by his son Mark Vonnegut. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2008.
Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq RC 65424
10 hours 37 minutes
By Kirsten Holmstedt
read by Annie Wauters
Accounts of women serving in Iraq, a campaign with the largest number of female combat soldiers in U.S. history. Profiles twelve women—including turret gunner Chrissy DeCaprio, medic Rachelle Spors, and Vernice Armour, the first African American female combat pilot—who describe their wartime experiences. Some violence and some strong language. 2007.
The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice RC 66325
9 hours 33 minutes
By Alex Kershaw
read by Ray Foushee
Journalist interviews survivors and townspeople of Bedford, Virginia, who lost twenty-two soldiers, originally from the local National Guard, who were the first troops at Omaha Beach on D-Day—June 6, 1944. Highlights life on the home front and the town's construction of the national D-Day Memorial in 2001. Violence. 2003.
The Bravest Man: Richard OKane and the Amazing Submarine Adventures of the USS Tang RC 65132
17 hours 42 minutes
By William Tuohy
read by Margaret Strom
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist chronicles the career of decorated World War II naval officer and Medal of Honor recipient Richard O'Kane. Recounts O'Kane's combat operations aboard the submarines Wahoo (as executive officer) and Tang (as skipper) and his daring escape after Tang was sunk by its own defective torpedo. 2001.
Churchill, Hitler, and The Unnecessary War: How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World DB/RC 66888
15 hours 58 minutes
By Patrick J. Buchanan
read by Ted Stoddard
Political analyst asserts that World War I and World War II were avoidable conflicts caused by the failures of British statesmen. Highlights the blunders of twentieth-century diplomacy that he believes led to armed conflicts, the Holocaust, communist regimes, and the decline of Western civilization. Some violence. Bestseller. 2008.
The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War RC 65355
33 hours 51 minutes
By David Halberstam
read by Bill Wallace
Historian's account of the Korean War highlights the strife between U.S. president Harry Truman and American commander Douglas MacArthur. Details miscalculations that led to lost battles, relates American soldiers' struggles in Siberian-cold winters, and describes the ferocity and relentlessness of Chinese troops. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943–1944; Liberation Trilogy, Volume 2 RC 65493
36 hours 35 minutes
By Rick Atkinson
read by Lewis Grenville
Following the Pulitzer Prize-winning An Army at Dawn (RC 54939), the author turns to the European theater, concentrating on the invasion of Italy by Allied forces in 1943. Describes how hardened troops endured harsh climate and terrain and an entrenched enemy to liberate Rome. Violence. Bestseller. 2007.
Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940–1941 RC 65641
28 hours 49 minutes
By Ian Kershaw
read by Dennis Rooney
British historian examines the decisions—made by world leaders Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, Mussolini, and Tojo—that determined the course of World War II. Includes Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Great Britain's refusal to negotiate after France fell, and Japan's seizure of European interests in Southeast Asia. 2007.
Fear Up Harsh: An Army Interrogator's Dark Journey through Iraq RC 66247
9 hours 44 minutes
By Tony Lagouranis and Allen Mikaelian
read by Jake Williams
Former interrogator Lagouranis chronicles his 2004 tour of duty in Iraq. Describes using sleep deprivation and other tactics to extract information from captives, often employing Fear Up Harsh, a technique to heighten fear. Reflects on his return home and the immorality of torture. Some violence and some strong language. 2007.
For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions RC 66070
20 hours 8 minutes
By James R. Gaines
read by Peter Johnson
Chronicles the intricate friendship between two generals, the American George Washington and the French Marquis de Lafayette. Discusses the complex rebellions in the United States and France that forged an enduring alliance between the countries. Analyzes the generals' collaborations and conflicts and covers Lafayette's tumultuous life in Europe. 2007.
How They Won the War in the Pacific: Nimitz and His Admirals RC 66524
19 hours 39 minutes
By Edwin P. Hoyt
read by Ted Stoddard
Details the strategies and battles of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific fleet during World War II, and those under his direction. Highlights the abilities of Admirals William Halsey and Raymond Spruance, and others, at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Aleutians, the Marianas, Leyte, and Okinawa. 2000.
Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization DB/RC 66663
14 hours 39 minutes
By Nicholson Baker
read by Robert Sams
Bestselling author selected political and social commentary from newspaper articles, diaries, memos, memoirs, and public proclamations, most from 1938 through 1941, to reconsider whether World War II was a good war and whether waging it helped those who needed rescue. Bestseller. 2008.
The Iraq Study Group Report RC 63688
4 hours 2 minutes
compiled by James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton
read by Mark Ashby
Report of the 2006 group that was formed, with bipartisan congressional support, to assess the situation in Iraq. Describes the findings of the ten members and the opinions of American and Iraqi government officials the group consulted. Proposes alternative approaches for military, security, economic, political, and diplomatic progress. Bestseller. 2006.
The Jew with the Iron Cross: A Record of Survival in WWII Russia RC 64521
8 hours 48 minutes
By Georg Rauch
read by Ken Kliban
Memoir of a soldier who was drafted into the German army during World War II despite being one-quarter Jewish. Details his service, opposition to the Nazi cause, imprisonment in a Russian POW camp, and recruitment as a Russian spy. 2006.
Letters from Nuremberg: My Father's Narrative of a Quest for Justice RC 65897
12 hours 20 minutes
By Christopher J. Dodd
read by Barry Bernson
U.S. senator from Connecticut compiles letters written to his mother Grace from his father Thomas, while the latter served as a prosecutor at the trial of Nazi war criminals from 1945 to 1946. The letters reveal Dodd's impressions of the proceedings and his encounters with defendants, including Hermann Göring. 2007.
Life of an American Soldier in Iraq RC 66570
4 hours 2 minutes
By Michael V. Uschan
read by L.J. Ganser
Discusses world events prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Highlights the differences in combat among the naval, air, and ground forces. Discusses camp life, insurgent attacks, the aftermath of combat, and postwar duties. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. 2005.
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team Ten RC 64802
12 hours 53 minutes
By Marcus Luttrell
read by L.J. Ganser
U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell recounts the 2005 maneuver he led against Al Qaeda operatives along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Details the fierce mountain battle that led to the loss of Luttrell's three comrades and describes his own escape, capture, and rescue. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2007.
Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War against Nazi Germany RC 65077
28 hours 26 minutes
By Donald L. Miller
read by Butch Hoover
Historian and author of D-Days in the Pacific (RC 63698) profiles the men and missions of the U.S. Eighth Air Force during World War II. Draws on oral histories, military documents, and archival materials to describe combat operations, prisoner experiences, and the impact of strategic bombing campaigns. Violence. 2006.
Moscow 1941: A City and Its People at War RC 64290
17 hours 17 minutes
By Rodric Braithwaite
read by Ken Kliban
Former British ambassador to Russia chronicles the defense of Moscow against Nazi invaders. Portrays experiences of both citizens and leaders through diaries, interviews, and memoirs. Describes how, having survived Joseph Stalin's 1930s purges, the populace repulsed the German siege at a cost of more than nine hundred thousand lives. Violence. 2006.
The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace RC 66123
24 hours 18 minutes
By Ali A. Allawi
read by Mark Ashby
A former senior minister of the Iraqi coalition government, previously exiled for thirty years, discusses the political and social situation in his country since the U.S. invasion in 2003. Describes what he deems are the missed opportunities and unintended consequences of American policies and the problems of Iraqi unification. 2007.
Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944–1945 RC 66833
28 hours 23 minutes
By Max Hastings
read by Lou Harpenau
In this companion to Armageddon: The Battle for Germany (RC 59750), the author documents the last year of World War II in Asia that ended with Japan's devastation. Follows key figures on both sides in the struggle for control of the continent using archival material and interviews with veterans. Violence. 2007.
So Sad to Fall in Battle: An Account of War Based on General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's Letters from Iwo Jima RC 66359
6 hours 45 minutes
By Kumiko Kakehashi
read by Barry Bernson
Portrait of Japanese lieutenant general Tadamichi Kuribayashi, commander in chief of Iwo Jima during the infamous World War II battle. Draws on interviews with survivors and relatives as well as Kuribayashi's personal correspondences to recreate the thirty-six-day campaign including Kuribayashi's defeat and death at the hands of American marines. 2007.
The Story of World War II RC 65116
25 hours 28 minutes
By Donald L. Miller
read by Ray Foushee
Historian offers an account of war through the firsthand experiences of soldiers, journalists, and civilians. Covers European and Pacific land, air, and sea campaigns. Updated and expanded from Henry Steele Commager's The Story of the Second World War (RC 42784). Violence and some strong language. 2001.
This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War RC 65907
10 hours 9 minutes
By James M. McPherson
read by Butch Hoover
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom (RC 27449) presents sixteen essays, three previously unpublished, on the Civil War. Explores military strategies of both the North and South, the effect of newspapers battle coverage on soldier morale, Lincoln's expansion of presidential war powers, and other topics. 2007.
Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam RC 64873
10 hours 7 minutes
By James S. Hirsch
read by John Polk
Chronicles the bond that formed between navy lieutenant Porter Halyburton and African American air force pilot major Fred Cherry, cellmates at North Vietnams notorious Hanoi Hilton. Describes the friendship that sustained them through years of abuse, deprivations, and confinement—and lasted a lifetime. Some violence and some strong language. 2004.
The War: An Intimate History, 1941–1945 RC 64973
8 hours 56 minutes
By Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
read by various narrators
Companion volume to the PBS television documentary chronicles the Second World War using personal anecdotes. Focuses on four towns Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Mobile, Alabamaand the citizens who experience the conflict on the home front and on the battlefield. Commercial audiobook. Violence and strong language. 2007.
War Stories III: The Heroes Who Defeated Hitler RC 65292
11 hours 30 minutes
By Oliver L. North
read by Jake Williams
Former marine presents personal accounts from American and Allied men and women who participated in the European theater during World War II. Includes testimony from the Battle of Britain, the Eastern Front, Italy, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and other armed combat. Based on Fox News documentaries. Violence. 2005.
Why Marines Fight RC 66697
11 hours 35 minutes
By James Brady
read by Ted Stoddard
Bronze star recipient and author of The Coldest War (RC 32978) presents forty firsthand accounts of marine combat veterans from World War II to Afghanistan. Profiles Senator James Webb, baseball player Gerald Coleman, and others who describe their motivations, battlefield experiences, and postwar lives. Strong language and some violence. 2007.
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story RC 65354
9 hours 59 minutes
By Diane Ackerman
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Naturalist details the efforts of Warsaw zookeeper Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina to hide Jewish citizens during the Holocaust. Discusses the 1939 bombing of the city, the couple's alignment with the Polish underground, and their commitment that saved more than three hundred lives. Violence. Bestseller. 2007.
After Lewis and Clark: Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific RC 66174
15 hours 42 minutes
By Robert M. Utley
read by Roy Avers
Historian describes early 1800s exploration of the territory west of the Mississippi River by fur traders. Discusses the role of conscious expansionists such as Jedediah Smith, Joseph Meek, and Kit Carson and other contributors like James Bridger, Pegleg Smith, and Black Harris. Originally titled A Life Wild and Perilous. 1997.
The Black West RC 64870
9 hours 22 minutes
byWilliam Loren Katz
read by Butch Hoover
History of the contributions of African American men and women who populated the American West from the sixteenth-century age of exploration to the early twentieth century. Portrays fur traders, homesteaders, buffalo soldiers, con men, mail-order brides, cowboys, politicians, and others and highlights their struggle for equality. Some strong language. 2005.
After the Victorians: The Decline of Britain in the World RC 63377
32 hours 31 minutes
By A.N. Wilson
read by Kimberly Schraf
Portrait of Great Britain in the first half of the twentieth century. Describes the transformation of the nation by wars and Modernism. Traces the social, military, cultural, and political changes that shifted the mantle of world power to America during World War II. Sequel to The Victorians (RC 58822). 2005.
Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocausts Long Reach into Arab Lands RC 64272
10 hours 28 minutes
By Robert Satloff
read by Lewis Grenville
Jewish American historian of the Middle East explores the persecution and rescue of Jews in North Africa during the Holocaust. Using primary sources and interviews in ten countries including Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, Satloff presents information about Arab heroes and collaborators. Lists some one hundred slave-labor camps. Violence. 2006.
Arsenals of Folly: Nuclear Weapons in the Cold War RC 65198
17 hours 41 minutes
By Richard Rhodes
read by Bill Wallace
Following The Making of the Atomic Bomb (RC 25626) and Dark Sun (RC 44281), author Rhodes concludes his history of nuclear weaponry with the unraveling of the arms race in the 1980s. Highlights Mikhail Gorbachev's and Ronald Reagan's work to achieve peace by eliminating nuclear arsenals. 2007.
Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor RC 64435
16 hours 46 minutes
By Anthony Everitt
read by Fred Major
The author of Cicero (RC 54455) details the life of Caesar Augustus (Octavian) (63 B.C.E.– 14 C.E.), the first emperor of Rome, who came to power after the assassination of his great-uncle Julius Caesar. Describes the changes Augustus implemented after he defeated his political rival Mark Antony. Some strong language. 2006.
Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc RC 65472
4 hours 47 minutes
By Polly Schoyer Brooks
read by Laura Giannarelli
France, 1428 to 1429. Focuses on the year during which Joan heard her voices, took up arms, and led the French against the English invaders of Orléans. Explains the court intrigue, jealousy, and superstition that caused her to be burned at the stake. For junior and senior high readers. 1990.
Blowing Up Russia: The Secret Plot to Bring Back KGB Terror; Acts of Terror, Abductions, and Contract Killings Organized by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation RC 65301
13 hours 3 minutes
By Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky
read by Bill Wallace
Litvinenko, a former government security agent, and historian Felshtinsky allege that the Russian government sponsored campaigns in the 1990s to fabricate terrorist attacks, launch the Chechen wars, and bolster president Vladimir Putin's rise to power. Documents the repercussions of the authors' claims, including Litvinenko's fatal 2006 poisoning. 2007.
The Boys from Dolores: Fidel Castro's Schoolmates from Revolution to Exile RC 66104
16 hours 47 minutes
By Patrick Symmes
read by Lewis Grenville
Journalist interviews Fidel Castro's classmates who attended the elite Jesuit boarding school Colegio de Dolores in eastern Cuba in the 1930s and 1940s. Intertwines their recollection of events from Castro's formative youth with a chronicle of the revolution. Relates the fates of the students themselves. Some strong language. 2007.
Caesar: Life of a Colossus RC 64400
27 hours 9 minutes
By Adrian Goldsworthy
read by Fred Major
Biography of Caius Julius Caesar (c. 10044 B.C.E.) uses original documents to detail Caesars military role and political strategies, his dictatorship, and the fall of the Roman Republic. Portrays Caesar's womanizing and family affairs before his assassination on the Ides of March, which led to civil war. 2006.
The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour RC 67272
24 hours 28 minutes
By Andrei Cherny
read by Jake Williams
Recounts the post-WWII Berlin airlift of 1948–1949. Describes the Soviet Unio's attempt to expel British, American, and French troops by blockading sectors of the city—actions that consigned more than two million citizens to starvation. Relates the American response—airlifting food and supplies and parachuting candy to children. Some violence. 2008.
The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography from the Revolution to the First World War RC 66705
17 hours 58 minutes
By Graham Robb
read by David Cutler
The author traveled fourteen thousand miles throughout France by bicycle to study the isolated villages that coalesced into one European entity. Discusses mapmakers, who often risked death from superstitious provincials on their cartographic expeditions. Traces the roles of traders, migratory animals, and tourists in forming the nation. 2007.
The Discovery of India RC 64641
31 hours 14 minutes
By Jawaharlal Nehru
read by Richard Hauenstein
History of Indian culture from its ancient beginnings through the British colonial period. Discusses philosophy, science, art, and personalities including the Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. Analyses religious texts. Written by Nehru (1889–1964), India's first prime minister, while he was imprisoned at Ahmadnagar Fort for six months in 1944. 1944.
Fidel Castro's Cuba RC 66110
4 hours
By Rita J. Markel
read by Faith Potts
Describes Fidel Castro's overthrow of the Batista government in 1959 and his establishment of a revolutionary government. Traces the islands history from 1492 to 2007. Discusses the 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis, the subsequent U.S. trade embargo, and Cuban life under socialist rule. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.
Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground RC 65240
18 hours 7 minutes
By Robert D. Kaplan
read by Bill Wallace
Journalist, author of Imperial Grunts (RC 60647), recounts the five years he spent reporting from U.S. military bases in the Middle East and Central Asia. Describes the work of the men and women who staff the outposts and their efforts to provide humanitarian relief and build infrastructure. Some strong language. 2007.
Hugo Chávez RC 64995
3 hours 20 minutes
By Judith Levin
read by Mark Ashby
Biography of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who was first elected in 1998 and labeled a negative force by the American government. Highlights Chávez's use of his country's oil reserves and discusses his relationships with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, and leaders in Iran. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India RC 64891
15 hours 36 minutes
By Edward Luce
read by Richard Hauenstein
Journalist analyzes India's multiparty democracy including its social-welfare programs, religion, national and local politics, institutional corruption, and globalization. Discusses problems of caste, poverty, and illiteracy that endure despite the success of information technology, off-shore call centers, and Bollywood. Emphasizes the country's relationships with the United States and China. 2007.
Jews and Power RC 66381
6 hours 33 minutes
By Ruth R. Wisse
read by Suzanne Toren
Harvard professor examines the politics of Jews in relation to the politics of anti-Semites as they existed throughout history. Argues the importance of a sovereign Israel to Jewish survival and notes Israel's staunch defense of democracy. 2007.
Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction RC 65669
8 hours 33 minutes
By Martin Gilbert
read by Ken Kliban
British historian Gilbert documents the "Night of Broken Glass"—November 9, 1938—during which a systematic Nazi-instigated anti-Jewish rampage across Germany left a wake of destruction and arrests that ignited the Holocaust. Uses first-person accounts and archives to detail the terror, its aftermath, and the worlds reaction. 2006.
Life Laid Bare: The Survivors in Rwanda Speak RC 67066
7 hours 51 minutes
By Jean Hatzfeld
read by Lisette Lecat
The author of Machete Season (RC 61987) presents fourteen Tutsi survivors' descriptions of the devastation that took place in their villages of Nyamata and Ntarama during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A teenager recounts watching Hutus, including a pastor's son, cut off her mothers limbs. Violence. 2000.
The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England RC 65168
15 hours 28 minutes
edited by Antonia Fraser
read by Anne Flosnik
Collection of short biographies of English monarchs by eight historians. Covers each ruler from William the Conqueror (1066) to Queen Elizabeth II. Introduction by Antonia Fraser. Revised and updated edition of 1975 publication. 1998.
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million RC 64825
22 hours 18 minutes
By Daniel Mendelsohn
read by Robert Blumenfeld
Author of The Elusive Embrace (RC 50368) documents his quest to uncover details about six relatives killed during the Holocaust. Recounts his international journeys to interview witnesses to the victims hiding, discovery, and murder. Describes the impact of their deaths on his family. National Book Critics Award. 2006.
Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland RC 63052
14 hours 22 minutes
By Malachy McCourt
read by David Cutler
Author of A Monk Swimming (RC 46334) presents multiple profiles of Irish personalities from ancient history to the twenty-first century. Includes political and military leaders during the Viking invasion, British occupation, the Great Famine, and the Troubles—the late-twentieth-century period of violent conflict. Also includes poets and writers. 2004.
Mein Kampf RC 64210
27 hours 50 minutes
By Adolf Hitler
read by Roy Avers
Ideological manifesto of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, written during his imprisonment from 1924 to 1926 for leading a failed coup against the Bavarian government. Describes his life and the evolution of his social, economic, and political philosophies of militant nationalism and racial superiority. Translated from German by Ralph Manheim. 1926.
The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean RC 64875
28 hours 24 minutes
By John Julius Norwich
read by Lou Harpenau
Author of A Short History of Byzantium (RC 47025) chronicles a millennium of power politics along the littoral lands of the Mediterranean Sea. Details the succession of empires from antiquity to World War I that have risen and fallen. Highlights the Mediterranean's major battles and rulers. 2006.
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt RC 65237
9 hours 27 minutes
By Nina Burleigh
read by Gabriella Cavallero
Chronicles Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and the scientific research conducted there from 1798 to 1800 on his behalf. Discusses experts investigations of ancient pyramids, plants, minerals, wildlife, medicine, and the Rosetta Stone. Highlights one of the earliest large-scale interactions between Western civilians and Islam in the modern era. 2007.
Mirror of the Arab World: Lebanon in Conflict RC 66374
12 hours 30 minutes
By Sandra Mackey
read by Peter Ganim
Journalist of the Middle East profiles Lebanon as a case study of the Arab world. Discusses the culture, religion, economics, and history of the country. Posits that most Arabs, Westerners, and Israelis . . . are ignoring the warning signs that three faiths and three cultures . . . are on a collision course. 2008.
Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East RC 67222
11 hours 35 minutes
By Juan Cole
read by Mark Ashby
Middle East specialist uses primary sources to chronicle twenty-eight-year-old French general Napoleon Bonaparte's 1798 invasion of Egypt. Discusses Bonaparte's goals and the first eight months of the brutal occupation that produced an Islamic insurgency. Covers the long-term cultural and political consequences. Violence. 2007.
Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World RC 64821
16 hours 32 minutes
By Margaret MacMillan
read by John Haag
The author of Paris 1919 (RC 55337) chronicles American president Richard Nixon's historic trip to the Communist Peoples Republic of China in February 1972. Discusses the diplomacy and pomp of the visit and the roles of national security advisor Henry Kissinger and premier Chou En-lai. 2007.
Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution RC 64284
19 hours 42 minutes
By Caroline Weber
read by Suzanne Toren
Examines the role of style in the life and execution of the Austrian-born Marie Antoinette, who arrived in France in 1770 at fourteen to marry the heir to the Bourbon throne. Discusses her break with court tradition and her preferences for riding trousers, playful shepherdess outfits, and elaborate hairdressing. 2006.
Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart RC 64666
23 hours 12 minutes
By John Guy
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
University of Cambridge history fellow reexamines the life of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), using original documents and archives. Guy lets Mary speak through her letters, details reasons her versions of events differ from the accounts of others, and presents her as an innocent victim. Whitbread Award. 2004.
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire RC 66050
30 hours 47 minutes
By Lawrence James
read by David Cutler
A history of British conquest and colonization from the seventeenth century to the twentieth. Covers the Napoleonic, Crimean, Afghan, Indian, Irish, Middle Eastern, and African conflicts and wars in North America with the American colonists and France. Discusses the global impact of a white, international mercantile enterprise. 1994.
Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe RC 67218
3 hours 54 minutes
By James R. Arnold and Roberta Wiener
read by Bob Moore
Discusses the South African country formerly known as Rhodesia. Describes the 1980 overthrow of colonial powers by nationalist Robert Mugabe's use of guerrilla warfare. Details Mugabe's establishment of a dictatorship that led to economic decline and poor health-care and educational systems. For junior and senior high readers. 2008.
The Saudi Royal Family RC 64698
3 hours 21 minutes
By Jennifer Bond Reed
read by Dan Bloom
Presents the history and leaders of the Al Sauds, the nomadic tribe that rules the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia. Highlights the conflicts between the Islamic religion and oil money and discusses the role of the country in the war on terror. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom RC 64053
22 hours 38 minutes
By Sandra Mackey
read by Peter Ganim
The author of The Reckoning (RC 54695) and Lebanon (RC 62908) examines Saudi Arabia's transformation from an insular, conservative society to a world power due to its oil reserves. Provides first-hand observations of this Islamic nation's internal tensions, strained foreign relations, and internal threats since the September 11 attacks. 2002.
Southern Africa: Peoples and Cultures of Africa RC 65504
7 hours 8 minutes
edited by Peter Mitchell
read by Lisette Lecat
Regional overview of the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, and Madagascar. Covers politics, geography, biomes, people, cultures, and historical timelines. Concludes with an A-to-Z listing of various topics discussed, including ethnic groups, languages, religions, music, and social customs. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.
To the Castle and Back RC 65134
13 hours 24 minutes
By Václav Havel
read by Steven Carpenter
Czech statesman and writer Václav Havel, champion of democratic principles, recalls and reflects on pivotal experiences and concepts from his career. Discusses his personal battle with cancer, his marriages, and his thoughts about politics, America as a superpower, and the war in Iraq. 2006.
Toussaint Louverture: A Biography RC 65063
12 hours 30 minutes
By Madison Smartt Bell
read by Ted Stoddard
Portrays the Haitian freedom fighter Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803). Explains the dearth of information on Toussaint's early years as a slave and relates his more-documented rise as a free man in the French islands racially stratified society. Discusses the conditions that galvanized Toussaint to lead the successful 1791 slave revolution. 2007.
Vladimir Putin RC 64994
3 hours 4 minutes
By Charles J. Shields
read by Mark Ashby
Biography of the third democratically elected president of Russia highlights his coming of age during the Cold War, his career as a spy, and his rise to power after the fall of communism. Stresses Putin's policies and relationship with the United States. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.
The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West RC 64828
35 hours 0 minutes
By Niall Ferguson
read by Peter Johnson
Harvard professor posits that the twentieth century's brutal wars were attributable to ethnic conflict, economic volatility, and empires in decline. Cites examples of conflicts and genocides and reiterates his hypothesis from Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire (RC 61407) that the West is in decline. 2006.
What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been RC 66158
16 hours 58 minutes
edited by Robert Cowley
read by Fred Major
Twenty-five essays examine alternate outcomes in Western history. Contributors ponder the implications of Jesus being pardoned by Pontius Pilate, William failing to conquer England in 1066, China discovering the New World, Lincoln consenting to slavery, and an assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Companion to What If? (RC 49463). 2001.
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Posted on 2013-06-28