Audiobooks narrated by Erin Bennett

Transfarmation: The Movement to Free Us from Factory Farming

The story of factory farmers, rescued farm animals, and rural communities standing up to big corporations and constructing their own new world that will change the way we eat In Transfarmation, president of Mercy For Animals Leah Garcés explains how food and farming policies have failed over decades and offers insights into the wave of change coming from a new crop of farmers and communities who are constructing a humane and sustainable farming system. Factory animal farming faces an abundance of issues-from environmental concerns and animal cruelty, to exploited farmers and poor working conditions-and more and more farmers are searching for a way out and for a new start. Using insights from interviews and fieldwork, Garcés shares the perspectives of three groups: · Farmers-such as the Halley farm, where a family crushed by chicken factory farming builds a new way by transitioning their farm to growing hemp and rescuing dogs. · Animals-like Norma, an industrial dairy cow who was sentenced to death after injuring a worker in an effort to protect her calf. · Farm communities-including stories like how the hog industry in North Carolina preys on historically Black communities by contaminating the air and water for decades with hog pollution. Garcés demonstrates the reasons why we must end factory farming and calls on readers to imagine a future world where Transfarmation is complete and we have transitioned to a just food and farming system.

Leah Garcés (Author), Erin Bennett, TBD (Narrator)

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Hypochondria: What's Behind the Hidden Costs of Healthcare in America

A brutally honest but humorous account of the journey through the labyrinth of health care, including an eye-opening exploration of the skyrocketing costs—both personal and systemic—inflicted by hypochondria and the cost to the nation’s health-care system, and how consumers eventually pay for this precipitous rise in costs Hal Rosenbluth, the maverick executive behind Take Care Health Systems, former president of Walgreens Health and Wellness and now chairman and CEO of New Ocean Health Solutions, offers an unfiltered exposé of his 227 medical claims in just two years—exposing the underbelly that illness anxiety may be costing the average sufferer and the health system as a whole. Hypochondria: What’s Behind the Hidden Costs Healthcare Costs in America is a bold exploration and a call to action to address the broader impact that each stakeholder—health plans, providers, health systems and big pharma—have on the nation’s overstressed health-care system. The book also offers a well-rounded guide to the traditional and not so typical solutions that can help people manage illness anxiety. While the book is serious in nature, Rosenbluth and Marnie Hall spin you through an amusement ride of anecdotes. From the evolution of Rosenbluth’s global management firm to his onset of Type 2 diabetes, a tale woven with sleeping meds, nocturnal PB&J sandwiches, and anti-anxiety drugs; to founding a company with the youngest Johnson & Johnson president, and his most recent entry to digital health care, Hypchondria is an unfiltered, no-holds-barred saga that enlightens and entertains and opens a new dialogue about how the United States can get better at managing health and arresting costs of care. Hypochondria is not just a memoir but a call for greater discussion among patients, families, providers, employers, and health-care executives. It’s a beacon for change by unraveling the commercialization of health care, dissecting big pharma’s role in America’s pill-popping culture, and proposing alternative, disruptive solutions.

Hal Rosenbluth, Marnie Hall (Author), Erin Bennett, Stephen Graybill (Narrator)

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Future Tense

Human history has always been shaped by technology, but AI is like no technology that has come before it. Unlike the wheel, combustion engines, or electricity, AI does the thing that humans do best: think. While AI hasn’t reproduced the marvelously complex human brain, it has been able to accomplish astonishing things. AI has defeated our players at games like chess, Go, and Jeopardy!. It’s learned to recognize objects and speech. It can create art and music. It’s even allowed grieving people to feel as though they were talking with their dead loved ones. On the flip side, it’s put innocent people in jail, manipulated the emotions of social media users, and tricked people into believing untrue things. In this non-fiction book for teens, acclaimed author and teacher Martha Brockenbrough guides readers through the development of this world-changing technology, exploring how AI has touched every corner of our world, including education, healthcare, work, politics, war, international relations, and even romance. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how artificial intelligence got here, how to make the best use of it, and how we can expect it to transform our lives.

Martha Brockenbrough (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace

The greatest ideologically motivated violent threat to American democracy is a Church that has lost its soul. How did a Church that purports to follow the teachings of Jesus - the Prince of Peace - become a breeding ground for violent extremism? When Elizabeth Neumann began her anti-terrorism career as part of President George W. Bush's Homeland Security Counsel in the wake of the September 11 attacks, she expected to spend her life protecting her country from the threat of global terrorism. But as her career evolved, she began to perceive that the greatest threat to American security came not from religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan or Iraq but from white nationalists and radicalized religious fundamentalists within the very institution that was closest to her heart - the American evangelical church. And she began to sound the alarm, raising her concerns to anyone in government who would listen, including testifying before Congress in February of 2020. At that time, Neumann warned that anti-Semitic and white supremacist terrorism was a transnational threat that was building to the doorstep of another major attack. Shortly after her testimony, she resigned from her role as Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention in protest of what she believed was then-President Trump's failure of leadership and his stoking of the hatred, anger, and division from which she had dedicated her life to protecting her country. Her worst fears came true when she witnessed the attack on the capital on January 6, 2021. In Kingdom of Rage, Neumann explores the forces within American society that have encouraged the radicalization of white supremacist, anti-government and other far-right terrorists by co-opting Christian symbols and culture and perverting the faith's teachings. While Neumann offers decades of insights into the role government policies can play to prevent further bloodshed, she believes real change must come from the within the Christian church. She shines a bright light on the responsibility of ordinary Americans - and particularly American Christians - to work within their families and their communities to counteract the narrative of victimization and marginalization within American evangelicalism. Her goal for this book is not only to sound a warning about one of the greatest threats to our security but to rescue the Church from the forces that will, if left unchecked, destroy it - culturally, morally, and ultimately quite literally. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand the unholy marriage of right-wing politics and Christian exceptionalism in America and who wants to be a part of reversing the current path towards division, hatred, violence and the ultimate undermining of both evangelical Christianity and American democracy.

Elizabeth Neumann (Author), Erin Bennett, TBD (Narrator)

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A Million Little Choices

Sometimes secrets just won't stay hidden . . . Now from USA Today bestselling author and Christy Award Hall of Fame inductee Tamera Alexander comes the story of two women from different centuries living in the same house who share strikingly similar journeys. Claire Powell's life is turned upside down when her beloved husband admits to a "near affair." But when Stephen accepts a partnership with an Atlanta law firm without consulting her and buys a historic Southern home sight-unseen―it pushes their already-fractured marriage to the breaking point. Claire's world spirals, and she soon finds herself in a marriage she no longer wants, in a house she never asked for. In 1863, Charlotte Thursmann, pregnant and trapped in a marriage to an abusive husband, struggles to protect her unborn child and the enslaved members of her household. Desperate, she's determined to right the evils her husband and others like him commit. But how can one woman put an end to such injustice? Especially if her husband makes good on his threat to kill her? Both Claire and Charlotte discover truths about themselves they never realized, along with secrets long hidden that hold the power to bring God's restoration―if only they choose to let it. This Southern historical fiction novel includes: - Dual-timeline plot - Thought-provoking treatment of the themes of difficult relationships, infidelity, forgiveness, and trust - Discussion questions―you're all set for book club!

Tamera Alexander (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Raising a Kid Who Can: Simple Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Adaptability and Emotional Strength

Three mental health professionals cut through the "parenting advice" noise with this accessible, easy-to-skim book filled with actionable strategies and tips to build a child's capacity to thrive where they are planted, in good times and bad. It's time to parent smarter, not harder. Filled with scientifically based and eminently actionable advice and strategies, Raising a Kid Who Can boils down the ten essential things that every child needs to thrive so that parents can stop drowning in information and get to the business of raising healthier, happier humans. Written by three mental health professionals who work with families, organized for easy skimming, and designed to be useful at any stage in a child's life, the book devotes one short, impactful chapter per principle, including Resilience, Attention and Self-Control, Psychological Flexibility, Self-Motivation, Compassion and Gratitude. The result is a new approach to a parenting guide, one that takes a wholistic approach to nurturing a child's development and help parents get right to the information they need, when they need it.

Catherine Mccarthy, Heather Tedesco, Jennifer Weaver (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker

An entertaining and accessible introduction to the radical philosopher of freedom of thought and religion is the only biography of Spinoza for young adults. The second title in the Philosophy for Young People series. - Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature - A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books 'Clarity, accessibility and spot-on relevance to issues facing modern society make this a must read.' --Kirkus Reviews, starred review A brilliant schoolboy in 17th-century Amsterdam, Bento Spinoza⏤formally Baruch and later Benedict de Spinoza⏤quickly learns to keep his ideas to himself. When he is 23, those ideas prove so scandalous to his own Jewish community that he is cast out, cursed, and effectively erased from their communal life. The scandal shows no sign of waning as his ideas spread throughout Europe. At the center of the storm, he lives the simplest of lives, quietly devoted to his work as a lens grinder and to his steadfast search for truth, striving to embody a philosophy of tolerance and benevolence. Spinoza does not live to see his ideas change the world. What caused such an uproar? Spinoza challenged age-old ideas about God, the Bible, and religion. His God was the sum total of nature, not a father-figure who created the world and takes care of humankind. His bible was a book like any other, not a holy text to be interpreted only by religious authorities. His religion was a commitment to basic moral behavior, not a collection of superstitions or rituals. For such ideas, Spinoza was reviled, but he emerged from his experience as one of history's most articulate voices for freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Those of us who enjoy the fundamental rights of modern democracies are the beneficiaries of Spinoza's quiet bravery. Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker is the second book in the new Philosophy for Young People series, introducing readers to seminal philosophers from ancient times up through the present day.

Devra Lehmann (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times

From the author of Middle School Matters, discover how to bolster any middle schooler's resilience by leveraging the 12 Middle School Superpowers they need to manage disappointment, self-regulate emotions, take healthy risks, and recover from any setback. Middle school can be one of the toughest times in a kid's life-for them and for their parents and educators. It's filled with transitions, upheaval, and brand new experiences that can be overwhelming and intimidating. But licensed clinical professional counselor Phyllis Fagell has put together a practical, evidence-based, and compassionate guide for parents and educators to help their tweens through most challenging situations. Middle School Superpowers teaches middle schoolers how to activate the 12 superpowers they need to discover their strengths and navigate tough decisions and disappointment: Flexibility * Belonging * Sight * Bounce * Agency * Forcefield * Security * Healing * Vulnerability * Daring * Optimism * Balance Whether they lose a friend, get cut from a team, make a mistake on social media, bomb a test, struggle with negative body image or identity-related issues, or feel weighed down by societal problems, these "superpowers" will help them find their place and thrive. Middle School Superpowers is the key to raising confident, self-aware, independent, and resilient kids who can recover from any setback-now and in the future.

Phyllis L. Fagell (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good

Christianity Today Book Award winner Imagine the scenarios: - a CEO successfully negotiates a corporate merger, avoiding hundreds of layoffs in the process - an artist completes a mosaic for public display at a bank, showcasing neighborhood heroes - a contractor creates a work-release program in cooperation with a local prison, growing the business and seeing countless former inmates turn their lives around - a high-school principal graduates 20 percent more students than the previous year, and the school's average scores go up by a similar percentage Now imagine a parade in the streets for each event. That's the vision of Proverbs 11:10, in which the tsaddiqim―the people who see everything they have as gifts from God to be stewarded for his purposes―pursue their vocation with an eye to the greater good. Amy Sherman, director of the Center on Faith in Communities and scholar of vocational stewardship, uses the tsaddiqim as a springboard to explore how, through our faith-formed calling, we announce the kingdom of God to our everyday world. But cultural trends toward privatism and materialism threaten to dis-integrate our faith and our work. And the church, in ways large and small, has itself capitulated to those trends, while simultaneously elevating the "special calling" of professional ministry and neglecting the vocational formation of laypeople. In the process, we have, in ways large and small, subverted our kingdom mandate. God is on the move, and he calls each of us, from our various halls of power and privilege, to follow him. Here is your chance, keeping this kingdom calling in view, to steward your faith and work toward righteousness. In so doing, you will bless the world, and as you flourish, the world will celebrate.

Amy Sherman (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey

Sharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation: Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is. Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past. Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage. Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right. You're invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation. Along the way, readers will be taken into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and find tangible support for the deeper life with God. If you want to travel this journey with others, you will find a group study guide and book club resources at www.sensibleshoesclub.com.

Sharon Garlough Brown (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust

A thrilling mystery woven into a beautifully constructed family memoir: Meryl Frank's journey to seek the truth about a beloved and revolutionary cousin, a celebrated actress in Vilna before World War II, and to answer the question of how the next generation should honor the memory of the Holocaust. As a child, Meryl Frank was the chosen inheritor of family remembrance. Her aunt Mollie, a formidable and cultured woman, insisted that Meryl never forget who they were, where they came from, and the hate that nearly destroyed them. Over long afternoons, Mollie told her about the city, the theater, and, above all else, Meryl's cousin, the radiant Franya Winter. Franya was the leading light of Vilna's Yiddish theater, a remarkable and precocious woman who cast off the restrictions of her Hasidic family and community to play roles as prostitutes and bellhops, lovers and nuns. Yet there was one thing her aunt Mollie would never tell Meryl: how Franya died. Before Mollie passed away, she gave Meryl a Yiddish book containing the terrible answer, but forbade her to read it. And for years, Meryl obeyed. Unearthed is the story of Meryl's search for Franya and a timely history of hatred and resistance. Through archives across four continents, by way of chance encounters and miraculous discoveries, and eventually, guided by the shocking truth recorded in the pages of the forbidden book, Meryl conjures the rogue spirit of her cousin-her beauty and her tragedy. Meryl's search reveals a lost world destroyed by hatred, illuminating the cultural haven of Vilna and its resistance during World War II. As she seeks to find her lost family legacy, Meryl looks for answers to the questions that have defined her life: what is our duty to the past? How do we honor such memories while keeping them from consuming us? And what do we teach our children about tragedy?

Meryl Frank (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage

The never-before-told story of a small cadre of influential female spies in the precarious early days of the CIA - women who helped create the template for cutting-edge espionage (and blazed new paths for equality in the workplace). In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organisation now known as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the 'wise gals' by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humour and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. They were smart, courageous, and groundbreaking agents at the top of their class, instrumental in both developing innovative tools for intelligence gathering - and insisting (in their own unique ways) that they receive the credit and pay their expertise deserved. Adelaide rose through the ranks, developing new cryptosystems that advanced how spies communicate with each other. Mary worked overseas in Europe and Asia, building partnerships and allegiances that would last decades. Elizabeth would risk her life in the Middle East in order to gain intelligence on deadly Soviet weaponry. Eloise would wield influence on scientific and technical operations worldwide, ultimately exposing global terrorism threats. Meticulously researched and beautifully told, Holt uses firsthand interviews with past and present officials and declassified government documents to uncover the stories of these four inspirational women. Wise Gals sheds a light on the untold history of the women whose daring foreign intrigues, domestic persistence, and fighting spirit have been and continue to be instrumental to the world's security. 'As much le CarrE as it is Hidden Figures.' AMARYLLIS FOX, author of Life Undercover 'A sweeping epic of a book [which] rescues five remarkable women from obscurity and finally gives them their rightful place in world history ... A book you won't regret reading. Five women you won't forget.' KATE MOORE, author of The Radium Girls

Nathalia Holt (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Erin Bennett