Social Science Audiobooks | Non-Fiction

Would it surprise you to learn that to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem, you need to get up and leave the room? A walk in the woods will help you finish your novel? Humming can make you a better tennis player? Or completely giving up is the way to succees? In The Breakout Principle, the bestselling author of The Relaxation Response delivers the ultimate self-help principle -- simple instructions to activate a powerful biological trigger that converts conflict and confusion into clarity and extraordinary performance, a state athletes refer to as "the zone." More than three decades ago, Dr. Herbert Benson began to research why some people are devastated by stress while others thrive, turning it into brilliant achievement. The Breakout Principle reports the discovery of an easy-to-access inner switch that increases mental function, enhances creativity and productivity, maximizes athletic performance, and enriches spiritual life. The same internal mechanism that improves tennis serve or golf putt strengthens your speaking skills, makes you a better negotiator, and fosters inner peace and belief. Dr. Benson and co-author William Proctor explain the cutting-edge science behind the phenomenon in accessible language, clearly describe the four distinct phases of the Breakout, and provide simple, step-by-step instructions on how to activate the Breakout "trigger." The Breakout Principle reveals how to maximize your untapped abilities and powers.

Herbert Benson, M.D., William Proctor (Author), Jeffrey DeMunn (Narrator)

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After: How America Confronted the September 12 Era

Steven Brill, a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, is the author of the bestselling, The Teamsters. He founded The American Lawyer magazine in 1979, which he expanded into a nationwide chain of legal publications. In 1991 he founded cable's Court TV. He sold his interests in the legal publications and Court TV in 1997, after which he founded Brill's Content, a magazine about the media, which closed in 2001. After September 11, Brill became a columnist for Newsweek and an analyst for NBC on issues related to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. A winner of the National Magazine Award, Brill lives in New York City and Katonah, New York with his wife and three children.

Steven Brill (Author), Dennis Boutsikaris (Narrator)

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What Liberal Media?

Bernard Goldberg, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly to name only three have had their day on bestseller lists exposing the alleged buffoonery and incompetence of the so-called liberal media. Until now, not a single journalist has undertaken an investigation, let alone a refutation, of the myth that the mainstream media slants the news to the left, thereby duping the American public and keeping it ignorant of the truth about the world in which we live. In What Liberal Media? Eric Alterman takes these accusations seriously and in brisk, light-hearted prose exposes the fallacy of the vast left-wing conspiracy that never was. Starting from the fundamental position that the media is neither the conservative monolith nor the liberal majority that many make it out to be, Alterman lays out a surprising defense of the media as it now stands. It isn't individual journalists who dictate the news, he claims, but rather the corporate news structure--be it television or print--that determines what we see and read. This very structure, much more than the personal idealogies of prominent news figures, defines the current state of the media--one that Alterman describes as more conservatively oriented than critics on the right are willing to admit. Armed with data that debunk many of the more inflammatory accusations made against the media and expose just who controls the purse strings of the press, What Liberal Media? is a must-hear for all those outraged, confused, or just plain disgused at the current critical stalemate about who the media serves and why it exists.

Eric Alterman (Author), Eric Alterman (Narrator)

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Kate Remembered

#1 New York Times bestseller! For seven decades Katharine Hepburn played a leading role in the popular culture of the twentieth century-reigning as an admired actress, a beloved movie star, and a treasured icon of the modern American woman. She also remained one of the most private of all the public figures of her time. In 1983-at the age of 75, her career cresting-the four-time Academy Award winner opened the door to biographer A. Scott Berg-then 33-and began a special friendship, one that endured to the end of her illustrious life. Here are the stories from those countless intimate conversations, and much more. In addition to recording heretofore untold biographical details of her entire phenomenal career and her famous relationships with such men as Spencer Tracy and Howard Hughes, Kate Remembered also tells the amusing, often emotional story of one of the most touching friendships in her final years. Scott Berg provides his own memories of Katharine Hepburn offstage-quiet dinners in her townhouse in New York City, winter swims (she swam, he watched) in the Long Island Sound at Fenwick, her home in Connecticut, weekend visits with family members and dear friends . . . even some unusual appearances by the likes of Michael Jackson and Warren Beatty. Finally, Kate Remembered discusses the legendary actress's moving farewell, during which her mighty personality surrendered at last to her failing body-all the while remaining true to her courageous character. Kate Remembered is a book about love and friendship, family and career, Hollywood and Broadway-all punctuated by unforgettable lessons from an extraordinary life.

A. Scott Berg (Author), Tony Goldwyn (Narrator)

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Abortion and Euthanasia

British and American common law traditionally prohibited abortion only after quickening (when the mother feels fetal movements). But after the U.S. Civil War, states began absolutely prohibiting abortion, based primarily on medical concerns. Then in 1973, U.S. abortion law was dramatically changed by the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade; states now could not prohibit abortion until the third trimester of pregnancy, and restrictive regulations were allowed only in the second trimester. History has known various laws and mores about life's beginning, often related to the society's code of sexual behavior. Today's moral debate on abortion pits autonomy (or personal liberty) against the duty not to harm others. Also involved are various understanding of ensoulment -- that is, how a new person comes into being. Much depends on the importance and distinctiveness of the many changes from a potential to an actual, fully human life. These stages include insemination, combination of DNA, womb implant, appearance of human physical features, fetal movement, response to stimulus, quickening, viability (potential to live outside the womb), birth, speaking, and using reason. Euthanasia means 'good or peaceful death'; however, it may also be a form of suicide or killing, where morality depends heavily on motive. Passive euthanasia (a.k.a. 'letting die')., includes refusing treatment for oneself and withholding life support for others. Active euthanasia -- a direct, positive act of mercy killing ' is forbidden by virtually all ethical codes, though many defend it as a merciful alternative to a lingering, agonizing, fatal illness. Physicians have potentially conflicting obligations to perserve life and to relieve pain; patients increasingly have taken responsibility for medical decisions based on informed consent. Courts have repeatedly affirmed a patient's right to refuse treatment, based on the right to privacy and the right to liberty. With life-extending technologies, the distinction between ordinary and 'extraordinary' treatment usually is based either on custom, cost, complexity, or the ratio of benefits to burdens from the patient's point of view. But 'rights' to such care can be very costly; if a patient cannot pay, is it a 'right' to demand or expect payment from others?

Dr. David James (Author), Cliff Robertson (Narrator)

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The Myth of Laziness: America's Top Learning Expert Shows How Kids--and Parents--Can Become more Pro

How many times have you heard a teacher say that your child has tremendous potential "if only he'd just apply himself" or "if only she'd work just a little harder"? How often have you said the same thing to your son or daughter? Or perhaps you have a coworker who can't seem to finish anything; his reports are never in on time, or her projects are always behind the schedule. No matter what excusses you hear, you suspect that laziness is the real reason for your colleague's low productivity. Almost no one is actually lazy, says Dr. Mel Levine, author of the #1 national bestseller A Mind at a Time. Low productivity -- whether in school or on the job -- is almost always caused by a genuine problem, a neurodevelopmental dysfunction. despite this, untold number of people have been stigmatized by unfair accusations of laziness, many of them adults who still carry emotional scars from their school days. In The Myth of Laziness Dr. Levine shows how we can spot the neurodevelopmental dysfunctions that may cause "output failure," as he calls it, whether in school or in the workplace. Dr. Levine identifies seven forms of dysfunctions that obstruct output. Drawning on his years of clinical experience he describes eight people -- children, adolescents, and adults -- he has worked with who exhibited one or another of these problems. He shows how identifying the problem can make all the difference, leading to a course of corrective action rather than to accusations of laziness and moral failure. With its practical advice and its compassionate tone, The Myth of Laziness shows parents how to nurture their child strengths and improve their classroom productivity. Most important, it shows parents how correcting these problems in childhood will help children live a fulfilling and productive adult life.

Dr. Melvin Levine, M.D. (Author), Dr. Melvin Levine, M.D. (Narrator)

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Fatal Deception: The Untold Story of Asbestos: Why it is still legal and killing us

At first glance, the events in this audiobook may seem equal parts science fiction and legal thriller. Unfortunately, this is a true story of blinding greed, cruel deceit, unfortunate circumstance, and powerful human tragedy. It has villains and heroes, but it does not yet have a good ending. Something's wrong in Libby, Montana. Residents are dying at a rate sixty times higher than the national average from a battery of insidious diseases, and they will continue to suffer for decades to come. The cause: a so-called miracle mineral that generations of families felt thankful for, until they discovered that the "miracle" was too good to be true -- and that the town's disturbing mortality rate was hardly an accident. The scope of the treachery goes far beyond Libby. Even before the dust had settled following the September 11 terrorist attacks, those who live and work in lower Manhattan were voicing well-founded concerns about air quality around Ground Zero. Tests conducted at the site yielded conflicting results -- and possibly evidence of a continuing corporate and governmental cover-up that mirrors a pattern of deception threatening not only the physical health of millions of Americans but the financial stability of our economy. In 1989, the EPA banned the manufacture, importation, processing, and distribution of commercial asbestos -- but the ban didn't hold. Asbestos is big business, rivaling tobacco in its profitability. By 1991, powerful corporate lobbyists succeeded in having the ban overturned. Today, asbestos remains an ingredient in more than three thousand products on sale in the United States and many more that are exported to developing nations around the globe.

Michael Bowker (Author), John Slattery (Narrator)

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American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions

From Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball, star of NBC's The Chris Matthews Show, and the New York Times bestselling author of Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think, comes this celebration of the American Spirit. Fiercely independent, in love with freedom, convinced we can make it, we are like no other people on earth. We are a people reluctant to fight who become ferocious warriors when threatened or attacked. We are suspicious of govermental power yet quick to embrace our flag in times of danger. A deeply practical nation, we loom as the world's great optimists. What unites us Americans is not so much language or ethnicity, but a set of distinct notions about ourselves that comprise our American-ness. The self-made country. The constant rebel. The reluctant warrior. The lone hero. The pioneer. The optimist. You see them in the movies we make, the books we write, the history we have lived. What stirred the souls of our ancestors two centuries ago -- and all the generations in between -- still does. In American, Matthews presents a portrait of a country that enters the world arena armed with an extremely potent weapon: the collective notions we carry of America at its best. It's a picture of more than just a nation challenged but of a people ready, and eager to prevail.

Chris Matthews (Author), Chris Matthews (Narrator)

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The Matrix and Philosophy

The Matrix conveys the horror of a false world made of nothing but perceptions. Based on the premise that reality is a dream controlled by malevolent forces, it is one of the most overtly philosophical movies ever to come out of Hollywood. These thought-provoking essays by the same team of young philosophers who created The Simpsons and Philosophy discuss different facets of the primary philosophical puzzle of The Matrix: Can we be sure the world is really there, and if not, what should we do about it? Other chapters address issues of religion, lifestyle, pop culture, the Zeitgeist, the nature of mind and matter, and the reality of fiction.

William Irwin (Author), Jennifer Jay Myers, Oliver Wyman, Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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The Science of Superheroes

The Science of Superheroes takes a lighthearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology. If gamma rays can't turn a 128-pound weakling into the Incredible Hulk, what could? Are Spider-Man's powers really those of a spider? Could a person ever breathe water like a fish? From telepathy to teleportation, from cloning to cosmic rays, this vastly entertaining romp through the nexus of science and fantasy separates the possible from the plausible and the barely plausible from the utterly ridiculous. With an introduction by author Dean Koontz.

Lois Gresh, Robert Weinberg (Author), Oliver Wyman (Narrator)

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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his "World's Fair Hotel" just west of the fairgrounds, a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake. The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book the smoke, romance, and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before. Erik Larson's gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both. To find out more about this book, go to http://www.DevilInTheWhiteCity.com. From the Hardcover edition.

Erik Larson (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator)

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An Ethiopian Heroine's Story

Bogaletch Gebre (Author), Neil Harvey (Narrator)

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Social Science Audiobooks in Non-Fiction