Showing results by narrator "Fred Stella" in All Categories

Michel de Montaigne embodies the humanist ideal—curious, measured, contemplative yet not unworldly, witty, free of prejudice, and urbane. But what does this French Renaissance philosopher have to tell us about how to think and live today? In forty short, erudite, and lively chapters written over a single summer, Antoine Compagnon seeks answers to that question. In A Summer with Montaigne, Compagnon invites his listeners to join him as he strolls through Montaigne’s key contributions to our understanding of what is good and worthwhile in life.

In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request — I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn’t spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she’s chosen three women she asks him to consider. First on Hannah’s list is her cousin, Winter Adams, a trained chef who owns a café on Seattle’s Blossom Street. The second is Leanne Lancaster, Hannah’s oncology nurse. But the third name is one he’s not familiar with - Macy Roth.

Leading Buddhist scholar Sam van Schaik explores the history and essence of Zen, based on a new translation of one of the earliest surviving collections of teachings by Zen masters. These teachings, titled The Masters and Students of the Lanka, were discovered in a sealed cave on the old Silk Road, in modern Gansu, China, in the early twentieth century. All more than a thousand years old, the manuscripts have sometimes been called the Buddhist Dead Sea Scrolls, and their translation has opened a new window onto the history of Buddhism.

Between what can be learned from evolutionary psychology and cognitive science a picture emerges. In Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life, social psychologist Douglas Kenrick fuses these two fields to create a coherent story of human nature. In his analysis, many ingrained, apparently irrational behaviors—one-night stands, prejudice, conspicuous consumption, even art and religious devotion—are quite explicable and (when desired) avoidable.

Jason Masters doubted the myths that told of people taken through a portal to another realm and enslaved by dragons. But when he receives a cryptic message from his missing brother, he must uncover the truth and find the portal before it’s too late. At the same time, Koren, a slave in the dragons’ realm, discovers she has a gift that could either save or doom her people. As Jason and Koren work to rescue the enslaved humans, a mystic prophecy surrounding a black egg may make all their efforts futile.

Venice, 1752. On a cold December night, a man is found strangled in a dark alley. High magistrate Marco Pisani is tasked with investigating the grisly murder. When two more bodies are discovered, it is clear there is a serial killer on the loose. Helped in his investigation by lawyer Zen, daring gondolier Nani and the cunning Chiara Renier, Pisani is determined to uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again. But to find answers, he must move among the city’s criminal underworld of spies, shady taverns and gambling halls.

Nabokov’s fourth novel, The Eye, is as much a farcical detective story as it is a profoundly refractive tale about the vicissitudes of identities and appearances. Smurov, a lovelorn, excruciatingly self-conscious Russian émigré living in pre-war Berlin, commits suicide after being humiliated by a jealous husband, only to suffer even greater indignities in the afterlife as he searches for proof of his existence among fellow émigrés who are too distracted to pay him any heed.

One entrepreneur’s journey and personal stories of success, complexity, and perseverance that will help up-and-coming entrepreneurs build their business, think differently, and employ unique approaches and strategies in their business and personal endeavors. This is an audiobook for entrepreneurs who have experienced frustration and angst, and also for those who have felt the thrill of victory - a must listen for all small business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives alike.

Now celebrated as one of the great painters of the Renaissance, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio fled Rome in 1606 to escape retribution for killing a man in a brawl. Three years later he was in Naples, where he painted The Seven Acts of Mercy. A year later he died at the age of thirty-eight under mysterious circumstances. Exploring Caravaggio's singular masterwork, in The Guardian of Mercy Terence Ward offers an incredible narrative journey into the heart of his artistry and his metamorphosis from fugitive to visionary.

The mysteries unfold. As a Starlighter, Koren knows her destiny is to save her fellow human slaves from the dragons’ bondage - but by following the orders of the smooth-talking dragon king, Taushin, has she in fact doomed her people and herself? As Koren struggles over her choices, Elyssa discovers a new aspect to her Diviner gifts when her pendant begins to unlock mysteries surrounding the star drops from the Exodus star.

Law schools used to teach students how to think critically, advance logical arguments, and respect opponents. Now, those students cannot tolerate disagreement and reject the validity of the law itself. And yet, rioting Ivy Leaguers are the same people who will hold important government positions, fight constitutional lawsuits, and advise Fortune 500 companies. In Lawless, Ilya Shapiro explains how we got here and what we can do about it. The problem is bigger than radical students and biased faculty—it’s institutional weakness.

More than a meditation book, Quiet Mind is a series of reflections that can illuminate every aspect of life. It offers readers guidance on using the moments between activities - which the author calls "stillpoints" - as opportunities to focus on becoming more fully awake to who they are.

Other diets don't work because they wreak havoc on your hormones. But the Perfect 10 Diet is a real world diet that works the way your body was meant to work. Now you can finally melt away the pounds without going hungry, regain your health, and reverse aging on the only diet that creates the perfect balance between the ten key hormones that control health and weight.

Almost eight million people across the United States and Canada tune in to John Tesh's syndicated show each week to hear him warmly impart "intelligence for your life"—tips on how to earn your boss's trust, fight jet lag, get out of debt, find your life's calling or even discover the power of prayer. As one major city newspaper referred to him, "He's like Oprah, but without the edge." With his staff of 10 full-time researchers, Tesh has uncovered a wealth of practical information and life-changing choices. He now combines that knowledge with some incredible personal experiences for this book.

In this landmark book on natural healing, Dr. Maoshing Ni (aka Dr. Mao) combines the wisdom of thousands of years of Eastern tradition with the best of Western medicine and nutritional science. Dr. Mao’s philosophy is that well-being is the result of a balanced life, not just a healthy body. In Secrets of Self-Healing, he explains that healing foods and herbs, exercise, self-awareness, a positive emotional life, living in harmony with the environment, and spiritual growth are all crucial for vitality and lasting health.

The brutal confirmation battles we saw over Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are symptoms of a larger problem with our third branch of government, a problem that began long before Kavanaugh, Merrick Garland, Clarence Thomas, or even Robert Bork: the courts’ own self-corruption, aiding and abetting the expansion of federal power.

Thought Revolution invites readers to unlock their whole brain to change the way they see themselves and find the truth in whatever challenges them. Encompassing twelve years of research, the book takes readers on an unexpected journey that will set them free - and it all begins with moving the pen from one hand to the other. The technique is called “intuitive,” or “nondominant” hand writing and is the basis for this revolutionary approach to making lasting life changes.

"At the heart of this simple book lies the key to many of the struggles we face these days, from being productive and achieving our goals, to getting healthy and fit in the face of fast food and inactivity, to finding simplicity and peace amidst chaos and confusion. That key itself is simple: focus. Our ability to focus will allow us to create in ways that perhaps we haven’t in years. It’ll allow us to slow down and find peace of mind. (Leo Babauta)

The world between our ears - the world of I, me, and mine - is not real. It is a fabrication, a story we have spent a lifetime making up and believing.... When we are simply present with our breathing, our body sensations and feelings, and our immediate environment, the story lets go of us. We start to know ourselves as the pure, luminous awareness that sees and experiences reality here and now. This knowing may be intellectual at first, but gradually it becomes embodied.

In this revelatory work, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson shows how food affects our moral selves, our health, and the environment. It raises questions to make us conscious of the decisions behind every bite we take: What effect does eating animals have on our land, water, even global warming? What are the results of farming practices - debeaking chickens and separating calves from their mothers - on animals and humans? How does the health of animals affect the health of our planet and our bodies?