Showing results by narrator "Charles Constant" in All Categories

The smog beast wafted into downtown Los Angeles on July 26, 1943. Nobody knew what it was. Secretaries rubbed their eyes. Traffic cops seemed to disappear in the mysterious haze. Were Japanese saboteurs responsible? A reckless factory? The truth was much worse - it came from within, from Southern California's burgeoning car-addicted, suburban lifestyle. Smogtown is the story of pollution, progress, and how an optimistic people confronted the epic struggle against airborne poisons barraging their hometowns.

Cécile, a stylish 47-year-old, has spent the weekend visiting her parents in a provincial town southeast of Paris. By early Monday morning, she's exhausted. These trips back home are always stressful, and she settles into a train compartment with an empty seat beside her. But it's soon occupied by a man she instantly recognizes: Philippe Leduc, with whom she had a passionate affair that ended in her brutal humiliation 30 years ago. In the fraught hour and a half that ensues, their express train hurtles toward the French capital.

In 2005, Ted W. Baxter was at the top of his game. He was a successful, globe-trotting businessman with a resume that would impress the best of the best. In peak physical condition, Ted worked out nearly every day of the week. And then, on April 21, 2005, all that came to an end. He had a massive ischemic stroke. Doctors feared he wouldn’t make it, or if he did make it, he would be in a vegetative state in a hospital bed for the rest of his life. But miraculously, that’s not what happened....

After decades of success, which earned her innumerable professional accolades and awards, Mo is focused on the future. She continues to nurture the Keller Williams culture through training, coaching and consulting with Keller Williams associates and leaders. Her most recent and exciting endeavor has been writing this book: A Joy-filled Life, which she is currently touring North America and speaking about.

There’s hardly anyone in the world more down-to-earth than Jesus. That sounds far-fetched because, well, Jesus is God. But read the Gospels and you find Jesus telling stories that ring true from beginning to end, stories you can immediately identify with, stories that make you go “hmmm”.

The New York Times opinion writer, media commentator, outspoken Republican and Christian critic of the Trump presidency offers a spirited defense of politics and its virtuous and critical role in maintaining our democracy and what we must do to save it before it is too late. “Any nation that...

Bishop is trapped deep inside Montana's Apex Valley along with his injured wife, a shotgun-wielding stranger named Colbrick, and a sneaking suspicion he's never making it back to Chicago. Things no man has seen before haunt the woods. Strange animal species creep behind pine trees, some of them with flashing red tags that blink faster and faster. Giant birds mimic the sound of humans and lord over the sky. Leaf-shaped creatures attack anything that moves and flash vivid colors across their glistening backs.

Just as Theo is about to turn thirteen, everything he knows is turned upside down. At the stroke of midnight, he awaits his Apto—the animal guide meant to mark his future as an Archemist. But instead, a fire fox appears: the rare, fierce, and fiercely loyal companion of the Alkrem. In that moment, Theo discovers a shocking truth—he isn’t an Archemist at all, but an Alkrem. Members of this persecuted group once wielded powerful weapons and brewed magical potions, until they were betrayed and nearly wiped out by the Archemists, who now rule with iron control.

Heiress Charlotte Davis has pulled some impulsive stunts in her twenty-seven years. Ranking right up at the top? "Buying" at auction the quarterback of her brother's precious football team, the Baltimore Blaze. In her defense, the event was for charity. Besides, she owed the guy one. He'd rescued her from a situation even more dire years before—right before he broke her heart.

Dot-com millionaire Jay McManus is discovering that owning a pro football team isn't as easy as his other hobby of wine-making. An anonymous blogger is out to destroy his reputation, and now his team, the Baltimore Blaze, is named in a highly contentious workplace violation lawsuit brought on by the team's cheerleaders. If Jay's not careful, he could lose big—and not just financially.

Owning a small business can be challenging enough even in the best of times. And when times get tough - whether the challenges are brought about by pandemics, recessions, or any other volatility, you need every tool sharpened and ready to go. You'll find them all in Your Small Business Boom, with the latest in entrepreneurial thinking from USA Today small-business columnist Steve Strauss. Packed with strategies, ideas, savvy tips, and noteworthy trends, it's an indispensable guide to rebuilding in a post-pandemic world - and thriving when the next crisis hits.

The year is 1967 and the Vietnam War is raging. Lieutenant Ben Kinkaid of the US military police is patrolling the chaotic streets of Saigon after curfew when he crosses paths with US Army clerk Tommy Banks and his girlfriend, Grace Waverly. Grace says she’s a peace tourist, but she’s also a member of RAW—an anti-war group bent on stopping the war by any means necessary.

Starting a business is a journey. From the moment you come up with an idea for the next great product or service to the ribbon cutting and grand opening, you will travel a long, sometimes winding, road toward success. And like any other trip you take in life, this one costs money. While many startups begin with cash already in the bank (lucky them!), most aspiring entrepreneurs have to somehow come up with the cash to build their dreams, whether they choose to borrow, bootstrap, crowdfund, or go with venture capital.

After the Flames is about one of the world's most famous burn victims: his incredible survival, his nightmarish path to recovery that helped revolutionize medical treatment for burn victims worldwide, the fame thrust upon him after he was declared a hero from the media, and the tumultuous years that followed, most of which were spent under the microscope of an unforgiving public eye.

At the center of the novel is a private investigator named Archie Lightman. Archie and his partner Delia Sanchez stumble upon a pattern of killings in which the victims are all criminals who---in an age of rampant plea bargaining---are often too lightly punished for their crimes. The investigation leads them to a support group modeled along the lines of a traditional 12-step program called COSOVO, Circle of Survivors of Violent Offenses. Its members the surviving kin of murdered loved ones.

Unlock Your Potential is a story‑driven, practical guide to turning emotions into fuel, rewiring stubborn patterns, and building unshakable confidence, so you can finally break free from what’s holding you back, achieve your most important goals, and live life on your own terms. Endorsed by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, the world’s leading executive coach, this isn't just theory—it's transformation in action. It's real, relatable, and relentlessly practical, packed with stories that hit home, exercises that stick, and insights that fundamentally change how you show up in the world.

Princess Natalie Anastasia Hofstetter is a woman without a future. Unable to inherit the throne, she arrives at a climate change conference to be shopped around as a potential bride as her father searches for a match that will benefit her family—without love getting in the way. She's looking for a way out, but can't find one.

An epiphany is a powerful insight, a revelation that can strike at any moment, in any place, and to anyone. An epiphany enlightens us, provides a deep understanding of reality, and can profoundly impact our lives. Often arising from simple yet impactful experiences, these moments can catch us off guard with a sudden clarity we may have otherwise overlooked. What if these extraordinary moments result from everyday insights that sharpen our ability to see God’s revelations in a new light?

Afghanistan vet Dexter Grant is broke, reeling from PTSD, and on the verge of divorce when he's approached by his old Army buddies to help rescue their former interpreter, the man who once saved Dex's life. It means ripping off a vicious queenpin's drug proceeds—but not to worry, they have it all worked out. And if anyone can pull it off, it's Dex's former team lead, Staff Sergeant Saenz.

Anyone who has a personal connection with someone who served as an infantryman in Vietnam or simply has curiosity about infantry life in Vietnam will better understand, after listening to this book, the answer to the question "What was daily life like for them there?"