Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

The Art and Business of Songwriting Audiobook

"In this valuable resource guide for both beginners and professionals, veteran songwriter, producer, arranger, vocalist, music director, and educator Larry D. Batiste shares practical advice and tips from his decades of experience in ways that are bound to help all listeners improve their songwriting skills. Through this book, listeners will learn the craft of professional songwriting, including the ins-and-outs of song structure, lyric and melody writing, and the essential elements of a hit song. From the start, Batiste incorporates exercises to help songwriters strike upon ideas for song titles, concepts, and stories that will appeal to their audience. He also discusses critical business aspects of songwriting, such as copyrighting, publishing, royalties, networking, and digital media. In addition to the fundamentals, the listener will learn how to build their songwriting career, generate income, build an online community and fanbase, release music independently, expertly place their songs, and navigate the world of digital music. Throughout the book are interviews with iconic songwriters and producers such as Peter Asher, Lamont Dozier, and Narada Michael Walden, as well as independent recording artists, including Fantastic Negrito, a winner of multiple Grammy Awards, and Meklit Hadero."

Larry D. Batiste (Author), Mirron Willis (Narrator)

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Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response

"In this remarkable memoir, Jeremy Norton marshals twenty-two years of professional experience to offer, with compassion and critique, an extraordinary portrayal of emergency responders. Trauma Sponges captures in arresting detail the personal and social toll the job exacts, as well as the unique perspective afforded by sustained direct encounters with the sick, the dying, and the dead. From his first days as a rookie firefighter and emergency medical technician to his command of a company as a twenty-year veteran, Norton documents the life of an emergency responder in Minneapolis. In the midst of the uncertainty, fear, and loss caused by the Covid pandemic, Norton and his crew responded to the scene of George Floyd's murder. The social unrest and racial injustice Norton had observed for years exploded on the streets of Minneapolis, and he and his fellow firefighters faced the fires, the injured, and the anguish in the days and months that followed. Norton brings brutally honest insight and grave social conscience to his account, presenting a rare insider's perspective on the insidious role of sexism and machismo in his profession, as well as an intimate observer's view of individuals trapped in dire circumstances and a society ill equipped to confront trauma and death."

Jeremy Norton (Author), George Newbern (Narrator)

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Too Good to Fact Check: Flying the Skies with Stars, Scotch, and Scandal (Mostly Mine)

"A peek into the world of celebrity and how the journalists who cover them live even more outrageous lives. What happens when magazine editors behave worse than the celebrities they feature? Shock, comedy, and farce, expertly chronicled in Jeremy Murphy's Too Good to Fact Check, a firsthand account of his ten years traveling with stars as the editor of a glossy magazine. In between taking Julianna Marguiles to the Côte d'Azur, Neil Patrick Harris aboard the Orient Express, and LL Cool J to Paris among other locales, the author lived a wild, decadent life that rivaled anyone he was covering, and recounts the most outrageous moments in colorful, candid detail. Celebrities! Bar fights! Hotel bans! Airplane arrest! Fires! Singing to Mary J Blige! Too Good to Fact Check provides a fascinating look at the rarefied worlds of celebrity, fashion, magazines, and glamour through the eyes of someone who may have been blacked out. Sarcastic, dishy, self-deprecating, surprising, and fun, Too Good to Fact Check is the fall's guiltiest pleasure."

Jeremy Murphy (Author), Johnny Heller (Narrator)

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The Real Madrid Revolution: How the World's Most Successful Club Is Changing the Game―for Their Team

"Founded in 1902 and granted a royal title by the king of Spain in 1920, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol went onto become the world's most valuable sports team (by revenue), most popular sports team (by social media followers), and most successful sports team (by number of trophies). But today, this legendary, member-owned soccer team faces significant challenges, including: soccer losing the global entertainment battle against other sports and platforms; the proliferation of closely government-related, private equity, and multi-club ownership models—while Real Madrid are a not-for-profit club owned by 92,000 members; the financial dominance and further separation of the English Premier League; the conflicts of FIFA and UEFA being both regulators and hosts of tournaments; players who earn more from endorsements than from playing the game; and an explosion of media platforms that enable a young generation of global fans to watch and engage with sports and entertainment in new and nontraditional ways. With their top-tier status, not to mention the supremacy of their sport, hanging in the balance, Real Madrid's trademark passion and values have never been more important. The Real Madrid Revolution showcases what it takes to stay on top when external forces are not working your favor—and how to innovate to be stronger than ever."

Steven G. Mandis (Author), Matt Godfrey (Narrator)

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A Bushel of Beans and a Peck of Tomatoes: The Life and Times of 'The Funniest Man in America'

"One of the most successful nightclub and theater comedians in America started out a long way from the stage, in the tiny farming community of Lithonia, Georgia. James Gregory was born into a family with lots of love but little money. His parents paid the doctor for his delivery with 'a bushel of beans and a peck of tomatoes.' Before he became 'The Funniest Man in America,' James was a successful salesman of everything from encyclopedias to log homes. His philosophy: take care of yourself so nobody has to take care of you. When he started over as a comedian, this commitment to hard work and honest dealing would be the key to his 'business' of comedy. James loves working people—because that's what he is, too. James was quickly discovered—not just in the South, but across America—by folks who love down-home, wholesome humor. He became the court jester of country music royalty, too, from Randy Travis to 'Whispering' Bill Anderson to the Possum himself, George Jones. Whether it's entertaining our troops in the Persian Gulf after 9/11, working the road with greats like Steven Wright and Jay Leno, or facing a heart-stopping emergency that sent him into a coma, James has squeezed a dozen lifetimes into a half-century of comedy. This book is the best James Gregory story yet—as only he can tell it."

James Gregory (Author), Peter Berkrot (Narrator)

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If You Were My Daughter: A Memoir of Healing an Unmothered Heart

"At nine years old, Marianne Richmond's life is upended when she collapses with full-body convulsions. 'Pinched nerve,' says the ER doctor. But when one episode becomes many, it's clear something is wrong. Afraid to be at school, in her body, and in her life, Marianne desperately hopes for help and healing. But her emotionally unavailable mother refuses medication on Marianne's behalf, preferring prayer and homeopathy. At age 18, a full-body seizure in Marianne’s dorm room leads her to a diagnosis, medication, and neurological intervention. Physically, Marianne feels 'fixed,' but emotional healing proves more elusive. In the years to come, Marianne becomes a parent and writes a new story for her life. She authors children's books that touch millions of lives, each of them celebrating a mother's unconditional love. When her mother becomes ill, Marianne has a choice to make: will she be present for the mother who rarely felt present to her? If You Were My Daughter is a story of learning to hear your own voice, of one daughter's return to wholeness, and a story of accepting that a mother's best can still fall far too short. Richmond illuminates how the stories we're born into shape the ones we tell about ourselves—and reminds us that we have the powerful permission to develop a new relationship with what is difficult in our lives."

Marianne Richmond (Author), Marianne Richmond (Narrator)

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My Russia: What I Saw Inside the Kremlin

"My Russia is an autobiography that traces Jill Dougherty's fascination with Russia and shares the insights into the country, its people, and its leader she has gleaned through forty years of reporting. Listeners will see Russia's evolution through the eyes of the dedicated and compassionate woman they have watched on cable since 1983."

Jill Dougherty (Author), Jill Dougherty (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

"From the early 1930s onward, Gene Krupa was a drum-centric rarity in the jazz world. Never before had a drummer been in the forefront as a solo artist. His galvanizing, unrestrained passion for percussion demanded it. Rocking the rafters, Gene thrilled audiences in ballrooms, nightclubs, and movies. Seemingly born jazz-drum crazy in 1909 to a Polish-immigrant working-class family in South Chicago, Gene was a professional by the age of thirteen and soon made his first recordings. By the early 1930s, he was New York City's most in-demand drummer, and in 1934, joined brilliant clarinetist Benny Goodman's band, helped inaugurate the Swing Era, and played the first-ever swing concert at Carnegie Hall. He formed his own band and shattered racial boundaries by sharing the spotlight with the African-American trumpeter Roy Eldridge. But after a skyrocketing ride to the top, Gene experienced a rollercoaster ride of good and bad luck, emotional highs, and devastating depths. In The Master of Drums, biographer Elizabeth J. Rosenthal crafts a celebratory, honest, and exhaustively researched portrait of a twentieth-century music legend. When he died, Gene Krupa may have left behind a world of grieving friends, colleagues, fans, students, and progeny, but as The Master of Drums proves, his dynamic musical and cultural influences live on."

Elizabeth J. Rosenthal (Author), Samantha Desz (Narrator)

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Motorcycle Grand Prix: Insider Stories from World Championship Racing

"Experience the sheer emotion and exhilaration of MotoGP in this revealing, access-all-areas look inside the sport. Twenty-two individuals split by technique, guile, millions of euros of technical development and only slivers of a second on the racetrack. Welcome to the sensational world of MotoGP and the highly pressurized environment of personal risk at 225mph. In The Best Fuel, journalist Adam Wheeler takes readers inside the 75-year-old FIM world championship, with all the electric stories, sights and personalities that feature in this annual gauntlet of twenty rounds and seventeen countries across eleven months. Moving from the track and into the heat and hum of pitboxes, nervy pre-race grids and tense press conferences, it offers fans unprecedented access to MotoGP’s inner circle. Featuring exclusive interviews with the biggest names in MotoGP, including world champions Marc Marquez and Casey Stoner, this is a thrilling account of life at the pinnacle of one of the world’s most intense and popular motorsports."

Adam Wheeler (Author), Joel Daffurn (Narrator)

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Dancing on My Own Two Feet: A New Life One Step at a Time

"An inspirational book club read of one woman’s journey of taking the bold step to leave her disabled—and volatile—spouse and moving across the country in search of adventure, tango, and love. At the tender age of twenty, Jenn faces a pivotal moment when her boyfriend, Morey, proposes marriage after only a few weeks of dating. Her intuition urges her to say no, but she’s spent the entirety of her teenage years caregiving for family; she yearns for adventure, and she thinks relocating to California with Morey will give her the freedom she craves. So she says yes—only to find herself back in the caregiver role after he becomes disabled a few years into their marriage. But it’s Morey’s volatile personality that ultimately leads Jenn to make a brave decision: it’s time to leave. Dancing on My Own Two Feet takes a poignant turn as Jenn relocates to New York City after her divorce. Here, she rediscovers a long-forgotten passion for dance and embarks on a transformative journey that transcends the physicality of movement. Each dance becomes a channel to tap into her inner wisdom, providing the courage to explore the world and embrace new adventures. Then Jenn encounters Gable, a potential suitor, prompting new questions to arise for her: Is she better off on her own? Or could Gable be the love and dance partner she’s been longing for?"

Jenn Todling (Author), Jenn Todling (Narrator)

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When The Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines

"When the Going Was Good is Graydon Carter's lively recounting of how he made his mark as one of society's most talented editors and shapers of culture. Carter arrived in New York from Canada with little more than a suitcase, a failed literary magazine in his past and a keen sense of ambition. He landed a job at Time, went on to work at Life, cofounded Spy magazine and edited The New York Observer before catching the eye of Condé Nast chairman Si Newhouse, who tapped him to run Vanity Fair. With his inimitable voice and raconteur's quip, Carter brings readers inside the drawing rooms of the great and not-always-good of America, Britain and Europe. He assembled one of the best-ever stables of writers and photographers under one roof, and here he recreates in real time the steps he took to ensure that Vanity Fair during his 25-year run cemented its place as the epicentre of art, culture, business and politics. C harming, candid and brimming with humour, When the Going Was Good perfectly captures the last golden age of print magazines from the inside out."

Graydon Carter, James Fox (Author), Graydon Carter (Narrator)

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[French] - Chaque pas est une leçon de vie

"Parce que passé 60 ans nous devons nous ranger au placard ? Mais pas du tout ! À travers son récit émouvant et plein d’humour, Jean-Marc Généreux nous dévoile sa philosophie de vie malgré les difficultés de la vie et sa conception de l’âge. Ses préceptes : toujours avoir un sourire au fond de la poche, ne pas se juger sévèrement, être ouvert à toutes les opportunités, agir et rester en mouvement, donner du sens à sa vie, et continuer de rêver. Tout au long de son récit, il revient sur la danse et sa carrière, mais il nous offre une part plus intimiste en abordant son rôle de père d’une jeune fille en situation de handicap. Un livre solaire à travers lequel il se livre sans filtre avec un seul objectif : que ses lecteurs se sentent mieux ! Le Québécois Jean-Marc Généreux, 61 ans, est l'animateur vedette de l'émission de TF1 Danse avec les stars depuis 2011. Avec son accent, son célèbre cri « Et ça, j'achète ! », sa fantaisie inoxydable et son empathie, il a très vite conquis le cœur du public français. Fort d'une carrière internationale dans la danse de salon, danse latine et danse sportive en couple avec son épouse, France, il est également juge permanent des émissions canadiennes Révolution et So You Think You Can Dance ; et chorégraphe pour la télévision et le cinéma."

Jean-Marc Généreux (Author), Jean-Marc Généreux, Serge Postigo (Narrator)

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