Audiobooks narrated by Desmond Manny

Of Greed and Glory: In Pursuit of Freedom for All

A ground-breaking, personal exploration of America’s obsession with continuing human bondage from the editor of the New York Times–bestselling Barracoon. Freedom and equality are the watchwords of American democracy. But like justice, freedom and equality are meaningless when there is no corresponding practical application of the ideals they represent. Physical, bodily liberty is fundamental to every American’s personal sovereignty. And yet, millions of Americans—including author Deborah Plant’s brother, whose life sentence at Angola Prison reveals a shocking current parallel to her academic work on the history of slavery in America—are deprived of these basic freedoms every day. In her studies of Zora Neale Hurston, Deborah Plant became fascinated by Hurston’s explanation for the atrocities of the international slave trade. In her memoir, Dust Tracks on a Road, Hurston wrote: “But the inescapable fact that stuck in my craw, was: my people had sold me and the white people had bought me. . . . It impressed upon me the universal nature of greed and glory.” We look the other way when the basic human rights of marginalized and stigmatized groups are violated and desecrated, not realizing that only the practice of justice everywhere secures justice, for any of us, anywhere. An active vigilance is required of those who would be and remain free; with Of Greed and Glory, Deborah Plant reveals the many ways in which slavery continues in America today and charts our collective course toward personal sovereignty for all. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Deborah G. Plant (Author), Desmond Manny, Emana Rachelle (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Web3: Charting the Internet's Next Economic and Cultural Frontier

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller An essential introduction and guide to navigating the next Internet revolution—everything from the metaverse and NFTs to DAOs, decentralized finance, and self-sovereign identity—from the co-author of the international bestseller Blockchain Revolution. The Web, and with it the Internet, are entering a new age. We’ve moved from the “Read-only Web,” which had little functionality for interacting with content, to the “Read-Write Web,” which offered seemingly endless collaborative opportunities, from sharing with our favorite people to shopping at our favorite brands. But the profusion of cyberattacks, data hacks, and online profiling have left many of us to view digital life as a Faustian bargain in need of a major rethink. That rethink is Web3, the “Read-Write-Own Web”—a decentralized Internet where individuals own their own identities and can securely trade assets like money, securities, intellectual property, and art peer to peer. Made possible by blockchains, the foundational technology of bitcoin, Web3 promises the biggest shake up of business since the invention of double-entry bookkeeping in the Middle Ages. It is the Internet’s new frontier. In Web3, award-winning author and technology investor Alex Tapscott provides a cutting-edge guide to the Internet’s next era. Covering everything from the metaverse and non-fungible tokens to DAOs, decentralized finance, and self-sovereign identity, this indispensable, forward-thinking book describes the building blocks and often hidden technologies that will be foundational to our cultural and economic progress.

Alex Tapscott (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bleudark: An Other World Series

“Don’t be afraid to look into the eclipse!” -Jee Rune Hartsmund is on the verge of pitching the game of his life and making baseball history when there is an attempt on his life from somewhere behind the stadium lights. Miraculously, he is saved by a young boy who runs onto the field just before the bullet strikes home. He soon finds out that his savior, Jee, is a 600-year-old Japanese deity, reincarnated in the body of a 13-year-old boy. Reluctantly, he is drawn into a magical world where guns are called wands, bullets are curses and Magí use the lifeforce of humans to fuel their magic. Pulled between the loyalty of the only world he has ever known and the Other World that now lays claim to him, he struggles with the ethics of his newfound magical abilities. Together with a rag tag group of Paladín-Magí and The Alliance, Against, Dark, Arts & Arcane, Magics (AADAAM), he struggles to defend both worlds against the Necromancer, Nubilous. Rune uncovers that nothing was ever what it seemed and learns the malignant mysteries of the Bleudark.

Varnadore Vaughn (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bottled Spirits & Other Dark Tales

Thirteen newly collected encounters with darkness from Adrian Ludens, the author of the collections Ant Farm Necropolis and Cobwebs: Tales of Dread and Disquiet. Margo lives in a society where people remove organs and amputate limbs to celebrate growing older. Her world is shattered when her new boyfriend makes a shocking request in 'Reduced to Tears.' The trickster god Iktomi helps, hinders, and terrorizes a pioneer youth who's trying to solve the gruesome murders of a neighboring family in 'The Sodbuster and the Spider.' In the weird western novelette 'Bottled Spirits,' Truman Bonner sets out to rescue his wife, Helena, from ruthless outlaws and personal demons. He and his son, Isaac, face a series of harrowing supernatural ordeals and before the family is reunited, more than one of them may have made a deal with the devil. These, and ten other macabre stories, wait within.

Adrian Ludens (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dreadful Fancies: a steampunk-ish collection

Welcome to the world of yesteryear's world of tomorrow! A world of inventions and intrigues, ingenious science and eldritch sorcery, mechanical marvels and magical mischief, daring exploration and dangerous adventure. A world powered by steam and teslic coils and etheric energies, where paranormalists ply their trade alongside constables and scholars and daffy dilettantes. From the grim and gritty city to the bustling urban metrop ... from the hardscrabble life in the factories to the high society of lavish country estates ... from the airscrew-propelled platform of a flying industrial complex to the suboceanic travels of a nautilus expedition ... Welcome to a darkly delightful tour of Dreadful Fancies.

Christine Morgan (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Room Service

Maren Stoffels (Author), Desmond Manny, Fiona Dexter, Peter Bast (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Conversation: How Talking Honestly About Racism Can Transform Individuals and Organizations

Brought to you by Penguin. Whether it's the composition of a company's leadership team or identifying the candidates that are a 'good fit' with the organization, racial divisions play out as starkly in the workplace as they do in wider society. What can we do to eradicate bias and create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment? Social psychologist Robert Livingston has made it his life's work to show people how to turn difficult conversations about race into productive instances of real change. With wit and clarity, The Conversation distills Livingston's decades of research and practice into a solution-oriented road map for anyone seeking to uproot entrenched biases in the workplace. Founded on extensive data and blending psychology, sociology, management and behavioral economics, Livingston's framework reveals that racism can be defeated with the right information, incentives, strategy, and implementation. With vivid storytelling, The Conversation explores the root causes of racism, ways to foster greater empathy and solidarity and offers tangible steps to progress towards racial equality. It is the essential tool for turning well-intentioned diversity statements into measurable, achievable outcomes. © Reobert Livingston 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Robert Livingston (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

HEADCASE

Johnny Headcase—big, tough as nails and surprisingly quick, especially with a gun and a roll of quarters. When he finds out vampires have invaded his town, he doesn’t hesitate to fight back. Pretty soon, though, he realizes just how many there are, and calls in reinforcements. Katya—a healer and an inventor with a big heart. While quick and effective despite the wound or condition, her methods require her to harness and unleash the power of sex. Lydia—a striking young (not quite human) woman who wears her favorite colors of pink and black shamelessly. She's fast and strong with a heart full of fiery determination and she's out for redemption, one bounty at a time. Gavin—a wise ass werewolf who ditched his last name with the rest of his history. He lives to fight, loves to joke around and is fiercely loyal to his friends. The four band together and join forces to take down King City's Master Vampire and his horde of vampires, demons, trolls and other monsters unleashed on the city in an effort to rebuild King City in his own twisted image. Part 1 — Bad Coffee and Worse Luck Part 2 — Coldblooded Hot Demons Part 3 — Upping The Stakes Part 4 — Storming The Castle Bonus Material Included! Four short stories written by Ken MacGregor and Kerry Lipp as origin stories for Johnny, Katya, Lydia and Gavin.

Ken Macgregor, Kerry Lipp (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Downwind, Alice

Meet Alice Morecambe. A blonde thirty-something. Sometimes impulsive, and often with a quick temper. After two years away, a chance encounter with her ex-boyfriend Kieran proves awkward and sours when Alice lashes out at him, before storming off. An unfortunate turn of events that would soon blow over, right? Wrong. Because, unfortunately for Alice, Kieran is …different now. For the last couple of years, Kieran has kept a tight rein on more than his feelings – but now he’s going to do more than tell Alice how he really feels. He’s going to show her. And Alice won’t know what’s downwind until it’s too late.

Cc Adams (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

On Impeachment: The Presidency on Trial

A short, accessible collection of key historic writings about presidential impeachment, as part of a new Penguin Classics series on liberty and constitutional rights. A Penguin Classic Penguin Liberty is a newly curated series of historical, political and legal classic texts from Penguin Classics. One of the first volumes, On Impeachment, provides key historic writings to understand what impeachment is and learn about three presidents who have been subject to the process: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. The volume includes essential texts from each of the two presidential impeachments that were voted by the House, and the Nixon case, which was voted on by the House judiciary committee and which forced Nixon's resignation. Readers will have a scope of perspectives from the Constitution, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Frederick Douglass, Barbara Jordan, Gerald Ford, Dianne Feinstein, and more. Each volume will feature a series introduction and volume introduction by series editor Corey Brettschneider.

Tba (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stella

Stella knew the names of the stars before she knew her alphabet. Although Stella’s mother disappeared when she was too small to remember, she grows up happy beneath bright Indiana stars in the small town of Torrance with her father, her dog, and her best friend. When a meteor lands in her father’s cornfields, Stella and her father run after the fallen star. Stella watches as her father touches the star. The moment he does, he disappears in a flash of golden starlight. Stella never sees her father again. From that moment on, Stella is terrified of the stars she always loved. She leaves Torrance, her dog, and her best friend only to discover that the truth she needs is still in Torrance. As a total eclipse approaches, Stella must find the courage to face her stars.

Josh Dygert (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Balance

When myth becomes nightmare … The price of blood is always blood. Natalia’s in trouble. She only looked away for a second, and now her brother’s hurt. Her relationship with her mother is fractured, her brother’s condition is deteriorating, and her only hope lays deep in the unforgiving forest. A secret spoken only in whispers offers a way out. But when help comes in occult forms a sacrifice may be the only way to restore the balance. Humanity and nature collide in The Balance by Kev Harrison, a modern reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, set in Cold War Poland.

Kev Harrison (Author), Desmond Manny (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Desmond Manny