Audiobooks narrated by Joel Richards

Life Lessons from a Parasite: What Tapeworms, Flukes, Lice, and Roundworms Can Teach Us About Humani

The answers to life's biggest questions can be found by looking at the little things . . . Though you may not be able to see them with the naked eye, parasites-miniscule life forms that live inside other organisms-inhabit our everyday lives. From headlice to bird droppings, litterboxes to unfiltered water, you have brushed up against the most common way of life on our planet. In this unique book, John Janovy Jr., one of the world's preeminent experts on parasites, reveals what can humans learn from the most reviled yet misunderstood animals on Earth: lice, tapeworms, flukes, and maggots that can eat a lizard from the inside, and how these lessons help us negotiate our own complicated world. Whether we're learning to adapt to adverse conditions, accept our own limitations, or process new information in an ever-changing landscape-we can be sure a parasite did it first. At once peculiar and profound, Life Lessons from a Parasite makes a case for using knowledge of the natural world, with all its wonderful mysteries and quirks, to tackle our worst problems.

John Janovy Jr. (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Dead Man's Favor

Now that he's back home in San Diego, life is looking up for John Smith, hapless P.I. and supernatural mediator. And sure, there may be a few flies in the ointment, like the little matter of an ongoing goblin war, the disappearance of John's chief mediator rival, and an ever-growing list of questions about the suspicious events of the past few years, but those are all topics for another day. It's wedding season and the sun is shining, the weather is perfect, and the early fall air is thick with the scent of- Wait. Is that rotting flesh? San Diego's zombie prince, Simon, may be long dead, but his descendants are still around and kicking, and one of them, his great-great granddaughter, just went missing. Now, Simon wants John to track her down. John has never worked across state lines before, but clearly that's going to change. And while New Mexico might not be quite as blissful as Catalina Island, it still sounds pretty sweet. After all, John and his friends have already survived gods, witches, werewolves, and the terrifying guacamole shortage of 2013. What sort of challenge could this case possibly offer by comparison? He's about to find out.

Chris Tullbane (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Paladin's Faith

Marguerite Florian is a spy with two problems. A former employer wants her dead, and one of her new bodyguards is a far too good-looking paladin with a martyr complex. Shane is a paladin with three problems. His god is dead, his client is much too attractive for his peace of mind, and a powerful organization is trying to have them both killed. Add in a brilliant artificer with a device that may change the world, a glittering and dangerous court, and a demon-led cult, and Shane and Marguerite will be lucky to escape with their souls intact, never mind their hearts . . .

T. Kingfisher (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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Private Equity: Opportunities and Risks (Financial Markets and Investments) 1st Edition

During the past few decades, private equity (PE) has attracted considerable attention from investors, practitioners, and academicians. In fact, a substantial literature on PE has emerged. PE offers benefits for institutional and private wealth management clients, including diversification and enhancement of risk-adjusted returns. However, several factors such as liquidity concerns, regulatory restrictions, and the lack of transparency limit the attractiveness of some PE options to investors. The latest volume in the Financial Markets and Investments Series, Private Equity: Opportunities and Risks offers a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature on PE in both emerging and developed markets. Editors H. Kent Baker, Greg Filbeck, Halil Kiymaz, and their coauthors examine PE and provide important insights about topics such as major types of PE (venture capital, leveraged buyouts, mezzanine capital, and distressed debt investments), how PE works, performance and measurement, uses and structure, and trends in the market. Listeners can gain an in-depth understanding about PE from academics and practitioners from around the world. This new and intriguing examination of PE is essential for anyone hoping to gain a better understanding of PE, from seasoned professionals to those aspiring to enter the demanding world of finance.

Greg Filbeck, H. Kent Baker, Halil Kiymaz (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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Turning Points: The Role of the State Department in Vietnam (1945–75)

Details how the US State Department attempted, and failed, to save South Vietnam from North Vietnamese aggression and the powerful domestic political influences that ultimately led to America's defeat. Ten years after the end of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, a career Foreign Service officer, Thomas J. Corcoran, set down in writing his thoughts on the history of US State Department policy during America's involvement with South Vietnam. Like many Americans of his generation, he was perplexed by the failure of America to achieve its goals in South Vietnam. As an ambassador and with over thirty years of diplomatic experience-beginning in 1948 when he was assigned to Hanoi and involving other postings in Southeast Asia-he brought to his analysis a long and rich personal experience with events in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The result is a thoughtful, objective, and well-researched study that chronicles the key policy decisions made by the US State Department throughout the entire period from 1945 to 1975; decisions that ultimately led to the first war lost by the United States. In his extensive study, Corcoran does an excellent job of exposing many of the myths and falsehoods found in orthodox histories of US involvement in Vietnam.

Ambassador Thomas J. Corcoran (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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Quantum Computing For Dummies

Quantum computing has the promise to be the next huge thing in technology. How do we know that? Look at how much the big players in tech are investing in the technology. Quantum Computing For Dummies preps you for the amazing changes that are coming with the world of computing built on the phenomena of quantum mechanics. Need to know what is it and how does it work? This easy-to-understand book breaks it down and answers your most pressing questions. Get a better understanding of how quantum computing is revolutionizing networking, data management, cryptography, and artificial intelligence in ways that would have previously been unthinkable. With this Dummies guide, you'll get a primer on the inner workings and practical applications of quantum computers. You will: learn the difference binary and quantum computers; discover which industries will be most influenced by quantum computing; see how quantum improves encryption and enables business; and take a look at how quantum is applied in big data and AI. For technologists and IT pros interested in getting on board the quantum train-plus anyone who's quantum-curious-this Dummies guide is a must-listen.

Floyd Smith, Whurley (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Faith to Foster: An All-American Story of Loving the Least of These

Faith to Foster is a candid look into the life of ordinary foster parents TJ and Jenn Menn. It is a journey chronicling their decision making process, how the children arrived, the birth parents struggle to rehabilitate, help from friends and family, emotional goodbyes, and how faith in Jesus empowered them through it all. This is a story they wished they’d read before starting their foster parenting adventure. TJ and Jenn share their experiences and feelings in a way that encourages any reader to serve their neighbors, not just foster parents. Faith to Foster reminds Christians how God can use them to make a difference in their community.

Jenn Menn, Tj Menn (Author), Joel Richards, Rebecca Gibel (Narrator)

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Astronomy For Dummies, 5th Edition

What's going on in the sky? Astronomy For Dummies takes you through the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and all the way to the outer reaches of the universe. You'll have stars in your eyes as you discover the basics of skywatching, planets, asteroids, black holes, and dark matter. Ponder the deep questions that keep humanity guessing, like, is there anybody out there? Two NASA-award-winning astronomers take you on a tour of outer space that will fascinate you-and, if you're a student, help you through your intro astronomy course. Inside . . . - Recent astronomical research - All about the Big Bang - Different types of stars - Resources and tech tools for observing the stars and sky - What happens when galaxies collide

Richard Tresch Fienberg Phd, Richard Tresch Fienberg, Phd, Stephen P. Maran Phd, Stephen P. Maran, Phd (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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The Pledge to America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL

Retired Navy SEAL Drago Dzieran takes listeners behind the scenes of his incredible life, from an impoverished childhood in Communist-controlled Poland to his time as a political prisoner, to his twenty years as a member of the United States military's most elite fighting force. Everything I have, I owe to America-the greatest country in the world. I have been fighting oppression and defending freedom my entire life. When I became a United States citizen, I felt it was my moral obligation to give back to this country and the people who had given me freedom. I wanted to serve my new country in the best capacity I could, so when the first Persian Gulf War broke out, I decided to join the military. During my Navy career, I performed over one hundred combat direct action missions in Iraq from 2003 to 2005. My chance to live as a free man is only possible because of the ideals the founding fathers fought for and that have been carried forward to this day by Americans. Every person has a voice, and every voice matters. I will continue to encourage others to get involved, stand up, and preserve and cherish the freedom and liberty we have in America.

Drago Dzieran (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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Nasty Politics: The Logic of Insults, Threats, and Incitement

A novel explanation for why politicians insult, accuse, and threaten their opponents, even though voters say they don't like it. Why do politicians engage in nasty politics? Why do they use insult, accusations, intimidation, and in rare cases violence against their domestic political opponents? In Nasty Politics, Thomas Zeitzoff answers these questions by examining this global political trend in the US, Ukraine, and Israel and looking at how key leaders such as Trump, Zelensky, and Netanyahu use it. Drawing on surveys, case studies, in-depth interviews, databases of nasty politics, and large social media datasets, Zeitzoff shows that across all three countries, the public generally doesn't like nasty politics and it increases the threat of political violence. But it can also be a way to signal toughness to voters, which is especially important in threatening times. Featuring a powerful theory of why nastiness takes hold in democratic polities, Nasty Politics highlights how it influences the kinds of politicians who run for office and deepens our understanding for why so many politicians now rely on outsized anger and withering insults for political gain.

Thomas Zeitzoff (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

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The Self-Assembling Brain: How Neural Networks Grow Smarter

How does a neural network become a brain? While neurobiologists investigate how nature accomplishes this feat, computer scientists interested in AI strive to achieve this through technology. The Self-Assembling Brain tells the stories of both fields, exploring the historical and modern approaches taken by the scientists pursuing answers to the quandary: What information is necessary to make an intelligent neural network? As Peter Robin Hiesinger argues, 'the information problem' underlies both fields. How does genetic information unfold during the process of human brain development-and is there a quicker path to creating human-level artificial intelligence? Is the biological brain just messy hardware, which scientists can improve upon by running learning algorithms on computers? Can AI bypass the evolutionary programming of 'grown' networks? Hiesinger explores these tightly linked questions, highlighting the challenges facing scientists, their different disciplinary perspectives, and the common ground shared by those interested in the development of biological brains and AI systems. Hiesinger contends that the information content of biological and artificial neural networks must unfold in an algorithmic process requiring time and energy. There is no genome and no blueprint that depicts the final product. The self-assembling brain knows no shortcuts.

Peter Robin Hiesinger (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion, A Memoir

Maurice Hornocker is recognized worldwide as the first scientist to unravel the secrets of America's most enigmatic predator-the mountain lion. A story of redemption, this book is a memoir about the never-before-told adventures, challenges, and controversies surrounding Hornocker's groundbreaking study of cougars in the remote reaches of the Idaho Primitive Area. North America's biggest cat was once killed for bounty dollars, slaughtered with impunity and driven toward extinction. But today's cat of intrigue, despite our lingering fears and misconceptions, has returned to much of its native range in the western United States and gained respect as a predator integral and necessary to wild ecosystems. This turnaround was triggered by one man: Maurice Hornocker. Cougars on the Cliff recounts the early years of his research when he tracked lions following a dog's nose and footprints in the snow-before telemetry was available. Hornocker was first to learn that mountain lions living in stable populations limit their own numbers through territoriality and a concept he called 'mutual avoidance.' This insight flew in the face of long-held beliefs that cougars were prolific and wanton killers that needed to be controlled as vermin. Thanks to Hornocker's work, today cougars can be found throughout the West and have even started to reclaim their place in New England.

Maurice Hornocker (Author), Joel Richards (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Joel Richards