Audiobooks narrated by Rick Adamson

Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway

The opening salvos of the Battle of the Coral Sea were fired one month before Midway. Gamble in the Coral Sea recounts the story of this battle from the Japanese point of view. Based on extensive Japanese-language sources, author Michal A. Piegzik challenges established Western narratives surrounding this critical engagement in the Pacific War. Operation MO, the Japanese plan to seize Port Moresby, kicked off in May 1942. The operation was considered a vital part of Japanese strategy. Victory would isolate Australia and New Zealand and extend access to vital resources crucial to Japan's war effort. Victory would prove elusive after American codebreakers deciphered Japanese radio traffic that revealed their plans in the weeks leading up to the launch. U.S. forces located elements of the Japanese navy as they steamed through the Coral Sea. Soon after, history's first carrier battle began. Piegzik combines expertise in military history with mastery of the Japanese language to provide a rare perspective on the Imperial Japanese Navy's operational choices. Piegzik offers insight into the broader consequences of the battle. He engages with sources previously underexplored and integrates them with Allied perspectives. Gamble in the Coral Sea offers a nuanced exploration of a battle that shaped the trajectory of the war in the Pacific.

Michal A. Piegzik (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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The Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep: And Other Enchanting Stories of Evolution

This engaging tour through evolution's mysteries is backyard biophilia at its most entertaining and enlightening Why do cats live longer than dogs? Why do so many different kinds of bees have yellow stripes? Why can we smell a skunk a mile away, much farther than we can detect the strongest perfume? Such questions offer puzzles about creatures' evolved traits. Besides inviting us into joys of curiosity, they focus our attention on beguiling designs that have been millions of years in the making. In this lively, lucid book, science writer David Stipp brings a Darwinian lens to bear on evolutionary curiosities including house sparrows' ubiquity, caffeine as the perfect poison, cannibalism among bumblebees, and the defenselessness of sleep-among many others. By revealing the hidden depths of the ordinary, Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep demonstrates that countless fascinating conundrums exist all around us, and that taking note of them is the very best way to connect to the natural world.

David Stipp (Author), Rick Adamson, TBD (Narrator)

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Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean

Vanilla is one of the most expensive of flavorings—so valuable that it was smuggled or stolen by pirates in the early days—and yet it is everywhere. It is a key ingredient in dishes ranging from crème brûlée to Japanese purin. It is the quintessential ice cream flavor in the United States. Eric T. Jennings explains how the world's only edible orchid, originally endemic to Central America, became embedded in the international culinary and cultural landscape. In tracing vanilla's rise, Jennings describes how in the 1840s an enslaved boy named Edmond Albius discovered a way to pollinate vanilla orchids with a toothpick or needle—an ingenious process that is still in use. This method transformed the vanilla sector by enabling the plant to be grown outside of its natural range. Jennings also looks at how the vanilla craze led to the search for now‑pervasive substitutes, and how a vanilla lobby has fought back. He further unravels how vanilla—the world's most expensive crop and once considered its most refined fragrance—came to mean 'bland.' This tale of botany, production techniques, consumption habits, and colonial rivalry connects the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, revealing how vanilla has become a potent symbol of the modern global village.

Eric T. Jennings (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Crucibles: History’s Most Formidable Rights of Passage

Throughout human history, civilizations have stratified their citizens, often by establishing royal, priestly, executive, or warrior castes. Many who have achieved elite-level power joined their civilizations' premier organizations not through birthright or sociopolitical attainment, but rather by completing codified rites of passage that demonstrated their exceptional physical, spiritual, or psychological capabilities, and their deep commitment to their cultures. Crucibles: History's Most Formidable Rites of Passage explores fourteen elite organizations, with a special emphasis on the onerous trials designed to cull initiates from aspirants. It analyzes the underlying commonalities of such trials, describing how they work, why people are willing to subject themselves to such rigors, and how such tests benefit or harm the organizations that require them. Crucibles distills both positive and negative perspectives on tests and trials into actionable concepts which may be deployed in modern business, social, academic, or political spheres. In a time where there is a long-overdue focus on the ethical roles and responsibilities of cultural gatekeepers, Crucibles stands as a valuable resource for leaders and managers seeking to convert historic practices into useful, moral, and legal modern policies.

J. Eric Smith, James R. McNeal (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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The First Fleets: Colonial Navies of the British Atlantic World, 1630–1775

In The First Fleets, Benjamin C. Schaffer reveals how, contrary to widespread beliefs, the American colonies had a long tradition of independent naval defense decades before the Revolution. He demonstrates that Anglo-American governments established and maintained significant provincial naval forces and that the history of provincial navies illuminates broader aspects of colonial history and the colonies' ultimate break with the British Crown. Based on meticulous research, Schaffer recounts the sea-borne threats that American colonies faced from the French, Spanish, pirates, and others. He reviews colonial governance and the relationships between colonial governments and Great Britain. Highlighting Britain's scant naval power in North America, Schaffer demonstrates how the vulnerable coastal colonies undertook their own self-defense. Schaffer's study offers many fascinating episodes from colonial history. Establishing a navy was controversial in pacifist-minded, Quaker-dominated Pennsylvania. South Carolina deployed its scout-boat navy to pursue enslaved Africans who fled colonial capture. The first paper money issued in North America was an initiative to pay for a naval expedition against French Quebec. These and other episodes show the intimate connection between these little-known provincial navies and the major sociopolitical developments of their day.

Benjamin C. Schaffer (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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HBR Guide to Being More Productive

Every day begins with the same challenge: too many tasks on your to-do list and not enough time to accomplish them. Perhaps you tell yourself to just buckle down and get it all done—skip lunch, work a longer day. Maybe you throw your hands up, recognize you can't do it all, and just begin fighting the biggest fire or greasing the squeakiest wheel. And yet you know how good it feels on those days when you're working at peak productivity, taking care of difficult and meaty projects while also knocking off the smaller tasks that have been hanging over your head forever. Those are the times when your day didn't run you—you ran your day. To have more of those days more often, you need to discover what works for you given your strengths, your preferences, and the things you must accomplish. Whether you're an assistant or the CEO, whether you've been in the workforce for forty years or are just starting out, this guide will help you be more productive. You'll discover different ways to motivate yourself to work when you really don't want to; take on less, but get more done; preserve time for your most important work; improve your focus; make the most of small pockets of time between meetings; set boundaries with colleagues—without alienating them; and take time off without tearing your hair out.

Harvard Business Review (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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The Garden: Visionary Growers and Farmers of the Counterculture

The legendary countercultural growers who never stopped changing the world. ● Countercultural Roots: Chronicles how a generation influenced by psychedelics, Eastern philosophy, and reactions to Vietnam, the Oil Shocks, and DDT sparked a deep interest in sustainable farming. ● In-depth Exploration of Influences: Covers movements like the organic food revolution, Permaculture, back-to-the-land initiatives, radical ecology, and the impact of thinkers like Rudolph Steiner on 1970s communities. ● Impact on Today's Agriculture: Through interviews with key figures, The Garden reveals how these visionary growers, often without farming backgrounds, pioneered alternative agriculture and influenced modern sustainable practices. ● A Legacy for the 2020s: Highlights the enduring impact of these farmers, providing inspiration for today's efforts to reconnect with nature and rethink sustainable living. Perfect for listeners interested in organic farming, environmental history, or the cultural legacy of the 1970s, The Garden tells the untold story of how counterculture reimagined food and our relationship to the earth.

Matthew Ingram (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Evangelism in an Age of Despair: Hope Beyond the Failed Promise of Happiness

'Evangelism' is a contested, even conflicted word. But churches are declining in numbers and resources. What if we aren't thinking about evangelism in the right way, culturally or theologically? This book proposes a conversation that contextualizes evangelism in our late modern times and reimagines what the call to outreach means in today's world. Our sad times are made sadder by the realization that our all-out pursuit of happiness has made us stressed, anxious, lonely, and depressed, says leading practical theologian Andrew Root. The French thinker Michel de Montaigne taught us to focus on making ourselves happy, but Blaise Pascal pointed out that we are creatures of soul as much as self—so happiness does not satisfy. Root offers a vision for how a theology of consolation can shape a hopeful approach to evangelism. We all need consolation, others to care for us in our sadness; if we can find such a minister and lean into our sorrow, we will find the presence of Jesus Christ. Root uses a fictional church to show rather than tell us how consolation evangelism works. For support he looks to the ministries of Gregory of Nyssa and his sister Macrina, Jean Gerson, Johann von Staupitz, and Martin Luther, who all contend that consolation is central to our transformation into the life of God.

Andrew Root (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Warrior to Civilian: The Field Manual for the Hero's Journey

A compassionate, practical guidebook for veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life and for the loved ones supporting their journey. "Challenging yet reassuring....a key addition to every veteran's packing list ." --Stan McChrystal, General, US Army (Ret) and Co-Founder and CEO, McChrystal Group Some important statistics: - There are over 22 million veterans alive today - Each year, more than 200,000 new veterans transition out of active duty. - Approximately 22 veterans commit suicide a day, and even more are living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, and experience many, many other difficulties. It's clear that we have not honored the promise we make to veterans: that we as a country will help them after they've served and sacrificed. And while there are many books written by and for veterans, only a small selection of those address the transition to civilian life, and none are a truly complete reference for stepping out of service and back into normal life. Warrior to Civilian covers a range of topics, from the practical-finding a job, reintegrating into family life-to the more challenging topics, like dealing with loss, and finding new purpose in life. This well-curated resource incorporates stories, insights, and observations from veterans and their partners; evidence-based advice from health professionals and experts who work closely with veterans; and inspiration taken from heavyweights like Jon Kabbat-Zinn and Tony Robbins. The authors take care to address the unique challenges faced by veterans of color, and those in the LGBTQ+ communities. With support from some of our country's most recognizable military members, authors Rob Sarver, a former SEAL, and Alex Gendzier, combine their voices and their experiences in and out of the military in a unique way that will make this resource shine. Scaffolded by the hero's journey, in which the hero experiences a series of transformative events, they reveal that within the loss that many veterans have suffered while serving and suffer in the transition, there is great opportunity for healing.

Alex Gendzier, Robert Sarver (Author), Rick Adamson, TBD (Narrator)

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The White Privilege Album: Bringing Racial Harmony to Very Fine People… on Both Sides

A comedy about race, wokeness, and cancel culture in America. A tragedy about race, wokeness, and cancel culture in America. Part satire, part journalism, part truth serum, A. J. Rice follows up his runaway #1 bestseller The Woking Dead with a hilarious sequel that picks up where the laughs left off.

A. J. Rice (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Carlo Acutis: The First Millennial Saint

Carlo Acutis, born in 1991, fully embraced the gift of life. Known as a computer whiz, he liked to play soccer, video games, and the saxophone. He enjoyed watching his favorite dramas and making short films with his cast of cats and dogs. He had many friends and enjoyed spending time with them. Yet Carlo was a little 'different' at school, in the pizzerias, and on the soccer field. What set Carlo apart was his constant pursuit of holiness. He spent time teaching catechism classes and serving in soup kitchens. Carlo loved to attend daily Mass and frequent Eucharistic adoration. The Word of God and the Eucharist were the center of his life. Carlo's unwavering devotion to the Eucharist inspired him to tell the story of Eucharistic miracles through a website he created. He wanted to deepen his own knowledge of these phenomena, to strengthen his devotion to Jesus, and to invite others to grow in love for the Eucharist. The website caught the attention of people across the globe, introducing countless people to Eucharistic miracles. Carlo died from a sudden illness in 2006. In less than a decade, his story spread across Italy and around the world. After Pope Francis declared him venerable in 2018, his beatification was celebrated in Assisi on October 10, 2020. The next step will be canonization, making him the first millennial saint.

Nicola Gori (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Explorers: A New History

Unfurling a tapestry of surprising and historically overlooked figures spanning forty centuries and six continents, historian Matthew Lockwood narrates lives filled with imagination and wonder, curiosity, connection, and exchange. Familiar icons of exploration like Pocahontas, Columbus, Sacagawea, and Captain Cook find new company in the untold stories of people usually denied the title 'explorers,' including immigrants, indigenous interpreters, local guides, and fugitive slaves. He highlights female voyagers like Gudrid Far-Traveler and Freydís Eiríksdóttir, Viking women who sailed to North America in 1000 AD, and Mary Wortley Montagu, whose pioneering travels to Constantinople would lead to the development of the world's first smallpox vaccine. Figures like Ghulam Rassul Galwan, a guide for European travelers in the Himalayas, reveal the hidden labor, expertise, and local enthusiasm behind many grand stories of discovery. Other characters, like David Dorr, a man born into slavery in New Orleans who embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe and Egypt, embody discovery and wonder as universal parts of the human condition. Adventurers from every corner of the globe search for the unknown and try to understand it, remaking the world and themselves in the process. Exploration is for everyone who sets off into the unknown. It is the inheritance of all.

Matthew Lockwood (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Rick Adamson