Current Affairs, Law, & Politics Audiobooks | Non-Fiction

The Killing Age: How Violence Made the Modern World

"'Combines brilliant storytelling with rich and deeply researched evidence . . . essential reading for anyone seeking a global history that reexamines the past on a massive scale' - Caroline Elkins, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Imperial Reckoning and Legacy of Violence 'Synoptic in its reach, overwhelming in its detail, The Killing Age leaves one feeling like Jonathan Swift's Gulliver, who came to prefer the company of peaceable horses to membership of humankind' - J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning author of Disgrace A bold, trailblazing history that asks: what if the movements that built the modern world - the Enlightenment, democracy, the Industrial Revolution - were more catastrophic than we ever imagined? In this radical rethinking of modernity, Professor Clifton Crais argues that the era between 1750 and the early 1900s - seen by many as the birth of the Anthropocene - should instead be known as the Mortecene: the Age of Killing. Killing brought the world together and tore it apart, as violence and commerce converged to create a new and terrible world order that drove the growth of global capitalism. Profiteering warlords left a trail of devastation across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, committing mass-scale slaughter of humans and animals, and sparking an environmental crisis that remains the most pressing threat facing the world today. Drawing on decades of scholarship and a range of new sources, The Killing Age turns our vision of past and present on its head, illuminating the Mortecene in all its horror: how it has shaped who we are, what we value, what we fear, and the precarious planet we must now confront. 'Crais obliges us to confront the naked reality of a modern world order spawned from the barrel of a gun . . . This is a courageous and highly readable work' - David Wengrow, co-author of The Dawn of Everything"

Clifton Crais (Author), Jason Keller (Narrator)

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The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity

"Brought to you by Penguin. Today’s tech platforms are some of history's most advanced tools for extracting as much as possible – data, attention, profit-margins – from everyone else. As they become essential, we are at risk of building an economy that is perpetually unfair for much of humanity. Places and spaces where people can exchange information and goods have been at the heart of every economy and every civilization in history, but today’s global platforms - as provided by Amazon, Google, Apple, Meta and others - are different: instead of providing value they extract it, creating vast disparities in wealth and power between the haves and have-nots. For the first time in history, we have the ability to create sustainable prosperity for all, but currently that wealth is concentrated in a tiny number of hands. It isn't abundance that's the problem; it is distribution. In this brilliantly engaging, frequently surprising account, Tim Wu, one of the world’s foremost experts on anti-monopoly law, draws on fascinating case studies in the history of technology's explosive rise to demonstrate emphatically that breaking monopolies will ultimately unleash creativity and growth - and reduce the vast inequality that inevitably leads to social upheaval and political chaos. Wu also sets out an alternative blueprint that preserves the economic flourishing that platforms catalyze, allowing tech platforms to play a major role in creating and sustaining an economic model of prosperity not just for the few but for the many. © Tim Wu 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Tim Wu (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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The Great Global Transformation: National Market Liberalism in a Multipolar World

"Brought to you by Penguin. Global neoliberalism is on its last legs, as a new international economic order takes hold: trade blocs, tariff wars, economic sanctions, and national champions are in; nationalism, anti-immigration movements, and the far-right are on the rise. Liberalism is being rejected by the civic realm, as the status quo of the past fifty years crumbles. What remains in its wake? Drawing on original research, leading economist Branko Milanovic reveals the seismic shifts that are shaping our world. He details the facts: how the rising economic power of Asia is creating a new global ‘middle class’ – in the greatest reshuffle of incomes since the Industrial Revolution. He explores our fears: why are we becoming increasingly unhappy, when the world is becoming richer and more equal? And he shows us the fight ahead: as plutocracy returns, global war threatens, and a new system silently shapes our nations, driving malcontent to breaking point. In National Market Liberalism, Milanovic provides an invaluable guide to the new 21st century. © Branko Milanovic 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Branko Milanovic (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel's Mossad into the World's Boldest Intelligence

"From a New York Times bestselling author and expert on Middle Eastern conflict comes a riveting biography of Meir Dagan, the legendary Mossad director who transformed Israel's intelligence service into a global powerhouse of espionage and counterterrorism. In The Architect of Espionage, Samuel M. Katz masterfully chronicles the life of Meir Dagan, a visionary covert warfare veteran who revolutionized the art of intelligence and espionage. Born in the shadows of the Holocaust, his life personified the modern history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Dagan's journey embodies decisive action, innovative thought, and bold leadership under fire. His tenure as the head of the Mossad marked a transformative era in Israel's history, reshaping the agency into a formidable global force. Dagan's story is one of daring strategy and relentless ingenuity. He spent thirty-two years in uniform, and under his eight-year leadership, Mossad orchestrated a series of high-stakes missions, including targeted assassinations, clandestine attempts to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, and the covert expansion of Israel's strategic collaborations with members of the global intelligence fraternity, notably with the CIA. These operations not only bolstered Israel's security but also altered the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. Drawing on unprecedented access to Dagan's closest confidants, comrades in arms, and contemporaries in the international intelligence community, Katz brings to life the portrait of a spymaster whose influence extended far beyond Israel's borders, shaping intelligence relationships across the Middle East and worldwide. Katz's expertise in Middle Eastern conflicts and counterterrorism shines through in this meticulously researched narrative that delves into the intricate details of Dagan's strategies. The Architect of Espionage is more than a biography—it is the history of the Jewish state told through the life of one of its most incredible warriors, spy chiefs, and, ultimately, statesmen. The Architect of Espionage is an immersive journey into the shadowy world of intelligence, where decisions carry life-or-death stakes and outcomes are steeped in secrecy. For anyone captivated by espionage thrillers or historical biographies, this is an essential and timely read, providing an insightful glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential spymasters of our era."

Samuel M. Katz (Author), Adam Grupper (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Case for American Power

"A provocative case for why a better world is only possible with American power by Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid. From acclaimed author Shadi Hamid comes an urgent and deeply personal argument for why American dominance, despite its many flaws, remains the world's best hope. Hamid traces his journey from opposing America's role in the world to reluctantly embracing it—while grappling with how recent events, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Israel's devastating war in Gaza, have challenged his convictions. Drawing on his unique perspective as both an American and a Muslim who came of age in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Hamid contends with the contradictions of American power: how a nation founded on moral purpose so often fails to live up to its ideals. Hamid confronts head-on America's failures, from the war in Iraq to support for authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. Yet, he argues that in a world where power is a fact and someone must wield it, the alternative to American leadership isn't a morally perfect superpower—it's the brutal authoritarianism of countries like China and Russia. At once idealistic and pragmatic, this is a book about embracing our power as the only moral option in a world beset by tragedy. Because America is a democracy, it retains the potential to correct past mistakes and change for the better. That part is up to us. Bracing and timely, The Case for American Power is an ambitious work on what may be the most fundamental question facing America today: How should we think about the power we have—while we still have it?"

Shadi Hamid (Author), Aden Hakimi (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilizatio

"''Scott Jennings is a Patriot from the Great State of Kentucky... A Revolution of Common Sense was directly inspired by my Inaugural Address and the many Common Sense actions we have taken in our effort to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.... Scott totally gets it and, unlike the many Fake News books that are being written about my Administration, Scott's book will focus on the TRUTH about Team Trump and our Agenda.'' —President Donald J. Trump An unprecedented inside look at how President Donald Trump has re-taken Washington by storm in his historic second term, written with the participation of the President and his inner circle. From the Oval Office to Air Force One, and from his unique perch as the most popular conservative commentator at CNN, Jennings provides a revelatory look at the dramatic return of Donald Trump to the White House and his efforts to restore common sense to American government and save Western Civilization in the process."

Scott Jennings (Author), Scott Jennings (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa

"A "meticulously researched and comprehensive" (Financial Times) history of the devastating war in the heart of Africa's Congo At the heart of Africa is the Congo, a country the size of western Europe. It borders nine other nations, and since 1996 it has been racked by a brutal war in which millions have died. In Dancing in the Glory of Monsters, renowned political activist and researcher Jason Stearns has written a compelling and deeply reported narrative of how Congo became a failed state that collapsed into a war of retaliatory massacres. Stearns brilliantly describes the key perpetrators, many of whom he met personally, and highlights the nature of the political system that brought these people to power, as well as the moral decisions with which the war confronted them. Now updated with a new introduction, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters tells the full story of Africa's great war. "

Jason K. Stearns (Author), Robert Fass (Narrator)

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Private Sins, Public Crimes: Policing, Punishment, and Authority in Iran

"Drawing on an array of primary sources in multiple languages, Farzin Vejdani argues that the ambiguity in defining the boundaries between private and public in Qajar Iran often corresponded with the jurisdictional friction between government authorities and religious scholars regarding who had the authority to police and punish public crimes. This ambiguity had implications for the spaces in which illicit acts were carried out: 'private' parties in domestic residences where music, alcohol, and prostitution were present were often tolerated by local police officials but raised the ire of religious authorities and their followers, who raided these residences, ironically in violation of strong Islamic norms of privacy. Crimes that were manifest but remained unpunished triggered a crisis of legitimacy that often coincided with upstart Islamic religious scholars challenging the state's authority. Even when the government had every intention of punishing a crime, convicted criminals sought shelter in sanctuaries—including shrines, mosques, royal stables, and telegraph offices—which were even more inviolable than private residences. This inviolability, grounded in both Islamic prohibitions of violence on sacred grounds and Iranian imperial traditions of redress, allowed criminals to negotiate a lesser sentence, safe passage for voluntary exile, or forgiveness."

Farzin Vejdani (Author), Eric Jason Martin (Narrator)

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The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

"America's bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today. To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history's most powerful sentences: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation. Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values."

Walter Isaacson (Author), To Be Confirmed (Narrator)

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Crime and No Punishment: Wealth, Power, and Violence in America

"The United States is an exceptionally violent country, increasingly unable or unwilling to stem violence in its many forms. A growing corporate crime wave has gone unprosecuted and unpunished. Meanwhile, the country has doubled down on pursuing people accused of street and drug crimes and immigration offenses. Corporate impunity, the financialization of the economy, militarized policing, the burgeoning carceral state, and the forever wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere all have fostered corporate, economic, and state violence in America. In Crime and No Punishment, Marie Gottschalk argues that these developments have undermined the legitimacy of American political and economic institutions. Gottschalk analyzes how the concentration of economic, political, and military power has siphoned off vital resources. The United States continues to incarcerate more of its people than nearly every other country even as it decriminalizes or turns a blind eye to elite-level corporate crime. Public and scholarly attention, however, remains fixated on violent street crime—although corporate and white-collar crime and state and economic violence directly and indirectly hurt far more people in the United States. Gottschalk contends that the US failure to protect its people from these harms has increased the fragility of democracy in America."

Marie Gottschalk (Author), Christina Delaine (Narrator)

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The Alternative: And How We Build It

Owen Jones (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain

"From a leading neuroscientist and advisor to the Pentagon, discover the new science behind warfare. Why did France surrender to the Nazis despite having a superior army? How has Ukraine stood firm against Russia? How do you know if you can trust an ally? How can we make clearer decisions under pressure? In Warhead, Nicholas Wright delves into our brains to find out why humans fight, lose and win wars. Drawing upon his extensive expertise in neuroscience, combined with his strategic advisory role at the Pentagon, Wright reveals that, whether we like it or not, our brains are wired for conflict and survival. In an increasingly dangerous world, our success and our values depend on recognizing this and, if necessary, taking advantage of it. Through cutting-edge research and by exploring notable conflicts from history, Warhead examines why global tensions are rising, from Taiwan to Ukraine, and asks how to defuse them. From the office to the battlefield, it is an essential read for understanding a more divided world."

Nicholas Wright (Author), Nicholas Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

Current Affairs, Law, & Politics Audiobooks in Non-Fiction