Non-Fiction Audiobooks

Born for Love: Why Empathy Is Essential--and Endangered

Bruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz (Author), Maia Szalavitz (Narrator)

Audiobook

Infected: How Power, Politics, and Privilege Use Science Against the World’s Most Vulnerable

"In this groundbreaking new book, award-winning scientist Muhammad H. Zaman delves into the history of US epidemics, from the earliest cases of syphilis, cholera, and smallpox to AIDS and the recent COVID crisis, to show how the country's response (or lack thereof) to infectious disease in America is part of a critical, time-tested strategy in America's toolbox of oppression of the weak, the poor, and the non-white. In the vein of Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Dorothy Roberts's Fatal Invention, Infected is the epic story of white supremacists, compromised doctors, racist politicians, and the heroes who challenged them. Zaman shows that exclusionary immigration acts, the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, the development of biological weapons, the early response to the AIDS epidemic, the fake CIA vaccination campaign in Pakistan, and the xenophobic rhetoric sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic are all parts of the same deeper story—one of medical science twisted in the service of social control. This is a story that continues today, on Native American reservations, in foreign zones occupied by the US military, and on our borders, where asylum seekers are denied lifesaving medicines. Melding cutting-edge science and history, Infected presents infection as a key to understanding our recent past, present, and future."

Muhammad H. Zaman (Author), Shawn K. Jain (Narrator)

Audiobook

Speed: How it Explains the World

"Brought to you by Penguin. Explore how speed influences every aspect of life on Earth, from the slow grind of geological processes and the fleeting lifespans of organisms to the astonishing speed of light and the remarkable adaptations of creatures like the swift antelope and the soaring albatross. In this ambitious and wide-ranging ideas book, internationally bestselling author Vaclav Smil uncovers the intricate connections between speed, nature, and human innovation. With counterintuitive insights, such as how erosion actually accelerates mountain growth, Smil challenges long-held myths. For example, Smil debunks the notion that our modern lives are accelerating at an unprecedented pace: the rapid adoption of mobile phones – from 0% in 1983 to 90% in 2002 (19 years) – is like the spread of earlier technologies such as radio (22 years), colour television (24 years) and even microwave ovens (17 years). In SPEED, Smil combines his trademark compelling statistics with insightful analysis to take readers on a captivating journey through the vast timescales of Earth’s history and the complexities of modern life. He explains how we measure speed and reveals the theoretical limits that shape our societies, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the forces that define our world. This eye-opening book encourages readers to see speed’s vital role in everything around us. 'There is no author whose books I look forward to more' Bill Gates ‘There is perhaps no other academic who paints pictures with numbers like Smil’ Guardian © Vaclav Smil 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Vaclav Smil (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Night Vision: In search of the true dark

"Brought to you by Penguin. Darkness can make the most ordinary activity feel adventurous. Open a door and step through it. You can’t see a thing: you could be anywhere. Step over the threshold, into the dark, and feel your way. We humans have a complicated relationship with the dark. We fear it, and make great efforts to blot it out. But we also long for it, especially if we live in cities, or remember the starry skies of our childhoods. Darkness opens us up to risk, delight and transformation. Is it possible to prise it free of its negative associations, which are as old as human thought itself? Drawing on memory and imagination, history and ecology, literature and myth, Night Vision is an expansive, thrilling journey into the true dark. In her quest for a new, more intimate relationship with darkness, acclaimed poet and writer Jean Sprackland finds herself confronting some of the deepest – and darkest – questions about who we are and our place in the world. © Jean Sprackland 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Jean Sprackland (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Night Life: Walking Britain’s wild landscapes after dark

"Brought to you by Penguin. In Night Life, John Lewis-Stempel heads back out into the night to discover how nocturnal wildlife takes charge of their ink-black domain. As humans we stumble, clumsy in the dark, so how do the creatures of the night take on a new strength as the sun sets? Using the stars above as his guide, and only his faithful dog by his side, he moves across the wilderness to explore the effect the night has on our senses, and see what we can learn from our animal friends. © John Lewis-Stempel 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

John Lewis-Stempel (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada's Troubled Hockey Culture

"A hard-hitting and powerful look at hockey's moment of reckoning in Canada, and the ways in which a game that is so universally loved has been rocked in recent years by court cases involving sexual assault and startling incidents of hazing and abuse throughout junior hockey. The allegations read like a scene out of a horror movie. Five National Hockey League players, all of them 18 to 20-year-old Canada World Juniors at the time, are alleged to have sexually assaulted a young woman in a London, Ontario, hotel room in June 2018 over several hours. When the players learned that the alleged victim had reported the incident to the police, they allegedly coerced her to drop the complaint and colluded to make sure their stories lined up with each other. Hockey Canada kept the details of the case out of the spotlight and came to a confidential financial settlement with the plaintiff, paid out of a secret slush fund worth millions of dollars that the organization kept on hand to settle such complaints quietly. On May 26, 2022, TSN investigative reporter Rick Westhead broke the story surrounding the Team Canada junior players and Hockey Canada's handling of the case, immediately sending shock waves throughout all levels of the hockey world. Charges of sexual assault were made against the players; all of whom entered pleas of not guilty. Once the story went live on the TSN website, Westhead's inbox on X filled with messages from people who wanted to share their personal stories on how they had been impacted by hockey's toxic culture. For over three years the story ignited an enormous amount of debate and discussion across the country. Even after the players were acquitted of all charges in July, 2025, the conversation about how broken the national game had become only intensified. In We Breed Lions, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Rick Westhead does a deep-dive into the state of hockey in Canada today. He gives voice to those who have been sexually assaulted by hockey players, revealing the struggles they've had with local police officials in their efforts to seek justice. He also goes inside the dressing room to find out how attitudes of misogyny and homophobia continue to flourish, and speaks to former players who were forced to perform degrading acts of initiation in order to "be one of the guys." Looming large in Westhead's extraordinary reporting are the gatekeepers of the game-league officials, team owners and members of the sport's governing bodies-who are reluctant to impose change from the outside and willing to sacrifice the well-being of their players and the community for profit. Westhead offers hope for hockey's future, profiling those individuals and organizations who are committed to educating players around issues of consent, putting an end to hazing and redefining what it means to be a man on and off the ice. Featuring a Foreword by bestselling author Stephen Brunt, We Breed Lions is must-reading for parents, players and all of those who love the game of hockey and want to see it get to a better place."

Rick Westhead (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Luigi: The Making and The Meaning

"The first book to explain why the world was primed for the Luigi Mangione moment, showing the history that led him to be embraced as an avenger with an affection not seen since Jesse James or Robin Hood. The explosion of glee and sympathy for Luigi surprised everyone, but it was everywhere. Hours after the shooting of the United Healthcare executive, his company put out a message out on Facebook saying their "hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him." People replied with laughing emojis and comments like this one: "No one here is the judge of who deserves to live or die. That's the job of the AI algorithm the insurance company designed to maximize profits on your health." On TikTok, another commentator said, "Oh my god, y'all really raised the school shooter generation and now you're asking us for sympathy?" she asks. "Welcome to a regular Tuesday at school in America." When he was arrested, TikTok exploded with more love for Luigi: "They could've been more gentle with him, he has back problems," said one commentator. Others attempted to come to his rescue. "He is innocent, he was with me the whole time." EBay said that while it had a policy prohibiting items that glorify violence, they were allowing the sale of items with the words "deny defend depose." In Seattle, someone reprogrammed a couple of electric highway signs so they flashed: "One CEO down…many more to go." So where is all this coming from? Richardson has tracked the building blocks of this widespread alienation for three decades, finding it across not only the environmental movement but among those who reject capitalism itself, including the rules that govern everything from insurance to healthcare. He has followed the men and women who have gone to extremes to express that alienation, and studied the inspirations they found in other outlaws, most especially Ted Kaczynski (Luigi had posted a review of Kaczynski's manifesto on Goodreads). The result is a book that will put Luigi in context and even illuminate how his appeal is likely to play out in the future."

John H. Richardson (Author), Fred Sanders (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence

"For readers of His Name Is George Floyd and Under the Skin A landmark investigation into forensic medicine that exposes the systematic concealment of state-sanctioned violence through death investigations Each year, police officers kill over 1,000 people they've sworn to protect and serve. While some cases, like George Floyd's and Sandra Bland's, capture national attention, most victims remain nameless, their stories untold. The Coroner's Silence reveals a disturbing truth about these cases: coroners and other death investigators are often complicit in obscuring the violent circumstances of in-custody deaths. Through rigorous research-including critical records analysis, public health studies, and interviews with victims' families-this book unmasks the systemic failures within forensic medicine. Terence Keel shows how incomplete autopsy reports, mishandled medical documents, and strategically lost evidence effectively shield law enforcement from accountability. The Coroner's Silence uncovers how the current system of death investigation operates as a mechanism of institutional safeguarding. By highlighting the structural powerlessness of coroners and their disconnection from the communities most affected by police violence, Keel demonstrates how bureaucratic processes can render human suffering invisible. True accountability requires more than procedural reform. It demands a fundamental reimagining of how we investigate, document, and understand deaths at the hands of state institutions. The Coroner's Silence is a crucial intervention that challenges us to confront the deeply ingrained mechanisms that perpetuate systemic violence."

Terence Keel (Author), André Santana (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Soccer 100

"Following The Football 100 and The Basketball 100, the experts and award-winning journalists at The Athletic present their definitive ranking of the greatest male soccer players to ever grace the pitch. The Athletic is back, returning with 100 compelling profiles of soccer’s most celebrated characters, from Dixie Dean, whose 1928 record for the most goals scored in an English top-flight season remains unbroken, to Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, whose stellar performances in the 2022 World Cup final drew almost 1.5 billion television viewers. Each feature brings to life a player who has left his own mark on the game, whether he is known for a distinct trademark flash of skill—such as Johan Cruyff’s celebrated turn—or renowned for reinventing tactics or even entire positions. Some, like Pelé, Ferenc Puskás, Lev Yashin, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Diego Maradona, have become national icons. Others have carried club teams to silverware, conjured goals that have gone down in folklore, or found ways to stifle the sport’s most prolific forwards through their defensive excellence. Plenty suffered for their art along the way, yet their brilliance still illuminated matches on the most glittering of stages. With a team of writers covering the sport worldwide, The Athletic leaves no stone unturned charting the players who have decorated the game’s most memorable moments. Through their stories, they reveal a global legacy and a sport that has divided the world through friendly rivalries while uniting it in overwhelming passion. The Soccer 100 is a celebration of the beautiful game and its storied history, as told through its 100 greatest players."

James Horncastle, Oliver Kay, The Athletic (Author), Tim Campbell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thirsty: 100 Great Wines and Stories by the Wine Guy

"Brought to you by Penguin. This book features 100 Wine Wanker approved bottles for you to buy at your local supermarket or posh wine shop. These are wines for friendships and long lunches, for spring afternoons and autumn evenings. Whether yours is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Kylie’s Rosé or – God forbid – orange wine, I’ll help you find the good shit, always. Thirsty, is the story of my life in wine, a celebration of the bleeding beautiful people who make it and a history of the Gilbey family’s love affair with winemaking and – let’s be honest – drinking since the 1800s. Learn all about: - how to read a label (even if you can’t speak the language) - how to chat wine without sounding naff - how to choose wine in a restaurant - why your wine might smell like your granny’s cardigan You’ll travel with me to Chateaux in France’s Beaujolais, vineyards in England’s Thames Valley, wineries in Australia’s Hunter Valley and the unsung aisles of Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Majestic and – rest in peace – Oddbins. Let me tell you how this gloriously gluggable elixir, is at its heart, made to bring pleasure. © Tom Gilbey 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Tom Gilbey (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle

"An entertaining and eye-opening look at the history of the crossword, who constructs them, and why crosswords matter as both a reflection of and influence on our culture From Wordle to Spelling Bee, we live in a time of word game mania. Crosswords in particular gained renewed popularity during the Covid-19 lockdown, when games became another kind of refuge. Today, 36 million Americans solve crosswords once a week or more, and nearly 23 million solve them daily. Yet, as longtime New Yorker crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial-or more interesting. A surprisingly ubiquitous influence in the worlds of art, literature, and technology, as Last demonstrates, the puzzle and its most popular purveyors-including publications such as The New York Times, still the gold standard for word games-have in recent years been challenged for the way they prioritize certain cultures and perspectives as the norm, demoting others to obscurity. At the same time, the crossword has never been more democratic. A larger, younger, more tech-savvy, and solidaristic group of people have fallen in love with puzzle solving, ushering in a more inclusive community of constructors, challenging the very idea of what 'normal' actually means. With a critical eye toward the puzzle's history, Natan Last explores the debates about the future of the crossword and investigates those who are determining its next phase, ultimately asking if the crossword can help us reshape the world. Across the Universe interrogates all the ways words-and the games we make using those words-change our culture, while bringing us into the world of those pushing for the crossword's much-needed evolution."

Natan Last (Author), Natan Last (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Mother's Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving

"A comprehensive, compassionate guide for navigating end-of-life financial decisions for an aging parent or other loved one-from an award-winning journalist who is also a Certified Financial Planner Have you just gotten the dreaded phone call-a parent or loved one has taken a turn for the worse and suddenly the burden is on you to manage their affairs? Or are you simply hoping to navigate complex financial conversations with your aging mother or father well in advance so you don't encounter problems later? This is the book for you. In this practical handbook, award-winning MarketWatch columnist and financial expert Beth Pinsker walks you through everything you need to know about the complex world of end-of-life financial planning. Weaving personal stories from her experience caring for her elderly mother with best practices gleaned from more than 100 experts and family caregivers, My Mother's Money is a much-needed lifeline to those facing one of life's most challenging transitions. Drawing on the latest legal, financial, and healthcare resources, Beth offers clear, actionable advice on common scenarios millions of people will face: - How to become a parent's legally authorized healthcare and financial proxy - Budget templates for projecting long-term care costs - Easy-to-understand advice on settling an estate or handling insurance - Scripts for broaching tricky conversations with aging parents - Strategies to avoid potential financial shortfalls - Tips for managing the emotional toll of "caregiver burnout" Watching your parents age can stir up a mix of emotions-nostalgia, concern, and often, a sense of uncertainty about the future. And assuming care for your aging loved ones can be an overwhelming sea of endless checklists, textbook explanations, and mind-numbing paperwork. With this definitive guide to elder financial planning, you can navigate these processes with confidence, saving time, energy, and peace of mind for what really matters. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF containing a resource guide from the book."

Beth Pinsker (Author), Jody Prusan (Narrator)

Audiobook