Non-Fiction Audiobooks

The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival

"Brought to you by Penguin. On 16 July 1945, the Nuclear Age began with the explosion of the first atomic bomb and the words of J. Robert Oppenheimer: 'Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.' While the threat of mutually assured destruction kept a lid on a simmering and tense geopolitical landscape, events like the Chernobyl disaster and near-misses like the Cuban Missile Crisis showed that total destruction was only ever one malfunction, mistake, or miscommunication away. Now, as governments re-arm their nuclear arsenals, treaties designed to limit the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons fall away, and nuclear weapons come increasingly within reach of non-state actors, we are on the brink of a renaissance of the nuclear industry. In The Nuclear Age, acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy paints an intricate picture of a world governed by fear. From the first artificial splitting of the atom in 1917 and the race to create the first atomic bomb in World War II, through the fraught arms race of the Cold War, to the imperialism, neo-colonial motivation and wars being waged today, the threat posed by nuclear weapons is as pertinent as ever. As he examines the motivations of key players, Plokhy confronts the crucial question of our age: what can we learn from the first nuclear arms race that can help us to stop the new one? © Serhii Plokhy 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Serhii Plokhy (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile

"From the hosts of The War on Cars podcast, a searing indictment of how cars ruin everything-and what we can do to fight back When the very first cars rolled off production lines, they were a technological marvel, predicted to make life easier and better for all Americans; yet a hundred years later, that dream is running on empty. Instead of unbounded freedom, the never-ending proliferation of automobiles has delivered a host of costs, among them the demolition of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to make way for car infrastructure; an epidemic of violent death; countless hours lost in traffic; isolation from our fellow human beings; and the ongoing destruction of the natural world. Globally, SUVs alone now emit more carbon than the nations of Germany, South Korea, or Japan. That's why we need Life After Cars. Through historical records, revealing interviews, and unflinching statistics, Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, hosts of the podcast The War on Cars, and former host Aaron Naparstek unpack the scale of damage that cars cause, the forces that have created our current crisis and are invested in perpetuating it, and the way that the fight for better transportation is deeply linked to the fight for a more equitable and just society. Cars as we know them today are unsustainable-but there is hope. Life After Cars will arm readers with the tools they need to implement real, transformative change, from simply raising awareness to taking a stand at public forums. It's past time to radically rethink-and shrink-society's collective relationship with the automobile. Together, let's create a better Life After Cars."

Aaron Naparstek, Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear (Author), Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding

"A major new history from our most trusted voice on the Revolutionary era, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winner American Sphinx, and featured in THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, on PBS. An astounding look at how America's founders-Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Adams-regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A daring and important work that ultimately reckons with the two great failures of America's founding: the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal. On the eve of the American Revolution, half a million enslaved African Americans were embedded in the North American population. The slave trade was flourishing, even as the thirteen colonies armed themselves to defend against the idea of being governed without consent. This paradox gave birth to what one of our most admired historians, Joseph J. Ellis, calls the "great contradiction": How could a government that had been justified and founded on the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence institutionalize slavery? How could it permit a tidal wave of western migration by settlers who understood the phrase "pursuit of happiness" to mean the pursuit of Indian lands? With narrative grace and a flair for irony and paradox, Ellis addresses the questions that lie at America's twisted roots-questions that turned even the sharpest minds of the Revolutionary generation into mental contortionists. He discusses the first debates around slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, from the Constitutional Convention to the Treaty of New York, revealing the thinking and rationalizations behind Jay, Hamilton, and Madison's revisions of the Articles of Confederation, and highlights the key role of figures like Quaker abolitionist Anthony Benezet and Creek chief Alexander McGillivray. Ellis writes with candor and deftness, his clarion voice rising above presentist historians and partisans who are eager to make the founders into trophies in the ongoing culture wars. Instead, Ellis tells a story that is rooted in the coexistence of grandeur and failure, brilliance and blindness, grace and sin."

Joseph J. Ellis (Author), Kimberly Farr (Narrator)

Audiobook

Radical Unlearning: The Art and Science of Creating Change from Within

"A road map for rewiring our brains to unlearn harmful beliefs, heal broken bonds, and transform our communities The beliefs that hold us back-inherited prejudices, self-limiting thoughts, destructive patterns-often feel permanent. But what if they're not? In Radical Unlearning, you'll learn about how neuroplasticity-the brain's ability to form new neural pathways-plays a key role in how we learn (and unlearn) behaviors and biases. Journalist and activist Lewis Raven Wallace likens the process to how footpaths are created by countless people walking the same route over years. We can choose to disrupt existing neural connections, to create new paths that lead to meaningful change. Weaving personal stories with scientific research, Wallace shows how anyone can break free from harmful patterns and beliefs, no matter how deeply ingrained. This book invites you to begin your own unlearning journey with practical exercises and reflection questions. It includes insights from people who have fundamentally changed their worldviews such as: - A former white nationalist who is now a transgender anti-racist activist - An ex-Israeli soldier who has transformed into a radical anti-Zionist advocate - Wallace's own grandmother, who overcame decades of racism and transphobia in her 80s Our mental patterns don't just affect us-they shape how we treat others and for the foundation of larger social problems. Radical Unlearning is a road map for collective healing and growth, proof that transformation flourishes in community. With this book, you'll learn how to let go of harmful beliefs and practice new ways of thinking that foster connection, empathy, and justice."

Lewis Raven Wallace (Author), Lewis Raven Wallace (Narrator)

Audiobook

To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Fox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor, a captivating biography of Teddy Roosevelt, whose bold leadership thrust America onto the world stage and changed the course of U.S. history. There has never been a president like Theodore Roosevelt. An iconoclast shaped by fervent ideals, his early life seems ripped from the pages of an adventure novel: abandoning his place in the New York aristocracy, he was drawn to the thrill of the West, becoming an honorary cowboy who won the respect of the rough men of the plains, adopting their code of authenticity and courage. As a New York State legislator, he fought corruption and patronage. As New York City police commissioner, he walked the beat at night to hold his men accountable; and as New York governor, he butted heads with the old guard to bring fresh air to a state mired in political corruption. He was also a passionate naturalist, conservationist, and hunter who collected hundreds of specimens of birds and animals throughout his life. He was a soldier and commander who led a regiment of “Rough Riders” to victory in the Spanish-American War, a show of leadership and bravery that put him on the national map. As president, he brought energy, laughter, and bold ideas to the White House, pursuing a vigorous agenda that established America as a leader on the world stage —from advancing the Panama Canal, brokering peace with Russia, and taking on business elites. Bret Baier’s exquisite book reveals the storied life of a leader whose passion, daring, and prowess left an indelible mark on the fabric of our country and reimagined the possibilities of the presidency. "

Bret Baier (Author), Bret Baier (Narrator)

Audiobook

Saying No to Hate: Overcoming Antisemitism in America

"Saying No to Hate grounds listeners contextually in the history of antisemitism in America by emphasizing the legal, political, educational, communal, and other strategies American Jews have used through the centuries to address high-profile threats. Norman H. Finkelstein shows how antisemitism has long functioned in America in systemic, structural, and interpersonal ways, from missionaries, the KKK, and American Nazis to employment discrimination, social media attacks, and QAnon. He explains how historic antisemitic events such as General Ulysses S. Grant's General Order No. 11 (1862); the Massena, New York blood libel (1928); and the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue (2018) galvanized the Jewish community. Finkelstein shines light on Jews such as Louis Brandeis and Admiral Hyman Rickover who succeeded despite discrimination and on individuals and organizations that have tackled legal and security affairs, from the passage of Maryland's Jew Bill (1826) to groups helping Jewish institutions better protect themselves from active shooter threats. Far from a victim narrative, Saying No to Hate is as much about Jewish resilience and ingenuity as it is about hatred. Engaging high school students and adults with personal narratives, it prepares each of us to recognize, understand, and confront injustice and hatred today, in the Jewish community and beyond."

Norman H. Finklestein (Author), Josh Bloomberg (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dead and Alive

"Brought to you by Penguin. An illuminating new essay collection from one of the most distinctive, exciting and acclaimed writers of her generation, Zadie Smith In this keenly awaited new collection, Zadie Smith brings her unique skills as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects which have captured her attention in recent years. She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tar, and to Glastonbury to witness the ascendance of Stormzy. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved North West London and invites us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic – and the meaning of ‘the commons’ in all our lives. Throughout this thrilling collection, Zadie Smith shows us once again her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent preoccupations and tendencies of our troubled times. ‘Zadie Smith is a wonderful essayist. She is a natural. She writes as she thinks, and she thinks crisply and exactly’ – Tessa Hadley, Guardian © Zadie Smith 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Zadie Smith (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Making Enemies: Monster Design Ideas for Tabletop Role-Playing Games

"From the acclaimed author of the "must-have" (R.A. Salvatore, #1 New York Times bestselling author) The Monsters Know What They're Doing series, an indispensable and easy-to-follow new handbook for creating original enemies in tabletop role-playing games. In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, the essential tactics guide for Dungeon Masters, and its sequel, MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann reverse-engineered hundreds of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons monsters to help DMs prepare battle plans for combat encounters before their game sessions. Now, in Making Enemies, he explores everything that goes into creating monsters from the ground up: size, number, and level of challenge; monster habitats; monster motivations; monsters as metaphors; monsters and magic; the monstrous anatomy possessed by real-world organisms; and how to customize monsters for your own tabletop roleplaying game adventuring party to confront. No longer limited to one game system, Making Enemies shows you how to build out your creations not just for D&D 5E but also for Pathfinder 2E, Shadowdark, the Cypher System, and Call of Cthulhu 7E. Including interviews with some of the most brilliant names in RPG and creature design, Making Enemies gives you the tools to surprise and delight your players—and terrify their characters—again and again."

Keith Ammann (Author), GM Hakim (Narrator)

Audiobook

Word Witch: How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You

"A practical guide to using witchcraft and the power of the written word to develop a magical creative practice. Word Witches are spellcasters of language. They are storytellers, poets, writers, and ritualists who know that writing anything is a form of channeling: spirits, ancestors, collective dreams, and their most authentic and surprising selves. Word Witch is a joyful guide and companion, helping writers build a creative practice rooted in magic. Writer and witch Kate Belew invites readers to craft altars of language, offering simple writing rituals that will spark inspiration and equip writers to build their own thriving creative writing practice. Readers will learn to conjure creativity and imagination, defy the silence of writer's block, build a circle of community support, and cast spells that spread magic across the page. Much like the movements of the moon and the earth's seasons, creativity also has cycles that readers will learn to expect and embrace. Word Witch encourages creatives to reclaim their imagination and give themselves permission to write freely, expressively, and magically. Weaving together magic and creativity, paying homage to the intrinsic power of words to conjure and shape our lives, Word Witch guides readers across the page as they undergo the alchemy of becoming of writers. "

Kate Belew (Author), Kate Belew, Robin Rose Bennett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Anchoring Black America: History, Culture, and the Cool that Shaped Us

"Spanning his three-decade career, Detroit native and Emmy award-winning journalist Ed Gordon shares conversations from legendary moments in Black history. In 2020, Gordon's book Conversations in Black brought together interviews and insights from change-makers leading the discourse on the state of Black America, prompting Marc Lamont Hill to call him "one of the most important journalists in American history." As the current host of the groundbreaking BET show "America in Black", Gordon provides informed and dynamic coverage of the news and events that matter most to the African American community. In Anchoring Black America, Gordon searches through the highlights of the Black experience from his storied journalistic journey to craft an entertaining and insightful narrative about Black America's future. A master storyteller, he uncovers never-before-seen archives and offers readers his unique perspective on the biggest news stories of yesterday-from the historic 2008 presidential election, to Nelson Mandela's funeral, to the murder of George Floyd-and insights into today's global icons, such as Barack Obama, Oprah, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, and Tupac Shakur, and a behind-the-scenes look at his infamous "interview of the century" with O.J. Simpson, why his live interview and dust-up with Donald Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman became a viral sensation, a toe-to-toe moment with rap mogul Suge Knight, and why telling "Black" stories is vital to social change. Funny and poignant, this book is a page-turner and an entertaining, informative, and motivational read from one of America's most beloved voices. "

Ed Gordon (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Faeries: A History in Art, Verse, and Lore

"Discover the history and mythology of faeries-across time and cultures-as well as their significance in art, poetry, and more, in this lushly illustrated volume, featuring more than 100 reproductions of artistic masterpieces. Faeries have captured the collective imagination throughout time and across cultures. Unexplained occurrences, natural phenomena, and so much more have been attributed to these beautiful, mysterious, and often mischievous creatures. Sometimes these fairies can be helpful and kindly, like the brownies of Britain, the menehune of Hawai'i, and the domovoi of Russia. But just as often, they are seen as a threat, as we characterize a natural phenomenon into an often capricious and frequently frightening creature. The wind becomes a sylph, trees house dryads, and thunderbirds call down storms. They are to be feared and respected, appeased and dreaded in turn. In this striking book, author Nikki Van De Car introduces readers to faeries of all stripes-helpful and unhelpful, related to the four elements, animal and shape-shifting-as well as some of the most famous figures from history, lore, and literature (from Puck to Ariel). Arranged through wonderous paintings and illustrations by legendary artists including Ruben, Turner, Rodin, Blake, and Millais, this guide features the beautiful evidence of fairies' influence on our world. Written folklore from Shakespeare and oral storytelling add context to more than 50 creatures accompanied with tips on finding, summoning, and gaining protection from sparklingly clever fairies. "

Nikki Van De Car (Author), Erin Bennett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines

"A groundbreaking, revelatory assessment of America's broken two-party system. In a country obsessed with blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system, Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House press secretary to the Biden-Harris administration, shares why Americans must step beyond party lines to embrace life as Independents. Jean-Pierre didn't come to her decision to be an Independent lightly. She has served two American presidents, Obama and Biden. In 2020, she joined Biden's campaign as a senior adviser, becoming Harris's chief of staff and then, two years later, White House press secretary. She takes us through the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision. In an urgent, timely analysis, Independent urges all Americans to vote their values and maintain individuality within party lines. She presents clear arguments and provocative evidence as an insider about the importance of dismantling the torrent of disinformation and misinformation that has been rampant in recent elections and provides passionate insight for moving forward. In a hard-hitting yet hopeful critique, Jean-Pierre defines what it means to be part of the growing percentage of our fractured electorate that is Independent, why it can be worthwhile to carve a political space more loyal to personal beliefs than a party affiliation, and what questions you need to ask yourself to determine where you fit politically. As a history maker, veteran public servant, political analyst and independent thinker, she urges Americans to think outside of the blue-and-red box as we consider what's next to save our democracy."

Karine Jean-Pierre (Author), Karine Jean-Pierre (Narrator)

Audiobook