Showing results by narrator "Eric Jason" in All Categories

R.E.M.'s debut album, released in 1983, was so far removed from the prevailing trends of American popular music that it still sounds miraculous and out of time today. J. Niimi tells the story of the album's genesis—with fascinating input from Don Dixon and Mitch Easter. He also investigates Michael Stipe's hypnotic, mysterious lyrics, and makes the case for Murmur as a work of Southern Gothic art.

Braxton Knox was a veteran, a university professor, a conservative family man—a good person, commanding the respect of those who knew him. Until the day when one innocent slip of the tongue brought down the merciless wrath of the woke social justice mob—ultimately costing him his career, his family, his home, and almost his life.

In 2008, a serial killer known as the Cajun Cannibal brutally murders and consumes the flesh of eight people in a small Louisiana parish. With law enforcement closing in on him, he takes his own life before he can face the inside of a courtroom. Ten years later, when forensic psychiatrist Dr. Vincent Blackburn discovers he and the Cajun Cannibal are more closely connected than he realized, he begins a case study into the sociopathy behind the killer’s grisly deeds.

The curse of the lost goddess Inanna would not allow Lukas Aguilar to hide out in obscurity for long. To become the conquering invader, the protective monster, and the selfish Outsider who would risk the end of the world itself, he must instead embrace audacity.

In Calculating Race, Benjamin Wiggins analyzes the historical relationship between statistical risk assessment and race in the United States. He illustrates how actuarial science transformed the nature of racism and helped usher racial disparities in wealth, incarceration, and housing from the 19th century into the 20th.

Tyler is back to work as a classic auto mechanic. When a young woman - and car enthusiast - brings her vintage Porsche in for some work, Tyler is glad to talk shop with her. When she never returns for her car, he wonders what's going on. His daughter, Lexi, doesn't want him to investigate. Something bothers Tyler about what happened, though, and he's determined to uncover what happened to the mysterious woman from the shop.

Most of us have heard of such popular butterflies as the Monarch or Painted Lady. But what about the Fender's Blue? Or the St. Francis' Satyr? Because of their extreme rarity, these butterflies are not well-known, yet they are remarkable species with important lessons to teach us. The Last Butterflies spotlights the rarest of these creatures - some numbering no more than what can be held in one hand.

Not too long ago, Lukas Aguilar believed only what he could see and feel for himself. Then an earthquake destroyed his home and cast him into a dangerous dungeon world. He fought to survive, gaining experience and levels but losing the goddess Inanna who inhabited his mind. And he wants her back.

Abducted by the Zoos Collective, Max Cromwell and his fellow unlucky humans were drafted to fight in the Cosmic Games. Fighting for survival on the hostile planet of Alpha Ludus against three extraterrestrial armies, the recruits from Earth have become super-soldiers by learning to cultivate mana. But Max's prowess surpassed that of both his teammates and his enemies as he not only developed extraordinary abilities but became Soulbound to the spirit of a sentient firearm named Maverick.

In a world half of light, half of darkness, where science and magic strive for dominance, there dwells a magical being who is friendly with neither side. Jack, of the realm of shadows, is a thief who is unjustly punished. So he embarks on a vendetta.

Paul Wood and his girlfriend, Talena, were just tourists in Sarajevo, a city still reeling from the aftermath of civil war. But an unexpected encounter makes them a desperate woman's only hope of escape. Now, to get her to safety, they must navigate through the minefield of warlords, criminals, and peacekeepers that is postwar Bosnia. Pursued by brutal gangsters and unable to leave the country legally, Paul agrees to do a job for a shadowy group of people – smugglers - in exchange for safe passage.

For Hudson, the virtual world of PrimeVerse isn't all bad. It's beautiful; much nicer than overpopulated Earth. It almost feels like a vacation except for the volatile wildlife, lack of any amenities, and - oh yeah - the inability to log out. Exploring the world, learning his class, and leveling skills is all fun and games until a powerful rogue player with a vendetta shows up to wipe out Hudson and his primitive tribe. Thrust into a conflict he didn't create, Hudson is forced into a cycle of respawning where he learns that even death can be used as a tool. So much for that vacation.

Thirteen months after Trump allegedly captured the allegiance of "the white working class", a strike wave - the first in over four decades - rocked the United States. Inspired by the wildcat victory in West Virginia, teachers in Oklahoma, Arizona, and across the country walked off their jobs and shut down their schools to demand better pay for educators, more funding for students, and an end to years of austerity.

James Howard Kunstler's critically acclaimed and best-selling The Long Emergency, originally published in 2005, quickly became a grassroots hit, going into nine printings in hardcover. Kunstler's shocking vision of our post-oil future caught the attention of environmentalists and business leaders alike, and stimulated widespread discussion about our dependence on fossil fuels and our dysfunctional financial and government institutions.

John Tyler finally built the life he wanted. But his past casts a long shadow. Eight years retired from the army, Tyler manages his PTSD and begins a job as a classic car mechanic. He's a single dad to Lexi, who's about to enter college. Life is looking up. Then, everything comes crashing down. Tyler's former commanding officer is out of prison and hellbent on revenge. Their mutual hatred has been simmering for years. When it finally boils over, everyone and everything in Tyler's life is threatened.

No one understands the "Make America Great Again" effort with more insight and more experience than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In Trump's America: The Truth About Our Nation's Great Comeback, Gingrich describes our country's tremendous turnaround under President Donald Trump's leadership - and confronts the desperate efforts by the elites in academia, the media, and the Washington establishment to undermine and distort his achievements.

Hudson, Madison, and Kai are thrilled when they come across something that shouldn't even exist yet in the new world of PrimeVerse: a village! Finally, they will have time to slow down and take a break. Or not. They can't gain entry without first completing a challenging quest that the villagers couldn't. Nothing is ever easy, is it? Especially when their quest takes them into uncharted territory: a dungeon with a hard and fast death limit.

Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the subatomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Understanding the physics of our universe is an essential aspect of humanity's quest to understand our environment and our place within it. Doing physics enables us to explore the interaction between environment and human society, and can help us to work towards the future sustainability of the planet.

The former soldier offered to pick up his daughter Lexi’s friend Stacy at the airport in bad weather. Simple enough. When they arrived at the young woman’s house, however, four murdered corpses littered the floor. And the killers were circling back....

Daniel Chai has fallen into a routine of adventuring and dungeon-delving with his friends. They aren't making quick progress, but it's steady improvements and honest work. Unfortunately, Daniel's ability as a healer, and one who is truly gifted, has come home to roost with a vengeance. As his secret is exposed, Daniel's greatest fears come to play and adventuring guilds of all stripes attempt to recruit him and his friends, whether he wants it or not. Forced to navigate guild politics and noble interest, Daniel's simple life has once more grown complicated.