Showing results by narrator "Patrick Lawlor" in All Categories

In 1931, San Diego's idyllic image as a beach town with peaceful suburbs concealed a harrowing reality: a series of unsolved crimes targeting women, fueling fear and vulnerability. Monsters on the Loose tells the tragic and true stories of three women murdered early that year: Virginia Brooks, Louise Teuber, and Hazel Bradshaw. Local law enforcement, out-of-town criminologists, and investigators from what would become the FBI pursued hundreds of leads. Yet, the killer(s) were never identified and brought to justice.

In Nine Desperate Days: America's Rainbow Division in the Aisne-Marne Offensive, historian Robert Thompson chronicles the hardships and tenacity of the men from the 42nd Division during this pivotal campaign. The Americans did not break despite heavy losses, and were able to drive the Germans back from territory they initially gained. The efforts of the Rainbow Division during Aisne-Marne were key to the ultimate Allied victory and are a symbol of American valor and sacrifice during the "war to end all wars."

In the United States, politics has become increasingly nationalized in recent years as voter decision-making is now driven by partisan or national political forces rather than the attributes of individual candidates. Indeed, voters now seem more concerned with which of the two national parties will be in power across all levels of government as opposed to which candidate will represent them individually. Nationalized Politics asks and answers the question, "how has nationalization influenced elections across different political eras?"

When Cris Ross and Ed Marx were diagnosed with cancer, they thought they knew what to do next. They were, after all, executives at two of the premiere hospitals in the United States—Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. But even decades of obsessing about effective delivery of patient care could not have prepared them for the emotional and logistical complexity of navigating the healthcare system. Diagnosed is the book Cris and Ed wish they’d had when they embarked on their medical journeys.

This thought-provoking work traces the origins of voucher-based education reform to mid-twentieth-century fears over school desegregation. It shows how, in the intervening decades, a cabal of billionaire conservatives supporting a host of special political interests-including economic libertarianism, religious choice, and parental rights-have converged around the issue of education freedom in an ongoing culture war. Through deliberate policymaking, legislation, and litigation, Cowen reveals, an insular advocacy network has enacted a flawed system for education finance driven largely by dogma.

Country Editor's Boy picks up where Hal Borland's classic memoir High, Wide and Lonesome left off: with Borland, on the cusp of adulthood in the early twentieth century, making his way in an eastern Colorado town that still retained all the flavors of the Old West. Borland's father, the editor of a local weekly newspaper, was working to help his publication transition along with the town around him. At the same time, young Hal was experiencing dramatic social and economic change in his own way.

Contrary to popular belief, creativity isn't just about muses and mentors. It's a process that requires focus, determination, and practice. Creative blocks are just a part of that process. In Stoking the Creative Fires, Phil Cousineau offers creative people of all disciplines the tools for getting past creative blocks and rekindling passion.

"When in doubt, walk your dog" is the first of many valuable maxims in Dog Lessons, a heartfelt reflection on what dogs can teach us when we open ourselves to listen and learn. After sixty-plus years living and working with dogs, Hersch Wilson shares self-deprecating stories and lighthearted musings on a life filled with fur-covered furniture, unexplained messes, and destroyed property. The resulting compendium of dog wisdom—from universal values like loyalty and curiosity to practical lessons on napping, playing, and avoiding a serious fight—is not only poignant but eminently good advice.

Despite what the old adage says, the customer is not always right. Even companies that can seemingly do no wrong-like the coffeehouse giant Starbucks-have only recently started to figure this out.

In Paddleways of Mississippi: Rivers and People of the Magnolia State, listeners will discover flowing details of virtually every waterway in the state—the features, wildlife, vegetation, geology, hydrology, and specific challenges to be expected—alongside many wonderful historical and social accounts specific to each system.