Performance Memoir

Hip-hop pioneer Chuck D, the legendary lyricist and cofounder of Public Enemy, takes listeners on an extraordinary journey through politically and socially conscious music. Part history lesson and part memoir, Songs That Shook the Planet spans genres and decades to call out the brave artists who continue to inspire necessary change in the world.

Legendary magician Penn Jillette was approaching his 60th birthday. Topping 330 pounds and saddled with a systolic blood pressure reading over 200, he knew he was at a dangerous crossroads: If he wanted to see his small children grow up, he needed to change. And then came Crazy Ray. A former NASA scientist and an unconventional, passionate innovator, Ray Cronise saved Jillette's life with his wild "potato diet". Outspoken, frank, and bitingly clever, Presto is an incisive, rollicking listen.

Actor Stephen Tobolowsky has appeared in over 200 movies and television shows. He has played everyone from Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day to Sandy Ryerson in Glee. He has amused thousands with his true stories on The Tobolowsky Files at Slashfilm.com and iTunes. Here he shares some homespun philosophy and more true stories that prove tales of sex, drugs, and rock and roll are often the most humiliating and almost always the most enjoyable.

The co-founder of The Cure and author of Cured delivers a fascinating deep dive into the dark romanticism of Goth music, a misunderstood genre and culture. GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir, and a journey through Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like...

Librarians spend their lives weeding - not weeds, but books - books that have reached the end of their shelf life both literally and figuratively. They remove books that patrons no longer check out, and they put back books they treasure. Annie Spence, who has a decade of experience as a Midwestern librarian, does this not only at her Michigan library but also at home, for her neighbors, at cocktail parties - everywhere. In Dear Fahrenheit 451, she addresses those books directly.

Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts.

Jen Mann doesn't have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of moms' night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship, nothing's sacred or off-limits.

How does time shape consciousness and consciousness, time? Do we live in time, or does time live in us? Uncommon Measure explores these questions from the perspective of a young Korean American who dedicated herself to perfecting her art until performance anxiety forced her to give up the dream of becoming a concert solo violinist. Anchoring her story in neuroscience and quantum physics, Natalie Hodges traces her own passage through difficult family dynamics, prejudice, and enormous personal expectations to come to terms with the meaning of a life reimagined.

These four short biographical stories of teenage delusions mainly recount the early days in actor, film director, and writer Griffin Dunne's life. Whether he's filling someone else's shoes in a new job, trying to impress an older girlfriend, or attempting to get noticed by a President, Dunne's stories are sure to engage and entertain.

It occurred to standup comic and comedy writer Carol Liefer that she had to stop telling one of her favorite stories—seeing The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium—because it dated her. But then she thought: What's that about? "I see now that when you deny your age, you deny yourself, and when you lie about your age, you become your inauthentic twin. But most important, when you lie about your age, they win." And, of course, by 'they,' she means the terrorists. In this uproarious audiobook, Leifer reveals all—her age, her outlook, her life philosophy—with a no-holds-barred approach.

Sport: A Stage for Life aims not just to inspire you, but to guide you in applying the lessons of sport so that you may evolve in your own journey of self-development and transformation. You will learn how a father and his daughter applied these lessons in building successful corporate careers and enriching their personal lives.

Mark Twain's lifetime spans America's era of greatest economic growth. And Twain was an active, even giddy, participant in all the great booms and busts of his time, launching himself into one harebrained get-rich-quick scheme after another. But far from striking it rich, the man who coined the term "Gilded Age" failed with comical regularity to join the ranks of plutocrats who made this period in America notorious for its wealth and excess.

Steve Matchett's thought-provoking short story - Fragments from France - has proved one of the author's most popular pieces of memoir writing. This atmospheric tale was first published in his highly acclaimed collection of short stories, These Desired Things. This new audiobook sees "fragments" elevated in status - this truly essential story of first world war survival now narrated as a compelling "live performance edition" with the text delivered in three distinct acts.

An illuminating perspective on the life of an athlete and the pursuit of excellence outside the spotlight. Georgia Cloepfil played professional soccer for six years, on six teams, in six countries. In those years, the sport became more than a game—it was an immersive yet transient way of life...

Ariane Ascaride et Roland Giraud relèvent un défi bien plus compliqué qu'il n'y paraît dans cette interprétation : ils font apparaître l'au-delà du conte, ils révèlent la profondeur de cette prose. La finesse avec laquelle ils s'emparent de la dimension orale des "Lettres de mon moulin" n'en fait que mieux ressortir le travail stylistique et rythmique de Daudet, qui sort pleinement accompli de cet enregistrement." Claude Colombini & Benjamin Goldenstein

There is no shortage of humour in Broadway, Jeeves?, an elegantly observed journal of a year in the life of the musical play by Jeeves, written and directed by Sir Alan Ayckbourn and composed by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, in which Jarvis starred in America.

Beginning in January 2001, the listener can enjoy a detailed account of this acclaimed production as it moves from Pittsburgh to Toronto to....Will it ever get to Broadway?

C'est faire justice aux "Lettres de mon moulin" que de les donner à entendre au public adulte auquel elles étaient initialement destinées. C'est également réhabiliter Alphonse Daudet, conteur prodigieux et figure particulièrement attachante du XIXe siècle. Par l'habile procédé de la correspondance, Daudet dresse dans ces "Lettres" le tableau d'une terre luxuriante, source d'intarissables émerveillements pour une âme de poète.

This special "live performance edition" of Steve Matchett's highly acclaimed story, Always Ferrari - a work first published under the Italian title of Sempre Ferrari, in his book of short stories, These Desired Things - is an audio recording sure to delight. The story itself is a deeply touching tale: Steve Matchett sitting back in a moment of calm reflection, the erstwhile grand prix mechanic, current Formula 1 author and broadcaster recalling some of his many visits to Maranello...Listen to find out more!

A typical, frustrating, impossible, funny, and glorious outing with an infant and toddler.

At 8,000 words, this collection of humorous essays explores such quirky topics as: disastrous home repairs, ("A Trip to the Hardware Store"), an unfortunate dinner party ("Dinner is Served"), the truth about lazy people ("Lazy Bones"), the weird life of a debt collector ("Your Account is Past Due") and obsessions with gadgets ("Gadget Girl"). Other essays examine how surreal the aging process is ("Where Did the Time Go?")