Showing results by narrator "David Baker" in All Categories

Milo Andret is born with an unusual mind. A lonely child growing up in the woods of Northern Michigan in the 1950s, he gives little thought to his own talent. But with his acceptance at UC Berkeley, he realizes the extent - and the risks - of his singular gifts. California in the '70s is a seduction, opening Milo's eyes to the allure of both ambition and indulgence. The research he begins there will make him a legend; the woman he meets there - and the rival he meets alongside her - will haunt him for the rest of his life.

A luminous collection of short stories focusing on privilege and entitlement, from the best-selling author of The Starboard Sea Damage Control displays Amber Dermont's remarkable gift for portraying characters at crossroads. In " Lyndon", a daughter visits presidential landmarks following the death of her father. In "Damage Control", a young man works at an etiquette school while his girlfriend is indicted for embezzlement. A widow rents herself to elderly women and vacations with them as a "professional grandchild" in " Stella at the Winter Palace".

Spring break of 1990 is over. Richard Bowman has resigned to keep his head down and finish his sophomore year at Grafton High School the way he started it - academically fair to middling, socially mediocre, and romantically very much well below average. When the opportunity to befriend a group of senior guys lands in Rich's lap practically overnight, he steps out of his comfort zone.

Thomas Bolden grew up on the streets, his childhood a blur of fragmented memories. But now he's managed to put his past behind him, find the woman he wants to share his life with, and carve out a successful career on Wall Street. Until, in the blink of an eye, his world is turned upside down. A bizarre kidnapping sends him fleeing for his life, his face everywhere on the TV news, and a violent, shadowy organization is framing him for crimes he did not commit.

Travis’s Tacey’s mother has had an accident, a bad one, and the family is falling apart. His father, lost in a haze of grief, has focused his anger and guilt on his oldest son. Which is why, at age 14, Travis finds himself out of a home and on the road in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains. With no more than a few dollars, a change of clothes, and his great-great-great grandfather’s guitar, Travis wonders how he is going to survive.

Erstwhile hot-dog-restaurant manager Adam Newman has a lot on his plate - and usually more than a bit in his drinking glass. With an ex-wife to win back, a fiancée to lose, a son to mentor, and a load of missing diamonds to locate, Adam may have finally bitten off more than he can chew.

Thomas Jefferson was an avid book-collector, a voracious reader, and a gifted writer - a man who prided himself on his knowledge of classical and modern languages and whose marginal annotations include quotations from Euripides, Herodotus, and Milton. And yet there has never been a literary life of our most literary president.

Rich's parents decide to leave him home alone for the weekend. Although Rich intends to keep his promise of no parties, the gang is persistent and finally convinces him to hold a small get together. What's the worst that could happen? In the meantime, Amy Rugg starts showing interest in Rich again after he shows her his dark side, and the mob hasn't given up on finding Joker. Unfortunately for Rich, he is their best lead in trying to track her down.

Foer's unlikely journey from chronically forgetful science journalist to US Memory Champion frames a revelatory exploration of the vast, hidden impact of memory on every aspect of our lives. On average, people squander 40 days annually compensating for things they've forgotten. Joshua Foer used to be one of those people. But after a year of memory training, he found himself in the finals of the US Memory Championship.