Showing results by narrator "Eric Michael Summerer" in All Categories

In the era of mass incarceration, over 600,000 people are released from federal or state prison each year, with many returning to chaotic living environments. In these circumstances, how do former prisoners navigate reentering society? In Homeward, sociologist Bruce Western examines the tumultuous first year after release from prison. Drawing from in-depth interviews with over 100 individuals, he describes the lives of the formerly incarcerated and demonstrates how poverty, racial inequality, and failures of social support trap many in a cycle of vulnerability.

PerfectQuestion is back! He's running and gunning his way across an incredible civilization-building game set on Mars. But this time he's employed as an online ringer for a corrupt dictatorship and trying to avoid getting "disappeared" in a reckless world of intrigue, epic parties, sports cars, and women who are as dangerous as they are beautiful. Five million in gold says he can do it and put the next Sultan on the throne by leading a rag-tag clan of gaming jihadis to victory, but revolution and revolt are afoot.

Chloe Morel, junior reporter by day, has a secret by night: she's the most discerning—and notorious—food critic in New Orleans. Now one of the biggest food magazines in the business wants her, and she's on the verge of making her food writing dreams come true. Everything would be perfect—if only her least favorite chef and seven-year nemesis wasn't moving into the apartment across the hall.

Stephen McAllister was a grunt, a dog handler in Vietnam, tasked not only with fighting what was by then an unwinnable war but with rehabilitating a scout dog named Big Mike whose trauma ran even deeper than his own. McAllister's voice has an abundance of heart and humor, but the laughter has a catch in its throat. For all the ingenuity and camaraderie, a dark and suspenseful melody plays behind the adventures of McAllister and his unforgettable constellation of young characters, American and Vietnamese.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is driving change at an unprecedented pace, level, and intensity that is impacting businesses across industries, not to mention our everyday lives. We are rapidly blurring the physical and the digital, transforming the way we live and, in some sense, what it even means to be human. Whether we run a startup or multinational, a nonprofit or academic institution, a city or a whole country, we need to embrace this change to not just survive but thrive under these new realities.

Judge Samuel Kavanaugh took one look at Eden Powers and knew she would be his. Everything about her screams off limits. I don't do romance with my coworkers. That's a rule I've never broken. Then, there's the fact that I'm fifteen years her senior. The warning bells are going off, but I'm ignoring them. Nothing will stop me from making that curvy court reporter mine.

Lash by bloody lash, the she-devil from Dallas would get her revenge.

Haunted by memories of a high school shooting, not even the bottle can wash away the gnawing guilt and creeping feelings of inadequacy that batter Rick's conscience daily. His life has been a mess of broken marriages, writer's block, terrible choices, and the morbid pity of others. When he meets Harriet at a writer's conference, the record doesn't scratch as he falls back. Only, this time, he may not get up.

Road trips with kids aren't easy, but new parents of twins Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi became experts at creating lasting family memories without breaking the bank. From hiking with infants to navigating RV camping in state parks and camping in national parks - these outdoor lovers have tried it all, and See You at the Campground is packed with personal anecdotes, packing lists, site recommendations, and recipes that will help you create a one-of-a-kind vacation on a family-friendly budget.

Known as the age of democracy, the 19th century witnessed the extension of the franchise and the rise of party politics. As Daniel Carpenter shows, however, democracy in America emerged not merely through elections and parties, but through the transformation of an ancient political tool: the petition. A statement of grievance accompanied by a list of signatures, the petition afforded women and men excluded from formal politics the chance to make their voices heard and to reshape the landscape of political possibility.

The United Earth Fleet has established its home base on the terraformed island of Kauai, where humankind is starting over. But when an act of sabotage threatens their existence, Captain Bartholomew Quasar and his intrepid crew must return to space to hunt down the saboteur. Unbeknownst to them, rifts have opened between parallel worlds, and our heroes are flung into a dangerous reality where they encounter alternate versions of themselves as well as new friends and foes along the way.

Centuries have passed since evil Emperor Zhan attacked Earth and sent humankind packing in a mass exodus. Now the human race is scattered throughout the galaxy, and United World Space Command is no more. Captain Bartholomew Quasar and the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude have one purpose: to reunite the descendants of Earth's diaspora and save their planet from the monstrous machines Zhan left behind to ensure Earth's ultimate demise.

Regulus Lafaye, the leader of the Caelans - a technologically advanced human-like race - has become infected by the anger disease spreading amongst his people. He comes out of the shadows, using his significant mental abilities to psy both Caelan and indigena alike, for nefarious purposes. And while others have tried to warn Caelus - their home planet - of Lafaye’s lust for power, their communications have been intercepted, and help is not coming.

It's become an article of faith that American entrepreneurship is in trouble. The problems are many: lack of capital, too few entrepreneurial immigrants, excessive regulation, an aging population, slowing population growth, and rising student debt. But while experts across the country debate the causes and propose solutions, Scott Shane explains that the data just do not fit. Dismantling each of the most widely accepted theories in turn, he persuasively demonstrates that - while an evolving market is changing the nature of most startups - entrepreneurship is actually alive and well.

Meet Phil Snyder: new father, nursing assistant at a cutting-edge biotech facility on Staten Island, and all-around decent guy. Trouble is, his life is falling apart. His wife has betrayed him, his job involves experimental surgeries with strange side effects, and his father is hiding early onset dementia. Phil also has a special talent he doesn't want to publicize - he's a mind reader and moonlights as Brainstorm, a costumed superhero.

Karim and Whitney were normal kids until they met Zimmah, a wicked djinn with a twisted sense of humor. Whether they’re caught in a candypunk war between the Cupcake and Brownie Kingdoms, an epic battle between Unicorns and Mermaids, or a surprise invasion of San Francisco, the action never stops and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Can Karim and Whitney survive jello buildings, butterfly-spewing volcanoes, and dozens of evil djinns to save the world? Can they save their own parents?

Zimmah the wicked djinn thought he was so smart. He thought nothing could stop him, let alone a mere child. That was until he met Whitney, a devilish girl who used his own powers against him. A wish gone wrong sends Zimmah, Whitney, and Karim to the Otherworld, a magical land where Mermaids and Unicorns are caught in an epic war. All Whitney wants is to save her sick mother, all Karim wants is to get home, and all Zimmah wants is revenge on the children who have tricked him.

The chaotic magic of hundreds of djinn are destroying San Francisco. Dinosaurs. Butterfly volcanos. Buildings made of jello - if someone can wish it, it's happening. Unable to access his own powers, Zimmah, the former djinn, must rely on Karim and Whitney's help. Standing in their way is Alkema, Zimmah's murderous father, an almost omnipotent ifrit who enjoys watching the suffering of others. If not stopped he will not only destroy the city, but plunge the entire world into total madness.

After surviving a mass shooting, FBI Agent Nathaniel Ryder is forced to confront his worst fears as Ameriguns, a group of lone-wolf gunmen, put Washington D.C. under siege. When Ryder's superiors suspect him of orchestrating the terror, he must go on the run, unable to trust his co-workers or friends. Only he can clear his name and put an end to the killings.

Sometimes you find trouble, and sometimes trouble finds you. The mischief continues in the second book of a trouble-loving middle grade series! It’s Seamus Hinkle’s second semester at Kilter Academy, where he’s quickly become an ace troublemaking student. In fact, the headmistress has even entrusted him with a special assignment - one he’s forbidden to share with any of his friends. But Seamus has also come up with his own mission, and it’s a doozy.