Showing results by narrator "Norman" in All Categories

Eddie Bielawski was born in the town of Wegrow in Poland in mid-1938. Not a propitious time and place for a Jewish child to be born. As a young child, he sees the Nazi army marching toward Russia. Day and night they marched - soldiers, trucks, tanks, and more soldiers, in a never-ending line - an invincible force. One night, his father had a dream. In this dream, he saw what he had to do: where to build the bunker, how to build it, and even its dimensions. This would be their Noah's Ark, saving them from the initial deluge.

Thorbardin remains closed against the world as two violent factions of dwarves clash in a brutal civil war. Neither side can prevail, and violence threatens destruction of the entire kingdom. Brandon Bluestone returns home to Kayolin to find himself a wanted fugitive. His nation has changed drastically since his departure. Bolstered by the courage of a beautiful dwarf priestess, he battles an ancient enemy, struggles to right a great wrong, and tries to take the only step that allows for a peaceful and prosperous future for all the dwarves of Krynn.

We all want to be healthier, but do you know what's good for you? For over 30 years, Dr Norman Swan has been delivering straight, honest, common-sense health information to ordinary Australians as both a physician and much-loved broadcaster. And when Australia needed clear, scientifically backed COVID-19 facts and advice, it was Norman Swan who stepped up every day to provide the answers we required. After many years of listening, Norman Swan knows what medical issues people are curious and concerned about.

"The chief end I propose to myself in all my labors is to vex the world rather than divert it," wrote Jonathan Swift in a letter to his friend Alexander Pope. Vexing works collected here are "A Modest Proposal," "Directions to Servants," "The Art of Political Lying," "A Digression Concerning the Critics," and "Sweetness and Light."

The Fire in the Rock is a first-person retelling of the Exodus story from the viewpoint of Tzipporah, the wife of Moses; but it is not a conventional Bible story. First, God is offstage; he is present only in the characters' hearts and thoughts. Second, there are no overt miracles - all the events of the Plagues and the Exodus are attributed to natural, if unique, events that are now known to have taken place at around that time.

Originally published in 1889, prominent theosophist and writer William Q. Judge addresses what he sees as failings in the Theosophical Society. He wants members to put their focus outward, toward humanity, instead of focusing, selfishly, on their own fates in life and after. He quotes from the Upanishads, discusses the astral light, and talks about karma, manvantara, and the theosophical concept of the Devachan (where souls go after death), among other things.

Among the many cities of the ancient world, Rome and Athens may come to mind first, but Babylon in the land of Mesopotamia was already an ancient, venerated city when others were still inconsequential settlements. Ancient Babylon was home to great dynasties that produced some of the world’s most influential leaders and was also the seat of culture in ancient Mesopotamia and where historians made amazing scientific advances that would not be eclipsed for several centuries. An examination of ancient Babylon demonstrates that it was truly the first great city in the ancient world.

In 1943 Polish underground fighter John Wiernicki is captured and beaten by the Gestapo, then shipped to Auschwitz. In this chilling memoir, Wiernicki, a Gentile, details life in the infamous death camp, and his battle to survive, physically and morally, in the face of utter evil. The author begins by remembering his aristocratic youth, an idyllic time shattered by German invasion.

In many ways history is the story of human beings trying to control their destinies by overcoming the effects of their physical surroundings. As too many have learned, the best they could often do was cope with nature, and the various natural disasters produced around the globe. Consider, for example, the year 1816, known as the "Year Without a Summer", which found the working poor in both Europe and America facing starvation caused by factors that few, if any, of them understood.

In this essay, Emma Goldman refers to the negative image of anarchism in the public mind. She explains why anarchists on principle oppose the organization called the state, and argues that once free from the restrictions of extraneous authority, men will enter into free relations and bring about a free society.

You have right-wing relatives and friends. Sometimes you feel isolated because you believe you must keep your thoughts to yourself. After all, you are just not up for another fight. It does not matter how progressive or lefty you are. One can have a very enjoyable conversation with the most right-wing of relatives or friends. It is all about the approach. This book explains what I have discovered about engaging with the right. We all have friends and relatives where we may think the relationship is over.

Brace Cordova, ex-con and newly installed captain of the Mithril Phoenix, is doing his best to settle into his new civilian life when he is suddenly thrust into a mission to rescue the crew of a Commonwealth Cruiser. Stranded on Jeremiah's World and under assault by an unknown alien race, the crew of the Justicator, including Brace's cousin Tess, struggles to survive against an enemy with superior technology and mysterious intent.

World War II had the Dirty Dozen. The war in space has The Lucky 13th. The 13th Spaceborne is the elite fighting force of the Accord of Free Worlds. Their do-or-die mission is to stop two enemy empires from poaching free worlds. As usual, they're on their own....

The first book to reveal how thinking like a designer can help solve the greatest challenges we face in business, society, and our daily lives. What can we learn from the ways great designers think-and how can it improve our world? In this highly original book by journalist Warren Berger, in collaboration with celebrated designer Bruce Mau, ten groundbreaking principles of design are shown in action-addressing business, social, and personal challenges and improving the way we think, work, and live.

Whether writing about the ancient Egyptian vampiress, Sekhmet, or Black Tom the highwayman turned vampire who terrorised the county of Dorset for over three hundred years, Tom Slemen has the unerring ability to seek out tales of the paranormal and retell them with chilling lucidity. If you are genuinely interested in vampires, and are not of a nervous disposition, listen to this book!

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jane Smiley details a beautiful erotic interlude in an otherwise sordid real estate deal; Mary Gaitskill celebrates the unexpected ardor of one middle-aged couple; Steve Almond reminisces about the best one-man/three-girl Ecstasy party ever; Nelson George recounts the erotic escapades that befall a young man who accompanies a celebrity athlete when he picks up a gaggle of girls; and Carol Queen explores the joys of making love with summer fruit.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Zeke Miller is the owner of Eye Candy Ink and the father figure to everyone at the shop. An only child who had to grow up far too young, he’s always felt protective of those he loves. He’s spent years building Eye Candy Ink into what it is today. While others dated and settled down, he worked, honing his skills until he’s one of the best and most sought after tattoo artists in the world. At 36, he thinks his time to meet someone has passed and he’s resigned to being happy with the family that he’s found at his shop.

"One mistake doesn't make you a failure". I always saw relationships as a burden instead of a gift...until my world imploded...until Wynn showed me their true value. Now, I have to find a way to convince her that I've changed my tune. Bass player, Lonnie Brennan, is known as the band's overgrown jokester. He came to Tennessee to make sure his best friend and bandmate didn't disappear after falling in love and moving across the country in just three short weeks. What Lonnie doesn't expect is to fall in love himself...

For over 40 years The News Quiz has graced the Radio 4 airwaves with an irreverent sideways look at the headlines. Having first appeared in 1977, it boasts a tantalising archive of episodes to remind us of the news from yesteryear, refracted through the satirical gaze of regular panellists including Alan Coren, Andy Hamilton, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen and Jeremy Hardy. Among the many guest panellists featured here are Boris Johnson, Nigella Lawson, Jo Brand, Eddie Mair, John Sergeant, Linda Smith and Roy Hattersley.