The Chris Voss Show Podcast – The Tale of Two Churches: Rise of the Apostates by Amos Dertes

Five-Dog Epiphany: How a Quintet of Badass Bichons Retrieved Our Joy by Marianne Leone https://amzn.to/4cH6z32 A new installment in best-selling author Ann Hood’s Gracie Belle imprint, actress Marianne Leone’s (The Sopranos, etc.) memoir explores how a bereaved couple and a pack of rescue dogs rediscovered joy IN FIVE-DOG EPIPHANY, MARIANNE LEONE writes about the joy that can be summoned after a great loss, “when you look into the eyes of another damaged creature and know that your happiness is a mirror and an echo and a prayer, and that the little soul reflecting all that energy is happy too, at last.” This memoir is a moving and sometimes surprisingly funny exploration of grief and the mutual healing that can occur between rescue dogs and people who have experienced a soul-crushing loss. Leone and her husband, actor Chris Cooper, lost their only child suddenly in 2005. Jesse was seventeen, a straight-A student, and a brilliant poet, who was also quadriplegic and nonverbal except with the assistance of a computer. When six-year-old Jesse miraculously blurted “dog” to Santa, Goody appeared on his bed on Christmas morning. Goody was followed by Lucky, Frenchy, Titi, and Sugar, all rescues adopted after Jesse’s passing. After Jesse’s death, Leone grew a tumor the size of her premature son at birth, her husband disappeared into dark acting roles (Breach, Married Life), and Leone fainted during the filming of a scene in The Sopranos where she is standing in front of her television son’s coffin. This is the story of a bereaved couple and a pack of rescue dogs finding their way to a new life, everyone licking their wounds, both corporal and spiritual, and the rediscovery of joy.

21 Aug 202431min

Arlen’s Gun: A Novel of War in Vietnam – a Journey from Alienation to Brotherhood by Edgar Doleman https://amzn.to/3WQslvc The main character is Arlen Washington who grew up in a broken family on the worst streets of Baltimore. He is persuaded by a more fortunate friend to complete high school and enlist in the Air Force to avoid being drafted into the Army as the Vietnam War is raging. But getting into the Air Force did not keep them out of the Vietnam war. Arlen’s friend gets an administrative job, but Arlen is assigned as a gunner on an Air Force AC-47 gunship. The AC-47 was a novel type of warplane in that era. Traditional, warplanes were designed with guns mounted in the nose or wings to fire forward and the pilot aimed the guns by aiming the plane at the target. However, the AC-47’s guns were mounted to fire out the side of the aircraft aligned with axis of the wings. To attack a target on the ground, the pilot would bank the aircraft into a turn and whatever the wing tip pointed at, the guns would hit. The AC-47 was simply an armed version of the military’s C-47 which was a military version of the Douglas DC-3 passenger and cargo plane that that had carried cargo and paratroopers all over the world in World War II. It could linger over a battlefield for hours and deliver devastatingly accurate close support fire for embattled troops on the ground. Arlen is an angry, alienated 19-year old and does not get along well with the rest of the crew.  The gunship crew includes two gunners, Arlen and airman Timmy Otis. Timmy is the opposite of Arlen, cooperative, positive, eager. One night at the height of the monsoon season, their gunship is hit by enemy fire and crash lands on a muddy road in a narrow valley unoccupied by either friend or foe. Bad weather grounds rescue helicopters. The nearest Army unit that could attempt a rescue is a motley Army engineer unit operating in the next valley on a road-clearing mission. The gunship crew manages to salvage the gunship’s weapons, three powerful six-barrel miniguns, each capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds a minute. The rescue effort is successful, but at considerable cost to the engineer unit, which lose two armored combat vehicles representing most of their defensive firepower. Events strand Arlen and Timmy Otis with their rescuers who return to their mission opening a road to an isolated base near the border with Cambodia. The enemy used areas in Cambodia as both a sanctuaries from allied attacks and as staging areas for offensives into Vietnam. The road was to be cleared to enable a battery of heavy, long-range artillery to be moved to the base in anticipation of an expected major enemy offensive. Arlen had been harboring an angry, juvenile fantasy of somehow gaining possession of (stealing) one of the miniguns and smuggling it home to become the biggest badass in his neighborhood. This fantasy prompted him to argue for salvaging the guns during their rescue, especially one particular gun. The guns on an AC-47 were mounted in a fixed position and could not be individually aimed. However, one had been damaged and replaced with a different model, one that, depending on how it was mounted, could be individually aimed. Fantasy motivated Arlen to salvage the guns, fear motivated him to suggest and help devise a means to mount the flexible model on one of the engineer’s dump trucks. Subsequently, both on the road and at their destination, they face desperate battles in the unfloding enemy offensive. Through these experiences, Arlen’s shell of angry alienation cracks open, he learns true brotherhood and discovers an inner courage that, with Arlen’s gun, proves vital to his and his rescuers’ survival. The battles illustrate much the nature of combat in Vietnam based on actual events and individual actions, and of the character and compassion of American soldiers in that era. About the author Child of a career soldier, Edgar Doleman grew up in two countries and eight states. On graduating from college, he followed his father into the Army, serving in Europe, Korea, Vietnam and various posts in the U.S. After retiring from the Army, he began a second career in information technology and on retiring from that, he and his wife Donna retired to the Northern Neck where she encouraged his writing and conceived the initial idea for a mystery, “The Chimera.” But the project was put on hold as she fought an ultimately losing battle with cancer. Finding it too painful to continue with “The Chimera,” Edgar focused on a work started some years earlier and “Arlen’s Gun – A Novel of War in Vietnam – a Journey from Alienation to Brotherhood” became his first novel. He then returned to “The Chimera” which is now the second novel and which has expanded into a series.

19 Aug 202421min

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart https://amzn.to/3X4YQqJ In this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do? Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers. When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle. About the author Rob Hart is the author of THE WAREHOUSE, which sold in more than 20 languages and was optioned for film by Ron Howard. He also wrote the short story collection TAKE-OUT, the Ash McKenna crime series, and he co-authored SCOTT FREE with James Patterson. His next book, coming from Ballantine, is PARADOX HOTEL. He lives in New York City.

18 Aug 202416min

Raina Gandhi, Empowering Women to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs in Leadership Roles Risingtideconsultingllc.com About the Guest(s): Raina Gandhi is the founder and CEO of Rising Tide Consulting. With over two decades of experience in various industries such as banking, consulting, nonprofit, and higher education, she took a break from her career to raise her daughters and later returned to face hidden internal and external barriers hindering women’s career advancement. Episode Summary: In this episode of The Chris Voss Show, Raina Gandhi shares her journey of overcoming self-limiting beliefs to empower professional women. She dives into the importance of addressing internal and external barriers that impact career trajectories and offers insights on building confidence, navigating imposter syndrome, and achieving career clarity. Raina Gandhi’s expertise in women’s negotiations, conflict resolution, and leadership training shines in this enlightening conversation. Key Takeaways: Raina Gandhi helps professional women overcome internal barriers like imposter syndrome and external challenges such as negotiating their worth to advance in their careers. The importance of self-reflection and understanding the narrative we tell ourselves when overcoming career obstacles is highlighted in Reina’s approach. Effective communication and collaboration are essential in leadership, with a focus on building trust, fostering psychological safety, and sharing a cohesive vision within organizations. Investing in professional development for employees can significantly impact morale, retention rates, and organizational success by honing leadership skills and empowering individuals. Reina emphasizes the significance of valuing diverse perspectives, creating inclusive environments, and promoting women’s empowerment to drive innovation and success in the workplace. Notable Quotes: “People now don’t wanna go into work just to go into work. They wanna believe in what they’re doing.” “It’s really important for them to feel like they’re doing something and it’s working.” “There’s always drama. You can’t avoid it, but how you respond to it is so important.” “I think having that is really important because again, everyone wins.” “You are going to be a better leader if you have some direction from someone who’s objective and who has been down this path.”

17 Aug 202426min

Merkel’s Law: Wisdom from the Woman Who Led the Free World by Melissa Eddy https://amzn.to/3ArECyN In the vein of Notorious RBG, a fun and inspiring biography filled with lessons from the most powerful woman in the world, based on more than a decade’s worth of coverage of German Chancellor Angela Merkel from New York Times Berlin correspondent Melissa Eddy. Angela Merkel is a boss. A trailblazer. An icon of colorful suits. Formerly the new leader of the free world. With an entire hand gesture named after her (the “Merkel Diamond”) and celebrated in a viral meme for sparring with Trump, Angela Merkel spent a decade economically and politically revitalizing her country. The first woman chancellor of Germany and one of the longest-serving European leaders ever, Merkel’s quiet resolve, calculated confidence, and extreme privacy around her personal life have made her a feminist role model for the ages. Merkel’s Law is a revelatory look at an unlikely vanguard, and at the country she led for sixteen years. No one is better positioned than New York Times Berlin correspondent Melissa Eddy to pull back the curtain on the woman who engineered Germany’s rise to wealth, power, and an economy worth 3.8 trillion in USD. Drawing upon an unparalleled well of sources close to Merkel, Merkel’s Law traces her childhood in East Germany as the daughter of a clergyman, her meteoric rise to power, and her more recent public acclaim—as well as the numerous setbacks she faced along the way both from political rivals and from men in her own party who scoffed at her ambition. Painting a portrait of a political genius, savvy businesswoman, and model for modern power, Merkel’s Law is not only the story of her life, but the lessons we can learn from it. Melissa Eddy is a journalist based in Berlin who covers German business, economics, and politics for The New York Times. She has covered Chancellor Angela Merkel since she entered office in 2005. A Minnesota native fluent in German and French, she came to Germany as a Fulbright scholar in 1996. Before joining The International Herald Tribune, now the international edition of The New York Times, in 2015, she was a correspondent for the Associated Press in Frankfurt, Vienna, and the Balkans. Merkel’s Law is her first book.

16 Aug 202431min

Tom Clancy Shadow State (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel) by M.P. Woodward https://amzn.to/3SQmW66 Surviving a helicopter crash in the Vietnamese Highlands is only the start of the challenges facing Jack Ryan, Jr., in the latest propulsive thriller of this #1 New York Times bestselling series. The vibrant economy of the new Vietnam is a shiny lure for Western capital. Companies are racing to uncover ideal opportunities. Not wanting to be left behind, Hendley Associates has sent their best analyst, Jack Ryan, Jr., to mine for investment gold. And he may have found some in a rare earth mining company—GeoTech. But a trip with a Hendley colleague to the Highlands to observe the company’s operations takes a treacherous turn when their helicopter is shot down. Some things haven’t changed, and Vietnam is still the plaything of powerful neighbors. The Chinese are determined to keep Jack from finding the truth about what exactly is being processed at the isolated factory. Now Jack is in a race for his life. He’s got to stay one step ahead of a pack of killers while supporting his wounded friend. He’ll get no help from the government, because in the jungle, it’s the shadow state that rules. About the author M.P. Woodward is a veteran of both US intelligence ops and the entertainment industry. As a naval intelligence officer with the US Indo-Pacific Command, he scripted scenario moves and countermoves for US war game exercises in the Middle East. In multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and Far East, he worked alongside US Special Forces, CIA, and NSA. He later transitioned to the private sector as an executive in the media streaming industry. Most recently, Woodward ran international partner distribution for Amazon Prime / Prime Video.

16 Aug 202422min

Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels by Ellen Ruppel Shell https://amzn.to/4fHuIcn Ellen Ruppel Shell’s Slippery Beast is a fascinating account of a deeply mysterious creature—the eel—a thrilling saga of true crime, natural history, travel, and big business. What is it about eels? Depending on who you ask, they are a pest, a fascination, a threat, a pot of gold. What they are not is predictable. Eels emerged some 200 million years ago, weathered mass extinctions and continental shifts, and were once among the world’s most abundant freshwater fish. But since the 1970s, their numbers have plummeted. Because eels—as unagi—are another thing: delicious. In Slippery Beast, journalist Ellen Ruppel Shell travels in the world of “eel people,” pursuing a burgeoning fascination with this mysterious and highly coveted creature. Despite centuries of study by celebrated thinkers from Aristotle to Leeuwenhoek to a young Sigmund Freud, much about eels remains unknown, including exactly how eels beget other eels. Eels cannot be bred reliably in captivity, and as a result, infant eels are unbelievably valuable. A pound of the tiny, translucent, bug-eyed “elvers” caught in the cold fresh waters of Maine can command $3,000 or more on the black market. Illegal trade in eels is an international scandal measured in billions of dollars every year. In Maine, federal investigators have risked their lives to bust poaching rings, including the notorious half-decade-long “Operation Broken Glass.” Ruppel Shell follows the elusive eel from Maine to the Sargasso Sea and back, stalking riversides, fishing holes, laboratories, restaurants, courtrooms, and America’s first commercial eel “family farm,” which just might upend the international market and save a state. This is an enthralling, globe-spanning look at an animal that you may never come to love, but which will never fail to astonish you, a miraculous creature that tells more about us than we can ever know about it.

14 Aug 202420min

On a Move: Philadelphia’s Notorious Bombing and a Native Son’s Lifelong Battle for Justice by Mike Africa Jr. https://amzn.to/4cs15Zw The incredible story of MOVE, the revolutionary Black civil liberties group that Philadelphia police bombed in 1985, killing 11 civilians—by one of the few people born into the organization, raised during the bombing’s tumultuous aftermath, and entrusted with repairing what was left of his family. “As necessary and powerful as it is captivating.” – Michael Harriot, New York Times bestselling author of Black AF History “Searing and urgent.” – Bakari Sellers, New York Times bestselling author of My Vanishing Country and The Moment Before police dropped a bomb on a residential neighborhood on May 13, 1985, few people outside Philadelphia were aware that a Black-led civil liberties organization had taken root there. Founded in 1972 by a charismatic ideologue called John Africa, MOVE’s mission was to protect all forms of life from systemic oppression. They drew their ideology from the Black Panther Party and pre-dated animal and environmental rights groups like PETA and Earth First. MOVE emerged in an era when Black Philadelphians suffered under devastating policies brought by the long, doomed war in Vietnam, Mayor Frank Rizzo’s overtly racist police surveillance, and, eventually, President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs. MOVE members lived together in a collection of West Philadelphia row houses and took the surname Africa out of admiration for the group’s founder. But in MOVE’s lifestyle, city officials saw threats to their status quo. Their bombing of MOVE homes shocked the nation and made international news. Eleven people were killed, including five children. And the City of Brotherly Love became known as the City That Bombed Itself. Among the children most affected by the bombing was Mike Africa Jr. Born in jail following a police attack on MOVE that led to his parents’ decades-long incarcerations, Mike was six years old and living with his grandmother when MOVE was bombed. In the ensuing years, Mike sought purpose in the ashes left behind. He began learning about the law as a teenager and became adept at speaking and inspiring public support with the help of other MOVE members. In 2018, at age 40, he finally succeeded in getting his parents released from prison. On a Move is one of the most unimaginable stories of injustice and resilience in recent American history. But it is not only one of tragedy. It is about coming-of-age for a young activist, the strong ties of family, and, against all odds, learning how to take indignities on the chin and to work within the very system that created them. At once a harrowing personal account and an impassioned examination of racism and police violence, On a Move testifies to the power of love and hope, in the face of astonishing wrongdoing.

13 Aug 202427min