The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Close Friends’ Cathedral Adventure by Anne Ward Crocker

Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future–and Shape It by Byron Reese “. . . Byron Reese gets to the heart of what makes humans different from all others.” —Midwest Book Review What makes the human mind so unique? And how did we get this way? This fascinating tale explores the three leaps in our history that made us what we are—and will change how you think about our future. Look around. Clearly, we humans are radically different from the other creatures on this planet. But why? Where are the Bronze Age beavers? The Iron Age iguanas? In Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think, Byron Reese argues that we owe our special status to our ability to imagine the future and recall the past, escaping the perpetual present that all other living creatures are trapped in. Envisioning human history as the development of a societal superorganism he names Agora, Reese shows us how this escape enabled us to share knowledge on an unprecedented scale, and predict—and eventually master—the future. Thoughtful, witty, and compulsively readable, Reese unravels our history as an intelligent species in three acts: Act I: Ancient humans undergo “the awakening,” developing the cognitive ability to mentally time-travel using language Act II: In 17th century France, the mathematical framework known as ‘probability theory’ is born—a science for seeing into the future that we used to build the modern world Act III: Beginning with the invention of the computer chip, humanity creates machines to gaze into the future with even more precision, overcoming the limits of our brains A fresh new look at the history and destiny of humanity, readers will come away from Stories, Dice, and Rocks that Think with a new understanding of what they are—not just another animal, but a creature with a mastery of time itself.

16 Aug 202238min

Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters Who Elected Donald Trump by Angela Denker Winner of a 2019 Foreword INDIES Award Silver Medal Donald Trump, a thrice-married, no-need-of-forgiveness, blustery billionaire who rarely goes to church, won more Evangelical Christian votes than any candidate in history on his way to winning the 2016 US presidential election. Veteran journalist Angela Denker set out to uncover why, traveling the United States for a year, meeting the people who support Trump, and listening to their rationale. In Red State Christians, readers will get an honest look at the Christians who gave the presidency to the unlikeliest candidate of all time. From booming, wealthy Orange County megachurches to libertarian farmers in Missouri to a church in Florida where the pastors carry guns to an Evangelical Arab American church in Houston to conservative Catholics on the East Coast–the picture she paints of them is enlightening, at times disturbing, but always empathetic. A must-read for those hoping to truly understand how Donald Trump became president.

13 Aug 202245min

She Looks Fine, By Roberta Campbell Knechtly and Paige Knechtly Shelooksfinebook.com A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through a TBI Roberta was living her best life as an empty nester until she received a call that would change her life forever. Her daughter Paige was hit by a vehicle in a crosswalk. Paige, an independent young adult, became dependent on her mother again. Roberta reentered the world of caretaking. Both lacked the tools to understand what was happening. For years following the accident, their lives changed in ways they could never have imagined. Roberta thought Paige looked fine; Paige was wondering when she would feel normal again. Both didn’t understand the invisible brain trauma that persisted. In She Looks Fine, Roberta and Paige openly share their journey through a TBI together, so that you can understand, accept and support your loved one even though they may look fine.

12 Aug 202231min

Gary Guseinov, C.E.O. at RealDefense Interview Realdefen.se

11 Aug 202229min

The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan by Elliot Ackerman A powerful and revelatory eyewitness account of the American collapse in Afghanistan, its desperate endgame, and the war’s echoing legacy Elliot Ackerman left the American military ten years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and later as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. Afghan nationals who had worked closely with the American military and intelligence communities for years now faced brutal reprisal and sought frantically to flee the country with their families. The official US government evacuation effort was a bureaucratic failure that led to a humanitarian catastrophe. With former colleagues and friends protecting the airport in Kabul, Ackerman joined an impromptu effort by a group of journalists and other veterans to arrange flights and negotiate with both Taliban and American forces to secure the safe evacuation of hundreds. These were desperate measures taken during a desperate end to America’s longest war. For Ackerman, it also became a chance to reconcile his past with his present. The Fifth Act is an astonishing human document that brings the weight of twenty years of war to bear on a single week, the week the war ended. Using the dramatic rescue efforts in Kabul as his lattice, Ackerman weaves a personal history of the war’s long progression, beginning with the initial invasion in the months after 9/11. It is a play in five acts, the fifth act being the story’s tragic denouement, a prelude to Afghanistan’s dark future. Any reader who wants to understand what went wrong with the war’s trajectory will find a trenchant account here. But The Fifth Act also brings readers into close contact with a remarkable group of characters, American and Afghan, who fought the war with courage and dedication, and at great personal cost. Ackerman’s story is a first draft of history that feels like a timeless classic.

10 Aug 202243min

The Boundless: The Rise, Fall, and Escape of Carlos Ghosn by Nick Kostov, Sean McLain The unprecedented rise and catastrophic fall of one of the world’s most feared and admired business executives—Carlos Ghosn—a remarkable story of innovation, hubris, alleged crimes, and daring international escape, as chronicled by two Wall Street Journal reporters. Carlos Ghosn always wanted more. Born in the Amazon, raised by a well-off—if scandalized—family in Beirut, and educated in Paris, Ghosn rose to prominence at Michelin in the United States, Renault in France, and Nissan in Japan. Along the way he earned monikers of Le Cost Killer, for his incisive business savvy, and Mr. 7-Eleven, for the hours he devoted to his work. Initially Ghosn thrived, becoming a poster boy for globalization and multinational corporations. Employees believed him to be among the greatest business minds of his generation, and the press hailed him a financial genius. The trouble started when Ghosn began to believe them. His power rose in tandem with an increasing certainty that he was underpaid and undervalued at his multiple posts. Executives grew unhappy with Ghosn’s talk of a merger with Renault, calling his loyalty to Nissan into question. Resentments brewed, enough so that a group of Nissan executives set out to uncover the truth about the man who many throughout Nissan and Japan perceived as a savior. Eventually, Ghosn was accused of financial misconduct and arrested for a bevy of alleged crimes—all of which he vehemently denied. Yet even as he insisted his financial transactions were above board, Ghosn was planning an astounding escape, one that would either smuggle him out of Tokyo and back to his ancestral homeland of Lebanon; or land him in a Japanese prison for life. Drawning from intensive investigative reporting, and including never-before-seen insider details from key players in Ghosn’s life and the investigations into him, Nick Kostov and Sean McLain piece together this fallen icon’s life and actions across the globe. Their sensational globetrotting adventure reveals the complexity of a man who watched for decades as contemporaries with far less talent amassed far greater wealth, and who took drastic measures to ensure he would finally get his due.

9 Aug 202232min

The Newlyweds: Rearranging Marriage in Modern India by Mansi Choksi A literary investigation into India as a society in transition through the lens of forbidden love, as three young couples reject arranged marriages and risk everything for true love in the midst of social and political upheaval. In India, two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These are men and women who grew up with the internet and the advent of smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love and marriage, they’re expected to adhere to thousands of years of tradition. It’s that conflict between obeying tradition and embracing modernity that drives journalist Mansi Choksi’s The Newlyweds. Through vivid, lyrical prose, Choksi shines a light on three young couples who buck against arranged marriages in the pursuit of true love, illustrating the challenges, shame, anger, triumph, and loss their actions and choices set in play. Against the backdrop of India’s beautiful villages and cities, Choksi introduces our newlyweds. First, there’s the lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. Then there’s the Hindu woman and Muslim man who escaped their families under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent militia group. Finally, there’s the inter-caste couple who are doing everything to avoid the same fate as a similar couple who were burned alive. Engaging and moving, The Newlyweds raises universal questions, such as: What are we really willing to risk for love? If we’re lucky enough to find it, does it change us? If so, for the better? Or for the worse?

7 Aug 202223min

Law Firm Digital Marketing Made Easy: The Only Book You’ll Ever Need to Become A Best-Known Attorney by Josh Konigsberg People don’t hire or retain a logo, an office, or a website. They retain an attorney they know, like, and trust. The old way of doing business and relying on referrals is antiquated and simply will not facilitate consistent reliable leads. As digital marketing has become more complex and the market flooded with over 30,000 new attorneys every year, it’s more important than ever to understand and leverage the digital marketing principles essential to a law firm’s success. Being a best-known attorney means to stand out among your peers in your area(s) of law in your market. You must amplify your unique selling proposition, present yourself in a dynamic, unforgettable way, have the best reputation, and strive to achieve online omnipresence. Once you set the foundation of your message, market, and media and apply the various facets of digital marketing effectively, you will become a best-known attorney. If you don’t, your competitors will. In Law Firm Digital Marketing Made Easy: The Only Book You’ll Ever Need to Become A Best-Known Attorney, Josh Konigsberg, Partner and Co-Founder of the award-winning digital marketing agency, Law Firm Marketing Pros, demystifies digital marketing for lawyers and law firms and presents a comprehensive, easy-to-follow overview of what it takes to: Create a Unique Digital Omnipresence for Your Law Firm to Put You in a Category of One Generate More Qualified, and Consistent Leads Maximize Client Conversions Are you ready to triple your profits per partner over the next five years? This book is your blueprint for a holistic approach to the way you market your law firm and become a Category of One.

6 Aug 202235min