The Chris Voss Show

Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump by Miles Taylor https://amzn.to/3DzEVWn The author behind the “eye-popping” (CNN) #1 New York Times bestseller A Warning presents an urgent look at how our deeply divided nation is setting the stage for “The Next Trump.” Donald Trump will be president again, whether he is on the ballot or not. That is because Trumpism is overtaking the Republican Party and will mount a vigorous comeback, potentially in the hands of a savvier successor—The Next Trump. This prophecy will come true, according to Miles Taylor, if we do not learn the lessons of the recent past. With the 2024 election approaching, the formerly “Anonymous” official is back with bombshell revelations and a sobering national forecast. Through interviews with dozens of ex-Trump aides and government leaders, Taylor predicts what could happen inside “Trump 2.0,” the White House of a more competent and more formidable copycat. What sounds like a political thriller—from shadowy presidential powers and CIA betrayals to angry henchmen and assassination plots—is instead America’s political reality, as Taylor uses untold stories to shed light on the ex-President’s unfulfilled plans, the dark forces haunting our civic lives, and how we can thwart the rise of extremism in the United States. Blowback is also a surprisingly emotional and self-critical portrait of a dissenter, whose own unmasking provides a vivid warning about what happens when we hide the truth from others and, most importantly, ourselves. About the Author Miles Taylor is a national security expert who works in Washington, DC. Taylor previously served as chief of staff at the US Department of Homeland Security, where he published an “Anonymous” essay in The New York Times, blowing the whistle on presidential misconduct. He later published the #1 national bestseller A Warning, revealed himself to be the author, and launched a campaign of ex-officials to oppose Donald Trump’s reelection. He’s worked as an advisor in the George W. Bush administration, on Capitol Hill, as a CNN contributor, and is the cofounder of a DC-based charter school and multiple democracy-reform groups. Taylor received his MPhil in international relations from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and BA from Indiana University as a Harry S. Truman scholar.

30 Juli 202333min

Deadlock: A Thriller (A Dez Limerick Novel, 2) by James Byrne https://amzn.to/3YaFyiF In this sequel to the highly praised The Gatekeeper, Dez Limerick, one of the best new thriller heroes returns. Desmond Aloysius Limerick ("Dez" to his friends and close personal enemies) is a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills, and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your back. Now retired from his previous life, Dez is just a bloke with a winning smile, a bass guitar, and bullet wounds that paint a road map of past lives. Jaleh Swann, a business journalist hot on the trail of an auditor who was mugged and killed, lands in the hospital just one day after her Portland apartment is ransacked. When Jaleh’s sister, Raziah, reaches out to an old friend for help, Dez has no choice but to answer. The Swann sisters have been pulled into a dizzying web of cover-ups and danger. At the center lies an insidious Oregon-based tech corporation, Clockjack, which has enough money and hired guns to silence just about anyone―including this rag-tag trio. Luckily, Dez’s speciality is not just to open doors, but keep them open―and protect those working to expose Clockjack’s secrets. More stands in the way of the truth than just one corporation. When hired thugs come to the finish the job and attack the Swann sisters at the hospital, Dez does what he does best. Now, the two captured men (and the corpse Dez left behind) attract the attention of not just Clockjack, but of the Portland police, the D.E.A, and the U.S. Marshalls. Dez and the Swann sisters are on the run from powers beyond their control and means. Outnumbered, under resourced and outgunned, Dez must use all his skills to keep his friends safe and stand up to corporate conniving. After all, the one thing Clockjack didn’t count on? A good man with a simple job to do. About the Author James Byrne lives and writes in one of the coolest cities on Earth: Portland, Oregon. Under various names, he has published nine other novels in the realm of thrillers and mysteries. Find out more about James and “The Gatekeeper” at jamesbyrnemystery.com.

29 Juli 202323min

Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism by Jeffrey Toobin https://amzn.to/3KmvoWr The definitive account of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the enduring legacy of Timothy McVeigh, leading to the January 6 insurrection—from acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin. Timothy McVeigh wanted to start a movement. Speaking to his lawyers days after the Oklahoma City bombing, the Gulf War veteran expressed no regrets: killing 168 people was his patriotic duty. He cited the Declaration of Independence from memory: “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.” He had obsessively followed the siege of Waco and seethed at the imposition of President Bill Clinton’s assault weapons ban. A self-proclaimed white separatist, he abhorred immigration and wanted women to return to traditional roles. As he watched the industrial decline of his native Buffalo, McVeigh longed for when America was great. New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin traces the dramatic history and profound legacy of Timothy McVeigh, who once declared, “I believe there is an army out there, ready to rise up, even though I never found it.” But that doesn’t mean his army wasn’t there. With news-breaking reportage, Toobin details how McVeigh’s principles and tactics have flourished in the decades since his death in 2001, reaching an apotheosis on January 6 when hundreds of rioters stormed the Capitol. Based on nearly a million previously unreleased tapes, photographs, and documents, including detailed communications between McVeigh and his lawyers, as well as interviews with such key figures as Bill Clinton, Homegrown reveals how the story of Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing is not only a powerful retelling of one of the great outrages of our time, but a warning for our future. About the Author Jeffrey Toobin is the New York Times bestselling author of American Heiress, The Oath, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, Too Close to Call, A Vast Conspiracy, The Run of His Life: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, and Opening Arguments. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, he lives with his family in New York.

28 Juli 202329min

Family Reins: The Extraordinary Rise and Epic Fall of an American Dynasty by Billy Busch https://amzn.to/3YdEH0O The story of the iconic Anheuser-Busch dynasty, written -- for the first time -- by a Busch heir. As an heir to the Anheuser-Busch company and fortune, Billy Busch was raised on the real stories of how his family built one of America's oldest and most iconic brands. Since the company was formed almost 150 years ago, the Busch family, their beer, the famous Clydesdales in their advertising, and even their style of business have become a symbol of the American dream -- that not-so-outdated belief that hard work, grit, and a positive can-do attitude make anything possible. Growing up on the family's ancestral estate as a prince to the King of Beers, Billy lived a life only kids could dream up -- living in an amusement park, traveling by private rail car and yacht, and playing with his pet elephant, Tessie. But as he grew up, he realized that the Busch family legacy was not just wealth and privilege. With no separation between family and business, Billy’s father -- more boss than dad -- continued the tradition of preparing the next generation for corporate leadership, with high and exacting standards for his children. For Billy, all of this, combined with a dysfunctional family environment, was all too normal. Family Reins tells the story of a legendary American family, their rise to power, and their fall from grace through poisonous infighting, succession struggles, and a seemingly endless string of tragedies, scandals, and loss.About the Author Billy Busch is the founder of the Busch Family Brewing & Distilling Company and an heir to the Anheuser-Busch multi-billion-dollar fortune. He is the proud father of seven children and stars with his wife in the MTV reality series The Busch Family Brewed. A graduate of St. Louis University, he played professional polo, winning the US Open polo tournament. He and his wife, Christi, a film producer and head of Busch Productions, live on their seven-hundred-acre estate in St. Louis, Missouri.

27 Juli 202326min

The Hidden History of American Democracy: Rediscovering Humanity’s Ancient Way of Living (The Thom Hartmann Hidden History Series) by Thom Hartmann https://amzn.to/46XCtGC America’s most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann paves the way to saving our democracy. In this powerful, sweeping history and analysis of American democracy, Thom Hartmann shows how democracy is the one form of governance most likely to produce peace and happiness among people. With the violent exception of the Civil War, American democracy resisted the pressure to disintegrate into factionalism for nearly two centuries, and now our very system of democratic elections is at stake. So how do we save our democracy? Hartmann’s newest book in the celebrated Hidden History Series offers a clear call to action and a set of solutions with road maps for individuals and communities to follow to create a safer, more just society and a more equitable and prosperous economy. About the Author Thom Hartmann is a progressive nationally and internationally syndicated talk show host. Talkers Magazine named him America’s #1 most important progressive host and the host of one of the top ten talk radio shows in the country every year for more than a decade. A four-time recipient of the Project Censored Award, Hartmann is also a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books, translated into multiple languages. He was born in Michigan and retains strong ties to the Midwest, although he has lived in many regions. He now lives on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon.

26 Juli 202328min

Raising Good Humans Every Day: 50 Simple Ways to Press Pause, Stay Present, and Connect with Your Kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE https://amzn.to/3Y7ib9Q Little ways to stay mindful, be present, and raise good humans—every day! As a parent, it’s the little things you do each and every day that can help your kids grow up to be kind, confident, and conscientious human beings. But if you’re like many parents, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed by the daily rush of getting to school on time, helping your kid finish their homework, planning meals, and all the seemingly endless tasks that pile up and steal the fun out of just being with your child. That’s why you need quick, effective tools to stay present and manage emotions—both your child’s and your own! From the author of Raising Good Humans, this “go-to” daily guide offers 50 simple ways to press pause, stop reacting, and start parenting with intention. You’ll also find mindfulness skills for calming your own stress when difficult emotions arise; and tips for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening. Most importantly, by following these daily techniques, you’ll learn to break the unhelpful patterns and ingrained reactions that reflect the generational habits shaped by your parents, so you can respond to your children in more skillful ways. Busy parents will discover: Self-compassion practices for those days when you feel like a “terrible parent” Breathing and meditation exercises for calming emotions in the moment Tips for “unhooking” from negative thoughts and self-criticism Mindfulness skills for staying present with your kids You’ll also learn how to develop a “teaching mindset” when faced with difficult behavior, and find tons of creative and playful activities to increase cooperation in your child. Being a parent is a lot of work, but it can also be joyful and fun. Let this daily guide help you enjoy those little moments—they mean so much!

23 Juli 202340min

A Terribly Serious Adventure: Philosophy and War at Oxford, 1900-1960 by Nikhil Krishnan https://amzn.to/44VNCpK “Lively storytelling . . . an attempt to recast the history of philosophy at Oxford in the mid-twentieth century by conveying not only what made it influential in its time but also what might make it vital in ours.”—The New York Times Book Review What are the limits of language? How can philosophy be brought closer to everyday life? What is a good human being? These were among the questions that philosophers wrestled with in mid-twentieth-century Britain, a period shadowed by war and the rise of fascism. In response to these events, thinkers such as Philippa Foot (originator of the famous trolley problem), Isaiah Berlin, Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe, Gilbert Ryle, and J. L. Austin aspired to a new level of watchfulness and self-awareness about language as a way of keeping philosophy true to everyday experience. A Terribly Serious Adventure traces the friendships and the rivalries, the shared preoccupations and the passionate disagreements of some of Oxford’s most innovative thinkers. Far from being stuck in their ivory towers, the Oxford philosophers lived. They were codebreakers, diplomats, and soldiers in both World Wars, and they often drew on their real-world experience in creating their greatest works, masterpieces of British modernism original in both thought and style. Steeped in the dramatic history of the twentieth century, A Terribly Serious Adventure is an eye-opening look inside the rooms that changed how we think about our world. Shedding light on the lives and intellectual achievements of a large and spirited cast of characters, Cambridge academic Nikhil Krishnan shows us how much we can still learn from the Oxford philosophers. In our fractious, post-truth world, their acute sense of responsibility for their words, their passionate desire to get the little things right, stands as an inspiring example.

22 Juli 20231h

The Reaper's Dance: 1000 Days of COVID by Ravi R. Iyer MD https://amzn.to/3Y2G1U3 From the suburbs of Washington, DC, and northern Virginia to the bat-infested caves of Wuhan, China, Dr. Ravi Iyer traces the myriad networks of the virus that brought the entire world to its knees for twenty-four months and decimated the lives of millions in its path. The Reaper’s Dance puts you in a ringside seat to the horror of the COVID pandemic, the calculations of men who were in positions to influence the fate of millions, the science that might have unleashed the pandemic, and the science that saved the world. From the failures of governments and leaders to the triumphs of individual men and women, The Reaper’s Dance is a story of the complex and compelling tapestry of human hubris and humility, courage, and cowardice, with an enduring, cautionary message for all humankind. The Reaper’s Dance is a must-read that will inspire you, shake you, and wake you up. Additional Praise for The Reaper's Dance: An intensely gripping account of the COVID pandemic. The writing is fast-paced and the book reads like a thriller but remains factual and very well-cited in its references. This is a book to be savored and returned to for its continued relevance long after the last page has been read.... H. H Dr. Ravi Iyer has done a fabulous job in pulling together the story on the political stance changes, the thinking on the origins of the virus, and weaving it into the narrative in a fast-moving book that gripped me from the first page. I kept catching myself thinking as I read it, “Oh yes, that did happen”, “Trump did indeed say that” … and shake my head in disbelief as I read on. I liked the stories of the specific patients that peppered the evolution of the analysis of the pandemic. Also the bit on the seniors with cognitive decline … it hadn’t occurred to me how difficult it would have been to care for that group.... A. B

21 Juli 202342min