Large Library of Full Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

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Title: Talkin' Dan Gable

Author: Stephen T. Holland

Narrator: Ron Copeland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-16-14

Publisher: Limerick Publications

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Great insight into Dan Gable's life and what made him a Champion of Champions. Dan Gable won all of his high school and college wrestling matches except the last one, and then went on to win an Olympic wrestling title wtthout giving up a point. He later became coach at the University of Iowa and led Hawkeye wrestlers to NCAA and Olympic titles.

Members Reviews:

Good book, horrible reading

The story is pretty good it was hard to put up with the reading performance. The narrator sounds like the first ever made computerized text to speech program. The book switches from present scenes to past scenes, and this excellent writing style is ruined and made difficult to distinguish by the narrator's robotic tone.

Robot voice

The book is interesting yet almost impossible to listen to due to the narrator's computer generated voice.

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Title: How I Became a Human Being

Subtitle: A Disabled Man's Quest for Independence

Author: Mark O'Brien, Gillian Kendall (Preface)

Narrator: David A. Gilmore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-13-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In September 1955, six-year-old Mark O'Brien moved his arms and legs for the last time. He came out of a coma to find himself enclosed from the neck down in an iron lung, the machine in which he would live for much of the rest of his life.

For the first time in audio, How I Became a Human Being is O'Brien's account of his struggles to lead an independent life despite a lifelong disability. In 1955 he contracted polio and became permanently paralyzed from the neck down. O'Brien describes growing up without the use of his limbs, his adolescence struggling with physical rehabilitation and suffering the bureaucracy of hospitals and institutions, and his adult life as an independent student and writer. Despite his physical limitations, O'Brien crafts a narrative that is as rich and vivid as the life he led.

Members Reviews:

Profound, sincere and thought-provoking

This is a very touching and profound book about the life of the poet and journalist Mark O'Brien, who lived more than 42 years in an "iron lung". With his signature frankness, self-acceptance (and sometimes ruthlessness) Mark uses his life story to highlight the existential and relational themes that are common not only to people who live with disabilities, but also to the able-bodied folks. What is independence? What is caring? What are boundaries? What is love? What is friendship? What is hope? and many others.

I am very grateful to Gillian Kendall and all other people who made sure this book was finished and published after Mark's death. Reading it was like meeting a beautiful and quirky friend with a unique voice.

Compelling Story

While a recent film (The Sessions) and documentary (Breathing Lessons) have been made, this autobiographical story, authored by Mark O'Brien, is the one that grabs you and doesn't let go. Despite his severe handicaps, Mr. O'Brien goes to college (UC Berkeley!) and becomes a journalist, writer and poet. The book goes into detail about his experiences growing up, his transition to a nursing home (a nightmare), college, and beyond. We all cope with challenges in our lives. But the challenges this man copes with and overcomes, leave you reeling and evaluating life.

HEARTBREAKINGLY BOLD AND INSPIRING

I recently saw the movie THE SESSIONS and was eager to learn more about Mark O'Brien and his quest to experience life to its fullest. We've all had our trials and setbacks in life and we often hear the phrase, "It could be worse," but what if you are that person so severely disabled that it could not get much worse? Blessed with a brilliant mind but trapped in a broken body, O'Brien's dilemma is how to overcome the daunting obstacles placed in his path.

It wasn't always this way. For a few short years, Mark O'Brien was healthy and "normal" in every way. He had an equally bright future as any 6-year-old could have...loving parents and siblings in a middle-class family. In a blink of time, O'Brien became one of the countless victims of a scourge that had been terrifying the nation for decades. Amazingly, the vast majority of people exposed to the polio virus do not become sick. For some, the virus enters the bloodstream with varying devastating effects.

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Title: Boys

Subtitle: An Anthology

Author: Nico Lang (editor), Zach Stafford (editor)

Narrator: Topher Payne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Boys is an anthology of essays showcasing the voices, stories, and lives of gay, queer, and trans men from around the world. Through these essays, listeners are allowed an intimate glimpse into moments like the time one of the boys accidentally came out as gay on MySpace, another was kidnapped by his mother who wanted to "pray the gay away", to the first time a boy went to a leather bar after transitioning to male and before he became a famous porn artist and performer. Boys shows listeners that at the end of the day, there isn't one type of boy in the world, but lots of boys with all their own stories.

Members Reviews:

Boys will be boys

This is an audible about the journey and stories of young men from a variety of backgrounds and culture.

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Title: Where Memories Go

Subtitle: Why Dementia Changes Everything

Author: Sally Magnusson

Narrator: Sally Magnusson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-17-14

Publisher: John Murray Press

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

This book began as an attempt to hold on to my witty, storytelling mother with the one thing I had to hand. Words. Then, as the enormity of the social crisis my family was part of began to dawn, I wrote with the thought that other forgotten lives might be nudged into the light along with hers.

Dementia is one of the greatest social, medical, economic, scientific, philosophical, and moral challenges of our times. I am a reporter. It became the biggest story of my life. (Sally Magnusson)

Regarded as one of the finest journalists of her generation, Mamie Baird Magnusson's whole life was a celebration of words - words that she fought to retain in the grip of a disease which is fast becoming the scourge of the 21st century. Married to writer and broadcaster Magnus Magnusson, they had five children of whom Sally is the eldest.

As well as chronicling the anguish, the frustrations and the unexpected laughs and joys that she and her sisters experienced while accompanying their beloved mother on the long dementia road for eight years until her death in 2012, Sally Magnusson seeks understanding from a range of experts and asks penetrating questions about how we treat older people; how we can face one of the greatest social, medical, economic, and moral challenges of our times; and what it means to be human.

An extraordinary and deeply personal memoir, a manifesto and a call to arms, in one searingly beautiful narrative.

Critic Reviews:

"Touching... There are many moments of heartwarming sentiment. Literary snowdrops grow out of the barren earth.... This book is the constant, tenuous, but vital reconnection between a child and its mother.... A fine book." (The Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

Very much appreciated.

Would you consider the audio edition of Where Memories Go to be better than the print version?

I am sure the book is just as good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Where Memories Go?

Hard to pick - so many.

What about Sally Magnussons performance did you like?

Knowing it was the author narrating such a personal story made it more compelling and enjoyable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As our family is on the same journey - it did both ... and more.

Any additional comments?

Very helpful story and resource for those families on the same journey. Thank you Sally.

Compassionate, dispassionate and groundbreaking

Would you listen to Where Memories Go again? Why?

Yes, to consider some of the philosophical issues raised about the nature of being and the role of memory in defining a person.

What did you like best about this story?

The love, warmth and intelligence.

Which character as performed by Sally Magnusson was your favourite?

Not relevant.

Any additional comments?

I listened to an Audible version of this book, narrated by Sally Magnusson. In addition to enjoying her excellent narration, I admire her courage in reading this deeply affecting and personal account.

Dementia is a difficult and poorly understood subject, but one increasingly likely to touch many of us one way or another. Sally Magnusson's account is a touching tribute to her vibrant and vivacious mother whose descent into this disease is meticulously recorded. It's heartwarming, occasionally heartbreaking but filled with warmth, insight and humour.

Listen to this audiobook free with a 30-day trial. Go to http://audiobookspace.com/free

Title: Alex's Wake

Subtitle: A Voyage of Betrayal and Journey of Remembrance

Author: Martin Goldsmith

Narrator: Martin Goldsmith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-08-14

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Alex's Wake is a tale of two parallel journeys undertaken seven decades apart. In the spring of 1939, Alex and Helmut Goldschmidt were two of more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany aboard the St. Louis, the saddest ship afloat (New York Times). Turned away from Cuba, the United States, and Canada, the St. Louis returned to Europe, a stark symbol of the world's indifference to the gathering Holocaust. The Goldschmidts disembarked in France, where they spent the next three years in six different camps before being shipped to their deaths in Auschwitz.

In the spring of 2011, Alex's grandson, Martin Goldsmith, followed in his relatives' footsteps on a six-week journey of remembrance and hope, an irrational quest to reverse their fate and bring himself peace. Alex's Wake movingly recounts the detailed histories of the two journeys, the witnesses Martin encounters for whom the events of the past are a vivid part of a living present, and an intimate, honest attempt to overcome a tormented family legacy.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Lost Souls: Found! Inspiring Stories About Pit Bulls

Author: Kyla Duffy, Lowrey Mumford

Narrator: Mary F. Dominiak

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-14

Publisher: Happy Tails Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Are Pit Bulls the vicious people-eaters the media portrays them to be? The stories submitted by loving families who have adopted and rehabilitated Pit Bulls in Lost Souls: Found! Inspiring Stories about Pit Bulls will tell you they are a product of their environment. And, like any other dog, when treated with love and respect Pit Bulls are the most loyal, loving companions out there.

This thought-provoking compilation, with introduction by acclaimed actress and animal advocate Linda Blair, shares the discrimination that Pit Bull owners face and the joy these dogs provide which makes it all worthwhile. A must-read for Pit Bull lovers and open-minded people who want to learn more about the breed.

A significant portion of proceeds from every sale is donated back to put bull rescue groups.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful stories, terrible narrator

If you could sum up Lost Souls: Found! Inspiring Stories About Pit Bulls in three words, what would they be?

sweet, sweet dogs

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Mary F. Dominiak?

Just about any other narrator. She is so bad, I will NOT get another book that she narrates. Had the stories not been so enjoyable, I would have stopped listening. Another family member was listening with me in the car, and she said, "I think you should turn that off and get the book!"

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Had it not been for the narrator, I certainly could have listened in one sitting. I could only take so much of her -- just a terrible narrator, worst I've ever listened to, almost ruined a wonderful book.

Any additional comments?

I've always been a huge pit bull advocate, and its nice to see supportive, enjoyable stories about just how wonderful these dogs are.

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Title: Daughter of the King

Subtitle: Growing Up in Gangland

Author: Sandra Lansky, William Stadiem

Narrator: Laural Merlington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 03-04-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In this tell-all memoir, the only daughter of the man who was considered the "brains of the Mob" opens the door on her glamorous - and tragic - life. Sandi Lansky Lombardo, daughter of Mob boss Meyer Lansky, was raised in New York City in upper-class Jewish splendor and spent her childhood in the undeniable glitz of Havana and Las Vegas in Lansky's heyday in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. She dined out with her father and his associates when she was six and was introduced to Frank Sinatra when she was 11. She knew Bugsy Siegel and Uncle Lucky Luciano and met Howard Hughes and Joseph Kennedy. She was the Paris Hilton of her day: Partying until dawn at El Morocco and the Stork Club, married at 16, romanced by Dean Martin at 19. She was pampered and protected, but her life was also full of tragedy: Her mother was mentally ill and her eldest brother severely handicapped, and Mob violence repeatedly invaded the world of their friends and family. In Daughter of the King, Sandi recounts for the first time the grandeur - and heartbreak - of her life as the daughter of one of the most powerful mobsters in America. Sandi takes listeners back in time to tell the story of her life - one lived in a glamorous but troubled world where nothing ever turned out to be quite as it seemed.

Members Reviews:

She has had an interesting life.

If you could sum up Daughter of the King in three words, what would they be?

Wishing for more!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Meyer Lansky, was a fascinating person. His daughter certainly has an interesting perspective of the legend.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There's more to the Legend.

Any additional comments?

Having just finished American Desperado, prior to this listen, I was waiting for Lansky's view on how the stepson was murdered.

Queen of the Whine

What disappointed you about Daughter of the King?

Absolutely no context whatsoever unless you like shopping, moving, dining,and are into whining and complaining. Did not finish as the narrator was as bad as the book. The most grating, monotone accent ever.

No secrets "exposed"; just life with daddy and mommy,with these two words comprising the majority of the word count.

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Title: A Man Who Asked and Received

Subtitle: George Müller

Author: F. J. Cross

Narrator: Glenn Hascall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-01-14

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

His life began with deception and lacking respect for others. Perhaps it's a good thing that change can happen in the worst of men. George Müller would go on to create a remarkable collection of London orphan homes. This biography for all ages provides a unique look at this man - and his mission. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Members Reviews:

Really, a 7-minute audio book?

Great story in the briefest of form.

I was looking for the book, George Mueller, Man of Faith & Miracles but only found this do clicked BUY before I realized it was a 7-minute audio -- there are numerous Kindle books on Mueller available FREE Or for $.99 on Kindle books... George deserves more than this. What an amazing life dedicated to Christ.

brilliant

this book continues to awaken my faith over and over keep reminding me of God's sovereignty and enormous capacity to do exceedingly and abundantly above all i could ever ask or imagine

Awesome

You get a small incite to who George is, and for only for 7 mins it's worth getting into because he truly looked towards God for all his provisions especially to 10k ophans throughout his lifetime.

great

shows the power of God in all of our lives together and luke 6:38 greatly

Great summary!

Great summary to wet your appetite. Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx

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Title: Everybody into the Pool

Subtitle: True Tales

Author: Beth Lisick

Narrator: Erin Bennett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-20-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Beth Lisick started out as a homecoming princess with a Crisco-aided tan and a bad perm. And then everything changed. Plunging headlong into America's deepest subcultures, while keeping both feet firmly planted in her parents' Leave It to Beaver values, Lisick makes her adult home on the fringe of mainstream culture and finds it rich with paradox and humor. On the one hand, she lives in "Brokeley" with drug dealers and street gangs; on the other, she drives a station wagon with a baby seat in the back, makes her own chicken stock, and attends ladies' luncheons. How exactly did this suburban girl-next-door end up as one of San Francisco's foremost chroniclers of alternative culture? Lisick explains it all in her hilarious, irreverent, bestselling memoir, Everybody into the Pool.

Fans of David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell will relish Lisick's scathingly funny, smart, very real take on the effluvia of daily living. No matter what community she's exposing to the light, Lisick always hits the right chord.

Members Reviews:

Fun book!

Any additional comments?

I had a loooong road trip to make and (although this only got me through the first half of the trip) this was a great book to have! It kept me awake, and laughing at times.

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Title: Beyond Survival

Subtitle: Building on the Hard Times - a POW's Inspiring Story

Author: Captain Gerald Coffee

Narrator: Captain Gerald Coffee

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-14

Publisher: AudioInk Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When life loses its meaning, when suddenly the world is turned upside down, when there's nothing left that resembles life as we've known it, where do we find the strength and sustenance to go on? This dramatic telling of naval aviator Jerry Coffee and others who were held as prisoners of war in North Vietnam shows that there was only one choice: To go within.

Beyond Survival is a journey into the invincible human spirit that unites heart and mind in a compelling and unforgettable experience. Drawing from his seven years as a POW, Captain Coffee provides timeless lessons that apply to the physical, emotional, and ethical challenges of everyday life. Proving that leadership and creativity are possible in difficult and uncertain circumstances, Captain Coffee uses sound effects and multiple voice actors to tell the story and offer a message we can draw on in any trying situation. His story demonstrates that conviction must come from within, and in telling that story he touches the place inside of us where growth begins. Beyond Survival is a positive statement about love and commitment in the midst of war and division. It contrasts the cold reality of war, degradation, and torture with the warmth of human connections, inner serenity, and kinship with all of life. It poignantly illustrates that to be stripped of everything that is familiar and by which we identify ourselves leaves us with only what unites us - our human identity. It conveys truths about relationships at every level - with ourselves, with others, with our country, and with our God. Without inflaming the wounds inflicted by America's involvement in Vietnam, Beyond Survival explores an issue at the heart of every free society: the willingness of ordinary individuals to maintain a passion for freedom so compelling that adversity strengthens rather than weakens personal resolve in the worst of circumstances. Through Gerald Coffee's story you will discover the universal principles of survival and triumph that empower anyone to overcome adversity.

Critic Reviews:

This book reads like a novel. Not only is it about Captain Coffee as a POW but as a son, husband, father and a friend. His courage, faith and humor leave one feeling that they too can have all of these principles, no matter who you are or where you come from; that there's nothing life throws at us that we can't overcome and prevail. (Becky R., Concord, CA, [Amazon])

Absolutely inspiring story of courage, loyalty, brotherhood, service and dedication. Captain Coffee and his fellow POW's story is one that needs to be shared with our young military men and women to teach them to continue fighting, never give up hope, and stick to core values to survive. (Gary L., [Amazon])

As a three time combat veteran struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I believe that Beyond Survival is a MUST READ!! In my darkest hours, Captain Coffee's book has consoled me, validated my feelings, moved me to action, and made me 'count my blessings.' Captain Coffee takes you inside of the Vietnamese Prisons where he was held captive and tortured. Despite all odds, he managed to overcome the pain, loneliness, hunger, fear, and humiliation of being a POW for SEVEN YEARS! Captain Coffee describes every bit of his experience in painstaking detail and grips the reader with his honesty and sincerity.