What Would George Carlin Do?

A question for the ages: what would George Carlin do?  Catherine Galioto remembers Carlin in BrickPatch:


"Still it is hard not to think: What Would George Carlin Do, given news about the debt ceiling or trying to make sense of Twitter. No doubt, he’d weave them into a combination of observational humor and social commentary that made him so well-loved by fellow cynics, nihilists or cranky folk. The folks who root for the end to come and will have popcorn at the ready for the entertainment of destruction —another theme so prevalent in his works."

Click here for the rest of the article.

Or click here for Carlin's last audiobook, Last Words. 

The Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku

Audiobooks by physicists are not always among our bestsellers, but Michio Kaku's The Physics of the Future has been in high demand around here lately for its lively, accessible descriptions of what science may bring in the future.  Interested in the short version?  Check out this review by The Wall Street Journal:

"Looking further along, he sees humans colonizing the solar system, 'terraforming' Mars to make its climate more Earth-like and dispatching probes—perhaps tiny thimble-sized probes using molecular-level nanotechnology—to other stars."

Click here for the rest of the review.

Click here for the audiobook.

Jon Ronson essay

For those of you who enjoyed Jon Ronson's newest audiobook, The Psychopath Test, here's even more fun with unusual people, this time in the form of people who dress up as superheroes:

"I am rushing to the emergency room to meet a real-life superhero called Phoenix Jones, who has fought one crime too many and is currently peeing a lot of blood. Five nights a week, Phoenix dresses in a superhero outfit of his own invention and chases car thieves and breaks up bar fights and changes the tires of stranded strangers. I've flown to Seattle to join him on patrol."

Click here to read the rest.  You really, really want to read the rest.

Nickel & Dimed revisited

In preparation for Nickel & Dimed's tenth anniversary, Salon.com has published an update from Barbara Ehrenreich that addresses how her experiment would work today:  If you haven't listened to the original audiobook, it's well worth it.

"In 2000, I had been able to walk into a number of jobs pretty much off the street. Less than a decade later, many of these jobs had disappeared and there was stiff competition for those that remained. It would have been impossible to repeat my 'Nickel and Dimed' 'experiment,' had I had been so inclined, because I would probably never have found a job."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Click here for the audiobook.

Americans in Paris

The release of David McCullough's The Greater Journey brings us a lovely essay by Charles Rearick on the history of Americans in Paris.  It's always a popular topic, and perfect if you have a French vacation in your future.  From the article:

"But the French capital as the Ville lumière is just one of a handful of identities of Paris that have flourished in the last century and a half.  One big secret about Paris, I concluded years ago, is how the several different Parises have emerged and contributed to the appeal and mystique of the modern city.  Alongside the shining city of cultural modernity / Ville lumière there’s the historic Old Paris, studded with architectural gems and “monuments”— from the medieval era (or even further back, Roman times) to recent centuries, “old” being redefined periodically. And in counterpoint to the Paris of elegance and refinement, there’s the city of earthy “pleasures” and rollicking “high times,” symbolized by nightly scenes at the Moulin Rouge and Maxim’s. "

Click here for the rest of the essay.

Click here to check out the audiobook of The Greater Journey.

Interview with Cassandra Campbell

Publishers Weekly brings us another great audiobook narrator interview, this time with Cassandra Campbell.  Here's her opinion on not liking the story she's reading:

"The hardest thing is to stay engaged in a story that doesn’t pull you in or that you don’t love. I learned years ago from my theatre mentor that, when acting in plays that aren’t necessarily brilliant, you have to bring yourself to it no matter what. For every book there’s someone out there waiting to hear it and they deserve the best performance you can give."

Click here for the rest of the interview.


Also, check her out narrating The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or Brava, Valentine.

Bedphones!

Lots of people tell us they love to listen to audiobooks as they fall asleep, so here's a cool new gadget to make it easier.

Bedphones - the headphones designed for sleep.


And in case your trouble is not the headphones, but getting to sleep, here are a couple of highly recommended titles to get you sleeping in no time:

Healthy Sleep by Andrew Weil and Rubin Naiman

On Healthy Sleep, these two mind-body experts present practical tools to help you enjoy the life-changing health benefits of optimum sleep, covering the roots of insomnia, and natural means to overcome it.  [read more]

Delta Sleep System by Jeffrey Thompson

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s breakthrough audio techniques, developed over 15 years of clinical research, are proven to increase levels of Delta brainwave activity. He has helped thousands of people to achieve regular, restful, revitalizing, sleep.  [read more]