Kate’s 2¢: “The violin conspiracy” by Brendan Slocumb

“The violin conspiracy” by Brendan Slocumb

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   This is a wonderful Horatio Alger type of story. It is well written with an interesting narrative full of history, love, and personal anecdotes. I especially like hearing the various orchestra backed violin music. Awesome. Thank you Penguin Random House Audio  and the NLS reader J.D. Jackson .

A few take aways:

— Stand up for yourself, but, always respectfully.

— Ray’s life changed, because someone reached out across the gulf and touched him.

— “We’re here for a reason….It is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.” Goldberg

— Work twice as hard as everyone else, stand tall and treat others with respect, and stay his own sweet self.

— I just encouraged what was already there.

— Slocumb: “ as a teacher of young kids…for many of my students, I would be the first black man they’d actually meet in person. The impression I leave them with, hopefully, will stay with them for years to come.”

— Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark, together, we are a symphony.

From his website:

Meet Brendan Slocumb

   Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was born in Yuba City, California and was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in music education, concentrations on Violin and Viola. While at UNCG, Brendan was the concertmaster for the University Symphony orchestra and served as the principal violist. He performed with numerous small chamber ensembles, including flute and clarinet choirs, and in the BESK string quartet.

   For the past twenty-three years, he has been a public and private school music educator from kindergarten through twelfth grade, teaching general music, orchestra and guitar ensembles. His students were often chosen for district and regional orchestras. In 2005, Brendan was named Teacher of the Year for Robert E. Lee High School; has been named to Who’s Who of American teachers, and is a Nobel Teacher of distinction. Brendan also serves as an educational consultant for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.   Music has always played a major part of Brendan’s life. He believes that it’s a life-saving force, and a gift we should always offer our children. When he was nine, he started playing violin through a public school music program. It actually saved his life. Friends he grew up with are today sitting in jail; when they were out running the streets, he was in rehearsals. When they were breaking into people’s houses, he was practicing Dvorak and Mozart. His violin opened the door to opportunity, and he ran through it. 

   Through music, Brendan developed a work ethic that he now tries to instill in his students so that they too can experience the joys of what music can do for us all. Each student is unique. No two kids learn the same way. Not everyone will go on to become world famous musicians, but everyone can learn to appreciate and love music, and to find new ways of communicating. Meeting each student where he or she is, and taking them farther than they thought possible, is what Brendan has always strived to do.  

   As a musician, Brendan has performed on violin with the Washington Metropolitan Symphony, the McLean Symphony, the Prince George’s Philharmonic, and the Alexandria Symphony. He currently serves as the concertmaster for the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra. Brendan has been a frequent adjudicator and guest conductor for several district and regional orchestras throughout North Carolina and Virginia. He also performs chamber music with members of the Annandale symphony. He maintains a private music studio teaching lessons to students on violin, guitar and piano. 

   He is the founder of the nonprofit organization, Hands Across the Sea, based in the Philippines. After touring the Philippines with the Northern Virginia Chamber Ensemble and witnessing firsthand the conditions that many of the young music students and their families endure, Brendan founded the Hands Across the Sea to offer support to the Berea School of the Arts in Manila, by providing instruments, lessons, and monetary support. The organization also supplements school supplies and dental and medical assistance. 

   In his spare time, Brendan enjoys writing, exercising, collecting comic books and action figures, and performing with his rock band, Geppetto’s Wüd.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The violin conspiracy DB106851

Slocumb, Brendan. Reading time: 12 hours, 6 minutes.

Read by J.D. Jackson.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Ray McMillian has always known his dream of being a world-class violinist is a long shot due to his being Black and from North Carolina. But when his great-great-grandfather’s fiddle turns out to be a Stradivarius, he reaches for the stars. When it’s stolen on the eve of a competition, Ray must find his beloved Strad. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

Downloaded: April 15, 2022

Download The violin conspiracy

Kate’s 2¢: “America’s hidden history: untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation” by Kenneth Davis

“America’s hidden history: untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation” by Kenneth Davis

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Davis inserts humor and little known facts into the history of our country.

–Shakespeare:  The past is prologue.

–Isabella’s Pigs recounts the time before and after Christopher Columbus’ epic journey, where she insisted, he take pigs to eat and to populate the new world the pigs might be the reason the devastating diseases spread so quickly among the indigenous people.  

— Hannah’s Escape  Hannah Emerson Dustin gave birth to eight children. Candlemas massacre related to, the connection between witches, magic and Native Americans was not coincidental.   She was captured by Indians and given to a family as a servant. Rather than be forced to run the Canadian Indian village’s gauntlet, she with another Puritan woman and young boy, massacred the Indian family, ten their scalps, and stole a cnoe to sail 60 miles south toward home. She re-united with her husband and other seven children, providing Rev. Cotton Mather fodder for his sermons.  

   Anne Hutchinson was another influential woman, who preached God could speak to the individual personally, not just through the Puritan elders.  She was banished from Boston, charged with heresy; however, among her descendants would be three United States Presidents.

–George Washington, age 22,  unknowingly instigated the Isbella War, when his survey team of whites and Indians, slaughtered a French peace seeking troop.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born in Mount Vernon, New York City, he attendedConcordia College, Bronxville in New York, and Fordham University at Lincoln Center, New York though has never gradated from there. He lives in New York City and Dorset, Vermont accompanied by his wife and two children.

   This book has a more serious tone than the earlier books, is more expansive, and focuses not only on well-known names but also on forgotten figures such as Hannah Duston.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

America’s hidden history: untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation DB66907

Davis, Kenneth C Reading time: 7 hours, 53 minutes.

Robert Sams A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

U.S. History

Author of the Don’t Know Much About series describes overlooked episodes in early American history. Includes Queen Isabella’s advice to Columbus to bring pigs to the New World–animals that introduced diseases to the natives–and George Washington’s attack on French soldiers who were on a diplomatic mission. Violence. 2008.

Download America’s hidden history: untold tales of the first pilgrims, fighting women, and forgotten founders who shaped a nation DB66907

Kate’s 2¢: “Silver Ties” by Ann Parker

“Silver Ties” by Ann Parker

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

      The promised mystery, dective, and western flavor are all present in this novel about a beautiful, intelligent, and determined woman in a semi-wild town. She is a saloon owner, partnered with a gentle giant of a black man and her missing husband.

   The handsome new Pastor is established illicitly in Inez’s bed, but sightings of her errant husband begin to surface, along with Inez’s friends’ insistence that she witnessed two men being murdered.  Inez doesn’t know if she can trust her lover and eyes another, who happens to be a railroad man.

From the web:

Ann Parker was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her younger years were spent in Carrizozo, New Mexico, trying to keep up with her two older siblings, Carrie and Wayland. They told her she could only tag along “if she could keep up.”. Her fear of being left out created a strong determination in her formative years.

   Ann Parker is a science writer by day and fiction writer at night. Her award-winning Silver Rush mystery series, published by Poisoned Pen Press (a Sourcebooks imprint), is set primarily in 1880s Colorado, and more recently in San Fransisco.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Iron ties: a silver rush mystery DB106104

Parker, Ann. Reading time: 10 hours, 32 minutes.

Read by Dolly Lewis.

Historical Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Western Stories

The railroad is coming to Leadville. Despite the townspeople’s excitement, Inez worries that the lawlessness of Leadville will turn to murder once more. Then her friend, photographer Susan Carothers, gets caught in the deadly crossfire of competing railroad lines. Sequel to Silver Lies (DB 106103). Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2006.

Download Iron ties: a silver rush mystery

Kate’s 2¢: “Silver Lies” by Ann Parker

“Silver Lies” by Ann Parker

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   The promised mystery, dective, and western flavor are all present in this novel about a beautiful, intelligent, and determined woman in a semi-wild town. She is a saloon owner, partnered with a gentle giant of a black man and her missing husband.

   Enters the new pastor of the church, thus the mystery and deception begins, not to mention the romance.

   I enjoyed this story, so I also down-loaded the sequel.

From the web:

Ann Parker was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her younger years were spent in Carrizozo, New Mexico, trying to keep up with her two older siblings, Carrie and Wayland. They told her she could only tag along “if she could keep up.”. Her fear of being left out created a strong determination in her formative years.

   Ann Parker is a science writer by day and fiction writer at night. Her award-winning Silver Rush mystery series, published by Poisoned Pen Press (a Sourcebooks imprint), is set primarily in 1880s Colorado, and more recently in San Fransisco.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Silver lies: a Silver Rush mystery DB106103

Parker, Ann. Reading time: 14 hours, 14 minutes.

Read by Emily Pike Stewart.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Western Stories

In the Rocky Mountain boomtown of Leadville, the body of precious-metals assayer Joe Rose is found behind Inez’s saloon. Most of the town dismisses the death as an accident, but when Joe’s widow asks Inez to settle Joe’s affairs, Inez uncovers more than she bargained for. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2003.

Download Silver lies: a Silver Rush mystery

Kate’s 2¢: “Deep: freediving, renegade science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves” by James Nestor

“Deep: freediving, renegade science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves” by James Nestor

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   This was one of the stories the NLS included on a cartridge with six other books on it, so I read this story. My initial thought was that this dude was fairly shallow, kind of trying to be like “The Paper Tiger”, where he wants to do something so he can write about it.

   Nestor’s purpose for experiencing deep diving is more than a guy trying to prove he’s a macho man. While he graphically describes what happens to those who don’t spend years training to do competitive deep-diving, which  can be tragic, his point is that deep-diving is more about the total emersion of reconnecting with our actual origins that began in the deep trenches where the steam vents arise from the ocean floor.

   I enjoyed his various adventures with the scientists in submersibles and swimming with the animals in the waters of the world, as he trained to become his own personal submersible.

James Nestor – Wikipedia

Nestor was born in Tustin, California, a suburb in Orange County. He described his upbringing as “ lower-upper-middle class. ” Nestor was the youngest of two siblings.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Nationality: American

Notable works: Breath (2020), Deep (2014)

Occupation: Science journalist, Sports journalist

From NLS/BARB/LOC:

Deep: freediving, renegade science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves DB105278

Nestor, James Reading time: 7 hours, 40 minutes.

Sports and Recreation

Nature and the Environment

Author of Breath (DB 99870) illuminates the culture and science of freediving, which is descending to great depths in the ocean on a single breath of air. Explores skills exhibited by marine life which humans can emulate, including echolocation and directional sense. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2014.

Download Deep: freediving, renegade science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves DB105278

Kate’s 2¢: “Caroline” by Adrian Spratt

“Caroline” by Adrian Spratt

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

A few take-aways:

— This writing course is about creativity, but, it is also about technicalities.  I don’t over-look grammatical and spelling errors.

— I, alone, was subjected to the demoralizing request to have my briefs reviewed.

— I felt ambivalent about being praised for tasks everyone else took for granted.

— I took satisfaction in proving blindness was surmountable.

— Charity comes with self-improvement advice.

— If a lawyer doesn’t check his spelling, he won’t check his facts either.

— The andante was pretty and touched the heart. The tragedy was grim and gouged the soul.

— I can’t isolate when my sight went from some to none.

— a medical condition called retinitis pigmentosa gradually causes me to go blind

— I felt marginalized in a world where a picture speaks a thousand words

— I’d heard about goosing, but, didn’t know anything more about it that high school pranks, causing merriment among the gooser and distress in the goosee.

— Blindness doesn’t preclude parenthood.

— We’re all shaped by our closest relationships.

— Independence is never pure.

— What distinguishes disability is that it can prevent doing an activity on one’s own what others take for granted.

   I enjoyed listening to this NLS recorded book. I experienced many of the issues the author mentioned in his narrative and can appreciate how the computer has greatly enhanced what blind people can now do on their own.

   The prologue confused me, until I finished the story and went back to listen to it. I realized that the prologue seemed to be a foreshadowing of the author’s narrative.

   John Lescault did a good job of reading this story. Thank you.

From the web:

I wondered if Spratt is blind:  To accuse a work or its author of cultural appropriation can be to censor a possibly sincere attempt to celebrate fellow human beings. The same can apply to claims of disability appropriation. In my view, the focus should be on countering it, not

   A lawyer can hardly resist an opportunity for a disclaimer or two. No statement on this website constitutes or is intended as legal advice. Also, resemblance of any person, living or otherwise, to any of my fictional characters is strictly coincidental. Even in my nonfiction, names have been changed and biographical details altered, and often traits of several people are combined into a single character. The exceptions, apart from myself, are inescapably my parents and brother, and I can only hope I’ve done them justice. Any other exceptions are noted.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Caroline DB106936

Spratt, Adrian. Reading time: 9 hours, 11 minutes.

Read by John Lescault.

Suspense Fiction

Young, blind lawyer Nick Coleman meets free spirit Caroline Sedlak in an evening fiction-writing course. He is fascinated by her, even when he realizes there’s a darker past beneath her happy-go-lucky exterior. Nick must confront his own demons as he proves himself to his colleagues. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2021.

Downloaded: April 15, 2022

Download Caroline

Kate’s 2¢: “Who moved my cheese?: an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life” by Spencer Johnson

“Who moved my cheese?: an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life” by Spencer Johnson

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Characters: Mice Sniff and Scurry; little people: Hem and Haw

Writings on the wall:

— Having cheese makes you happy

— If you do not change, you can become extinct.

— What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

— Smell the cheese often, so you know when it’s getting old.

— Movement in a new direction, helps you find new cheese

— When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.

— Imagining new cheese, before I find it, leads me to it.

— The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.

— Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese

— When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course.

— Noticing small changes early, help you to adapt to the bigger changes that will come.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

spencerjohnson.com

Spencer Johnson was born in Watertown, South Dakota,[3] graduated from Notre Dame High School of Sherman Oaks, California, in 1957,[1] received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in 1963,[4] and his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Johnson lived in Hawaii and New Hampshire. He was employed by the Harvard Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.[5] He died in San Diego on July 3, 2017 at the age of 78.[6]]

   Patrick Spencer Johnson (November 24, 1938 – July 3, 2017) was an American physician and author. He was known for the ValueTales series of children’s books, and for his 1998 self-help book Who Moved My Cheese?, which recurred on the New York Times Bestseller list, on the Publishers Weekly Hardcover nonfiction list. Johnson was the chairman of Spencer Johnson Partners.[2]

   Johnson wrote the book “Yes” or “No”: The Guide to Better Decisions (1992).

He co-authored the One Minute Manager series of books with management writer Ken Blanchard, though each author has added their own books to the series.

Johnson’s last book, Out of the Maze, is a sequel to Who Moved My Cheese that references Johnson’s struggle with cancer (which ultimately ended with his death in 2017) and was published posthumously in 2018.[7]

Johnson’s books have been translated into twenty-six languages.[8]

NLS/BARD/LOC:

Who moved my cheese?: an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life DB49513

Johnson, Spencer Reading time: 1 hour, 18 minutes.

Jack Fox A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Psychology and Self-Help

Bestsellers

Dr. Johnson, coauthor of The One Minute Manager (DB 18672), presents a parable about two mice and two tiny people searching through a maze for cheese. Their behaviors illustrate how different personality types react to change. The author explains why we all should embrace having our cheese moved. Bestseller. 1998.

Download Who moved my cheese?: an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life DB49513

 Kate’s 2¢: “Verity” by Colleen Hoover

“Verity” by Colleen Hoover

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Very well done and really had me going, even after I’d finished the book. I’d never heard of the special technique the editor suggested to Verity, but, wow!

– IMDb Mini Biography By: S. Castillo

Colleen Hoover’s first novel, Slammed, was self-published in January, 2012. It hit the NYT a few months later, followed by the sequel, Point of Retreat. She then signed both novels with Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. She self-published her third novel, Hopeless. It was the first self-published title to hit #1 on the NYT and became Amazon’s top selling self-published title of the year. She has since signed released seven novels with Atria Books, all hitting the NYT bestsellers list. Two of Colleen’s novels, Confess and It Ends With Us, won the 2015 and 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for best romance, consecutively. Confess was then picked up by Awestruck as a series for go90 and is now streaming online.

From NLS/BARD/LOC                      :

Verity DB106208

Hoover, Colleen; Johansson, Vanessa Reading time: 8 hours, 12 minutes.

Amy Landon

Suspense Fiction

Family

Romance

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer who accepts a job offer from the husband of injured author Verity Crawford to complete the remaining books in her successful series. Going through Verity’s papers, she uncovers an unfinished autobiography Verity never meant anyone to see. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

Download Verity DB106208

Kate’s 2¢: “Truth in advertising:,  “Talk to me a novel”, “Love poems: for married people” by John Kenney

“Truth in advertising:,  “Talk to me a novel”, “Love poems: for married people” by John Kenney

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   I received “Love poems: (for married people)”  by John Kenney automatically from the NLS, so, I read it. I suspect you’d call the hard copy a slim volume of poems for married people. Although these days, one need not be married to appreciate the humor in the poems. The problem is that humor is such a personal, subjective thing.

   One man’s humor may be another man’s sick joke. Some of these poems I found more snarky than funny; however, I was happy to know he made up the ones that seem to directly refer to his wife.

   I down-loaded “Truth in advertising”. It  seemed a bit too long for whatever it was trying to do in the beginning; but, Ray Hagen did a great job of narrating the novel. Once Finbar got to Cape Cod, I started to relax and enjoy the humor and recognize the subplots being woven into the main narrative arc. Finbar’s quick wit and thought processes sucked me in deeper and more meaningfully into his life. The growing knowledge of what shaped his life and the lives of his three siblings; how each of them reacted to their parents and each other; the, well, by the end of the book, I was thoughtful about my own family relationships and awed by the ways the author wielded his craft  of writing.

   I also down-loaded “Talk to  Me”.

From the WEB:

   John Kenney has worked as a copywriter in New York City for seventeen years. He has also been a contributor to The New Yorker magazine since 1999. Some of his work appears in a collection of The New Yorker’ s humor writing, Disquiet, Please! He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit ByJohnKenney.com.

John Kenney has 40 books on Goodreads with 13021 ratings. John Kenney’s most popular book is Truth in Advertising.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Love poems: (for married people) DB94586

Kenney, John. Reading time: 50 minutes.

Read by Jeff Allin.

Marriage and Sex

Poetry

Collection of humorous poems about married life. Topics include relationships with in-laws, attending workplace holiday parties, household chores, parenting, and therapy. Strong language. 2018.

Talk to me: a novel DB93765

Kenney, John. Reading time: 9 hours, 6 minutes.

Read by Robert Petkoff.

Human Relations

TV news anchor Ted Grayson loses his job and good reputation when his profanity-laced tirade is caught on camera. Even before the scandal Ted was estranged from his daughter Franny, but now Franny’s boss at the website where she works is pressuring her to interview Ted. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Truth in advertising DB76481

Kenney, John. Reading time: 11 hours, 55 minutes.

Read by Ray Hagen.

Humor

Family

Lost and lonely Finbar, a New York advertising writer, cancels his Christmas plans for a last-minute assignment. Then his older brother calls to say that their long-lost dad is deathly ill. Going home to Boston forces Fin to reevaluate his choices. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2013.

Kate’s 2¢: “A briefer history of time” by  Stephen Hawking; Leonard Mlodinow

“A briefer history of time” by  Stephen Hawking; Leonard Mlodinow

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   “   A brief history of time: from the big bang to black holes” by Stephen Hawking was available on-line, but I chose to down-load “A briefer history of time” by  Stephen Hawking; Leonard Mlodinow.

   I enjoyed reading these theories and the science behind them, but, I can’t say I’ll remember all of the implications or that I understood all that they discussed. It did; however,  give me points to ponder. 

From LeonardMlodinow.com:

   Leonard Mlodinow is a theoretical physicist and author, recognized for groundbreaking discoveries in physics, and as the author of five best-selling books. His book The Grand Design, co-authored with Stephen Hawking, reached #1 on the New York Times best-seller list; his book Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, won the 2013 PEN/E.O. Wilson award for literary science writing; and his book The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives was chosen as a New York Times notable book, and short-listed for the Royal Society book award. Dr. Mlodinow is also known through his many public lectures and media appearances on programs such ranging from Morning Joe, to Through the Wormhole, and for debating Deepak Chopra on ABC’s Nightline.

   Dr. Mlodinow was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. Both of his parents were holocaust survivors.

From the web:

Stephen Hawking was a British scientist, professor and author who performed groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and whose books helped to make science accessible to everyone. At age 21, while studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aug 21 201

From NLS/BARD/LOC;

A briefer history of time DB60679

Hawking, Stephen; Mlodinow, Leonard. Reading time: 4 hours, 22 minutes.

Read by Erik Davies. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Astronomy and Astronautics

An updated and more accessible version of A Brief History of Time (DB 26996). Emphasizes the concept of a dynamic cosmos, incorporating scientific knowledge from research and space exploration–by the Hubble Space telescope and satellites–not available in the previous, 1988 publication. Commercial audiobook. 2005.

A brief history of time: from the big bang to black holes DB26996

Hawking, Stephen. Reading time: 5 hours, 51 minutes.

Read by Bob Butz. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Science and Technology

Bestsellers

The famous theoretical physicist, affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease since graduate school, is best known for his inquiries into the nature of black holes. This work recaps modern physicists’ attempts to understand how and why the universe exists. Hawking claims that these attempts reach ever closer to a single theory that, if complete and convincing, would enable us “to know the mind of God.” Bestseller.

Download A brief history of time: from the big bang to black holes