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Little, Brown Spark (Audiobook Excerpts)

Learning 16

On sale March 18th, 2025

Practical wisdom and holistic planning to ease life's most difficult transition, from an acclaimed hospice nurse, death doula, and end-of-life educator

Many of us have to show up for someone we love at the end of life. Knowing how to do that changes everything. With over twenty years of experience as a hospice nurse, palliative care professional, and founder of the Doulagivers Institute, Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN has trained more than 350,000 people in what can be done to help the dying person, caregiver and other loved ones so they may move through each stage with as much comfort and ease as possible.

In The Good Death, O’Brien provides a comprehensive plan and the empowering knowledge to make a beautiful, sacred, and profound experience for everyone involved. Through practical advice, emotional support, and expert insights, O’Brien gently holds your hand through every aspect of the process, including:

· Learning how fear of death makes end of life harder, and how we can begin to quell it
· Care instructions to ensure your loved one’s comfort
· Support system strategies to avoid burnout as a caregiver

To further empower you in facilitating a good death, the second half of the book is presented workbook-style. The Peace of Mind Planner features prompts to initiate important conversations with your loved one about their physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual preferences, and space to record this important information. The planner allows you to be fully present in these last precious moments, and come away with a thorough plan for your loved one’s end-of-life wishes. With empathy and a careful approach, The Good Death is not only a comprehensive, compassionate, and in-depth resource, it is a beacon of hope and support.

The Good Death By Suzanne B. O’Brien (Audiobook Excerpt)

Welcome to diaspora diaries, a brand new podcast by the Sarah Parker Remond Centre. Hosts Stephanie and Awa, MA students at the SPRC, explore the question “what does the diaspora have to say?” in a world which is constantly making things difficult for them. In Stephanie's and Awa's words: "We are here to deep dive and put our degree to good use. Diaspora diaries is about personhood and identity, about education and career, about friendships and intimacy. Basically, it's just about two girls from the African diaspora trying to negotiate with this world. We'll be drawn on politics, literature, history, pop culture, and thinkers like Audre Lorde, Mame-Fatou Niang and even a touch of Paul Gilroy to help us explore how our past shapes our present, and how we, in turn, navigate it. As this podcast progresses, you'll hear from scholars, students, poets and other voices. So, heads up, we are not the voice of the people, nor are we the voice of reason. We just want to share our thoughts with you and invite you to partake in our discussion. So, sit back, grab a drink or two, and maybe a journal, because this is diaspora diaries."

Introduction to Diaspora Diaries: A Student-led SPRC Project

In this first episode, Awa and Stephanie delve into the concept of black excellence, the challenges of imposter syndrome, and the importance of recognising and leveraging their cultural backgrounds as strengths.

Diaspora Diaries Episode 1: Black Excellence and the Impostor Syndrome

Venezuela has the longest Caribbean coastline of any nation, and yet the vibrant African musical heritage thriving along that coast has been largely ignored by the nation’s media and music industry, and remains under-recognized internationally. Hugo Chávez Frías was Venezuela’s first president with acknowledged African heritage and during his regime, Afro-Venezuelan culture achieved greater participation in the national life of this petroleum-rich nation. His rise triggered intense self-examination of Venezuela’s stark social and ethnic divisions, and a cultural renaissance as well. In this program, ethnomusicologist T.M. Scruggs, a veteran of extensive Afro-Caribbean field research, guides us through the history and music behind the present upsurge in Afro-Venezuelan consciousness. Produced by Simon Rentner.

The Rise of Afro-Venezuelan Music in the Hugo Chavez Era

Brought to you by Penguin.

'It's time we told our story too. The melanin speaks for itself.' - George the Poet

Part of a Story That Started Before Me is an extraordinary new collection of poems chosen by acclaimed spoken-word performer and social commentator George the Poet.

Taking readers on a thought-provoking poetical journey through Black British history, the anthology brings together some of the most exciting wordsmiths from across the diaspora and fascinating era-by-era notes from historian Dr Christienna Fryar.

From Africans in Roman Britannia to the first Black actor to play Othello on stage, from Malcolm X's visit to the West Midlands to highlighting an organizer of the UK's first Gay Pride, this important collection reveals unsun people and events from our past to recognize the intrinsic impact they've had on Britain today.

Featuring: Abi Simms, Adesayo Talabi, AFLO. the poet, Amina Jama, Anu Balofin, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Becksy Becks, Benjamin Zephaniah, Bridget Minamore, Cara Thompson, Casey Bailey, Deanna Rodger, Derek Walcott, Dorothea Smartt, Dzifa Benson, Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Eno Mfon, Evan the Poet, Fred D'Aguiar, FULAANI onda 3s, George The Poet, Grace Nichols, Henry Stone, Highwater Ell aka Elliott Henry, Ife Grillo, Inua Ellams, Irenosen Okojie, Isaiah Hull, Jade LB, Jeffrey Boakye, Jenny Mitchell, Jeremiah Brown, John Agard, Joseph Coelho, Jude Yawson, Kat Francois, Keith Jarrett, Kelechi Okafor, M. NourbeSe Philip, Malika Booker, Michael Groce, Miles Chambers, Muneera Pilgrim, Nick Makoha, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Nile Faure-Bryan, Olaudah Equiano, Olivette Otele, Patience Agbabi, Peter deGraft-Johnson aka The Repeat Beat Poet, Phillis Wheatley, Priss Nash, Rakaya Fetuga, Raymond Antrobus, Reece Williams, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasha, Samuel King, Sophia Thakur, Stretch the Top Boy, Thembe Mvula, Theresa Lola, Tré Ventour, Vanessa Kisuule, Wretch 32 and Zena Edwards.  

©2023 Curated by George the Poet (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Part of a Story That Started Before Me: Poems about Black British History, chosen by George the Poet, introduced by Christienna Fryar

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Narrated by Adrian Bliss, featuring the voices of Beth Rylance, Sebastian Humphreys and Kristin Atherton.

History belongs to the heroes. But to get the full story, sometimes you have to ask the side characters.

The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Henry VIII and Queen Victoria fill bookshelves and fascinate scholars all over the world. But little attention is given to the ferret who posed for the renaissance master, the servant who oversaw the Tudor’s toilet time, or the famous horse who thrilled the miserable old monarch.

These supporting cast members have been waiting in the wings for too long, and Adrian Bliss thinks it’s high time they join their glory-hogging contemporaries in the spotlight. Fortunately, - thanks to some recently discovered ancient complaint letters, court transcripts and memoirs in bottles - now they can.

Equal parts fascinating and hilarious, The Greatest Nobodies of History is a surreal love letter to life’s forgotten heroes featuring hitherto undocumented accounts from Ancient Greece to the frontlines of the Great Emu War.

All that follows really happened, and some of it could even be true...

© Adrian Bliss 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

The Greatest Nobodies of History: Minor Characters from Major Moments, written and read by Adrian Bliss

On sale April 01, 2025

Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And Why Resilience Alone Isn't Enough)

This new roadmap for stressed-out strivers reveals the surprising limits of resilience and offers a second skillset for overcoming life’s greatest challenges.

Are you working too much but feel like it’s never enough? Have you turned the act of pretending you’re “fine” into an art form? Have your best coping tools stopped working the way they used to, leaving you feeling tapped out and teetering on the edge?

We’ve been taught that resilience is the secret to navigating life’s most difficult moments. According to New York Times bestselling author and organizational psychologist Dr. Tasha Eurich, there is just one problem with this assumption. Scientifically, resilience isn’t an unlimited resource, especially with the growing pressure, uncertainty, and chaos we’re experiencing today. But what if, instead of merely “bouncing back” from stressors and setbacks, we could harness them for forward growth?

SHATTERPROOF offers an urgent alternative approach to quiet endurance as the only strategy for surviving tough times. Drawing on decades of research, fascinating stories, and insights from her own struggle with a life-defining health crisis, Eurich will smash your beliefs about what it takes to thrive through adversity, offering a fresh, scientifically supported system to help readers:

Recognize the specific stressors that uniquely trigger us

Identify the unmet needs that keep us stuck in self-limiting patterns

Replace self-limiting patterns with those that fulfill our deepest human needs

Turn stress into strength, exhaustion into energy, and confusion into confidence

Find peace in the present and be prepared for what the future holds

And much more

When we embark on this journey, we learn that the things that break us can also uniquely remake us—paving the way to feel better, do better, and live better than ever before. That is what it means to become shatterproof.

Shatterproof By Tasha Eurich (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale April 8th, 2025

The first book to unmask the hidden face of depression. If you look fine on the outside but don't feel fine on the inside, learn five tools to break the cycle of High Functioning Depression and experience more joy in your life.

Many of us experience periods in our lives when something feels “off”: when we struggle to find joy in happy moments, and take little pleasure in things we used to enjoy. We might be motivated and productive at work, pulling our weight at home, and conducting a normal social life—but behind that façade we are barely surviving, and certainly not thriving.

We're all familiar with what depression can look like, but there's another, lesser‑known face to this illness. High functioning depression (HFD) doesn't conform to the image of depression that typically comes to mind. As a result, people with HFD often have no idea why they are suffering, or what to do about it.

In High Functioning, Dr. Judith Joseph reveals that what we’re feeling is not simply “negativity” or stress. Drawing on original research, client cases, and her personal experience with HFD, Dr. Judith radically shifts the way those of us with HFD see ourselves, and empowers us with five simple tools to reclaim our lives from this widespread yet poorly understood condition.
 
 By following her 5 V's - validation, venting, values, vision, and vitals - we can wake up happier, find more satisfaction in our relationships, and feel better in the present while also looking forward to the future.

Listen Here

High Functioning By Judith Joseph, Read By Judith Joseph and Mel Robbins (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 6th, 2025

“Britain’s top dog whisperer” (The Observer) answers your every question (even the ones you didn’t know to ask) about raising a happy, healthy, well-adjusted dog.

Wouldn't you love to know what your dog was thinking?

The truth is that your dog is communicating with you all the time. But unless you know the signs, you aren't picking up on what your dog wants you to know.

Acclaimeddog behaviorist and trainer Louise Glazebrook invites you into your dog's inner world. In these pages, you won’t learn how to discipline your dog into submission, or train your dog to obey your every command. Instead, you’ll find compassionate, sensible advice on topics ranging from socializing and body language, to nutrition and exercise, to responding to behavioral issues in ways that honor your dog’s unique personality and needs.

Whether you just welcomed a new puppy into the family, are acclimating an adult rescue to its "forever home," or want to improving life for your senior dog in his golden years, The Book Your Dog Wishes You Would Read -will equip you with the skills and confidence to enjoy deeper, life-long bonds with the dog you love..

The Book Your Dog Wishes You Would Read By Louise Glazebrook (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 6th, 2025

Read by Jefferson Mays, Hallie Ricardo, and Claire Christie

The essential guide to writing a winning college admissions essay, from America’s favorite writing coach.

Most high school students never have received any instruction in how to write a personal essay. Yet at a time when getting admitted to their dream college is more competitive than ever, the admissions essay may turn out to be the single most important thing they will ever write. The stakes are high.
 
In Writing Tools for the College Essay, veteran journalist and writing coach Roy Peter Clark
shows how any student can showcase their unique achievements, intellect, and attributes to stand
out from the crowd.
 
Packed with nearly two dozen remarkable essay examples and 100 digestible essay writing tips that students can carry with them throughout their careers, this is the essential guide every high school student, parent, and teacher needs.
 
Readers will learn:
- How to select your writing prompt
- The key elements of a compelling story
- How to master the art of the riveting detail
- What it means to write with an authentic voice
- How to “grab readers by the throat”
- The power of reading one’s work aloud
- The rules of honest writing (including whether to use AI tools)
- Tips for revising (and re-revising) your masterpiece
- and much more

Writing Tools for the College Admissions Essay By Roy Peter Clark (Audiobook Excerpt)

Grammy-winning audiobook publisher. Authors include James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Michael Connelly. Earbuds encouraged. Follow us on Twitter at @HachetteAudio.