Showing results by narrator "Charles Constant" in All Categories

In a quiet suburb of New York City, a mansion on a gated estate houses one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the United States - an elite Mafia whose dons belong to the finest families that the WASP establishment has to offer. Millions of dollars flow in and out of 19 Purchase Street, toted by bagmen who gladly risk everything to share in the syndicate's profits. Nothing disrupts operations - until a courier gets a dangerous idea.

Once, when I was young and stupid, I had that boy. The charmer, the Adonis, the one who torched every woman's panties in our small town. He was my brother's best friend, practically part of the family. When he proposed, he promised me forever. Then the bastard disappeared without a word. It's taken five years to get over Ryan. I drowned myself crying a thousand times over. I moved on. I'm finally remembering what it's like to smile, when guess who shows up? Everything about him is different. For one, he's become a freakin' billionaire

I'm a magnet for evil and controlling men. Chase, my big business tycoon and love of my life, thinks he can protect me, but he can't. No one can. It became clear far too late how serious my stalker was, that his threats weren't idle. He proved more than once that he would do what it takes, that there were no stakes too high for his sick and twisted games and delusions of worship. We should have been better prepared.

In this timely new book, Manhattan Institute legal scholar Copland discusses how unelected actors have assumed control of the American republic - and where we need to go to chart a corrective course.

Grandiosity and exaggerated self-worth. Pathological lying. Manipulation. Lack of remorse. Shallowness. Exploitation for financial gain. These are the qualities of Almost Psychopaths. They are not the deranged criminals or serial killers who might be coined "psychopaths" in the movies or on TV. They are spouses, coworkers, bosses, neighbors, and people in the news who exhibit many of the same behaviors as a full-blown psychopath, but with less intensity and consistency.

The smog beast wafted into downtown Los Angeles on July 26, 1943. Nobody knew what it was. Secretaries rubbed their eyes. Traffic cops seemed to disappear in the mysterious haze. Were Japanese saboteurs responsible? A reckless factory? The truth was much worse - it came from within, from Southern California's burgeoning car-addicted, suburban lifestyle. Smogtown is the story of pollution, progress, and how an optimistic people confronted the epic struggle against airborne poisons barraging their hometowns.

Bestselling true crime writer and criminologist Christopher Berry-Dee turns his attention to a new kind of victim: the wives and partners of serial murderers who remained unaware of exactly who they had fallen for until after their other half's arrest or, in some cases, conviction. When finding out the truth, these innocents have to face the grim reality of betrayal and deceit and often experience guilt for not having recognized the killer in their home.

Allison and James Price move to the navy-blue forests of Concordia, Idaho, hoping to leave behind the chaos of Los Angeles and the painful memories of his indiscretions. Once settled in the picturesque town, where time seems to have stalled and life moves at a slower pace, their six-year-old daughter, Reagan, befriends a mysterious young girl who seems too idyllic to be true with her pressed pinafores and perfectly curled pigtails. One late autumn evening, as their playdate winds down, both girls vanish into thin air.

It is summer 2012. Charlie, a wealthy banker with an uneasy conscience, invites his troubled cousin, Matthew, to visit him and his wife in their idyllic mountaintop house. As the days grow hotter, the friendship between the three begins to reveal its fault lines, and with the arrival of a fourth character, the household finds itself suddenly in the grip of uncontrollable passions.

Noted scientist David P. Barash explores the process by which science has, throughout time, cut humanity "down to size", and how humanity has responded. A good paradigm is a tough thing to lose, especially when its replacement leaves us feeling more vulnerable and less special. And yet, as science has progressed, we find ourselves - like it or not - bereft of many of our most cherished beliefs, confronting an array of paradigms lost. Barash models his argument around a set of "old" and "new" paradigms that define humanity's place in the universe.

When Nick Flynn was 7 years old, his mother set fire to their house. The event loomed large in his imagination for years, but it's only after having a child of his own that he understands why. He returns with his young daughter to the landscape of his youth, reflecting on how his feral childhood has him still in its reins, and forms his memories into lyrical bedtime stories populated by the both sinister and wounded Mister Mann.

Here are three tales of Tarzan at Point Station, a remote English outpost near the Waziri homelands. Set during the advent of World War II, we see more and more European intrusion to the Bolongo River Basin. Tarzan becomes embroiled in increasingly dangerous events as cultures clash.

Cécile, a stylish 47-year-old, has spent the weekend visiting her parents in a provincial town southeast of Paris. By early Monday morning, she's exhausted. These trips back home are always stressful, and she settles into a train compartment with an empty seat beside her. But it's soon occupied by a man she instantly recognizes: Philippe Leduc, with whom she had a passionate affair that ended in her brutal humiliation 30 years ago. In the fraught hour and a half that ensues, their express train hurtles toward the French capital.

The author examines in detail Baum's (1856-1919) many fantastical tales, including The Wizard of Oz, the 13 others he wrote about that magical kingdom, and others, as well as his evolution as a fantasy writer, illuminating in the process his philosophy concerning nature, civilization, and industrialization.

Governor Charlie Baker, one of the most popular governors in the United States, with a reputation for getting things done, wants to put the service back into public service. Results is the much-needed implementation guide for anyone in public service, as well as for leaders and managers in large organizations hamstrung by bureaucracy and politics. With a broad range of examples, Baker, a Republican, and Kadish, a Democrat, show how to move from identifying problems to achieving results in a way that bridges divides instead of exacerbating them. 

When 17-year-old Maddy Pruitt vanishes from her sleepy town, word on the street is that she ran away. The daughter of an abusive alcoholic with a quick temper, she had every reason to leave in search of something better, and everyone who knew Maddy knew the type of company she kept wasn't always ideal. But when a second 17-year-old girl from a local, affluent family turns up missing shortly after Maddy's disappearance, the circumstances become suspicious. 

Unlock Your Potential is a story‑driven, practical guide to turning emotions into fuel, rewiring stubborn patterns, and building unshakable confidence, so you can finally break free from what’s holding you back, achieve your most important goals, and live life on your own terms. Endorsed by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, the world’s leading executive coach, this isn't just theory—it's transformation in action. It's real, relatable, and relentlessly practical, packed with stories that hit home, exercises that stick, and insights that fundamentally change how you show up in the world.

The media and politicians have been sounding the alarm for years, and with every fresh tragedy involving a young perpetrator comes another flurry of articles about the dangers of violent media. The problem is this: Their fear isn't supported by the evidence. In fact, unlike the video game-trained murder machines depicted in the press, school shooters are actually less likely to be interested in violent games than their peers. In reality, most well-adjusted children and teenagers play violent video games, all without ever exhibiting violent behavior in real life.

HansjÖrg Wyss grew up in a working-class family in Switzerland. As a college student in the 1950s, he traveled to the United States for a summer job in Colorado. It was there that he first experienced the majesty of the Grand Canyon and the American West, which forever changed him. As a business leader, Wyss pioneered a medical device company that transformed orthopedic surgery to the benefit of both doctors and patients. It was in business that Wyss developed a groundbreaking approach to problem-solving to create maximum impact.

That's what attorney Kevin C. Bryant, 45, told his two young sons in the spring of 2003. At the time, blond, pretty, 26-year-old Tabatha Bryant was alive and well in an upscale suburb of Rochester, New York. But that was about to change - because Bryant knew his wife was cheating, and he intended to end the affair by ending her life. On June 14, 2003, he called 9-1-1 to report Tabatha slain by an unknown intruder who'd shot her in the eye with a .22 and repeatedly stabbed her in the neck and upper body.