Adult DAISY Audio Books and Online Digital Audio - Non-fiction

• Biography
• Business
• Crime
• Essays
• Health
• History
• Law
• Music
• Native People (Non-fiction)
• Personal Finance
• Poetry
• Political Science
• Religion (Christian)
• Religions (other than Christian)
• Science
• Self-Help Books
• Social Problems
• Sports & Recreation
• Travel and Culture in Canada
• War

Biography

DC27568
The survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House by John F. Harris.
1 disc. Narrated by Lionel Steiman.
Washington Post reporter assesses former president Clinton's strengths and weaknesses during his two terms (1993-2001) in office. Relates anecdotes that capture the politician's nature and White House operations. Portrays Clinton as a centrist whose personal recklessness prevented him from accomplishing all of his goals. Bestseller. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2005.

DC24651
Compass points: how I lived by Edward Hoagland.
1 disc. Narrated by Ted Stoddard.
A prolific nature writer's autobiographical essays. In "In the Country of the Blind," Hoagland explores social and biblical notions of blindness and describes the loss and surgical restoration of his eyesight. Remembers teachers John Berryman and Archibald MacLeish and joining the circus at eighteen. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. c2001.

DC19741
Come from away: memory, war, and the search for a family's past by David Macfarlane.
1 disc. Narrated by Bryon Johnsen.
In a series of short vignettes about the Goodyear family in Newfoundland, the author provides a humorous and poignant biography. In doing so, he also gives an insight into people who live in one of Canada's unique maritime provinces. 1991.

DC34031
In spite of myself: a memoir by Christopher Plummer.
1 disc. Narrated by John Shaw.
Plummer writes of his early acting days - on radio and stage with William Shatner and other fellow Canadians; the early days of the Stratford Festival; his Broadway debut; joining Peter Hall's Royal Shakespeare Company; his first movie; and The Sound of Music, which he affectionately dubs "S&M." He also writes about his legendary colleagues, such as Dame Judith Anderson, Sir Tyrone Guthrie, and Olivier. Some descriptions of sex. 2008.

DC24121
Lenin--a biography by Robert Service.
1 disc. Narrated by Michael Scherer.
Oxford historian investigates the life of Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, who, as V.I. Lenin, became one of the principal architects of twentieth-century Communism. Using archival material opened after the Soviet Union's collapse, the author chronicles Lenin's comfortable childhood, revolutionary beginnings, and exile, and the eventual triumph of his Bolshevik party. 2000.

DC30399
Beautiful shadow: a life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson.
1 disc. Narrated by Angela Willson.
Biography of critically acclaimed suspense author Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995), whose works include the psychopathic Tom Ripley character. Uses her private diaries and assorted interviews to portray the psychologically complex gay woman. Presents Highsmith as having an unpleasant personality and describes her creative process and family secrets. Edgar Award. Some descriptions of sex, descriptions of violence. 2003.

Business

DC28503
A thousand barrels a second: the coming oil break point and the challenges facing an energy dependent world by Peter Tertzakian.
1 disc. Narrated by Nicole Nakoneshny.
The coming oil "break point" is the next 5 to 10 years, during which rising oil prices and market volatility will force structural changes in how we extract and expend energy. Both a chronicle of previous break points and their consequences - including the shifts from whale oil to kerosene lighting, coal- to oil-fuelled navies, and steam to electric engines - and a carefully considered economic analysis of our present conundrum, this book offers no magic-bullet solution to the increasingly uncomfortable primacy of petroleum as the world's fuel of choice. 2006.

Crime

DC16244
Mindhunter: inside the FBI's elite serial crime unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.
1 disc. Narrated by Barry Bernson.
Douglas, who pioneered criminal profiling, gives an inside account of the FBI's elite Investigative Support Unit. He recounts some of his most famous cases and describes various tactics used to identify and prosecute serial criminals. Violence, descriptions of sex, and some strong language. 1995.

DC13671
Invisible darkness by Stephen Williams.
1 disc. Narrated by Peter Miller.
The author chronicles the case of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, from Bernardo's crimes as the Scarborough Rapist to their arrest for the murders of three young women, including Homolka's sister. Using court documents and interviews with people involved in the cases and others who knew the couple, Williams presents their backgrounds and character, the police hunt and the evidence, and Homolka's deal with the Crown. Warning: Contains graphic scenes of sexual violence. Strong language, descriptions of violence and explicit descriptions of sex. 1996.

Essays

DC25235
At home and abroad by V. S. Pritchett.
1 disc. Narrated by William Samples.
These essays of the novelist and critic cover his travels to South and North America, most of Western Europe and Great Britain over a forty year period. His observations of landscape and human nature illuminate the social and political insights he offers en route. It includes 8 short pieces written in the 1920's on the poor whites of Appalachia. 1990, c1989.

Health

DC31813
Heart smart: a cardiologist's 5-step plan for detecting, preventing, and even reversing heart disease by Matthew S. DeVane.
1 disc. Narrated by Peter Saxton.
An owner's manual for the heart for anyone who has been diagnosed with heart disease or who wants to prevent it. Explores the warning signs of a heart attack; the "Big Five" killers: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle; and stress tests. Also explains how to determine your personal risk factors, 101 things you can do to prevent a heart attack, and nutrition, dieting, heart-healthy superfoods, and supplements. c2006.

DC31836
After cancer treatment: heal faster, better, stronger by Julie K. Silver.
1 disc. Narrated by Clair Galea.
Physician-director of an oncology rehabilitation program and breast cancer survivor draws on scientific data and her own personal experience to create guidelines for having a successful post-treatment experience. Discusses exercise, diet, fatigue, pain management, mental health, spirituality, relationships, and alternative medicine. Includes questions that patients should ask their physicians. 2006.

History

DC21468
Germany: a new history by Hagen Schulze ; translated by Deborah Lucas Schneider.
1 disc. Narrated by Lewis Grenville.
Two thousand years in the history of Germany, from the time of the Roman Empire until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Describes efforts to forge common bonds among diverse peoples and to instill national pride. Concludes with speculation about the future of the reunited country. 1998.

Law

DC33817
Canadian charter of rights and freedoms: excerpt from the Constitution Act, 1982 by Canada. The Department of Justice.
1 disc. Narrated by Kathleen Miller.
The text of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, part of the Constitution Act of 1982. 1993, c1982.

Music

DC29370
Folk songs of Canada: piano/vocal edition volume 2 [compiled by] Edith Fulton Fowke and Richard Johnston.
1 disc. Narrated by Jillian Rees Brown.
A treasury of 77 Canadian folk songs. Authentic songs of fishermen, farmers, soldiers, voyageurs, pioneers and the early settlers of Canada. Companion to "Volume 1" (DC21996). c1967. (The Waterloo folk songs of Canada series)

DC24740
Blackbird singing: poems and lyrics, 1965-1999 by Paul McCartney ; edited by Adrian Mitchell.
1 disc. Narrated by Ken Kliban.
This collection of song lyrics and poetry written by Sir Paul McCartney, an original member of the revolutionary rock band the Beatles, was compiled at the suggestion of his late wife, Linda. Includes words to such hits as "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Yellow Submarine," "Yesterday," and "Eleanor Rigby," among others. Introduction by Adrian Mitchell. c2001.

Native People (Non-Fiction)

DC31080
The long exile by Melania McGrath.
1 disc. Narrated by Peggy Mahon.
1953. A young and inexperienced Irish-Canadian policeman, Ross Gibson, was asked by the Canadian government to draw up a list of Inuit who were to be experimentally resettled in the uninhabited polar Arctic and left to fend as best they could. Among them was Joseph Flaherty, the son of Robert Flaherty who had shot the film "Nanook of the North" 30 years earlier. 2006.

Personal Finance

DC33651
The new retirement: how it will change our future by Sherry Cooper.
1 disc. Narrated by Patricia Ross.
Economist Cooper provides financial advice to baby boomers contemplating their retirement. But she also draws from the latest literature in psychology and gerontology to offer counsel on how boomers can live the second half of their adult lives productively and in good health. c2008.

Poetry

DC31100
Hard light by Michael Crummey.
1 disc. Narrated by George Thompson.
Crummey retells and reinvents his father's stories of outport Newfoundland and the Labrador fishery of a half century ago. Speaking through generations of storytellers, he conjures a world of hard toil and heavy weather, shot through with stoicism, grim humour, endurance, and love. Some descriptions of violence. 1998.

Political Science

DC31700
Black mass: apocalyptic religion and the death of utopia by John Gray.
1 disc. Narrated by Gina Clayton.
The views that history progresses toward perfection and the millenarian faith in human salvation are as tenacious as they have proven destructive. Sketching the roots of utopianism, Gray emphasizes the similarities between seemingly disparate movements: radical Islam might best be thought of as "Islamo-Jacobinism." We must reconcile ourselves to a world of multiple truths and incompatible freedoms, where there is no overarching meaning and human values and desires can never be fully harmonized. Some strong language and some descriptions of violence. 2007.

Religion (Christian)

DC12343
Further along the road less traveled: the unending journey toward spiritual growth ; the edited lectures by M. Scott Peck.
1 disc. Narrated by Harold Roberts.
Explores urgent questions of personal and spiritual growth, including blame and forgiveness, self-love versus self-esteem, death and meaning, and sexuality and spirituality, all from a Christian perspective. Also examines life's complexities and the paradoxical nature of belief. Sequel to "Road less traveled" (DC11190). Followed by "The road less traveled and beyond". c1993.

Religions (other than Christian)

DC24241
The book of miracles: the meaning of the miracle stories in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam by Kenneth L. Woodward.
1 disc. Narrated by Robert O'Keefe.
Author of Making Saints and veteran Newsweek religion writer presents his view that miracles are best understood in the context of a story. Explains the relevance of marvellous deeds in the major world faiths; presents accounts of saints, sages, and revered masters in each of the great traditions. c2000.

Science

DC32660
Green city: people, nature, and urban places by Mary Soderstrom.
1 disc. Narrated by Dvora Levinson.
Examines 11 cities worldwide and concentrates on the intersection of nature and society in the urban environment. Describes how people have tried and often failed to connect with nature throughout history, while retaining a strong optimism for the future. Giving examples for each city, the author weighs the consequences of introducing nature to urban areas and provides recommendations on creating green space in the city. c2006.

Self-Help Books

DC33951
How to stop smoking and stay stopped for good by Gillian Riley.
1 disc. Narrated by Jerome Pride.
Everyone knows how bad smoking is for them, but they just can't seem to give up. If you're really serious about giving up smoking then this is the book that will not only help you to stop, but to stay stopped for good. Gillian Riley's techniques allow you to understand your addiction, take control and break your habit. 2007.

Social Problems

DC32916
A brief history of anxiety (yours & mine) by Patricia Pearson.
1 disc. Narrated by Bev Wise.
Pearson was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at 23. She traces the roots of her anxiety to her youth, when her diplomat father was posted to India during a war, and genetically to a grandmother whose famous biting wit was likely a manifestation of anxiety and depression. She believes that it is anxiety, not fear, that characterizes our age, and offers some answers as to why, and some solutions on dealing with it based on her own personal battles. Some strong language. 2008.

DC30449
One child at a time: the global fight to rescue children from online predators by Julian Sher.
1 disc. Narrated by Brian Kells.
The Internet has helped make child abuse terrifyingly common. The men perpetrating these crimes include lawyers, priests, doctors and politicians, while the police - from a crack image analyst with the Toronto police to an FBI agent who poses as a thirteen-year-old girl online - work desperately to nab the predators. Investigators are using cutting edge tools, turning the technology of the Internet against the perpetrators, as they race to find and rescue the victims. Descriptions of sex and violence. 2007.

Sports & Recreation

DC29977
The northern game: baseball the Canadian way by Bob Elliott.
1 disc. Narrated by Judy Sturrup.
Opening at the 2004 Olympic baseball tournament, where the unheralded Canadian team came within an errant throw of the gold medal game, the author recounts Canada's rich baseball history, from 1838 to 2004, when the top rookie in both major leagues hailed from the Great White North. 2005.

Travel and Culture in Canada

DC32690
Unlikely utopia: the surprising triumph of Canadian pluralism by Michael Adams with Amy Langstaff.
1 disc. Narrated by Gerald Gibson.
Around the world, sectarian tensions divide societies, sometimes erupting into violent confrontation, and some pundits argue that similar convulsions will shake Canada's multicultural foundations. Adams argues that Canadians don't see this as inevitable - rather, they suspect that the world might just be disabused of its "realism" by the success of the Canadian multicultural experiment. By focusing on the more mundane task of helping people of all kinds get along - both materially and socially Canada may prove to be the "experiment" that worked. 2007.

War

DC31288
The occupation of Iraq: winning the war, losing the peace by Ali A. Allawi.
1 disc. Narrated by Ann Saunders.
Allawi, in exile for over 30 years, returned in 2003 to serve in the post-war Iraqi government. Although recognizing the deep roots of Iraq's internal strife and the extent to which the American invasion destroyed the fragile equilibrium holding the nation together under Saddam, Allawi emphasizes the more proximate causes of Iraq's decline, cataloguing dozens of missed opportunities and unintended consequences amid a culture of confusion, corruption, and administrative complacency. Some descriptions of violence. c2007.

DC31704
Fifteen days: stories of bravery, friendship, life and death from inside the new Canadian Army by Christie Blatchford.
1 disc. Narrated by Jennifer Dale.
Blatchford has covered the conflict in Afghanistan as an embedded reporter, and provides observations of military life in the twenty-first century. The troops share their accounts of their desire to serve, their willingness to confront fear and danger in the battlefield, their loyalty towards each other and the heartbreak occasioned by the loss of one of their own. Descriptions of sex, explicit descriptions of violence and some strong language. 2007.