Showing results by narrator "Kim Niemi" in All Categories

Movies under the Influence charts the entangled histories of moviegoing and mind-altering substances from early cinema through the psychedelic 1970s. Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece examines how the parallel trajectories of these two aspects of American culture resulted in them being treated and regulated in similar ways. Rather than looking at drug use within film, she regards cinema and intoxicants as kindred experiences of immersion that have been subject to corresponding forces of ideology and power.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims justice and abundance for the poor. Yet these powerful passages about poverty are frequently overlooked and misinterpreted. Enter the Poor People's Campaign, a movement against racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and religious nationalism. In We Cry Justice, Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the campaign, is joined by pastors, community organizers, scholars, low-wage workers, lay leaders, and people in poverty to interpret sacred stories about the poor seeking healing, equity, and freedom.

Judith Thurman, a prolific staff writer at The New Yorker for more than two decades, has gathered a selection of her essays and profiles in A Left-Handed Woman. They consider our culture in all its guises: literature, history, politics, gender, fashion, and art, though their paramount subject is the human condition. Thurman is one of the preeminent essayists of our time—"a master of vivisection," as Kathryn Harrison wrote in the New York Times. "When she's done with a subject, it's still living, mystery intact."

When Beth Sherman interrupts a break-in at her house, her life changes drastically. When K9 police officer Colby Parker returns to his hometown after years of staying away, he finally must face his feelings concerning the murder of his fiancée. Circumstances throw Beth and Colby together when a person leaves bombs in different public places around Cimarron City. They both have given up on love, but caught up in the dangerous situation, the pair find themselves falling in love. But can it last, especially when Beth is kidnapped?

In The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World, a team of dedicated nonprofit thought leaders delivers a discussion of the information and tools nonprofit staffers and board members need to effectively use artificial intelligence without alienating the human stakeholders and donors on whom they rely.

In the wake of the September 11 terror attacks, the American government implemented a wave of overt policies to fight the nation's enemies. Unseen and undetected by the public, however, another set of tools were brought to bear on the domestic front. One of today's leading experts on the US security state shows how these "subtle tools" imperiled the very foundations of democracy, from the separation of powers and transparency in government to adherence to the Constitution. Karen Greenberg describes the subtle tools that were forged under George W. Bush in the name of security.

For years, Rafiel Trall, one of Goldport's finest, has been walking the fine line between enforcing human law and protecting the shifters who come his way. A lion shifter himself, he's found this duty onerous. Lately, it's been lightened by his friendship with Tom Ormson, a dragon shifter, and Kyrie Smith, a panther shifter. This should make it easier for him to find a solution for the crimes of a feral shifter - but not when an as-yet-unnamed entity takes out the Great Sky Dragon, the head of all dragon shifters.

The left and right will always have strong policy disagreements, but constructive debate and negotiation are not possible when each side demonizes the other. In this book, social psychologist Ronnie Janoff-Bulman provides a new framework for understanding why and how we disagree. Janoff-Bulman asks listeners to consider the challenging possibility that both liberalism and conservatism are morally based and reflect genuine concern for the country. Understanding that our political differences are rooted in two natural forms of morality can help us begin to detoxify our politics.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse can begin a recovery journey informed by accurate understandings, not myths, and empowered by processes that help them thrive. Written for men and women by an author who is herself a survivor, this guide tells the truth about what complex trauma means for your physical and mental health. Listeners will learn how to build key recovery processes into their lives, including grieving, meaning-making, forging healthy connections with others, and finding hope. This guidance is scientifically-based, in findings from positive psychology.

Athena has invited Case Donnelly, recently relocated from Pittsburgh and awaiting his PI license, to accompany her to a Save Our Dunes fundraiser and art festival. And her date proves helpful when the body of a disgraced photographer turns up during a nature walk. The crime - and the photos taken by the dead man - raise a lot of questions about local politics, environmental battles, and the victim's womanizing ways.

Athena Spencer's entire family has been put to work when a big fat Greek wedding rehearsal is booked at the Parthenon. All hands are needed for rolling grape leaves, layering moussaka, and keeping the bride calm. But then the groom goes MIA and there's far more to worry about then just whether Yiayia's lemon rice soup has gone cold. No matter how tangy the tzatziki, everyone's appetite is ruined when the groom is found dead, a pair of scissors planted in his back. Then the bride accuses Athena's sister Selene, a hairstylist, of seducing and stabbing her fiance.

Fall has arrived in the tiny town of Divine, Kansas, and the area residents are gearing up for the annual fall festival including Delta, who is determined to win the baking contest and beat last year's reigning champion. Meanwhile, one of Joanna Pepperdine's Second Chance residents, Sherry Marshall, is hired as a server at Divine Delicatessen. Not everyone is thrilled with the new employee, and soon after, the person tasked with training her is murdered, and Sherry becomes the prime suspect.

In From Survive to Thrive, Dr. Margaret S. Chisolm, a psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, describes a tried-and-true plan to help anyone grappling with life's challenges learn how to flourish. Dr. Chisolm does not define health as the mere absence of illness. She wants you to be able to lead the best life possible - to thrive! Dr. Chisolm provides insight into how listeners can cultivate healthy habits and more positive reactions to life's provocations, choosing not to allow past life circumstances or a disease state to define their well-being.

Sadie Williams receives a cryptic and terrifying call from her scared sister. But when Sadie arrives at her identical twin's home, there's no sign of Katie, only evidence of a quick flight. The puzzling situation turns potentially deadly when intruders storm the house. With help from Brock Carrington, her ex-fiance and an ex-Marine, Sadie narrowly escapes. Brock is an injured veteran dealing with PTSD. He's finally piecing his life back together when his ex-fiancee needs his help. Can Brock reignite their relationship and find her missing twin before they're both killed?

Athena Spencer works with her big Greek-American family (whom she also anonymously blogs about) at their garden center near Lake Michigan. She's also gained a reputation for crime-solving—and that's what brings flower-shop owner and fellow sleuth Abby Knight Salvare to her door . . . Abby has come from Indiana to this Lake Michigan town to help her cousin, Jillian, who was emceeing a local fashion show and now stands accused of murdering one of the models.

A social enterprise is a different kind of business, one that uses a market-driven approach to address a social or environmental problem such as poverty, environmental damage, or resource scarcity, with the dual goals of helping humanity and building a profitable business. With a climate crisis, a growing population, and diminishing natural resources, the need for socially minded innovators is greater than ever. Good Business is designed to be a practical guide and tool for innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers.

Maybe is a simple yet powerful philosophy that has transformed Allison's life, and the life of her many clients (now that she has ditched her legal career and has become a successful life coach). The message is this: In the face of uncertainty, Maybe opens your mind and heart. It creates a little space for hope. It allows you to take a deep breath, stay in the present, and forge your own path.

Developing a novel theory of "partisan-gender identity," Gendering the GOP argues that Republican women in Congress are not merely gender-blind partisans. In fact, polarization and party competition have incentivized Republican women to organize around their partisan-gender identity and distinguish themselves from both Democratic women and Republican men. In so doing, Republican congresswomen have increased their visibility while simultaneously upholding a party culture that limits women's presence and power in the institution.

How do we overcome polarization in American society? How do we advocate for justice when one side won't listen to the other and cycles of outrage escalate? These questions have been pressing for years, but the emergence of a vocal, virulent Christian nationalism has made it even more urgent that we find a way forward. Pamela Cooper-White uncovers the troubling extent of Christian nationalism, explores its deep psychological roots, and discusses ways in which advocates for justice can safely and effectively attempt to talk across the deep divides in our society.

Today's children and teenagers are anxious about many things. For parents, teachers, counselors, and youth leaders longing to understand and help the young people in their lives, When Anxiety Roars unpacks the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that influence anxiety in children and offers specific practical steps to take together to tame that anxiety. Integrating faith with best practices to reduce anxiety, it also teaches coping skills that will help children live more confidently today and into the future.