Showing results by narrator "Al Kessel" in All Categories

How can information on a fictional world be delivered to readers in a way that is natural to the storyline? How can important details be shared without bogging down readers in pages and pages of boring exposition?

This biography of Chester Arthur is a fascinating look at a man who, thrust into the highest political office, exceeded expectations and left a lasting mark on history.

When Turquoise Ranch hand Curly Stevens went into Flagstaff to meet a new employee arriving on the train, his first impression of Rob Barringer is of how big and strong the tenderfoot is. Rob's eagerness to learn and his willingness to take on the most difficult jobs wins everyone over, including ranch foreman Jake Dunford, and Melanie Duford, his beautiful daughter.

In this newly revised and expanded book, Al Janssen takes a fresh look at the exquisite design God has for marriage and brings to light the reasons this union was intended to last a lifetime. The chapters weave real-life stories with great teaching and biblical narratives in order to paint a complete picture of all that marriage can be. Listeners will examine elements such as passion, adventure, and commitment that come together to make up the colors of God's design.

Funeral homes are immediately recognizable features of the American landscape, and yet the history of how these spaces emerged remains largely untold. In Preserved, Dean Lampros uses the history of this uniquely American architectural icon to explore the twentieth century's expanding consumer landscape and reveal how buildings can help construct identities.

Strategy decision making and action used to be off limits to all but the select few at the very top of an organization. It was a largely cerebral activity focused on grand long-terms plans made at annual off-site retreats away from the daily challenges of the business. That is no longer the case. The current business environment does not wait for companies to slowly adjust in an annual meeting. The relentless pace of change renders today's long-term future tomorrow's history. Does this mean strategy is no longer useful, or even feasible? No. Good strategists are needed now more than ever.

Challenging–the word that defines running a business. If you are an owner, manager, or up-and-comer in one of the 30 million small businesses in North America, then this book is for you. I deliver practical approaches to reduce fixed overhead, control escalating expenses, and make your business more profitable in record time.

In Gang Politics, Kristian Williams examines our society's understanding of social and political violence, what gets romanticized, misunderstood, or muddled. He explores the complex intersections between "gangs" of all sorts—cops and criminals, Proud Boys and Antifa, Panthers and skinheads—arguing that government and criminality are intimately related, often sharing critical features.

Psychotherapist and former pastor Eric Minton claims that the pernicious melding of capitalism and Christianity means a world of competition, perfection, and scarcity disguised as self-help and self-care. Rather than shaming, silencing, or medicating away our disappointment at not having obtained the happiness we were promised, however, Minton posits a radical alternative. In an impertinent, droll, yet pastoral voice, Minton suggests that our "not-okayness" will require rethinking everything we thought we knew.

The doctrine of reprobation—that is, the eternal, unconditional decree of God for the non-elect—is frequently misconstrued in both pastoral and theological literature. In Reprobation and God's Sovereignty, Peter Sammons reintroduces this oft-misunderstood doctrine, revealing its relationship to divine sovereignty. With Romans 9 as a guiding text, Sammons presents a thoroughly researched defense of reprobation as an essential part in a Reformed theology that magnifies God and encourages believers to trust in him.

America's political landscape is experiencing dangerous polarization and fragmentation, with the extremes pulling the country apart. Voices on the left and right clash over different worldviews, narratives, definitions of America, and what it means to be an American citizen. The levels of incivility and hostility lead some to invoke the language of a cold civil war or even a looming civil war, one that could split the country in two. Is there any way to step back from this dangerous precipice?

Prepare to smile! Listen to this audiobook to your own inner child or to any child as told by a mom and her kids. Their darling voices will make you smile and lift your spirits. Keep this audiobook handy and listen to it often as a reminder of just how wonderfully precious is your child, inner or outer. Share it with others. This delightful set of poetic affirmations is great for children of all ages. So, come hear how wonderful it is to discover the answer to the question: "Who else can love you"?

The concept of beating markets is just a lot of hype. Successful investors don't find "alpha," they find value - and that's what this book helps you do. Chris Schelling explains why strategies based on "beating the markets" are doomed to failure and provides a simple three-step framework for making better investment decisions: Behavior (smart thinking), Process (smart habits), Organization (smart governance).

While the Bible is enough to take us to heaven, knowing history helps us live more wisely on our way. George Orwell observed in 1984 that those who pay attention to history have the potential to influence the future. Stuck in the Present offers a grounding in historical consciousness that allows us to better navigate the daily bombardment of information. Amnesia about the past makes us vulnerable to the shackles of modern-day hucksters who try to convince us that the present is all that matters.

The United States and China are locked in a “cold tech war", and the winner will end up dominating the 21st century. America can still catch up. Unfortunately, Americans, focused on other matters, are not meeting the challenges China presents. A whole-of-society mobilization will be necessary for the US to regain what it once had: control of cutting-edge technologies. Americans may not like the fact that they’re once again in a Cold War-type struggle, but they will either adjust to that reality or get left behind.

Northern California, 1985. Leo Cecchino won’t rest until his people are safe. Leading the battle against the Soviet walking dead, he turns to his ex-girlfriend’s chess master sister to calculate their next move. But with the commie invaders deliberately infecting American innocents, they’re running out of time to stop the streets from flowing with rivers of blood.

Invading troops with a deadly virus. A young man fighting for his life. Will flesh-eating monsters run out the clock on America’s future? Northern California, 1985. Former high school quarterback Leo Cecchino sacrificed his dreams for his family. Unfulfilled by the daily grind of their ailing farm, he can’t help but feel resentment. But he’s soon redirecting his smoldering frustration into battle rage when his small town is invaded by bloodthirsty Russians armed with a zombie virus. Can Leo snatch victory from the undead jaws of defeat?

More than 90 people die from gun violence every day in the United States. Some 50 children and teens are shot. There are more than 35,000 gun-related deaths every year. Yet many Christians say gun violence shouldn't be talked about in church. In Collateral Damage, pastor and activist James E. Atwood issues an urgent call to action to Christians to work together to stop gun violence. An avid hunter for many years, Atwood enumerates the tragic and far-reaching costs that accrue in a country with more guns than people.

The Bible is often presented as an antiquated document filled with mysterious prophesies, unbelievable fables, and arbitrary decisions by a God whose actions range from anger and vengeance to love and forgiveness. The Bible's creation story appears to be at complete odds with more credible scientific explanations of the origins and evolution of life, and believers in Biblical truth are further challenged by haunting questions about why a good God would create a world so full of evil, pain, suffering, and death. Satan's Dare takes these issues and questions head-on.

The Christian life is a battle, but many believers today don't realize their involvement in spiritual warfare. Our secular society, characterized by doubt and spiritual skepticism, leaves many Christians embarrassed even to talk about demonic forces of opposition. In order to awaken Christians to the battle around them and prepare them for it, Robert Smart surveys the terrain, identifies the enemy, and conveys defensive and offensive maneuvers for combating Satan.