Other books that might interest you

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  The Power of Days - A Story of...

  Celeste Mergens

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  In 2008, Celeste Mergens was working with an overcrowded orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, when she learned that menstruating girls sat on cardboard in their rooms for several days each month. 
   
   
   
  This set into motion a simple idea—combining a washable, long-lasting pad with taboo-breaking education—that became a catalyst for an unlikely global movement for equity. 
   
   
   
  Written in short, evocative chapters, The Power of Days tells the story of Mergens's quest to rally a global response to elevate menstrual health, increase universal access to menstrual supplies, shatter stigma through education, and advocate for global policy change. Raised in poverty by a mentally ill parent, Mergens learned early on that building the life she wanted would take equal parts determination and humility, traits that led her to create the kinds of inclusive conversations and solutions she is known for around the globe. 
   
   
   
  The challenges Mergens faced and the lessons she learned, personally and professionally, and the triumphs and resourcefulness of leaders all over the globe are illuminating to all who wish to make a difference and create a more equitable world. 
   
   
   
  This enhanced audio recording features an audio-exclusive Q&A between Days for Girls cofounders Celeste and Don Mergens.

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  The Autobiography of Benjamin...

  Benjamin Franklin

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  Embark on a captivating journey through history with Benjamin Franklin's remarkable life story in this compelling audiobook. As one of America's founding fathers, Franklin's autobiography offers profound insights into his extraordinary life and enduring legacy. 
  Narrated with depth and clarity, this audiobook transports listeners to the vibrant streets of colonial America, where Franklin's indomitable spirit and insatiable curiosity propelled him from humble beginnings to global prominence. From his groundbreaking scientific discoveries to his pivotal role in shaping the young nation's future, Franklin's story is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and resilience. 
  Whether you're fascinated by history, inspired by Franklin's achievements, or simply seeking wisdom from a great mind, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is a must-listen for anyone eager to explore the depths of the human experience. So, whether you're commuting to work, relaxing at home, or on the go, start listening to "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" today and immerse yourself in the life of a true American icon.

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  Mikhail Gorbachev: The Life and...

  Editors Charles River

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  After going through three elderly leaders in three years, Mikhail Gorbachev was chosen as the new General Secretary of the Soviet Union at the relatively youg age of 54 in March 1985. Gorbachev hoped to build the Soviet economy to relieve the persistent shortages of consumer goods it faced, which were caused by enormous military spending of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev tried to introduce some economic reforms, but they were blocked by communist hardliners. Gorbachev then came to the belief that the Soviet economy could not improved without political reform as well. 
  In comparison with other Soviet leaders, Gorbachev was leader of the USSR for a relatively short period, but the changes that took place under his leadership were monumental, including some that were intended and others that were unforeseen. Gorbachev oversaw the end of the Cold War and the peaceful transition away from communism in Central and Eastern Europe, and he ended the war in Afghanistan and many other proxy conflicts in the developing world. Gorbachev improved relations with the West and developed enough trust with President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush to decommission thousands of nuclear weapons. He also liberalized the political environment within the Soviet Union itself, increased accountability, and brought in a certain degree of democracy.  
  	Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for these efforts in 1990, but his regime also left a legacy of turbulence and destruction in its wake. As a result of his policies, many Soviet people rose up against the status quo, demanding national self-determination and reviving old grievances. Gorbachev could not prevent the USSR from disbanding at the end of 1991, leaving much of the country’s economy in ruins and nationalist and ethnic conflicts that are still unresolved today.

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  The Ugly Duckling

  Hans Christian Andersen

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  "The Ugly Duckling"  is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen lavished great care on this story, spending a year perfecting it. It was first published in 1844. 
  A mother duck hatches six pretty little ducklings. A seventh bird is hatched. He is homely. The other ducks abuse him. He runs away. He is given a home by an old woman. Her cat and hen do not like him. He runs away again. Winter comes and a kind farmer gives him a home. The little bird almost dies. Spring comes. The "ugly duckling" has grown into a beautiful swan. The other swans welcome him as their own. They bow to him. He is happy for the first time in his life.
  The moral of the tale: "it does not matter if you were born in a duck yard if you have lain in a swan's egg." 
  Andersen considered the story "a reflection of my own life."

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  Interregnum - Inside the...

  Jordan Himmelfarb

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  A riveting chronicle of the battle for chess supremacy and the brilliant, eccentric, extremely online grandmasters changing an ancient game. 
   
  Every elite chess player dreams of becoming world champion, of wearing the wreath and going down in history. Yet for many of today's top grandmasters, that dream long seemed out of reach: Norwegian juggernaut Magnus Carlsen was just too good. So when Carlsen announced he wouldn't defend his world title for a fifth time, the rest of the best saw a chance finally to sit on the throne. 
   
  Interregnum follows these brilliant and often eccentric minds around the world as they vie to become world chess champion. It's a story of millennial greats whose time is running out. Of teenaged prodigies who refuse to wait their turn. Of triumph and heartbreak, aspiration and anxiety. Of an ancient sport experiencing a remarkable resurgence and of the extremely online enfants terribles changing the game. 
   
  Part sports chronicle, part paean, part character study, Interregnum offers something for both the chess-obsessed and the chess-curious as well as anyone who enjoys a riveting tale of struggle in sport or triumph of the intellect.

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  The Greatest Viking - The Life...

  Desmond Seward

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  A ruthless Viking warrior who named his most prized battle weapon after the Norse goddess of death, Olav Haraldsson and his mercenaries wrought terror and destruction from the Baltic to Galicia in the early eleventh century. Thousands were put to the sword, enslaved, or ransomed. In England, Canterbury was sacked, its archbishop murdered, and London Bridge pulled down. The loot amassed from years of plunder helped Olav win the throne of Norway, and a century after his death he was proclaimed "Eternal King" and has been a national hero there ever since. 
   
   
   
  Despite his bloodthirsty beginnings, Olav converted to Christianity and, in a personal vendetta against the old Norse gods, made Norway Christian too, thereby changing irrevocably the Viking world he was born into. Told with reference to Norse sagas, early chronicles, and the work of modern scholars, Desmond Seward paints an intensely vivid and colorful portrait of the life and times of arguably the greatest Viking of them all.

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