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  American Railroads

  John F. Stover

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  Few scenes capture the American experience so eloquently as that of a lonely train chugging across the vastness of the Great Plains or snaking through tortuous high mountain passes. Although this vision was eclipsed for a time by the rise of air travel and trucking, railroads have enjoyed a rebirth in recent years as profitable freight carriers.A fascinating account of the rise, decline, and rebirth of railroads in the United States, John F. Stover’s American Railroads traces their history from the first lines that helped eastern seaports capture western markets to today’s newly revitalized industry. Stover describes the growth of the railroads’ monopoly, with the consequent need for state and federal regulations; relates the vital part played by the railroads during the Civil War and the two World Wars; and charts the railroads’ decline due to the advent of air travel and trucking during the 1950s.In two new chapters, Stover recounts the remarkable recovery of the railroads, along with other pivotal events of the industry’s recent history. During the 1960s declining passenger traffic and excessive federal regulation led to the federally-financed creation of Amtrak to revive passenger service and Conrail to provide freight service on bankrupt northeastern railroads. The real savior for the railroads, though, proved to be the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, which brought prosperity to rail freight carriers by substantially deregulating the industry. By 1995, renewed railroad freight traffic had reached nearly twice its former peak in 1944.Bringing both a seasoned eye and new insights to bear on one of the most American of industries, Stover has produced the definitive history of railroads in the United States.

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  Ignorance and Bliss - On Wanting...

  Mark Lilla

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  A dazzling exploration of our wish to remain innocent and ignorant—and its consequences. 
   
   
   
  Aristotle claimed that "all human beings want to know." Our own experience proves that all human beings also want not to know. Today, centuries after the Enlightenment, mesmerized crowds still follow preposterous prophets, irrational rumors trigger fanatical acts, and magical thinking crowds out common sense and expertise. Why is this? Where does this will to ignorance come from, and how does it continue to shape our lives? 
   
   
   
  In Ignorance and Bliss, the acclaimed essayist and historian of ideas Mark Lilla offers an absorbing psychological diagnosis of the human will not to know. With erudition and brio, Lilla ranges from the Book of Genesis and Plato's dialogues to Sufi parables and Sigmund Freud, revealing the paradoxes of hiding truth from ourselves. He also exposes the fantasies this impulse lead us to entertain—the illusion that the ecstasies of prophets, mystics, and holy fools offer access to esoteric truths; the illusion of children's lamb-like innocence; and the nostalgic illusion of recapturing the glories of vanished and allegedly purer civilizations. The result is a highly original meditation that invites listeners to consider their own deep-seated impulses and taboos.

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  Surviving Katyń - Stalin's...

  Jane Rogoyska

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  The Katyn Massacre of 22,000 Polish prisoners of war is a crime to which there are no witnesses.  
   
  Committed in utmost secrecy in April–May 1940 by the NKVD on the direct orders of Joseph Stalin, for nearly fifty years the Soviet regime succeeded in maintaining the fiction that Katyn was a Nazi crime, their story unchallenged by Western governments fearful of upsetting a powerful wartime ally and Cold War adversary. Surviving Katyn explores the decades-long search for answers, focusing on the experience of those individuals with the most at stake – the few survivors of the massacre and the Polish wartime forensic investigators – whose quest for the truth in the face of an inscrutable, unknowable, and utterly ruthless enemy came at great personal cost. 
   
  “A gripping reconstruction of one of the most gruesome and haunting crimes of the Second World War. Jane Rogoyska’s sensitive yet dispassionate use of the harrowing evidence provided by victims, perpetrators and survivors makes for utterly compelling reading, and lays bare its toxic legacy.” ADAM ZAMOYSKI, author of Poland: A History 
   
  “A well-researched and beautifully written narrative of the appalling fate of the Polish officers captured by the Soviets in 1939 and massacred in 1940. Through the testimony of the few survivors and the investigators, Jane Rogoyska brings to life the suffering of the Poles which continued for decades after the war as Soviet culpability for the crime was denied across the world.” HALIK KOCHANSKI, author of The Eagle Unbowed

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  Cyrus the Great

  Jacob Abbott

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  History of Cyrus the Great (1850) is a popular biographical book by American writer Jacob Abbott. It chronicles the life of Cyrus II of Persia, the legendary founder of the ancient Achaemenid Empire. Written as part of the Makers of History series, the text makes ancient history accessible through engaging storytelling.    Core Focus of the Book:    Abbott's biography details the life of Cyrus from his youth to his sweeping conquests across the ancient world:    • Early Life & Rise: Covers his birth, royal upbringing in the Median court, and subsequent rebellion to unite the Medes and Persians.    • Major Campaigns: Details his military conquests against King Croesus of Lydia and the siege of Babylon.    • Legacy: Highlights Cyrus's reputation for religious tolerance, humane governance, and his famous decree allowing the exiled Jewish people to return to Jerusalem.

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  Broken Trust - Greed...

  Samuel P. King, Randall W. Roth

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  Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop was the largest landowner and richest woman in the Hawaiian kingdom. Upon her death in 1884, she entrusted her property--known as Bishop Estate--to five trustees in order to create and maintain an institution that would benefit the children of Hawai‘i: Kamehameha Schools. A century later, Bishop Estate controlled nearly one out of every nine acres in the state, a concentration of private land ownership rarely seen anywhere in the world. Then in August 1997 the unthinkable happened: Four revered kupuna (native Hawaiian elders) and a professor of trust law publicly charged Bishop Estate trustees with gross incompetence and massive trust abuse. Entitled "Broken Trust," the statement provided devastating details of rigged appointments, violated trusts, cynical manipulation of the trust's beneficiaries, and the shameful involvement of many of Hawai‘i's powerful. 
  No one is better qualified to examine the events and personalities surrounding the scandal than two of the original "Broken Trust" authors. Their comprehensive account together with historical background, brings to light information that has never before been made public, including accounts of secret meetings and communications involving Supreme Court justices.

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  Apology by Plato

  Scoobert Doobert, Plato

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  This isn't an apology. It's a journey back to ancient Athens for a thrilling courtroom drama... with Socrates' life on the line. 
  Charged with religious blasphemy, the corruption of the youth, and the creation of new gods, Socrates recounts his journey to become the World's Wisest Man™ — with his tongue stuck firmly inside his cheek. Hear from the gadfly of Athens, as he's guided by the oracle at Delphi and discovers his inner daimons. 
  "The Apology" is a captivating exploration of tragedy, philosophy, courage, comedy in the face of death and corruption, and the relentless pursuit of truth. This masterpiece by Plato is brought into the audiobook format by musician and producer, Scoobert Doobert. 
  It's one of his favorites from the ancient world, one that deeply shaped his personal philosophy and artistic journey. And adding to the emotional punch, this dialogue is written by Plato, Socrates' disciple who watched his friend and mentor die at the hands of a corrupt jury. It's a positively metamodern tale and feels even more so with Mr. Doobert's slight changes to the public domain translation from Attic Greek. Your purchase includes a bonus podcast episode that follows the end of the audiobook. 
  Visit www.ScoobertDoobert.Pizza to hear Mr. Doobert's music.

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