Social Science audiobooks

Lurching Towards Happiness in America

By: Claude S. Fischer

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 2 hours 24 minutes

Abridged: No

The promise of America has long been conceived as the promise of happiness. Being American is all about the opportunity to pursue one's own bliss. But what is the good life, and are we getting closer to its attainment? In the cacophony of competing conceptions of the good, technological interventions that claim to help us achieve it, and... Read more

What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?

By: Kevin DeYoung & Adam Verner

Length: 4 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

In just a few short years, massive shifts in public opinion have radically reshaped society’s views on homosexuality. Feeling the pressure to forsake long-held beliefs about sex and marriage, some argue that Christians have historically misunderstood the Bible’s teaching on this issue. But does this approach do justice to what the Bible really... Read more

The Age of Dignity

By: Ai-jen Poo

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 5 hours 58 minutes

Abridged: No

By 2035, 11.5 million Americans will be over the age of eighty-five, more than double today’s 5 million, living longer than ever before. To enable all of us to age with dignity and security in the face of this coming Age Wave, our society must learn to value the care of our elders. The process of building a culture that supports care is a key... Read more

Headscarves and Hymens

By: Mona Eltahawy

Narrated by: Mona Eltahawy

Length: 5 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

A passionate manifesto decrying misogyny in the Arab world, by an Egyptian American journalist and activist

When the Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy published an article in Foreign Policy magazine in 2012 titled "Why Do They Hate Us?" it provoked a firestorm of controversy. The response it generated, with more than four thousand posts on the... Read more

Missoula

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò & Scott Brick

Length: 11 hours 50 minutes

Abridged: No

From bestselling author Jon Krakauer, a stark, powerful, meticulously reported narrative about a series of sexual assaults at the University of Montana ­— stories that illuminate the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape
 
Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, with a highly regarded state university, bucolic surroundings, a... Read more

David Brooks: On Character

By: David Brooks

Narrated by: Multiple Narrators

Length: 1 hour 13 minutes

Abridged: No

Join New York Times columnist David Brooks for an in-depth discussion about what constitutes character as explored in his new book.

Some people seem to possess inner lives that are more substantive than the rest of ours. How do they do it? Depth, argues Brooks, is the core of our being and something we cultivate over time; it’s engraved by... Read more

Operation Gladio

By: Paul L. Williams

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 11 hours 57 minutes

Abridged: No

In this disturbing exposé, journalist Paul L. Williams describes a secret alliance forged at the close of World War II by the CIA, the Sicilian and U.S. mafias, and the Vatican to thwart the possibility of a Communist invasion of Europe. Williams presents evidence suggesting the existence, in many European countries, of "stay-behind" units... Read more

Spinster

By: Kate Bolick

Narrated by: Kate Bolick

Length: 9 hours 33 minutes

Abridged: No

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book

“Whom to marry, and when will it happen—these two questions define every woman’s existence.”

So begins Spinster, a revelatory and slyly erudite look at the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic Kate Bolick invites us... Read more

A Deadly Secret

By: Matt Birkbeck

Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII

Length: 9 hours 45 minutes

Abridged: No

The recent arrest in New Orleans and the HBO documentary The Jinx have put Robert Durst back in the headlines. Here, from the first reporter to access Durst’s NYPD files, is the authoritative account of a decades-long criminal odyssey—the very book found in Durst’s own apartment when it was searched by police.
 
When medical student Kathie Durst... Read more

The Business Of Pornography: One Of The Most Secretive And Wealthiest Industries

By: Trevor Clinger

Narrated by: Sarah Yurkovich

Length: 16 minutes

Abridged: No

In this informative and engaging book, I provide a concise introduction to the adult entertainment industry. Covering topics such as earnings disparities between men and women, the dynamics of porn stars and strip clubs, the intricacies of contract work, and profiles of major industry players, I shed light on how this sector operates. Delving... Read more

Analysis Of A Material Culture

By: Trevor Clinger

Narrated by: Sam Scholl

Length: 11 minutes

Abridged: No

Material culture refers to the physical artifacts and structures that embody a culture's existence, whether ancient or contemporary. In the context of archaeological studies, it encompasses all tangible evidence attributed to a society. In the United States, technological advancements have been a key driver of economic growth, profoundly shaping... Read more

The Class of '65

By: Jim Auchmutey

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Length: 7 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

Being a student at Americus High School was the worst experience of Greg Wittkamper's life. Greg came from a nearby Christian commune, Koinonia, whose members devoutly and publicly supported racial equality. When he refused to insult and attack his school's first black students in 1964, Greg was mistreated as badly as they were: harassed and... Read more

Awakening The Power of Our Social Potential

By: Barbara Marx Hubbard

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Social evolution happens when we join rather than separate. Hubbard has been studying social evolution for over 40 years, and she tells us how important it is to realize our potential, both independently and as a whole. She says that the illusion of separation is dying, and we can all participate in the social synergy of creating a new... Read more

The Professor in the Cage

By: Jonathan Gottschall

Narrated by: Quincy Dunn-Baker

Length: 7 hours 45 minutes

Abridged: No

When a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym moves in across the street from his office, Jonathan Gottschall sees a challenge, and an opportunity. Pushing forty, out of shape, and disenchanted with his job as an adjunct English professor, part of him yearns to cross the street and join up. The other part is terrified. Gottschall eventually works up his... Read more

The Road to Character

By: David Brooks

Narrated by: Arthur Morey & David Brooks

Length: 12 hours 16 minutes

Abridged: No

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • David Brooks challenges us to rebalance the scales between the focus on external success—“résumé virtues”—and our core principles.
 
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST
 
With the wisdom, humor, curiosity, and sharp insights that have brought millions of readers to his New York Times column... Read more

The Second Curve

By: Charles Handy

Narrated by: Charles Handy

Length: 6 hours 45 minutes

Abridged: No

Britain's leading guru looks to the future.

Charles Handy is one of the giants of contemporary thought. His books on management – including Understanding Organizations and Gods of Management – have changed the way we view business. His work on broader issues and trends – such as Beyond Certainty – has changed the way we view society.

In The... Read more

How To Identify, Prevent, And Report Sexual Harassment

By: Trevor Clinger

Narrated by: Sarah Yurkovich

Length: 15 minutes

Abridged: No

This 9-page paper, which earned an A in a senior-level college course, provides a comprehensive review of the basic forms of sexual harassment. It offers professional strategies for preventing harassment and detailed guidance on how to report it—an often overlooked yet critical step in the business world. Emphasizing the seriousness of sexual... Read more

Headstrong

By: Rachel Swaby

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 7 hours

Abridged: No

Fifty-two inspiring and insightful profiles of history’s brightest female scientists.

“Rachel Swaby’s no-nonsense and needed Headstrong dynamically profiles historically overlooked female visionaries in science, technology, engineering, and math.”—Elle

In 2013, the New York Times published an obituary for Yvonne Brill. It began: “She made a mean... Read more

Racism Still Exists In Our Society Today

By: Trevor Clinger

Narrated by: Trevor Clinger

Length: 11 minutes

Abridged: No

Racism remains a significant political and societal issue that is often overlooked. It is up to us to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. As an anti-racist advocate, I explore the repulsive nature of racism and how the government has historically contradicted itself on this issue. This book aims to educate and inspire support for the... Read more

Days of Rage

By: Bryan Burrough

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 22 hours 11 minutes

Abridged: No

From the bestselling author of Public Enemies and The Big Rich, an explosive account of the decade-long battle between the FBI and the homegrown revolutionary movements of the 1970s

The Weathermen. The Symbionese Liberation Army. The FALN. The Black Liberation Army. The names seem quaint now, when not forgotten altogether. But there was a stretch... Read more

Mo' Meta Blues

By: Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson & Ben Greenman

Length: TBA

Abridged: No

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." --Robert Christgau

MO' META BLUES
The World According to Questlove

Mo' Meta Blues is a punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of... Read more

Rescue of the Bounty

By: Michael J. Tougias & Douglas A. Campbell

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 7 hours 37 minutes

Abridged: No

Rescue of the Bounty is the harrowing story of the sinking and rescue of Bounty—the tall ship used in the classic 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty—which was caught in the path of Hurricane Sandy with sixteen aboard.On Thursday, October 25, 2012, Captain Robin Walbridge made the fateful decision to sail Bounty from New London, Connecticut, to St.... Read more

The Brothers

By: Masha Gessen

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 9 hours 42 minutes

Abridged: No

National Book Award winner Masha Gessen tells an important story for our era: How the American Dream went wrong for two immigrants, and the nightmare that resulted.

On April 15, 2013, two homemade bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and wounding more than 264 others. In the ensuing manhunt, Tamerlan... Read more

The Mother and Child Project

By: Zondervan

Narrated by: Rachel Held Evans, Natalie Grant, James Nardell...

Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

Dozens of influential leaders have heard the pleas of mothers and children in developing countries. Raising their voices to inspire a movement to increase healthy pregnancies and lower death rates, Melinda Gates, Kay Warren, Bill Frist, Kimberly Williams Paisley, Michael W. Smith and more speak out about why people of faith must get involved in... Read more