Showing results by narrator "Lawrence Sonderling" in All Categories

In this remarkable work of close reading and analysis, Thomas P. Hillman gets to the heart of the tension between pity and the desire for power in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. As the book traces the entangled story of the One Ring and its effects, we come to understand Tolkien’s central paradox: while pity is necessary for destroying the Ring, it cannot save the Ring-bearer from the Ring’s lies and corruption.

For centuries, people have argued about whether humans are moral animals—good or bad, cooperative or competitive, altruistic or selfish. The debates continue today, dressed up in the language of modern science. In this book, Jonathan R. Goodman makes the case for synthesizing the two sides. Drawing on insights from anthropology, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, he argues that rather than being fundamentally cooperative or competitive, we are capable of being both—and of exploiting each other when there is an opportunity to do so.

In a world of monsters and magic, Edmond Dantes has a pretty good life. He's just been made captain of a ship, and he's about to marry his sweetheart. But when jealousy, spite, and ambition conspire to frame him for treason, he loses everything. To make things right, he'll need to give up the only thing he has left: his humanity.

Marcel Proust came into his own as a novelist comparatively late in life, yet only Shakespeare, Balzac, Dickens, Tolstoy, and Dostoyevsky were his equals when it came to creating characters as memorably human. As biographer Benjamin Taylor suggests, Proust was a literary lightweight before writing his multivolume masterwork In Search of Lost Time, but following a series of momentous historical and personal events, he became—against all expectations—one of the greatest writers of his, and indeed any, era.

Twenty-year-old Joe Sanderson doesn't like to fight so he ends up enlisting in the Korean War in 1950 as a conscientious objector and becomes a medic. Things change for Joe that don't sit well with him. This is a story of family and friendship against the backdrop of the Korean War.

Embark on a transformative journey beyond the boundaries of physical reality with Awakening the Astral Self: A Gateway to Expanded Consciousness. Within this manuscript, you will discover the limitless potential of astral projection as a gateway to higher consciousness. Through detailed and relatable chapters, you will learn how to cultivate a receptive mindset, develop self-awareness, and establish a solid meditation practice to lay the foundation for successful astral journeys.

Simon Epstein is a young man in Buffalo, NY who joins the Army in 1917, and is shipped to France to do his part in WWI. He is gassed, shot at by the Red Baron, and wounded. He comes home when the war is officially over, but the war isn't over for him.

While Dwyn lies in stasis, recovering from his injuries in his stand against Harmool's fleet, Rhea has assumed the title of Regent of Salacia while leading the search for her missing father, King Iodocus. She is also helping repair the damage done to the Alliance in her Uncle's and Mother's mad quest to launch a new Empire. A shocking assassination attempt is thwarted at the last second by Dwyn, who seems to be a changed man now that he has exited stasis to save his love.

Pastor Robert Owens spends his days shepherding his flock and his nights bothered by glimpses of a traumatic event in his past. When he recalls his hidden secret and bares his soul to the congregation, will he be forced to leave the church?

Gary Haywood is an unhappy 13-year-old who runs away from home to escape his drunken father. When his father finds him and delivers him back home, Gary comes up with a more drastic plan to get away from abuse. A court-appointed counselor, Marty Colson, works closely with Gary to help the boy realize his self-worth. One thing Marty doesn’t count on is the strong attachment that develops between him and his client.

After his rabbi declares young Danny Epstein is now a man in the eyes of God, Danny witnesses a sight so gruesome he turns against a God that would allow such a thing to happen. Now grown and a firefighter in Buffalo, NY, Danny is adept at putting out house fires, but can he put out the internal fires that have plagued him ever since his bar mitzvah? It takes more than water to extinguish some flames.

Their ship crashed on a primitive planet inhabited by giant predatory cats and prehistoric hominids. The only ones who survived were housed in a portion of the ship that was built more securely: the nursery.

Wizard Scouts are the elite recon forces of the Intergalactic Empire. Equipped with advanced technology gear combined with psionic-like abilities, they are the greatest fighting force the galaxy has ever known. Wizard Scout Richard Shepard and his battle computer Nickelo are sent by a mysterious entity known only as "the One" on a clandestine mission to the planet Yondor to seek out the location of a cache of weapons that could well turn the course of the war between the Intergalactic Empire and the bat-like Crosioians in the bats’ favor.

A band of travelers crossing an imposing desert is captured by a powerful sorcerer seeking to break a mysterious curse. 

Facing extermination by West Nile Virus, crows embark on their own Mission Impossible as they set out to steal the vaccine that can protect them. Crows are among the most intelligent of all species; they can make and use tools, mimic sounds, and recognize individual humans, and pass these skills down through the generations. Crows’ Feat draws on research by scientists around the world on crow biology, behavior, and social interactions to create a thriller that celebrates these fascinating creatures.

A band of travelers come across a merry festival in the midst of a forest that grows darker in more ways than one as the sun sets.

A young boy gifted with the ability to interpret dreams finds himself in a strange, walled city that exists upon no map, where he inadvertently makes a bargain that alters his life forever. 

Reinventing Joan is about a minor character from my book, Testing Michael. Thirteen-year-old Michael meets her while he's serving in the Civil War. This is her story.

Guided by myths of golden cities and worldly rewards, policy makers, conquistador leaders, and expeditionary aspirants alike came to the new world in the sixteenth century and left it a changed land. Came Men on Horses follows two conquistadors--Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and Don Juan de Oñate--on their journey across the southwest.