Robert Stephens

In 1968, nine competitors set out in a race that had never before been attempted: to sail around the world, alone, without stopping. The route took them through the most dangerous waters on Earth. Seeking help was forbidden, and psychologists speculated that the 10 months alone at sea could drive the sailors mad. The winner was promised money and attention, but everyone knew that the real prize was to become a legend. What no one predicted was how. Three of the racers did indeed become legendary: the one who won, the one who didn’t bother to win, and the one who cheated. In this Audible Original, Stewart Brand (the Whole Earth Catalog, How Buildings Learn, The Clock of the Long Now) tells these men’s story, and lays out a new understanding of how and why each of them met their fate. His claim is that the core of the race came down to how each sailor approached the question of maintenance. And he explains how shifting our own understanding of maintenance may help us address the problems we face, from daily chores to issues that threaten our very existence. Cover Art by Gordon Frickers

A "lively and engaging" history of the Middle Ages (Dallas Morning News) from the acclaimed historian William Manchester, author of The Last Lion. From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose, and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth: the dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, painters, adventurers, and reformers, as well as some of its most spectacular villains. "Manchester provides easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born." --Chicago Tribune

The Civil War was the first "modern war." Because of the rapid changes in American society, Abraham Lincoln became president of a divided United States during a period of technological and social revolution. Among the many modern marvels that gave the North an advantage was the telegraph, which Lincoln used to stay connected to the forces in the field in almost real time. No leader in history had ever possessed such a powerful tool to gain control over a fractious situation. An eager student of technology, Lincoln (the only president to hold a patent) had to learn to use the power of electronic messages. Without precedent to guide him, Lincoln began by reading the telegraph traffic among his generals. Then he used the telegraph to supplement his preferred form of communication—meetings and letters. He did not replace those face-to-face interactions. Through this experience, Lincoln crafted the best way to guide, reprimand, praise, reward, and encourage his commanders in the field. Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails tells a big story within a small compass. By paying close attention to Lincoln's "lightning messages," we see a great leader adapt to a new medium. No reader of this work of history will be able to miss the contemporary parallels. Watching Lincoln carefully word his messages—and follow up on those words with the right actions—offers a striking example for those who spend their days tapping out notes on computers and BlackBerrys. An elegant work of history, Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails is an instructive example of timeless leadership lessons.