The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Freak Show Part 1: By Its Cover by Kristopher McClendon

From A Dirt Road to the United State Supreme Court: 6 Stones for Goliath by Charles Arline Sr https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-United-State-Supreme-Court/dp/1968519378 Embark on the true journey spanning seven decades as childhood sweethearts Charles and Gene build a life that leaves an indelible mark on those near them. The true basis of the box office hit, “Philadelphia.”Behind the ongoing legal fight against a discriminatory firing, is a heartwarming story that highlights the traditional values of family, love, community, and respect, all while providing aromatic memories of good old fashioned soul food.The pandemic hits hard, and Gene tragically passes away from a non-COVID-19 illness. During the funeral, Charles begins to relive their life of love, angst, and tragedy.The narrative then delves into the nine-year war that Charles and Gene fought against the school board, which resulted in six true to life court cases, ultimately fought on the battlefield of the U.S. Supreme Court.The story highlights how the State Health Department exposed Gene’s medical records to the public through local news outlets, a move that spurred Charles and Gene to stand up for their family and name. The precedent-setting Arline vs. Nassau County School Board of Education case resulted in a true-to-life 7-2 victory, including Judges Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O’Connor, William Rehnquist, and more.This landmark case not only broke down barriers for the disabled and disenfranchised citizens of the US but also crossed cultural boundaries. The novel provides a rare look at an African American couple, who were transported into a fight against the machine, where justice was the true issue, rather than politics, race, or religion.From A Dirt Road to the United State Supreme Court: 6 Stones for Goliath is a powerful narrative that weaves a vision of unity, highlighting the importance of fighting for justice and breaking down barriers, while reminding readers of the true values of love, family, and community

Karma in Effect by Richard Kennon Veteranauthorandspeaker.com https://www.amazon.com/Karma-Effect-Richard-Kennon/dp/B0G6HH7XVQ Karma in Effect takes you on a journey from the decision by the Department of Defense to transition an Army Reserve chemical unit to a civil affairs company (provisional) in order to ease the stress of numerous deployments faced by civil affairs soldiers during the Global War on Terrorism. It begins with the selection of individuals to fill the necessary positions on the unit battle roster. From there, the soldiers must successfully complete the military occupational specialty civil affairs specialist transition course. The newly created 1411th Civil Affairs Company is then ordered to complete pre-deployment training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, prior to deploying to Kuwait. In Kuwait, the soldiers complete additional training while acclimating to the desert climate. The company then begins a twelve-month deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This group of highly skilled citizen soldiers conducted civil-military operations in southern Iraq to improve security and stability in the region. The unit performed over three hundred combat missions in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq without losing a single soldier. The author also explains the process of redeploying the unit from Iraq back to the United States and demobilizing the personnel in record time. The story does not end there; it also shares the difficulties some soldiers faced in transitioning back home after the war. The book tells of the bonds formed among soldiers on the battlefield. The characters’ stories include humor, courage, dedication, tragedy, camaraderie, and accomplishment.

Irenic Principle: Fiction: the Precursor of Fact by Alan Roderick-Jones https://www.amazon.com/Irenic-Principle-Fiction-Precursor-Fact/dp/1962402053 Irenic Principal is not just a novel—it is an experience, a revelation, and a mirror held up to the fragile soul of humanity. Alan Roderick-Jones weaves a story that transcends the ordinary boundaries of science fiction and political thrillers, delivering a work as intimate as it is epic. The book dares us to believe that peace might not merely be an aspiration of humankind, but a fundamental law of the universe itself, waiting to be uncovered. Through the brave character of Dr. Jessica Peake—brilliant, flawed, haunted yet unyielding—we are drawn into a narrative that is both breathtakingly human and cosmically vast. The novel moves with cinematic clarity, where every scene feels lit by both the harsh glare of conflict and the quiet glow of conscience. The imagery lingers long after the page is turned: Afghan mountains scarred by war, the cold intrigue of global power brokers, and the trembling beauty of a mother’s prayer for her child. Roderick-Jones reminds us that science without conscience is peril, and conscience without courage is silence. This is a story that seduces the mind while breaking open the heart, urging us to consider what it truly means to live in alignment with the deeper forces of existence. Irenic Principal is a rare kind of book—urgent yet timeless, daring yet gentle. It is a novel that belongs not just on the shelf, but in the reader’s very bloodstream. Read it, and you will not leave unchanged. — John Slowsky, Director • Visual Storyteller • Filmmaker

Freak Show Part 1: By Its Cover by Kristopher McClendon https://www.amazon.com/Freak-Show-Part-Its-Cover/dp/1971180165 A magic circus by the name of The Shadow Carnival comes to the city of New Wayton and begins wreaking havoc on the city by kidnapping people and turning them into super-powered, crazy circus performers known as Freaks. Saved by a ghost, the responsibility of getting rid of The Shadow Carnival falls onto the shoulders of a high school student by the name of Peggie, but will it be enough?

Marna by Jason Hauger https://www.amazon.com/Marna-Jason-Hauger/dp/B0GMVJG1T8 The end of summer has arrived. David, a lonely-hearted elementary-school student, is looking for a good friend. But when he stands up to his bully Gavin, David unknowingly discovers a beautiful, magical girl, Marna, as she unfurls her beautiful butterfly wings. Marna and David soar through the air as they go on adventures, and David hopes Marna is here to stay. One day, however, Marna is discovered after she grows ill, and the doctors will not let her go. David must help save Marna and set her free, seeking help in the most unlikely source. In the end, will Marna stay, and David be able to let her go?

CultureWerk: The Twelve Pillars of Leadership Multiplication by Tom Kereszti https://www.amazon.com/CultureWerk-Twelve-Pillars-Leadership-Multiplication/dp/166578833X Leadershipdisciples.com What if you could build organizations that thrive without you? In CultureWerk, you’ll discover the 12 Cultural Pillars that transform exhausted executives into architects of self-sustaining success. These aren’t consultant theories-they’re hard-won lessons from Tom Kereszti’s journey through five continents, turning disasters into triumphs for companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Benckiser, and Strauss Group. You’ll learn the same frameworks that helped transform a money-bleeding Prague operation into a profit powerhouse. The partnership approach that outmaneuvered Sara Lee and Kraft in acquisition battles. The trust-building secrets Navy SEALs use to turn ordinary people into extraordinary teams. Why Disney-Pixar created billions while Daimler-Chrysler destroyed value-and how to ensure you’re on the right side of that equation. But here’s what matters most: you’ll finally understand why your best people leave (hint: it’s not the money), why your team waits for you to solve everything (you trained them to), and how to break the cycle that’s keeping you trapped. This book won’t just change how you lead-it will free you from the prison of being indispensable. You’ll build something more valuable than a successful business: a legacy that multiplies through others. Your future self-rested, strategic, and watching your organization thrive without your constant intervention-starts here. You’re the only one who can close the big deals and fix the real problems-that’s not leadership, that’s a life sentence. Discover the 12 pillars that transform organizations and executives into architects of self-sustaining cultures where leaders emerge naturally at every level. “CultureWerk is not another leadership book built on theory-it’s a masterclass forged in the real world. Tom Kereszti doesn’t just talk about culture; he shows you how to engineer it, protect it, and multiply it so your organization can thrive long after you step out of the room. What makes this book rare is its focus on leadership multiplication, not leadership dependency. Too many organizations rise only as high as their most visible leader. CultureWerk teaches you how to embed leadership so deeply into your culture that your people grow, your teams self-correct, and your mission outlives any single personality. Through the Twelve Pillars, Tom delivers a practical, global, and deeply human blueprint for building teams that perform with excellence and sustain impact across generations. This is the kind of book that changes how you lead on Monday morning-not just how you think on Sunday night. If you are serious about building a culture that scales, lasts, and multiplies leaders at every level, CultureWerk is not optional-it’s essential.” – Chris Robinson USA Today Bestselling Author, From Drift to Drive Executive Vice President, Maxwell Leadership “Different companies, different industries, strategies, technologies, and products – peel it all back, and what ultimately seals a company’s success is its culture. This book focuses precisely on that – on what truly transforms organizations into lasting legacies. It brings together the vast experience, deep insights, and extensive knowledge that Tom – whom I’ve had the privilege of knowing since our days at Strauss – possesses.” – Erez Vigodman Co-Founder Terra-A AG, Former President & CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals, ADAMA and Strauss Group. “I get asked to “endorse” a lot of books these days, and I always count it an honor. This book is quite different in the fact that I know the author personally and have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the fruit of his life up close. As a member of my church, Tom is a brilliant man, originally born in Hungary immigrated to the USA and this books carry’s a potent fusion of ‘old world’ Austro/Hungarian nobility, fused with ‘new world’ USA entrepreneurial pragmatism. About the author Tom is an industry influencer and is a highly sought-after coach, speaker, educator, and mentor. Tom’s new book C-Suite and Beyond was just published by Harper Collins. His approach to leadership comes from a lifetime of international experience. He has built and led executive teams in Fortune 500 companies in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the United States. His accomplishments include establishing global alliances, acquiring companies, leading successful start-ups, and creating brands. Tom is a certified member of the John Maxwell group, a leadership training organization built to grow and equip others to do remarkable things and lead fulfilling lives. Tom’s servant leadership principles are time proven and founded on biblical principles. “Man of God, leader of men.” That vision statement has guided every life choice Tom has made since 1995. Tom is down to earth and able to strike a balance between business challenges and common-sense solutions. His motivational and engaging style will leave you with practical and applicable solutions that you can put into practice. He is passionate about mentoring and coaching executives. He will empower you, your team, and your company to succeed. Tom is also an international speaker.

Be There: My Lived Experience with My Sister’s Bipolar Disorder by Linsey Willis https://www.amazon.com/Be-There-Experience-Sisters-Disorder/dp/1637559283 Betherebook.com Be There is a compelling, insightful, heart-wrenching, and sometimes hard-to-believe memoir about a younger sibling’s lived experience as a lifelong caregiver for her sister, Betsy. A brilliant, beautiful, creative, and funny Ivy League-educated woman, Betsy’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 1975 at age 21 altered a life that would have otherwise been productive and happy. Anyone who has a family member, significant other, or friend suffering from bipolar illness can find confirmation that they did not cause, cannot control, or cure the illness, but they can cope (The Four Cs). This book offers the peace of mind and healing that come from understanding the illness. There is a discussion, with scientific references, of the genetic link to mental illness and the many characteristics of bipolar disorder. Dr. Linsey Willis engages the reader through the sharing of photographs, historical documents, commentary about a state psychiatric hospital, Betsy’s graphic yet engaging, hopeful letters, and examples of her many disturbing bipolar behaviors and actions.

A Thousand Kisses: A Family’s Escape From the Nazis to a New Life by John W. Weiser https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Kisses-Familys-Escape-Nazis/dp/1978318073 Intimate and harrowing, this memoir of love, escape and redemption is a rich account of the Weiser family’s life and flight from Nazi Vienna to Hungary to Brazil and to the U.S. It will keep the reader glued to a narrative that skillfully recreates the palpable tension of multiple escapes. A Thousand Kisses is at once instructive about a family’s courage and determination to stay together and about the dangers of remaining silent while a government tightens immigration laws and promotes racial scapegoating.

Courage: The Power to Stand Out Without Fear by Pastor Brian T. Lees https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Power-Stand-Without-Fear-ebook/dp/B0F4M36X34 Stlqc.com As long as there is good and evil in our world, we will always be at war. Christians should not be afraid to admit they follow God. They should take an active stance to share the Word and to encourage others to seek and find Jesus. We gather our courage from a wide range of sources. Courage comes from within us. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to put one foot in front of the other and move forward. This book identifies courage we retain from past experiences. It encourages you to look back and learn from your accomplishments as well as your failures. Accomplishments enhance our confidence, and failures are learning lessons. Both contribute to the courage of moving forward. In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” This book identifies real-world situations where Christians have overcome what seemed to be impossible. It includes examples of raw courage we use every day. Some are easy, where others require us to reach out for help. From teenagers saving a town from a flood to addicts stepping up to get free, it identifies the power of raw courage. Courage enables us to do what is right at all costs. Biblical courage identifies Christians’ foundation to stand up and out. We should never be afraid to speak up, never hide our Christianity, and allow God’s grace to shine through us. For that to happen, we need to cling to our inner courage and never hesitate to use it.

BIG RED Kindle Edition by Matthew Gene Stephens https://www.amazon.com/BIG-RED-Matthew-Gene-Stephens-ebook/dp/B0G39Z5YBQ Big Red, whose given name is Horatio Coonrod, is a teenaged boy in September 1864, the waning months of the War Between the States, in this historical novel that combines fictional characters and actual historical events and persons. He lives in the Florida Panhandle, in Jackson County, just east of Marianna, the county seat, as does his betrothed, Sue McKinnie. The times are desperate for the Confederacy but more so for Jackson County and the surrounding area, with a large force of battle-hardened Union veterans converging on Marianna. The Southern town is defended only by a few Confederate regulars, walking wounded, and citizens who make up a Home Guard, ranging in age from thirteen years to seventy-eight-a force half the size of the Union cavalry. The battle goes badly for the Southerners. Red was wounded, captured, and taken to the war’s most infamous Union prisoner of war camp in Elmira, New York, but he is protected and guided by the hand of the Lord as he makes his way back to his home, family, and the only girl he’s ever loved. He must then engage again in deadly combat in an attempt to regain what has been forcibly taken from him. Red is transformed by the devastating trials he endures on his 1,100-mile journey home. He realizes the unfortunate transformation he went through and his need to seek the redemptive grace the Lord makes available to those who seek it. Sue McKinnie also struggles during this time, not knowing whether her beloved is alive or not. She clings to hope when it seems there is none. Her trials are recounted, illustrating how the Lord buttresses her against utter hopelessness through her extremely strong and devout faith. Together, their story is a tale of hope, faith, and love triumphant.