I Said I Could and I Did, Updated Edition: True Stories of 20th-Century Americans

by Jim Weiss, Jenny Zandona (Artist)

Overview

These stories will have you shaking your head in wonder at the vast (and vastly entertaining) variety of ways in which humans can strive for greatness.

Nellie Bly, the pioneering woman journalist whose breathtaking adventures literally took her around the world. Navy Admiral Grace Hopper, the quotable computer genius who led the way into the age of high technology. George Gershwin, who composed musical masterpieces, and his lyricist friend, E.Y. Harburg (The Wizard of Oz and more). Langston Hughes, whose belief in possibilities drove him to overcome racism and write immortal poetry. Charles Steinmetz, the scientific genius with a giant heart lodged in a body four feed tall. Harry Truman, whose boyhood readings in history later guided his own history-making decisions as President of the United States.  These stories will have you shaking your head in wonder at the vast (and vastly entertaining) variety of ways in which humans can strive for greatness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945841255
Publisher:	The Well-Trained Mind Press
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Series:	The Jim Weiss Audio Collection
Edition description:	Second Edition
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 4.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

In 1989, Jim Weiss set out on a mission: to record the greatest stories he knew from world literature and history, and inspire families — especially young listeners — with a passionate love of the original classics. In the three decades since then, Jim's narration voice and seemingly numberless character voices have formed foundational entertainment and education for millions of listeners around the world.Winning hundreds of awards, Jim’s recordings range on the literary side from fairy tales through stories from Shakespeare, Dickens and Conan Doyle, while his history recordings bring to vivid life major historical events and personalities from the ancient world through the twentieth century.The inspiration for all this began early, with parents and grandparents who told stories and read aloud to him, skills which Jim joyously acquired, and which led him to a degree in Communications and Speech from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Later, his wife, Randy, earned her own national awards as a teacher and counselor, and their shared passion for learning led to forming their company in 1989, long before the explosion of spoken word recordings made this a "sensible" decision. The recordings began winning listeners and national awards from the first. A few years ago, the Weiss's licensed their recordings and business operations to Well-Trained Mind Press, which has successfully introduced Jim's work into still more markets, while Jim continues to write, record, teach and perform.

Jenny is an illustrator based in California.

Table of Contents

1. Preface 2. Nelly Bly - I Said I Could, and I Did 3. Charles Steinmetz - A Little Giant Comes to America 4. E.Y. "Yip" Harburg - Painting the Rainbow 5. George Gershwin - My Time is Today! 6. Langston Hughes - He, Too, Sang America 7. President Harry Tr

Editorial Reviews

From the opening remarks to the closing invitation to seek further information, narrator Jim Weiss’s interest in the stories he tells is contagious as he tells stories of famous Americans and their inspirations. Nellie Bly sets off on her trip around the world, George Gershwin’s flair for improvisation yields “Rhapsody in Blue,” songwriter Yip Harburg’s love of poetry and friendship with Ira Gershwin starts him on the road toward THE WIZARD OF OZ. Harry Truman’s passion for history permeates his political career, Charles Steinmetz’s genius in electrical engineering is complemented by his charitable work, and Grace Hopper’s career spans from the Mark 1 computer to COBOL and to coining the word “debug.” Throughout, Weiss’s distinctive voice never flags. A.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2018 - AudioFile