In conclusion, don't worry about it

FAILING UP By Leslie Odom Jr. (O' Read by the author. (Audible.) The Broadway phenom who originated the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton and won a Tony for it draws on his own life, and success, to offer advice about living to your fullest potential, the radical king By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Edited by Cornel West. Read by Wanda Sykes, Mike Colter, LeVar Burton, Gabourey Sidibe, Danny Glover, et al. (Audible.) West and a cast of many voices want to restore King's identity as a fierce and unyielding social democrat, defender of the poor and working class, in a tradition of political radicalism - it's a different look at the man mostly remembered now for his words of conciliation and peace. in conclusion, don't worry about it By Lauren Graham. Read by the author. (Random House Audio.) The beloved "Gilmore Girls" star expands here on a 2017 commencement speech she gave at her hometown high school, reflecting on her past and giving advice to the young, all the ways to say i love you By Neil LaBute. Read by Judith Light. (Audible.) LaBute, the bad boy of Broadway, presents a one-woman play about a schoolteacher with a secret, struggling mightily with her own guilt. Light, who won plaudits for the 2016 stage production, now picks up the role in this audio version, the last jedi: star wars By Jason Fry. Read by Marc Thompson. (Random House Audio.) For those who can't get enough "Star Wars," this is the official adaptation of the most recent film in the franchise, written with input from the director Rian Johnson, full of portent and force. & Noteworthy "As someone who's been writing about technology forever, I have a strong interest in people who can use lateral thinking and creative problem-solving skills to move the world forward. I'm also a military-history buff, so I'm loving Giles Milton's wellresearched 2016 book, published in the United States as Churchills ministry of ungentlemanly warfare, about the secret British government department tasked with creating new weapons, waging guerrilla warfare and thinking up inventive ways to whack Nazis during World War II. Milton's dry, witty narrative style helps balance descriptions of some ghastly maneuvers, making a pretty lively read. I'm learning about brilliantly mad makers like Cecil Clarke, who developed the prototype for an underwater mine crafted (in part) from a tin Woolworth's bowl, aniseed candy balls, blasting gelatin and a condom - and cost less than ?6 to make. Now that's innovation." - J. D. BIERSDORFER, TECH TIP COLUMNIST AND BOOK REVIEW PRODUCTION EDITOR, ON WHAT SHE'S READING.

"Congratulations! You're giving the graduation speech at Langley High School this year," my dad told me as we bounced down a windy Virginia road in his open-air Jeep. Windy road plus bouncy car plus hair whipping in my face had me jangled, and I wasn't sure I was hearing him properly. "I'm doing the--what?" I asked him. Did I apply for this? I thought to myself. Is it possible I forgot I'd said yes to giving the commencement speech at my alma mater? The way my dad put it, it seemed like the happy outcome of some contest, but it was one I didn't remember entering. "Remember Dick, who I play tennis with?" "No?"   "You know. Dick? From tennis." "I--no, I don't, Dad." "Well, his granddaughter Kaitlin is graduating from Langley." "Uh-huh." "And you're giving the speech! Isn't that great?" he said, as if it was all settled. And while I was sure there was a chink in his logic somewhere-- perhaps due to the potholes that kept jogging me out of my seat--I couldn't find it, and by the time we arrived home, my hair a tangled mess, I had somehow become a commencement speaker. As an actor, I'd performed in front of an audience many times before, but I'd never exactly "spoken" to one. So I asked for advice. "Open with a joke," my dad--an experienced public speaker in his capacity as president of a company for over twenty years--told me. "Don't talk as fast as you normally do," friends advised. "Have you seen Will Ferrell's commencement ad-   dress? Now that's a good speech," said literally every other person I asked. He'd given a speech at USC that year that was, indeed, hilarious. He sang. It went viral. WHATEVER, WILL. After I gave the speech to the Langley graduates, I was asked to publish it. "Are you going to make it funnier? Like that Will Ferrell speech?" people asked me when I told them the news. So, this book started with the Langley speech, but grew considerably from there. I kept thinking of all the worrying I'd done when confronted with milestone moments in life, how generally unhelpful worry is, and how much admiration I have for the young people I've gotten to meet over the years. We desperately need your talent, your integrity, and your hope. If this book helps you worry even slightly less as you navigate your future, I'll be thrilled. Recently, I was asked to speak to the students at University College Dublin. They probably heard   about my Langley speech, I congratulated myself. I'm probably going to become a very big-deal world-renowned public speaker of some sort. I hope I have enough time to work on my-- Then I did some more research. Their speaker from last year? WILL FER- RELL. He wore their national football uniform. He painted himself green from head to toe. What- ever. I'M GONNA GET YOU, WILL. Honestly? I can't wait to hear how funny he was from folks with that charming Irish lilt. Excerpted from In Conclusion, Don't Worry about It by Lauren Graham All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.