Showing results by narrator "Liam Gerrard" in All Categories

From ants scurrying under leaf litter to bees able to fly higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, insects are everywhere. Three out of every four of our planet's known animal species are insects. In The Insect Crisis, Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history.

The Infinite Desire for Growth spotlights the obsession with wanting more, and the global tensions that have arisen as a result. Amid finite resources, increasing populations, environmental degradation, and political unrest, the quest for new social and individual goals has never been so critical. Leading economist Daniel Cohen provides a whirlwind tour of the history of economic growth, from the early days of civilization to modern times, underscoring what is so unsettling today.

There is a huge effort underway in industry and universities to develop the next generation of more intelligent, autonomous, mobile robots. Accompanying these arrivals has been a steady stream of inflammatory articles in the media raising concerns over the impending specter of super-intelligent robots, along with stories about how most jobs will soon be lost to robots.

In this captivating book, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits walking confers on our bodies and brains, and to appreciate the advantages of this uniquely human skill. From walking's evolutionary origins, traced back millions of years to life forms on the ocean floor, to new findings from cutting-edge research, he reveals how the brain and nervous system give us the ability to balance, weave through a crowded city, and run our "inner GPS" system.

Your strategy has seven seconds to captivate its audience, so how are you going to present it? A big wordy document? A lengthy address? Slides full of bullet points? The best way to engage and involve people is through pictures. Strategy Builder tells you how to creatively combine the best strategy frameworks to orient and animate strategy discussion and development in your team. This interactive guide uses real world examples and gives practical tips.

Every executive acknowledges the importance of having a business strategy, but when it comes to creating and implementing a strategy for their organization, the “how” and “what” of strategic planning becomes elusive.

How would your organisation continue operating in the event of a crisis? If you were hit by a cyber attack and lost the use of your IT systems, would you be able to carry on? If your business premises were forced to close, what would you do? If you were affected by unexpected staff absence, how could you reassure your customers that you could still offer them the service they expected?

A sweeping cultural history of the Near East, from the birth of civilisation to the present day. The Near East was the cradle of civilisation: the Sumerians invented urban living and writing here, and monotheism was born and spread across the globe. Arthur Cotterell vividly sketches the extraordinary cultures that have left their mark on the region, from their early myths, deities and rituals of worship to their pioneering political systems and military conquests.

Continuing his exploration of the alternative paths that British history might so easily have taken, Timothy Venning turns his attention to the Hundred Years War between England and France. Could the English have won in the long term, or, conversely, have been decisively defeated sooner?

Solar power has come of age. Not only has it become one of the key alternatives to fossil fuels, it can now be deployed in a way that makes a viable business with a financial profit. Solarnomics describes the economics of building and operating a solar power plant today and provides a window into a future in which several technologies collaborate, and in which all participants in the electricity grid become smarter at scheduling both the supply and demand for electric power to give humanity a future that is sustainable, both environmentally and economically.

Whether you are a doctor, nurse, student, or otherwise interested listener, the stories here will help you to understand how medicine works and how medical error can happen. The lifelong process of learning that is a medical career requires healthcare workers to find a way to live through these setbacks without either becoming too adept at putting them 'down to experience' and forgetting their social significance, or 'burning out' and leaving medicine.

The Wilson family moves to a house in the woods, unaware that their lives will be changed forever. What should have been a fresh start quickly becomes a nightmare when an ancient evil rips through the family. For the survivors, there will be no peace. When the stakes are more than just life-and-death, how much would you sacrifice to save your family?

May Byam grew up following her father to his work at the ropemaking factory and listening to her uncle’s tales of life aboard a Royal Navy ship. After tragedy and scandal shatter her family, May is desperate to escape the shame that follows her. Despite her mother’s pleadings against it, May signs on as a lady’s maid to the young wife of a naval captain. If she’s going to run, she may as well do it in honor of her late uncle and cousin and where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure. But the frosty reception she receives from the ship’s clergyman makes her feel far from welcome.

The greatest challenge of any start-up and growth company is the transition from an early stage start up to a robust organization complete with a driving culture, contemporary leadership, organizational infrastructure and twenty-first-century operating methodologies. Ralf Specht provides inspiration, wisdom, and learnings gleaned from his role and experience in creating and scaling Spark 44, a Jaguar Land Rover joint venture from concept to an award-winning global marketing communications company with well over a thousand employees in eighteen countries in a few short years.

When a pagan priest is unearthed in Ireland 1,500 years after being entombed, archaeologist Caitlin O'Connell is convinced it's the find of the century. The body is in perfect condition. In fact, if scientific data hadn't proved otherwise, she would swear he hadn't been interred more than a few hours.

In the revolutionary excitement of the 1960s, young people around the world called for a radical shift away from the old industrial order, imagining a future of technological liberation and unfettered prosperity. Industrial society did collapse, and a digital economy has risen to take its place, yet many are left feeling marginalized and deprived of the possibility of a better life. The Inglorious Years explores the many ways we have been let down by the rising tide of technology, showing how our new interconnectivity is not fulfilling its promise.

The growing pains of a start-up's initial year in business require a keen awareness of uncertainties and a willingness to adapt in order to survive. Today's new founders greatly benefit from taking a behind-the-scenes look at successful companies such as Etsy, HotelTonight, Fiverr, and more in regards to how they overcame the challenges of their first year. Startups in Action is your curated source for critical insights and inspiration from those who have been there before.

Undercover as a majordomo, spy Adam Drummond has infiltrated Marsley House with one purpose only - to plunder its mysteries and gather proof that the late Duke of Marsley was an unforgivable traitor to his country. At the same time, Adam is drawn to a more beguiling puzzle: the young and still-grieving duchess - a beauty with secrets of her own. For Drummond, uncovering them without exposing his masquerade will require the most challenging and tender moves of his career. That a servant can arouse such passion in her is too shocking for Suzanne Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley, to consider.

Billy Budd, Sailor is the final novel by American writer Herman Melville, first published posthumously in London in 1924 as edited by Raymond M. Weaver, a professor at Columbia University. Other versions were later published. Melville had begun writing the original work in November 1888, but left it unfinished at his death in 1891. Acclaimed by British critics as a masterpiece when published in London, it quickly took its place as a classic literary work in the United States.

Half Life is a triplet of supernatural stories which journey to worlds that linger between life and death. Fear, disappointment, and loneliness permeate these worlds, forcing each character to face up to the dark side of human existence. An original blend of horror, pathos, and humour, these curious stories will cause disquiet, heartache, and a thrilling sting of pleasure.