Audiobooks narrated by Michael Langan

Beyond States: Powers, Peoples and Global Order

Today, the majority of the peoples of the planet live in nation-states, based upon the idea, if never the reality, of a single people, a single culture, a single rule of law, and a single source of sovereign authority. But will they continue to do so in the future? None of the major challenges that confront humanity today—from climate change to disease, from terrorism to mass migration—can be handled effectively by single nation-states, no matter how powerful. The world is no longer made up only of states but also of an ever-increasing multitude of interstate networks and organizations which recognize no borders. We are beginning to be able to imagine the very real possibility of a new global civil society. But what political form should this take? By examining the history of the evolution of human society from the world's first empires to today's world of interstate networks, this book argues that there now exists the possibility of the emergence of a new political form, a global 'federation of federations', that will bring the species closer to the possibility of a more harmonious, equitable, and secure future.

Anthony Pagden (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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What Is Ancient History?

It's easy to think that ancient history is, well, ancient history—obsolete, irrelevant, unjustifiably focused on Greece and Rome, and at risk of extinction. In What Is Ancient History?, Walter Scheidel presents a compelling case for a new kind of ancient history—a global history that captures antiquity's pivotal role as a decisive phase in human development, one that provided the shared foundation of our world and continues to shape our lives today. For Scheidel, ancient history is when the earliest versions of today's ways of life were created and spread—from farming, mining, and engineering to housing and transportation, cities and government, writing and belief systems. Transforming the planet, this process unfolded all over the world, in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas, often at different times, sometimes haltingly but ultimately unstoppably. Yet it's rarely studied or taught that way. The time has come, Scheidel argues, to put the ancient world back together—by moving beyond the limitations of Greco-Roman 'classics,' by systematically comparing ancient societies, and by exploring early exchanges and connections between them. The time has come, in other words, for an ancient history for everyone.

Walter Scheidel (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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The Future of the Factory: How Megatrends are Changing Industrialization

For centuries, industrialization and factory-based production have been core ingredients in economic growth, development, and innovation. This symbiotic relationship between industrialization and economic prosperity is now changing. 'Megatrends'—trends within the domains of technology, economy, society, and ecology that have a global impact—are changing the ability of the manufacturing sector to serve as the engine of growth, changing traditional ideas of technological progress, and changing growth and development opportunities in both the global South and the global North. Four megatrends are particularly worthy of note: the rise of services, digital automation technologies, globalization of production, and ecological breakdown. In this book, Jostein Hauge provides a novel analysis of how these megatrends are changing industrialization, and charts new pathways for industrial policy and global governance. He also offers a wide-ranging account of the role of technology, globalization, and ecology in shaping the world economy. The Future of the Factory shows that industrialization remains a cornerstone of economic prosperity, but that power asymmetries in the world economy create uneven opportunities for achieving economic growth, development, and industrialization.

Jostein Hauge (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Exploring the Britannic: The Life, Last Voyage and Wreck of Titanic's Tragic Twin

A revelatory and wide-ranging exploration of HMS Britannic—her life at sea and on the seabed—by the owner of her wreck. Launched in 1914, two years after the ill-fated voyage of her sister ship, RMS Titanic, the Britannic was intended to be superior to her tragic twin in every way. But war intervened and in 1915 she was requisitioned as a hospital ship. Just one year later, while on her way to collect troops wounded in the Balkans campaign, she fell victim to a mine laid by a German U-boat and tragically sank in the middle of the Aegean Sea. There her wreck lay, at a depth of 400 feet, until it was discovered fifty-nine years later by legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau. In 1996 the wreck was bought by the author of this book, Simon Mills. Exploring the Britannic tells the complete story of this enigmatic ship: her construction, launch and life, her fateful last voyage, and the historical findings resulting from the exploration of the well-preserved wreck over a period of forty years. This book finally details how the mysteries surrounding the 100-year-old enigma were laid to rest, and what the future might also hold for her.

Simon Mills (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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The Seven Men of Spandau: The Last of the Hitler Gang

In 1945 seven of Hitler's henchmen were incarcerated as solitary inmates of the vast Spandau prison in Berlin originally built to accommodate hundreds. Every conceivable precaution was taken to ensure escape was impossible for such high-profile prisoners. Hitler's henchmen had been tried and convicted for their complicity in Hitler's campaign and had escaped the death penalty, unlike many of their former comrades. This extensively researched book has been constructed from innumerable sources, including firsthand accounts from the men themselves, their families, friends, lawyers, and enemies; from visits made to Berlin with their wives, from smuggled and authorized letters written in prison, and authentic conversations between the prisoners. What is revealed are intimate details of the private lives of these once powerful men, their thoughts and reflections inside Spandau, their differing attitudes to their crimes, and how these affected their relationships with each other. Also revealed is the complex and frustrating diplomatic and political in-fighting between the four powers of the United States, Britain, France, and the USSR, administering the gaol in the postwar era. A situation that remained until September 1987 when, within weeks of the death of the remaining prisoner, bulldozers moved in to raze it to the ground.

Jack Fishman (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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The Upside of Disruption: The Path to Leading and Thriving in the Unknown

Discover why not taking a risk is the biggest risk of all In The Upside of Disruption, renowned disruption thinker and bestselling author Terence Mauri delivers a compelling set of mindset shifts for today's unique leadership challenges. In the book, you'll find the future-ready insights and tools you need to lead for today and prepare your organization for tomorrow. The author explains why so many of us continually overestimate the risks of bold decisions while underestimating the downsides of standing still for too long in an increasingly complex and volatile world. You'll learn about the upside of disruption and how to turn it into a tailwind for laser-like focus and strategic courage. You'll also find: ● Discussions of why good leaders learn but great leaders unlearn ● The key to unlocking cultures of courage over conformity ● Actionable strategies to sharpen the future readiness muscle and find the upside in disruption A singularly engaging new take on leading the future that uniquely favors the bold, The Upside of Disruption will earn a place in the libraries of managers, executives, board members, entrepreneurs, and founders looking for a new and resilient path forward.

Terence Mauri (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Understanding Human Metabolism

Does eating more carbohydrates, or fats, cause one to put on more weight? Are ketone bodies toxins or vital products that keep us alive during starvation? Does the concept of 'fat-burning exercise' hold true? In this game-changing book, Keith Frayn, an international expert in human metabolism and nutrition, dispels common misconceptions about human metabolism, explaining in everyday language the important metabolic processes that underlie all aspects of our daily lives. Frayn describes the communication systems that enable our different organs and tissues to cooperate, for instance in providing fuel to our muscles when we exercise, and in preserving our tissues during fasting. He explores the impressive adaptability of human metabolism and discusses the metabolic disorders that can arise when metabolism 'goes wrong'. For anyone skeptical of information about diet and lifestyle, this concise book guides the listener through what metabolism really involves.

Keith N. Frayn (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Why Elephants Cry: How Observing Unusual Animal Behaviours Can Predict the Weather (and Other Enviro

Why Elephants Cry is a fascinating frolic through the literature and evidence surrounding the use of unusual behavior of animals to measure and predict the environment. The role of animals, from the smallest ant to the biggest elephant, as predictors of environmental changes is framed around the climate crisis, which highlights the increasingly important part that animals will have to play in the future. Renowned biologist Professor John T. Hancock collects anecdotal stories and myths along with scientific evidence, demonstrating that observation of animals can be of tangible use. He looks at the measurement of the air temperature using ants, crickets, and snakes, and goes on to assess the evidence that the observation of a wide range of animals can predict the weather or the imminent eruption of volcanoes and earthquakes. Evidence of animals being able to predict lunar and solar events, such as lunar cycles and the Northern Lights, is also considered. This is the only time that all this literature has been brought together in one place, a fascinating reference for anybody interested in animals and the environment. The book is also an ideal supplementary textbook for students studying animal behavior.

John T. Hancock (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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How to Lead Nonprofits: Turning Purpose into Impact to Change the World

Nonprofit leadership is hard. Most new nonprofit leaders are ill-prepared for the challenges they will face, and even those who are more experienced struggle to ensure their organizations deliver the change they are committed to. Nonprofits are not meant to be run like businesses-different incentives drive different priorities. In particular, nonprofit leaders have a key advantage over business leaders in that purpose is fundamental to their organization's work. From Nick Grono, CEO of the Freedom Fund and a nonprofit leader with decades of experience, How to Lead Nonprofits offers a leadership framework centered on what matters most for success: - Achieving outsize impact by pursuing your organization's purpose - Building an inclusive culture that motivates and empowers your team - Partnering with the community you serve, funders, and peer organizations to scale impact With examples and testimony from nonprofit and charity leaders around the world, framed by Grono's own expertise, this is a highly usable guide to harnessing the power of purpose to shape everything your organization does-internally and externally-as you seek to change the world.

Nick Grono (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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V-Bombers: Britain’s Nuclear Frontline in the Cold War

This is the story of a British deterrent. Much has been written about the V-bombers-the Valiant, Victor, and Vulcan-but virtually nothing has been said about their strategic nuclear strike role. How would Britain's small force of subsonic bombers have retaliated following a Soviet attack, and would they have succeeded? This book is the product of seven years of research by Dr. Tony Redding. It includes fresh material on V-Force weapons, war mission, targeting, vulnerabilities, and tactics for attacking targets within Soviet Russia. Over seventy V-Force aircrew and ground crew were interviewed and over 300 operational research reports and other official documents reviewed. The author demonstrates how the V-bombers retained a unilateral capacity to destroy a small number of the very largest cities in the Soviet Union until the handover of the strategic nuclear deterrent to the Polaris submarines. This core retaliatory threat, centered on the destruction of Moscow and Leningrad, was judged severe enough to undermine Russia's position in relation to the US. In short, a few British V-bombers had the destructive capacity to destabilize the balance between the superpowers. The book concludes that, within the first few hours, a small force of surviving V-bombers could have unleashed the explosive power of all Allied bombs dropped on Germany in six years of war.

Dr. Tony Redding (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change

We need to act five times faster to avoid dangerous climate change. As Greenland melts, Australia burns, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, we think we know who the villains are: oil companies, consumerism, weak political leaders. But what if the real blocks to progress are the ideas and institutions that are supposed to be helping us? Five Times Faster is an inside story from Simon Sharpe, who has spent ten years at the forefront of climate change policy and diplomacy. In our fight to avoid dangerous climate change, science is pulling its punches, diplomacy is picking the wrong battles, and economics has been fighting for the other side. This provocative and engaging book sets out how we should rethink our strategies and reorganize our efforts in the fields of science, economics, and diplomacy, so that we can act fast enough to stay safe.

Simon Sharpe (Author), Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Money Capital: New Monetary Principles for a More Prosperous Society

A conventional economic theory, monetarism, holds that inflation is a monetary phenomenon driven by changes in the supply of money. Yet recent experience-including the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008 and the economic development of China-contradict this basic prediction. In this book, Patrick Bolton and Haizhou Huang offer a novel perspective, viewing monetary economics through the lens of corporate finance. They propose a richer theory, where money can be seen as the equity capital of a nation, playing a similar role as stocks for a company. This innovative framework integrates the real and monetary sides of the economy, with a banking sector and debt at its core. In the financial world, companies issue new shares only if it results in some kind of value creation; this is a basic principle of corporate finance that Bolton and Huang argue can be applied to monetary economics. When the government increases the money supply to finance positive net value investments-when it prints money to keep the economy going-it increases output, not inflation. The effect of increasing money supply depends on how money enters the system and what the money buys. The principles outlined by Bolton and Huang shed new light on a range of issues, including inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, central banking, money and growth, and the international monetary system.

Haizhou Huang, Patrick Bolton (Author), Jonathan Cowley, Michael Langan (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Michael Langan