David Drummond has narrated 98 audiobooks on Listento.it by 94 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 648 ratings. The most-rated is Empire of the Summer Moon.
Empire of the Summer Moon
Summary
Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son, Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches. Although listeners may be more familiar with the names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined just how and when the American West opened up. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the Eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled backward by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. So effective were the Comanches that they forced the creation of the Texas Rangers and account for the advent of the new weapon specifically designed to fight them: the six-gun. The war with the Comanches lasted four decades, in effect holding up the development of the new American nation. Gwynne's exhilarating account delivers a sweeping narrative that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads - a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2016 S. C. Gwynne (P)2016 Simon & Schuster
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Summary
There are laws of nature, so why shouldn’t there be laws of marketing? As Al Ries and Jack Trout - the world-renowned marketing consultants and best-selling authors of Positioning - note, you can build an impressive airplane, but it will never leave the ground if you ignore the laws of physics, especially gravity. Why then, they ask, shouldn’t there also be laws of marketing that must be followed to launch and maintain winning brands? In The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Ries and Trout offer a compendium of 22 innovative rules for understanding and succeeding in the international marketplace. From the Law of Leadership, to The Law of the Category, to The Law of the Mind, these valuable insights stand the test of time and present a clear path to successful products. Violate them at your own risk.
©1993 Al Ries and Jack Trout (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers
The Invention of Nature
Summary
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthrax-infested Siberia. He came up with a radical vision of nature, that it was a complex and interconnected global force and did not exist for man's use alone. Ironically, his ideas have become so accepted and widespread that he has been nearly forgotten. Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his investigation of wild environments around the world; his discoveries of similarities between climate zones on different continents; his prediction of human-induced climate change; his remarkable ability to fashion poetic narrative out of scientific observation; and his relationships with iconic figures such as Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson. Wulf examines how his writings inspired other naturalists and poets such as Wordsworth, Darwin, and Goethe, and she makes the compelling case that it was Humboldt's influence on John Muir that led him to his ideas of preservation and that shaped Thoreau's Walden. Humboldt was the most interdisciplinary of scientists and is the forgotten father of environmentalism. With this brilliantly researched and compellingly written audiobook, she makes clear the myriad, fundamental ways that Humboldt created our understanding of the natural world.
©2015 Andrea Wulf. Recorded by arrangement with Doubleday, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Dragon Champion
Summary
"Gray dragons are different, my son. It means you must be careful; your skin will be pierced more easily. But on the other hand, having no hunger for gems and gold will allow you to live in the Upper World and far from men." High in the mountains, deep in the safety of a cave, a brood of dragons is born. The four young ones are among the last of a dying breed - the final hope for dragons' survival. But hope shatters when a murderous group of slave-trading dwarves breaks into the cave, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Only young Auron, a rare scaleless gray dragon, manages to escape. Armed with nothing save wit, claws, and a boundless determination to survive, he seeks his kind. But to find other dragons - or at least discover who's killing them off - Auron will have to search a world of mercenary elves, vicious humans, and dangers of all kinds. Winning allies in the strangest places - and finding himself along the way - Auron embarks on the journey of a thousand-year lifetime.
©2005 E.E. Knight (P)2009 Tantor
Dark Summit
Summary
In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall's death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter. If David Sharp's death was shocking, it was not singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the outfitter who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain's north side---and who some believe was partially responsible for Sharp's death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus. Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiraled out of control.
©2008 Nick Heil (P)2008 Tantor
To the Limit
Summary
From June 1967 to June 1968, Tom Johnson accumulated an astonishing 1,600 flying hours piloting the UH-1 "Iroquois" - better known as the "Huey" - as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. Johnson's riveting memoir takes us into key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. In harrowing detail, he tells of being shot down in the battle of A Shau Valley, of surviving enemy attacks during the Tet Offensive, and of a death-defying nighttime river rescue, in which only the bare feet of soldiers hanging off the Huey's skids kept the helicopter from plunging under water. From dangerous missions to narrow escapes, Johnson's memoir vividly captures the adrenaline rush and the horror of war, and takes you on a ride you'll never forget.
©2006 Potomac Books, Inc. (P)2018 Tantor
Consciousness and the Brain
Summary
How does the brain generate a conscious thought? And why does so much of our knowledge remain unconscious? Thanks to clever psychological and brain-imaging experiments, scientists are closer to cracking this mystery than ever before. In this lively book, Stanislas Dehaene describes the pioneering work his lab and the labs of other cognitive neuroscientists worldwide have accomplished in defining, testing, and explaining the brain events behind a conscious state. We can now pin down the neurons that fire when a person reports becoming aware of a piece of information and understand the crucial role unconscious computations play in how we make decisions. The emerging theory enables a test of consciousness in animals, babies, and those with severe brain injuries.A joyous exploration of the mind and its thrilling complexities, Consciousness and the Brain will excite anyone who is interested in cutting-edge science and technology and the vast philosophical, personal, and ethical implications of finally quantifying consciousness.
©2014 Stanislas Dehaene (P)2014 Tantor
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
Summary
This marketing classic has been expanded to include new commentary and a bonus book: The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding. Smart and accessible, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands in the world, like Rolex, Volvo, and Heineken, with the signature savvy of marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries. Combining The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding, this book proclaims that the only way to stand out in today’s marketplace is to build your product or service into a brand - and provides the step-by-step instructions you need to do so. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding also tackles one of the most challenging marketing problems today: Branding on the Web. The Rieses divulge the controversial and counterintuitive strategies and secrets that both small and large companies have used to establish Internet brands. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the essential primer on building a category-dominating, world-class brand.
©2002 Al Ries and Laura Ries (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers
Kill Bin Laden
Summary
This work offers a firsthand account of the Battle of Tora Bora and an insider's look at the extraordinary nature of America's supersecret counterterrorist unit---an elite and mysterious group known as Delta Force.
©2008 Dalton Fury (P)2008 Tantor
The Lost Civilization Enigma
Summary
Are history books giving us the whole story? Or is civilization far more complex and for older than we have been taught? Our school textbooks barely mention the 6,000-year-old Sumerian civilization, yet the latest archaeological findings at sites such as Jericho, and most recently, Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, have been dated to 10,000 BC. Civilization goes back at least another 10,000 years, if we are willing to believe what our ancestors themselves claimed. The Lost Civilization Enigma reveals the truth about: Lost magnitudes to known cultures, such as the Bosnian Pyramids and the civilization of "Old Europe"; The fabled lost "golden" cities of South America and the Amazon, which are slowly being rediscovered; Fascinating examples of lost technology, such as the Antikythera Device; Atlantis and the fact that it was a real civilization. Analyzing historical and archaeological records, best-selling author Philip Coppens demonstrates that there is substantial evidence that civilization is far older, far more advanced, and far more special than is currently accepted. Clearly, our history books have left out a great deal!
©2012 Philip Coppens (P)2012 Tantor
Dragon Avenger
Summary
"I am Wistala. Wistala the great dragon huntress, a silent green avenger, dropping from the clouds...." Such is the mettle of young Wistala, one of four dragons born high in the mountains, as she breaks free of her shell. The last of a dying breed, the siblings learn of their legacy from their devoted mother and protective father - until the fateful day when their dark sanctuary is invaded by a group of slave-trading dwarves. Pushed to freedom by their mother as she battles for their lives, Wistala and her scaleless gray brother, Auron, find themselves alone in the Upper World. And when Auron sacrifices himself so that she may live, Wistala must overcome her grief and fear to find others of her kind - and bring her wrath to bear on those who would destroy them.
©2006 E.E. Knight (P)2009 Tantor
The Spirituality of Imperfection
Summary
I am not perfect is a simple statement of profound truth, the first step toward understanding the human condition, for to deny your essential imperfection is to deny yourself and your own humanity. The spirituality of imperfection, steeped in the rich traditions of the Hebrew prophets and Greek thinkers, Buddhist sages and Christian disciples, is a message as timeless as it is timely. This insightful work draws on the wisdom stories of the ages to provide an extraordinary wellspring of hope and inspiration to anyone thirsting for spiritual growth and guidance in these troubled times. Who are we? Why do we so often fall short of our goals for ourselves and others? By seeking to understand our limitations and accept the inevitably of failure and pain, we begin to ease the hurt and move toward a greater sense of serenity and self-awareness. The Spirituality of Imperfection brings together stories from many spiritual and philosophical paths, weaving past traditions into a spirituality and a new way of thinking and living that works today. It speaks to anyone who yearns to find meaning within suffering. Beyond theory and technique, inside this remarkable audiobook you will find a new way of thinking, a way of living that enables a truly human existence.
©1992 Ernest Kurtz, PhD, and Katherine Ketcham (P)2014 Tantor
Dragon Outcast
Summary
"I'm sorry, hatchling. You are an outcast. You must learn to overcome on your own...." Such was the welcome the young, nameless Copper dragon received upon breaking free of his shell. Crippled while battling his brother for dominance in the nest, he is all but ignored and discarded by his mother and father - the last of a dying breed. Forced to fend for himself, he learns the hard lessons of survival. When he's captured by vengeful dwarves, he buys his own life with the lives of those who rejected him - and pays a price he never imagined. Fleeing his guilt, the Copper finds himself far from all he knows. Rescued by unlikely, bloodthirsty saviors, he makes an extraordinary trek to the last bastion of free dragonkind. In this secret civilization, he finds a new family. They too are wary of the crippled, wild-bred dragon, but this time he's determined to prove himself equal to any enemy, on four legs or two, from the highest mountaintop to the deepest cave, as he pits his strength, wit, and courage in a contest for the survival---and domination---of dragonkind itself.
©2007 E.E. Knight (P)2009 Tantor Media
How to Measure Anything
Summary
Anything can be measured. This bold assertion is the key to solving many problems in business and life in general. The myth that certain things can't be measured is a significant drain on our nation's economy, public welfare, the environment, and even national security. In fact, the chances are good that some part of your life or your professional responsibilities is greatly harmed by a lack of measurement---by you, your firm, or even your government. Building up from simple concepts to illustrate the hands-on yet intuitively easy application of advanced statistical techniques, How to Measure Anything reveals the power of measurement in our understanding of business and the world at large. This insightful and engaging book shows you how to measure those things in your business that until now you may have considered "immeasurable," including technology ROI, organizational flexibility, customer satisfaction, and technology risk. Offering examples that will get you to attempt measurements---even when it seems impossible---this book provides you with the substantive steps for measuring anything, especially uncertainty and risk. Don't wait---listen to this book and find out: The three reasons why things may seem immeasurable but are not Inspirational examples of where seemingly impossible measurements were resolved with surprisingly simple methods How computing the value of information will show that you probably have been measuring all the wrong things How not to measure risk Methods for measuring "soft" things like happiness, satisfaction, quality, and more How to fine-tune human judges to be powerful, calibrated measurement instruments How you can use the Internet as an instrument of measurement PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2010 Douglas Hubbard (P)2011 Tantor
Occultation and Other Stories
Summary
Laird Barron has emerged as one of the strongest voices in modern horror and dark fantasy fiction, building on the eldritch tradition pioneered by writers such as H. P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Thomas Ligotti. His stories have garnered critical acclaim and been reprinted in numerous year's best anthologies and nominated for multiple awards, including the Crawford, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy Awards. His debut collection, The Imago Sequence and Other Stories, was the inaugural winner of the Shirley Jackson Award. He returns with his second collection, Occultation. Pitting ordinary men and women against a carnivorous, chaotic cosmos, Occultation's eight tales of terror (two never before published) include the Theodore Sturgeon and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated story "The Forest" and Shirley Jackson Award nominee "The Lagerstatte."
©2010 Laird Barron (P)2014 Audible Inc.
God's Battalions
Summary
In God's Battalions, award-winning author Rodney Stark takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism, conducted for land, loot, and converts by barbarian Christians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. To the contrary, Stark argues that the Crusades were the first military response to unwarranted Muslim terrorist aggression. Stark reviews the history of the seven major Crusades from 1095 to 1291, demonstrating that the Crusades were precipitated by Islamic provocations, centuries of bloody attempts to colonize the West, and sudden attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places. Although the Crusades were initiated by a plea from the pope, Stark argues that this had nothing to do with any elaborate design of the Christian world to convert all Muslims to Christianity by force of arms. Given current tensions in the Middle East and terrorist attacks around the world, Stark's views are a thought-provoking contribution to our understanding and are sure to spark debate.
©2009 Rodney Stark (P)2009 Tantor
Human Heart, Cosmic Heart
Summary
While serving with the Peace Corps in Swaziland, Thomas Cowan encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner and Weston A. Price - two men whose ideas would fascinate and challenge him for decades to come. Both drawn to the art of healing and repelled by the way medicine was - and continues to be - practiced in the United States, Cowan returned from Swaziland, went to medical school, and established a practice. He remained intrigued by the work of Price and Steiner and, in particular, with Steiner's provocative claim that the heart is not a pump. Dr. Cowan believes that Steiner was correct that the heart is not a pump, and our understanding of heart disease is completely wrong. And this gross misunderstanding is the reason heart disease remains the most common cause of death worldwide.
©2016 Dr. Thomas Cowan (P)2016 Dreamscape Media, LLC
The Myth of the Rational Voter
Summary
The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book. Caplan argues that voters continually elect politicians who either share their biases or else pretend to, resulting in bad policies winning again and again by popular demand. Boldly calling into question our most basic assumptions about American politics, Caplan contends that democracy fails precisely because it does what voters want. Through an analysis of Americans' voting behavior and opinions on a range of economic issues, he makes the convincing case that noneconomists suffer from four prevailing biases: they underestimate the wisdom of the market mechanism, distrust foreigners, undervalue the benefits of conserving labor, and pessimistically believe the economy is going from bad to worse. Caplan lays out several bold ways to make democratic government work better - for example, urging economic educators to focus on correcting popular misconceptions and reccomending that democracies do less and let markets take up the slack. The Myth of the Rational Voter takes an unflinching look at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results. With the upcoming presidential election season drawing nearer, this thought-provoking book is sure to spark a long-overdue reappraisal of our elective system. This book is published by Princeton University Press.
©2007 Princeton University Press (P)2010 Redwood Audiobooks
Dragon Fate
Summary
The author of the national best-selling Vampire Earth series presents the fiery conclusion to his epic dragon saga. Scattered across a continent, three dragon siblings are among the last of a dying breed -the final hope for their species' survival. After fighting a war that cost each of them kingdom and land, friends and family, honor and glory, they have removed themselves from the troubles of the world. But the order they fought to establish is falling apart. Ancient sorceries have been awakened. Dragons battle dragons. And men are taking up arms against their winged overlords. Now, the three must unite once more to save dragonkind from extinction, before the chaos and fire of war consume them all... and the world with them.
©2011 E.E. Knight (P)2011 Tantor
William Tecumseh Sherman
Summary
General Sherman's 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Yet Sherman proved far more complex than his legendary military tactics reveal. James Lee McDonough offers fresh insight into a man tormented by the fear that history would pass him by, who was plagued by personal debts, and who lived much of his life separated from his family. As a soldier, Sherman evolved from a spirited student at West Point into a general who steered the Civil War's most decisive campaigns, rendered here in graphic detail. Lamenting casualties, Sherman sought the war's swift end by devastating Southern resources in the Carolinas and on his famous March to the Sea. This meticulously researched biography explores Sherman's warm friendship with Ulysses S. Grant, his strained relationship with his wife, Ellen, and his unassuageable grief over the death of his young son, Willy. The result is a remarkable, comprehensive life of an American icon whose legacy resonates to this day.
©2016 James Lee McDonough (P)2016 Tantor