Neil Holmes has narrated 6 audiobooks on Listento.it by 11 authors. The most-rated is Last Night While You Were Sleeping.
The Sumerians
Summary
When American archaeologists discovered a collection of cuneiform tablets in Iraq in the late 19th century, they were confronted with a language and a people who were at the time only scarcely known to even the most knowledgeable scholars of ancient Mesopotamia: the Sumerians. The exploits and achievements of other Mesopotamian peoples, such as the Assyrians and Babylonians, were already known to a large segment of the population through the Old Testament, and the nascent field of Near Eastern studies had unraveled the enigma of the Akkadian language that was widely used throughout the region in ancient times, but the discovery of the Sumerian tablets brought to light the existence of the Sumerian culture, which was the oldest of all the Mesopotamian cultures. Although the Sumerians continue to get second or even third billing compared to the Babylonians and Assyrians, perhaps because they never built an empire as great as the Assyrians or established a city as enduring and great as Babylon, they were the people who provided the template of civilization that all later Mesopotamians built upon. The Sumerians are credited with being the first people to invent writing, libraries, cities, and schools in Mesopotamia (Ziskind 1972, 34), and many would argue that they were the first people to create and do those things anywhere in world. For a people so great, it is unfortunate that their accomplishments and contributions, not only to Mesopotamian civilization but to civilization in general, largely go unnoticed by the majority of the public.
©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River Editors
Uneven Ground
Summary
Appalachia has played a complex and often contradictory role in the unfolding of American history. Created by urban journalists in the years following the Civil War, the idea of Appalachia provided a counterpoint to emerging definitions of progress. Early 20th-century critics of modernity saw the region as a remnant of frontier life, a reflection of simpler times that should be preserved and protected. However, supporters of development and of the growth of material production, consumption, and technology decried what they perceived as the isolation and backwardness of the place and sought to "uplift" the mountain people through education and industrialization. Ronald D Eller has worked with local leaders, state policymakers, and national planners to translate the lessons of private industrial-development history into public policy affecting the region. In Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945, Eller examines the politics of development in Appalachia since World War II with an eye toward exploring the idea of progress as it has evolved in modern America. Appalachia's struggle to overcome poverty, to live in harmony with the land, and to respect the diversity of cultures and the value of community is also an American story. In the end, Eller concludes, "Appalachia was not different from the rest of America; it was in fact a mirror of what the nation was becoming." The book is published by University Press of Kentucky.
©2008 Ronald D. Eller (P)2017 Redwood Audiobooks
Head Space
Summary
How much do you know about that three-pound hunk of tissue in your head - your brain? Its structure and function drive your behavior in profound ways. Scientists are studying the brain and its chemicals to find behavioral patterns, to figure out the sources of good moods and random outbursts, for example. This compilation from Science News for Students turns to brain science to answer all sorts of questions: Can you actually be addicted to your phone? Why is it so hard to sleep away from home? And does school really need to start so early?
©2017 Society for Science and the Public (P)2017 Society for Science and the Public
Transportation and the American People
Summary
Transportation is the unsung hero in America's story. Stagecoaches, waterways, canals, railways, busses, and airplanes revolutionized much more than just the way people got around; they transformed the economic, political, and social aspects of everyday life. In Transportation and the American People, renowned historian H. Roger Grant tells the story of American transportation from its slow, uncomfortable, and often dangerous beginnings to the speed and comfort of travel today. Early advances like stagecoaches and canals allowed traders, business, and industry to expand across the nation, setting the stage for modern developments like transcontinental railways and busses that would forever reshape the continent. Grant provides a compelling and thoroughly researched narrative of the social history of travel, shining a light on the role of transportation in shaping the country and on the people who helped build it. The book is published by Indiana University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks. "A rich and colorful account of the many ways that people have moved from place to place over the past two hundred years.... Informative and a delight to read." (Albert Churella, author of The Pennsylvania Railroad)
©2018 H. Roger Grant (P)2020 Redwood Audiobooks
After the Black Death
Summary
A work of genuine social history, After the Black Death leads the listener into the villages and cities of European society. The book begins with an overview of family and community structure, social conflict, and religious beliefs. After describing the fundamental traits of both rural and urban society, it considers the elites, armed rebellion, poverty, criminality, sexual behavior, and marriage practices.
©1998 George Huppert (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks
Last Night While You Were Sleeping
Summary
Displacement, replacement, injection, rejection, the best and the worst birthdays ever, vengeful spirits, disgruntled bridge trolls, a semi-sappy Satan, Bloody Mary as you've never seen her, Bigfoot, a suburban brush with the undead, rainbows you don't want to find the end of, and more. This collection includes mostly dark and sometimes humorous poetry, flash fiction, and short stories from the mind of Michelle Kilmer, including "Mirielle", a finalist in the Crypticon 2014 Writing Contest.
©2014 Michelle Kilmer (P)2015 Michelle Kilmer