Showing results by publisher "audible originals" in World

Toys and games have long been a part of childhood, but the 20th century saw the rise of an entire industry devoted to the business of play, one that would constantly evolve over the years. In the six lectures of The History of Toys, 1900 to the Present, consultant and toy industry expert Chris Byrne—also known as The Toy Guy®—will take you on a journey through the world of toys from the Edwardian era to our current moment. Beginning with the birth of the mass-market toy industry, you’ll trace the many transformations of toys and our shifting theories of play and childhood development.

Beginning with the witch hunts of the early 15th century, Professor Jennifer McNabb takes you on an eye-opening exploration of witchcraft and superstition in Witchcraft in the Western Tradition. In these 10 lectures, you will better understand where many of our most indelible images of witchcraft come from and how the religious pursuit of witches across Europe and into the Americas in the early modern period spread fear and violence like a contagion, for generations.

The 16th century was a time of immense change across the globe. For many historians, it marks a massive shift in the way the world operated; it is often considered the beginning of modernity. We may regard the 16th century as the time of Shakespeare and the conquistadors, but women also played a powerful role in many of the major events around the world. In 10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance, you will explore the lives of 10 extraordinary women who exemplified the spirit of the 1500s - an era dominated by adventure, discovery, and cross-cultural exchange.

Yes, it's a strange kind of history. And that’s the way Public Historian Greg Jenner likes it. Because, he says, how we sit, where we sit, what we do when we sit and what happens as a result of all that sitting says a lot about humans past and present. This study means we can link a royal throne with a 2000-year-old toilet. It shows how the language and culture of sitting is deep seated in all of us. It sits listeners down in classrooms, parliaments, sports grounds, protests and in the penitentiary death chamber.

From Halloween costumes to patriotic parades to belly-busting meals, every holiday tradition tells a unique story—one encoded in symbols and layered meanings that stretch back over the centuries. In 19 lectures, professional storyteller Dr. Hannah B. Harvey takes listeners through the seasons and investigates the surprising stories behind seemingly odd holiday traditions.

We’ve all heard of fake news, but what about fake history? Dominic Sandbrook explores two and a half millennia of human history, traveling from the American Deep South to the air raid shelters of wartime Britain, to discover how the past has constantly been manipulated, rewritten and reshaped. It turns out that when it comes to history, separating fact from fiction isn’t always easy. Many of the widely held beliefs about our past are based on a web of lies.

Why are humans seemingly hardwired to worship gold? It is unique amongst metals: it is malleable, it doesn’t tarnish, and it shines like nothing else. Over time it has come to symbolise wealth and status. It can represent goodness and fidelity but also greed and lust. Financial educator, author and broadcaster Alvin Hall explores why we are so obsessed with this particular metal, and what it represents around the world - in terms of wealth and symbolism - both historically and now.

Piña coladas. Mojitos. Hurricanes. Daiquiris. Mai tais. Nothing makes a vacation like one of these delightful rum drinks, right? But whether blended with ice and fruit or sipped neatly from a glass tumbler, this sweet and fiery spirit brings with it a fascinating, complicated history that stretches back to colonial times of the 17th century in the Caribbean.

The history of mankind is riddled with fear. Fear of terrible forces of nature and dangerous new technology. Fear of revolutionary ideologies and supposedly ominous numbers. Inventors in the 19th century patented dozens of “safety coffins” with notification devices like bells and hollow tubes, so that anyone afraid of being buried alive could rest easy. In 1999, ordinary citizens went to great lengths to guard against an apocalypse they feared would strike at midnight on the new year. Some of these fears still exist today, while others have been lost to history. In The History of Fear, we go on a journey through time, through the collective fears of entire eras and countries, and trace the often terrifying and strange roots of those fears all the way to where they give us goosebumps today.

Did you know that Henry Ford had a massive impact on square dancing in America? Or that the act of recycling traces back to 500 B.C. in Athens?

Think of Cultured: A World History of Cheese as a 10-episode cheese course, or a cheese plate large enough to contain a well-rounded sampling of great cheeses from around the world. Janet Fletcher, a noted food writer and publisher of the Planet Cheese blog, provides deeper (and delectable) insights into a familiar food you only think you know. Included in this Audible Original are peeks at the nine steps of cheesemaking, the 10 most important cheese families, and tips on how to taste cheese with the same refined palate as a professional cheese judge.

Quanto sono interrelate la storia della Terra e la storia dell'umanità? L'uomo è davvero la specie in cima alla piramide della vita? Con quale diritto ha conquistato questa posizione? L'utilizzo smisurato delle risorse dove ci porterà? Queste solo alcune delle domande a cui il genetista Guido Barbujani e il geologo Mario Tozzi provano a dare una risposta, in un dialogo avvincente, fatto di punti di incontro e di scontro, di curiosi aneddoti e nuove scoperte scientifiche.

Whatever the form, whatever the treat - sugar drives us wild like nothing else. It’s lingered on our tongues for millennia and found its way into almost every household in the world. Alas, the history of sugar is far from sweet. Long before it was linked to America’s obesity epidemic, sugar was fueling the dark forces of exploitation, colonization, conquest, and slavery. More than just candy and cake, sugar has drastically altered the diets, cultures, and economies of the modern world. How can we love sugar while having a healthy relationship with its bittersweet history?

Il nostro destino è scritto nelle carte geografiche, e nella loro storia. Ogni crisi vicina e lontana ci costringe a capire la fisicità del mondo in cui viviamo. La geografia e la storia come le abbiamo studiate sui banchi di scuola non ci bastano più. Dobbiamo guardare "oltre", penetrare il significato nascosto delle carte geografiche, incrociare il paesaggio terrestre con la storia delle civiltà. Ci servono mappe intelligenti per orientarci a capire dove siamo ora, e dove andremo domani. La storia antica riappare negli atlanti, come una trama invisibile che si ripete.

La sera del 13 gennaio 2012 la Concordia, nave della compagnia Costa Crociere si incaglia su uno scoglio dell’Isola del Giglio a 500 metri dal porto, le vittime saranno 32. Il mondo arriva addosso ad un’isola che si trova lì, immobile da millenni in mezzo al Mediterraneo. Gli 800 abitanti di quell’isola accoglieranno, scalderanno, e nutriranno i superstiti e quell’evento cambierà per sempre le loro vite. Questa serie racconta le loro storie.

No nos engañemos: las anécdotas bizarras de la historia de México y Latinoamérica no terminaron con la primera temporada.

Anécdotas históricas tan bizarras y peculiares que todos los libros de historia serios las han evitado por parecer ficción.

Qui est Gianfranco Franciosi ? Personne. Un homme au quotidien banal qui, grâce à son talent de mécanicien nautique, s’est retrouvé du jour au lendemain plongé dans le trafic de cocaïne international. Approché par la police, il deviendra le premier indic de toute l'histoire italienne de la lutte contre le trafic de drogue. Comédiens et comédiennes ayant participé, par ordre alphabétique : Myrtille Bakouche, Mathieu Buscatto, Alexandre Donders, Pierre Junières, Jérôme Keen, Isabelle Miller, Philippe Roullier, Pierre Tissot.

A ascensão e queda de grandes impérios são parte da história humana, mas já há algum tempo que eles não se assentam mais sobre uma única figura ou bandeira, senão em projetos de alianças e interesses que podem culminar em acordos ou guerras. O curso dá uma volta ao mundo, apresentando questões como o protagonismo chinês, a potência estadunidense, as potencialidades da América Latina e da África entre seus futuros e passados, a União Europeia em sua terceira década e o papel da Rússia no xadrez global.

Der Experte für Esskultur nimmt uns mit auf eine Reise in die spannende Geschichte des Koffeins. Erstmalig wurde der Wunderstoff im Osten Afrikas entdeckt, aber es dauerte nur ein kurzes Jahrhundert, bis der Großteil der Welt abhängig war. Durch den Einfluss des Koffeins wurden schon Kriege entschieden, politische Strömungen umgelenkt und ganze Wirtschaftssysteme dominiert. Der Autor erklärt anschaulich, dass sogar die industrielle Revolution ohne das Koffein unmöglich gewesen wäre.