Showing results by narrator "Mark Ashby"

The Somme: these words conjure the image of war rigidly fought by traditional means even when catastrophe clearly loomed. Relying on personal testimonies never before published, this study of those who survived the first day of battle (July 1, 1916) captures this epic conflagration from all angles. Follow the action as soldiers crawl across No Man’s Land in the face of German guns, struggle with the conditions in the trenches, and survey the scene from the air as the RFC tries to control the skies above the battlefield.

Stop me if this sounds familiar: You’re about to install a new game or shoot more video on your smartphone, but then a message pops up on the screen that says something like “There is not enough available storage.” Sheesh.

Brainfluence explains how to practically apply neuroscience and behavior technology and behavior research to better market to consumers by understanding their decision patterns. This application, called neuromarketing, studies the way the brain responds to various cognitive and sensory marketing stimuli. Analysts use this to measure a consumer's preference, what a customer reacts to, and why consumers make certain decisions.

Every 13,000 years on Earth a sacred and secret event takes place that changes everything. Mother Earth's Kundalini energy emerges from its resting place in the planet's core and moves like a snake across the surface of our world. Once at home in ancient Lemuria, it moved to Atlantis, then to the Himalayan mountains of India and Tibet, and with every relocation changed our idea of what spiritual means. And gender. And heart. This time, with much difficulty, the Serpent of Light has moved to the Andes Mountains of Chile and Peru.

Italy — with more culture, crowds and chaos per square kilometer than anywhere else in Europe — is most enjoyable when you're up-to-date on its sightseeing and infrastructure news.

"What's New in Italy for 2017" is from the March 04, 2017 Travel section of USA Today. It was written by Rick Steves and narrated by Mark Ashby.

America’s wars of the 20th century seem to confirm that ancient wisdom. A complacent, naïve, and isolationist United States came late to both world wars. Nonetheless, once engaged, the United States almost immediately amassed huge armies ex nihilo and produced unprecedented quantities of arms to ensure Allied victories in both conflicts. No other power fought in so many theaters of battle to such effect and with such consideration for reducing its own casualties.

The heavy-metal band Iron Maiden often starts its concerts or encores with a short lesson in history and rhetoric. As fans watch jumbo screens fill with black-and white images of aerial combat from World War II, they hear an excerpt from one of Winston Churchill’s best-known speeches - the one that climaxes with “We shall never surrender!” Then the group’s six musicians burst onto the stage and perform “Aces High,” their loud-and-fast song about the Battle of Britain.

Amazon is making it easier for customers to get free shipping with their orders, regardless of whether they subscribe to its Prime service.

"It's Easier to Get Free Amazon Shipping Now, Even Without Prime" is from the February 20, 2017 Tech section of USA Today. It was written by Brett Molina and narrated by Mark Ashby.

It opposes constitutional democracy and is bad for America.

Most presidents, before and after holding office, are offered multifarious opportunities to get rich, most of them unimaginable to Americans without access to influential and wealthy concerns. But none have so flagrantly circumvented laws and ethical norms as have Bill and Hillary Clinton, a tandem who in little more than a decade went from self-described financial want to a net worth likely over $100 million, or even $150 million.

By midsummer 1945, Japan had long since lost the war in the Pacific. The people were not told the truth, and neither was the emperor. Japanese generals, admirals, and statesmen knew, but only a handful of leaders were willing to accept defeat. Most were bent on fighting the Allies until the last Japanese soldier died and the last city burned to the ground.

A decade after the cold war ended, policy makers and academics foresaw a new era of peace and prosperity, an era in which democracy and open trade would herald the "end of history." The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, sadly shattered these idyllic illusions, and John Mearsheimer's masterful new book explains why these harmonious visions remain utopian.

From the author of The Fall Line comes the story of Gideon McCarthy, a Southern California reporter trying to pull it back together. When a series of murders occurs, breaking the story could be his only chance to save his career. Competing with an ambitious female reporter from a rival paper, McCarthy looks for the truth in the one place no reporter dares.

Following the Brexit, Europe may witness even more plebiscites against the undemocratic European Union throughout the continent. The furor of ignored Europeans against their union is not just directed against rich and powerful government elites per se, or against the flood of mostly young male migrants from the war-torn Middle East. The rage also arises from the hypocrisy of a governing elite that never seems to be subject to the ramifications of its own top-down policies.

Why hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Georgia to Maine? For some people it’s a rite of passage, a transition from youth to adulthood, or maybe a way to heal a broken heart. Others do it for the physical challenge, or to simply be in nature and stay off the grid for months at a time.

"J.K. Rowling Saved 'Back to the Future' Train from 'Harry Potter' Fate" is from the July 20, 2016, Life section of The USA Today. It was written by Hoai-Tran Bui and narrated by Mark Ashby.

Branding guru David Aaker explains how to eliminate the competition and become the lead brand in your market. This ground-breaking book defines the concept of brand relevance using dozens of case studies - Prius, Whole Foods, Westin, iPad, and more - and explains how brand relevance drives market dynamics, which generates opportunities for your brand and threats for the competition. Aaker reveals how these companies have made other brands in their categories irrelevant.

For thousands of years, we have set out sailing for all kinds of reasons - for battle, for infinite wealth, for the excitement of exploring the unknown, and for escape from the mundane. We have always had a primal relationship with the sea - even those who have never been to sea remain fascinated by the seafaring life and tales of salty adventure. Now in a brand–new series collection, The Best Sailing Stories Ever Told brings together such diverse authors as Charles Dickens, Jack London, John Masefield, Stephen Crane, Herman Melville, and dozens more.

James MacGregor Burns’s stunning trilogy of American history, spanning the birth of the Constitution to the final days of the Cold War. In these three volumes, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner James MacGregor Burns chronicles with depth and narrative panache the most significant cultural, economic, and political events of American history.

Will Israel survive? That question hasn’t really been asked since 1967. Then, a far weaker Israel was surrounded on all sides by Arab dictatorships that were equipped with sophisticated weapons from their nuclear patron, the Soviet Union. But now, things are far worse for the Jewish state.