Showing results by narrator "Richard Lyddon" in All Categories

The Aging Mind offers an accessible introduction to what research has revealed about how our bodies and brains age, and how these changes affect our everyday experiences and lives. This second edition is fully updated with contemporary studies and neuroscientific findings, to offer an engaging exploration of 25 facets of the physical and mental aging processes. Written by eminent gerontologist Patrick Rabbitt, who interprets research through his own personal daily experiences, it explores what aging really is and how to accept and manage it.

We all want to be happy, but what is happiness? Haim Shapira navigates the terrain of happiness, exploring and contemplating an eclectic range of theories and insights into the conflicts we face on our journey to creating our own happiness.

At any time in our history, you will find significant and seemingly indisputable events occurring, the kind that can change the course of our lives - the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Yet for every one of them, somebody, somewhere will loudly dispute the "official" account, doubting that the truth has been told. In today's environment, with trust in authorities at an all-time low, conspiracy theories have found a new currency, and websites and social networking ensure they receive a wider and more rapid spread than ever before.

Bird flu has reached the shores of the UK, and MRSA cases have spiralled in our hospitals. Is a human bird flu pandemic a real possibility? What about MRSA - can it be controlled? Should the UK be doing more to prevent infectious diseases, or does it call for a global solution?

Pandemics takes a look under the covers and finds out if a major outbreak of an infectious disease is a real cause for concern.

What is global warming? Is the world really getting hotter? Is it our fault? What might happen and are we too late to act?

Our best-selling backgrounder, Global Warming, tackles the big questions around climate change. In only 120 minutes, this pithy pocket guide will quickly get you up to speed on the world's biggest issue.

Frequent claims of foiled plots; tighter monitoring of suspects and stronger global terror laws. On the flip side, a new safe haven emerging for terrorists in Pakistan; stories of terror cells springing up throughout North Africa; numerous recruits from Europe's leading universities willing to sign up to the cause. Are Al Qaeda and its affiliates, responsible for the horrific attacks in New York, London and Madrid, finding it hard to be the force they once were, or should we be bracing ourselves for the next outrage?

Drink & Drugs: Culture of Excess? checks in and asks if there is a quick fix. How is Britain handling societal drugs and alcohol usage? And how does this compare with abroad? Are we so different in our indulgence to the seemingly more civilised Europeans?

Rising obesity is causing life expectancy to fall for the first time in centuries, costing the NHS £3. billion a year. So why we are fatter as a nation than we have ever been before? Is obesity a choice or an illness? And why is childhood obesity at epidemic levels? Fat: Eating ourselves to death? Looks at the complex recipe of modern life that leads to obesity and our options for reversing this trend, from individual to national action. Pocket Issue slims down the issue to give you some answers.

Checks the balance of the current global credit squeeze and asks some key questions: How do global money markets work? Why did a US housing market crisis come to put our savings at risk? Is the situation similar to previous booms and busts? Have global governments done enough to alleviate the crunch? Can markets regulate themselves better in the future or is it time to keep our savings under the mattress? Pocket Issue looks behind the hype to uncover the facts behind the headlines.

Do you know your Hamas from your Hezbollah? What is the fighting about? Does the conflict encourage Islamic terrorism? Can there be peace in the region?

Middle East Conflict tackles the big questions in a pithy pocket guide. In under 110 minutes, you can sound knowledgeable when others don't.

Oil is running out, fossil fuels pollute - so which way should the UK turn to fuel our future? Is the Uk right to be investing in nuclear power, or should we rely on renewable energy sources? The Energy Crisis tackles the big questions in a pithy pocket guide, helping you to sound knowledgeable when others don't.

Cameras that can see through your clothes at 80 paces; council tax rising to cover increased CCTV needs; suggestions that Internet Service Providers should monitor customer usage in the comfort of their own homes; plus ID cards, fingerprint and eyeball recognition on the horizon. In the 21st century is there anywhere to hide? And if not, should there be? Big Brother: Who is watching you? twitches the curtain and takes a hard look at our increasingly hi-tech, zero privacy society.

What's causing our current high food prices? Is organic food really better for us? Do we care about Fairtrade or food miles? Should we buy locally or from the supermarket?

Eating has been described as the "most political act we do on a daily basis", with our choices affecting our health, landscape, climate, and economy. Food: What Are We Really Eating? lifts the lid on food production and the dizzying array of food choices we face each time we shop.

Children today grow up in an increasingly volatile, complex and uncertain world. Theirs is a generation disempowered from steering their lives while society’s systems are failing to provide the support they need. Yet, a country only prospers when its children—from all walks of life—thrive, meaning that the United Kingdom now faces some consequential choices. Raising the Nation builds a compelling case showing why we must nurture smart, strong and kind children to one day inherit the stewardship of society.

Notes on the Art of Life is Haim Shapira's version of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book–a discursive and intensely personal collection of thoughts on life; a tribute to the importance of the here and now; the value of the moment and of paying attention to it.