Impact
How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong
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Narrated by:
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Sean Pratt
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By:
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Greg Brennecka
About this listen
A Short History of Nearly Everything meets Astrophysics for People in a Hurry in this humorous, accessible exploration of how meteorites have helped not only build our planet but steered the evolution of life and human culture.
The Solar System. Dinosaurs. Donkey Kong. What is the missing link? Surprisingly enough, it's meteorites. They explain our past, constructed our present, and could define our future.
Impact argues that Earth would be a lifeless, inhospitable piece of rock without being fortuitously assaulted with meteorites throughout the history of the planet. These bombardments transformed Earth’s early atmosphere and delivered the complex organic molecules that allowed life to develop on our planet. While meteorites have provided the raw materials for life to thrive, they have radically devastated life as well, most famously killing off the dinosaurs and paving the way for humans to evolve to where we are today.
As noted meteoriticist Greg Brennecka explains, meteorites did not just set us on the path to becoming human, they helped direct the development of human culture. Meteorites have influenced humanity since the start of civilization. Over the centuries, meteorite falls and other cosmic cinema have started (and stopped) wars, terrified millions, and inspired religions throughout the world.
With humor and an infectious enthusiasm, Brennecka reveals previously untold but important stories sure to delight and inform readers about the most important rocks on Earth.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 Greg Brennecka (P)2022 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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From legendary historian Adam Hochschild, a groundbreaking reassessment of the overlooked but startlingly resonant period between World War I and the Roaring Twenties, when the foundations of American democracy were threated by war, pandemic, and violence fueled by battles over race, immigration, and the rights of labor
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Disturbing yet Reassuring
- By Sams95 on 11-18-22
By: Adam Hochschild
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Beyond Training
- Mastering Endurance, Health, & Life
- By: Ben Greenfield
- Narrated by: Ben Greenfield
- Length: 19 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Beyond Training is for men and women who have made it out of couch potato mode and are ready to take things to the next level, whether that means shedding those last few extra pounds, finishing a 5K, or even crossing the finish line of an Ironman triathlon. Everyone from the casual exerciser to the weightlifter, CrossFitter, obstacle racer, marathoner, mountaineer, triathlete, swimmer, cyclist, runner, and biohacker will glean tons of knowledge and life-changing advice from this book.
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Not worth the time
- By Christopher A Stout on 03-14-16
By: Ben Greenfield
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Fall
- The Mysterious Life and Death of Robert Maxwell, Britain's Most Notorious Media Baron
- By: John Preston
- Narrated by: Simon Bubb
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
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In February 1991, Robert Maxwell triumphantly sailed into Manhattan harbor on his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, to buy the ailing New York Daily News. Taxi drivers stopped their cabs to shake his hand, children asked for his autograph, and patrons of the hottest restaurant in Manhattan gave him a standing ovation while he dined. Ten months later, Maxwell disappeared off that same yacht in the middle of the night and was later found dead in the water. As John Preston reveals in this revealing biography, Maxwell’s death was as mysterious as his remarkable life.
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Don't make men like this anymore
- By Sylvia on 04-06-21
By: John Preston
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Chasing Shadows
- My Life Tracking the Great White Shark
- By: Greg Skomal, Ret Talbot
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
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With its quaint villages, local restaurants serving up lobster rolls, and miles and miles of warm, sandy beaches, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is famous for being America’s carefree seaside getaway. But in August 2012, the first confirmed shark attack in almost eighty years occurred in the region. As shark sightings quickly began to increase on Cape Cod and elsewhere and large beachside billboards warning about the growing shark population became a common sight, a boogie boarder died after being attacked by a great white shark in Cape Cod’s shallow waters.
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Not just a boy who loves sharks!
- By Marianne O'Sullivan on 08-12-23
By: Greg Skomal, and others
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The End of Craving
- Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well
- By: Mark Schatzker
- Narrated by: Gibson Frazier
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
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For the last fifty years, we have been fighting a losing war on food. We have cut fat, reduced carbs, eliminated sugar, and attempted every conceivable diet only to find that eighty-eight million American adults are prediabetic, more than a hundred million have high blood pressure, and nearly half now qualify as obese. The harder we try to control what we eat, the unhealthier we become. Why?
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Useful new concepts, well presented
- By Nat on 11-10-21
By: Mark Schatzker
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Knowing What We Know
- The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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From the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes—this is Simon Winchester’s brilliant and all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain, and pass on information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom?
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Colorful anecdotes but tiring after a while.
- By reader on 05-03-23
By: Simon Winchester
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82 Days on Okinawa
- One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle
- By: Art Shaw, Robert L. Wise
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
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In celebration of the 75th anniversary, a riveting first-hand account of the Battle of Okinawa from the first officer ashore, who served at the front for the battle’s entire 82-day duration, heroism that earned him a Bronze Star. On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, 1,500 Allied ships and 1.5 million men gathered off the coast of the Japanese island of Okinawa and launched the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War. The first American officer ashore was Major Art Shaw, a unit commander in the US Army’s 361 Artillery Battalion of the 96th Division, often called the Deadeyes.
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Questionable work by the ghost writer
- By Jeff on 04-19-20
By: Art Shaw, and others
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Life on Earth
- By: David Attenborough
- Narrated by: David Attenborough
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the book’s first publication, David Attenborough has revisited Life on Earth, completely updating and adding to the original text, taking account of modern scientific discoveries from around the globe....
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100% Pure Attenborough
- By Dave on 09-25-18
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Conflict
- The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine
- By: David Petraeus, Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: David Petraeus, Robert Fass
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Two leading authorities—an acclaimed historian and the outstanding battlefield commander and strategist of our time—collaborate on a landmark examination of war since 1945. Conflict is both a sweeping history of the evolution of warfare up to Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, and a penetrating analysis of what we must learn from the past—and anticipate in the future—in order to navigate an increasingly perilous world.
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The Story of My Life
- By Nice guy on 03-06-24
By: David Petraeus, and others
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The Neurobiology of 'We'
- How Relationships, the Mind, and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are
- By: Daniel J. Siegel
- Narrated by: Daniel J. Siegel
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
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If you think your brain and mind are one, think again. According to the interpersonal neurobioligy pioneer Daniel J. Siegel, the mind actually emerges out of the interaction between your brain and relationships. Now, with The Neurobiology of "We", Dr. Siegel invites you on a journey to discover this revolutionary new model of human development - one that can positively transform trauma, move you from stress to calm and equanimity, and promote well-being for you, your family, or even your community.
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Outstanding! Pure genius...
- By Eric on 10-07-11
By: Daniel J. Siegel
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The Plant Paradox
- The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain
- By: Steven R. Gundry MD
- Narrated by: Steven R. Gundry MD
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
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Most of us have heard of gluten - a protein found in wheat that causes widespread inflammation in the body. Americans spend billions of dollars on gluten-free diets in an effort to protect their health. But what if we’ve been missing the root of the problem? In The Plant Paradox, renowned cardiologist Dr. Steven Gundry reveals that gluten is just one variety of a common, and highly toxic, plant-based protein called lectin.
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The proliferation of fabricated “facts”
- By Amazon Customer on 01-31-20
What listeners say about Impact
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rick B
- 01-11-23
Fun with Science
Awesome book! Just enough humor to keep you laughing while you learn. The narration is perfect, so I highly recommend this author and the Impact book. I have relistened multiple times, because it's just that good! The science is extraordinary, and you will learn the real value of rocks from space and how we can use that knowledge to determine the age of the solar system, and the age of humans.
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- Avery Dague
- 02-16-22
all the good stuff on earth came from asteroids
single topic, asteroids, and how they shaped our planet. bringing life and death. this book explains how astroids played a big part in our earth, water, and life. loved it.
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- Sara Goerke
- 02-04-22
Fun af
This dude makes science fun as H E double hockey sticks. Loved the info, loved the pop culture references and jokes, loved the explanations to us lay folk.
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- Rich
- 07-12-22
great book interesting really worth it cool
Great book it was really interesting like the way it was narrated I thoroughly enjoyed it the humor was good science books can be a little hold on routine but this book had a lot of humor to it that helped a lot
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1 person found this helpful
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- J. Petersen
- 07-07-22
a great summer read
I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The only thing I don't care for, is that to the best of my knowledge, there was no explanation about the donkey Kong note on the front cover. otherwise, very enjoyable.
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- James E. Pfeffer
- 08-27-24
I had fun while I learned.
I adored everything about Impact. The author made complicated material accessible, interesting, and a pleasure to read.
I highly recommend that one listens to the appendix and reads the pdf.
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