Book description
Halley's Comet visits the earth every seventy-five years. Since the dawn of civilization, humans had believed comets were evil portents. In 1705, Edmond Halley liberated humanity from these primordial superstitions (or so it was thought), proving that Newtonian mechanics rather than the will of the gods brought comets into our celestial neighborhood. Despite this scientific advance, when Halley's Comet returned in 1910 and astronomers announced that our planet would pass through its poisonous tail, newspapers gleefully provoked a global hysteria that unfolded with tragic consequences. In Comet Madness, author and historian Richard J. Goodrich examines the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet and the ensuing frenzy sparked by media manipulation, bogus science, and outright deception. The result is a fascinating and illuminating narrative history that underscores how we behave in the face of potential calamity - then and now. As the comet neared Earth, scientists and journalists alike scrambled to get the story straight as citizens the world over panicked. Popular astronomer Camille Flammarion attempted to allay fears in a newspaper article, but the media ignored his true position that passage would be harmless; weather prophet Irl Hicks, publisher of an annual, pseudo-scientific almanac, announced that the comet would disrupt the world's weather; religious leaders thumbed the Bible's Book of Revelation and wondered if the comet presaged the apocalypse. Newspapers, confident that there was gold in these alternate theories, gave every crackpot a megaphone, increasing circulation and stoking international hysteria. As a result, workmen shelved their tools, farmers refused to plant crops they would never harvest, and formerly reliable people stopped paying their creditors. More opportunistic citizens opened "comet insurance" plans. Others suffered mental breakdowns, and some took their own lives. Comet Madness reveals how humans confront the unknown, how scientists learn about the world we inhabit, and how certain people--from outright hucksters to opportunistic journalists--harness fear to produce a profit.
Desert Haze
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Frosty
ListenBook's support for CarPlay and Apple Watch makes it an essential companion for my daily commutes and workouts. It's convenience at its finest! I love the car mode. Itβs so convenient for listening while driving.
Petite Beauty
I'm absolutely in love with this app! It's like a library of stories in my pocket. As a language enthusiast, this app has been a fantastic tool for learning new languages. This app has made my road trips and flights infinitely more enjoyable. I can't imagine my audio routine without ListenBook's seamless and user-friendly design.
Mr. Alien
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Tea Kettle
ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is like a magic wand, transforming noisy environments into serene listening spaces. The app is well-designed and user-friendly. ListenBook makes listening to audiobooks a joy.
Red Heroine
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Eerie Mizzen
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9Lives
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Frosty
ListenBook's user-friendly interface and precise controls make it a joy to use every day. Sharing audiobooks with friends through AirDrop and Sharing on ListenBook Pro is fantastic. Tone adjustment adds a unique touch to my listening experience. I'm hooked! ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature has significantly improved the audio quality of my recordings.
Emerald Vine
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Most Wanted
With ListenBook, I can immerse myself in captivating stories and enriching knowledge, all in one app. Looping playback is a valuable study tool. It helps me grasp complex content and retain information.
Riff Raff
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Fuzzy Logic Hottie
π Transforming my mundane routine into a captivating journey β thank you, this app! β¨π My productivity has soared since I started using ListenBook for my study materials. Finally, an app that lets me enjoy audiobooks without worrying about file formats! Tone adjustment is such an innovative feature. It adds a personal touch to narration. Sharing audiobooks through AirDrop is a wonderful way to spread the joy of storytelling.
PixelPioneer
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Red Heroine
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Bones
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Double Eerie
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Juno Cream
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DreamDiver
This app has made long flights and road trips so much more enjoyable. Automatic metadata retrieval adds a professional touch to my audiobook collection.
Santa's Little Helper
Sharing audiobooks through AirDrop is a wonderful way to share the joy of storytelling with friends, sparking engaging conversations and connections that transcend boundaries. Iβve been using ListenBook for months, and itβs been a fantastic experience. The app is lightweight, doesnβt drain my battery, and works perfectly in the background. The equalizer and voice boost features are amazing. Highly recommend!
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience