New Reviews: Contemporary Culture

Suzanne Toren's precise articulation and midrange timbre are well suited to the erudition displayed in Donna Leon's newest essays. Best known for her mysteries featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti of Venice, Leon has strong opinions and an interesting background. Toren, an AudioFile Golden Voice narrator, brings attentive pacing and a hint of a smile to Leon's excellent... Read More

Cassandra Campbell gives a crisp and consistently powerful delivery of this deep dive into the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. One of the deadliest recent mass casualty events on U.S. soil is given a detailed examination. Based on her research and interviews, Roberts posits that the official federal story of just four perpetrators-- leading to the execution of Timothy McVeigh, the... Read More

Gabra Zackman's performance effectively demonstrates a kind of narration multitasking. In one way, she's conveying a diabolical true-crime mystery, complete with myriad details and dead ends. In Los Angeles, the mysterious death of a wealthy couple in an apparent car accident appears to be suspicious. Zackman also captures the human need for connection. A group of women,... Read More

This audiobook sheds light on the hard work of the many scientists who accurately track and predict the weather. The audio production's bright spot is narrator Keith Brown, who has a pleasant and authoritative vocal style and wonderful pacing. Otherwise, the audiobook is often tedious due to a lack of vivid narrative bringing the scientists and their work to life. The chapters... Read More

Derek Shetterly is an excellent choice of narrator for this lively nonfiction title about contemporary trends in archaeology. His delivery strikes a balance between academic precision and engaging storytelling, making complex archaeological concepts sound accessible and immediate. There's subtle humor in his tone--just enough to draw listeners into the challenges and wonders of... Read More

Susan Dominus narrates her fascinating audiobook about the complexities of sibling dynamics with straightforward authority. Listeners who find themselves pondering assertions on the characteristics of "the middle child" or the leadership acumen of "the oldest daughter" should find this listening experience engaging. Dominus guides listeners through extensive research on... Read More

Dan John Miller's no-nonsense delivery is fitting for this explosive exposé of U.S. Special Forces units. Harp's audiobook paints a dire picture of power abuses deeply ingrained in the military. Listeners who are familiar with Delta Force or Seal Team 6 are likely to find the reporting here alarming. The title refers to a system of funneling opiates and other drugs onto... Read More

Sophie Gilbert provides an informed yet approachable delivery of her research on pop culture and how misogyny framed the narrative of commercial feminine empowerment. Listeners who came of age during the late 1990s through the 2000s, or were plugged into the popular cultural moments then, may have vivid memories of Britney Spears at the Video Music Awards, Kim Kardashian on... Read More

Samin Nosrat's warm and encouraging voice guides listeners through various kitchen adventures in these selections from her cookbook GOOD THINGS. The author of SALT FAT ACID HEAT and star of the Netflix series reflects on her struggles with depression and how she cooks now, shares recipes for "small good things" like Olive Oil Fried Bread, and expounds on the joys of eating with... Read More

Michael Puttonen narrates this nonfiction work on the 1980 prison riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico. The story recounts the prison's history and describes its bleak location, as well as the longstanding apathy and abuse that led to the bloody skirmish that killed both inmates and guards. The story focuses on two brothers: Gary, a nonviolent first offender who was... Read More

Journalist Amy Larocca narrates with quick pacing that works well with this fast-moving kaleidoscope of observations and insights about today's self-care craze. Her performance has a street-smart quality that's not inappropriate, given the aggressive marketing and snake-oil claims proffered by today's health and beauty marketers. The pervasiveness of ads, images, and expert... Read More

In this audiobook, Kate Marvel describes her work in the field of climate science. Courtney Patterson's intelligent, well-developed narration sets the tone for the author's predictions about the world the next generation will encounter--as forecast by predictive scientific models. Patterson's edifying and confident style is an apt complement to the author's accounts of the... Read More

Elisabeth Rodgers narrates with tasteful objectivity yet infuses this engrossing audiobook with all the emotion it deserves. Sounding more like a novel than a true-crime story, this account of the lives of four University of Idaho students before their horrific murders reveals a group of popular young people who enjoyed partying, were part of loving families, and were naïve... Read More

A mind-control expert examines the coercive and subtle ways people can be made to adopt distorted thinking that works against their own interests and free will. Describing examples like the brainwashing of Korean War prisoners and cults that distort personalities, Rebecca Lemov explains that these corruptions of self-interest and autonomy almost always follow a pattern of... Read More

Narrator Mark Deakins provides appropriately measured enthusiasm for Mark Synnott's account of sailing his 47-foot boat, POLAR SUN, through the Northwest Passage. Synnott funds his plans by selling the idea of searching for nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin's tomb to National Geographic, among others. The author alternates between his own nautical adventure and the... Read More

Imagine the sound of a faceless voice in a dark interrogation room. That's the image one can't help but hear when listening to Stefan Rudnicki's narration of this audiobook. It's a fitting way to experience the story of the CIA since 9/11. Golden Voice Rudnicki takes Weiner's impeccable research and storytelling to near cinematic heights as he shares victories and losses by... Read More

Eric Jason Martin narrates this timely treatise on writing and AI by longtime English professor and writer John Warner. The author emphasizes that Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT cannot think or write; they merely use algebraic algorithms to deliver tokens (AI-speak for words) that follow a plausible pattern. The author warns that by outsourcing human thought... Read More

What makes a killer kill--nature or nurture? Could it be something else entirely? Narrator Patty Nieman guides listeners through this expansive exploration of one theory behind the rise of the American serial killer in the 1970s-80s. The author, herself raised in Washington State during this time period, methodically builds the case that the proliferation of American serial... Read More

This brief audio collection is packed with poems, vignettes, and opinions that range from political (a call to vote) to culinary (cook chicken slowly in butter). It includes Giovanni's homage to Toni Morrison and her takes on Knoxville, Detroit, New York, and Virginia Tech, plus a short Christmas story for children. This miscellany presents the warmth of her heart and the... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett provides a layered delivery of this audiobook about the Wampanoag tribe of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. While the island may evoke images of the wealthy elite, the tribe, of which the author is a member, had a thriving culture there much earlier. Lee reflects on tourists' fundamental lack of understanding of tribal history. Listeners will also find the... Read More

The author's gentle speaking voice and relaxed pacing are perfect vehicles for the wisdom and altruistic intentions of this exceptional audiobook. With fascinating research findings, moving stories, and impressive insights, the Stanford professor describes small interventions that can help people feel more worthwhile, productive, and supported by their communities. The kindness... Read More

Bryan Dick's Northern English accent and meditative tone are true to the spirit of James Rebanks's experience of living on an isolated Norwegian island, where he learns about the work of the "duck women." Rebanks accompanies a woman named Anna during her last summer there as she works to protect the nesting eiders from predators and then, after the birds depart, gathers and... Read More

Author/narrator Kelsey Timmerman addresses the dangers of corporate farming: how planting large tracts of nothing but corn and soybeans necessitates using damaging chemicals to yield desired profits at the cost of polluting the soil and water. Timmerman's thesis is as timely as it is terrifying, and he's a popular speaker on the topic. However, he struggles when narrating due... Read More

Narrated by Mary Roach, this audiobook explores the human body and the challenges that arise when organs, tissues, and limbs fail. Roach is curious and enthusiastic as she meets with physicians, researchers, and people in need of replacement or repair of crucial body parts. Her narration is funny and captivating, reminiscent of a great conversation at a dinner party. Roach... Read More

For anyone contemplating life off the grid--specifically, on a farm--this audiobook offers lessons both moving and unexpected. Cassidy Brown's narration of a family's move to Vermont's Green Mountains is engaging, earnest, and spot-on. One cannot help but be moved by Brown's delivery of the true story of the Whybrow family's life, love, and hardship as they shepherd sheep and,... Read More

This examination of the American prairie is given a solid narration by George Newbern. The authors, both journalists living in Minnesota, view this marvel of a landscape as an ecosystem that includes the various competing human groups who live there. While Hage and Marcotty go into great detail regarding the problem of the prairie's disappearance, their solution--the redemption... Read More

Subtitled "The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource," this intriguing audiobook explores the significance and potential of shade from the sun. Shawn Jain narrates clearly with an engaging style at a good pace, and he captures the author's thoughtful tone. This fascinating work reports on science, uses cultural history, and examines entrepreneurial activism. Shade is not the... Read More

A trio of narrators lend their considerable talents to this nonfiction work about the eminent 1960s London psychiatrist Dr. William Sargant, voiced by Richard Armitage. Sargant founded The Sleep Room, where horrific methods were used on young women in the name of science. Sargant was, by all accounts, an egotistical predator, and Armitage's smooth, level narration displays that... Read More

Sir Tim, who has the distinction of having invented the World Wide Web, delivers the introduction to his memoir. Then his friend Stephen Fry takes over--and what a pleasure that is. His plummy voice and English accent, combined with his enthusiasm for his topic, make him the perfect narrator. Even when dealing with the technical details of how the author arrived at his... Read More

Yon, both narrator and author of this lively exploration of the human mind, is an excellent guide to this important topic. A psychologist and neuroscientist with a delightful English accent, he explains why what we observe is built on the "predictive processing" of our perceptions. In other words, our brain often perceives what it expects to encounter, even when it conflicts... Read More

Eugenia Cheng's consideration of equivalence and equality in math and in life could be applied to the identity she presents in this audiobook: Her narration is always easy to listen to, but WHAT she narrates is not; the two are not equal. Her voice and English accent are likable; her manner is warm, friendly, and engaging; her performance is clear and gently musical. Even the... Read More