In this informative and entertaining audiobook, Erika Howsare uses deer as a way to explore humanity's fraught and constantly shifting relationship with the natural world. Her narration--even, measured, and relatively unobtrusive--suits the book well. Howsare's observations are so nuanced that a dramatic narration would detract from them. She shares fascinating stories,... Read More
NEW YORK TIMES columnist Frank Bruni narrates his persuasive examination of the outrage that currently dominates American discourse with a tone of authority underlying his overall conversational delivery. Bruni's astute observations have a mix of gravitas and wit that keeps this topic from feeling quite so oppressive. His personal and political beliefs collide when he awakens... Read More
Deepa Samuel reads crisply and does well with the various languages in this globe-spanning audiobook. Her carefully articulated style makes this history/memoir with travel stories vivid. The author, a Muslim Indian woman now living in Brooklyn, brings a unique point of view to this "irreverent history of travel." As a woman of color, she has experienced what she describes as... Read More
Anna Caputo uses a blend of authority and compassion to deliver oncologist Elizabeth Comen's accounts of the ineffective and even harmful medical treatment given to women over four centuries. Comen's hands-on experience and extensive research inform her narrative of doctors' gross misunderstandings of women's bodies. Caputo delivers startling stories of bizarre treatments that... Read More
Aimee Nezhukumatathil's voice is warm and inviting as she performs her essay collection celebrating all things food. In each work, the author, who is Filipina and Malayali Indian, centers her thoughts on one of her favorite foods, giving listeners glimpses of her life. In one essay she connects shave ice with some of the beloved people she's shared it with. In another, she... Read More
Rosemary Benson's clear, melodic narration aids the listener in following the myriad threads that Emily Monosson weaves in this fascinating audiobook on fungi. Some fungi are good. But there is also a parade of horribles--such as the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, which is decimating bat populations; rusts that have already pushed some chestnut trees into extinction;... Read More
Stephan Watson presents the harrowing true-crime story that marred horse racing's Golden Age. In 1990, Alydar, a great racing stallion, was found in his stall with a broken hind leg. Author Kray, an animal lawyer, believes this injury was not accidental. Alydar's owners were in deep financial trouble, and he was insured for $46.1 million. After the horse recovered, he stumbled... Read More
Journalist Kara Swisher specializes in reporting on the Internet. Here she narrates her memoir with urgency and focus, providing a you-are-there history of Silicon Valley. With more than a decade of podcasting experience, Swisher has developed a well-honed, rapid-fire delivery; an aura of journalistic integrity; and a firsthand knowledge of tech history. Anecdotes abound on... Read More
Robert Downey, Jr., teamed up with prolific climate change author Thomas Kostigen to write and narrate a fun yet impactful audio guide to choosing food habits that will cool the planet. The passionate duo seek to popularize a new climate-friendly food category--cool food--to represent the best edible options for producers and consumers. Downey, Jr., is an absolute riot to... Read More
Mark Kurlansky brings an authoritative narration to his latest food history endeavor. In the first part, Kurlansky explores the history and science of the onion, delivering his insights with the matter-of-fact demeanor of a seasoned professor. In the second part, Kurlansky reveals his passion for historical recipes, which is evident in his brighter narration. The recipes are... Read More
Tania De Rozario performs her essay collection, which revolves around her experience growing up as a fat mixed-race queer girl in Singapore. When she was a child, school administrators required her to eat smaller meals and exercise more. After her mother learned of De Rozario's sexuality, she called church leaders to exorcise her. De Rozario narrates each of her essays with... Read More
In this philosophical but accessible audiobook, social scientist Brian Klass explains how individual actions fit into the chaotic chain of events that determine what happens in the world. He narrates with pitch and phrasing variations that make these arresting ideas fun to hear. He says the random incidents that can cause world wars or lead to huge life changes are... Read More
Johnny Heller and Jo Anna Perrin successfully navigate the challenge of narrating an extensive oral history, creating a fascinating journey through the evolution and demise of THE VILLAGE VOICE. Even if listeners have never read the weekly news and culture publication from Greenwich Village, they've definitely felt its influence. Contributing writers embraced the arts and pop... Read More
Noah James Butler guides listeners through what scientists know about life's origins and what remains a puzzle with excitement and a well-placed sense of awe. He narrates clearly at a steady pace, allowing those who may be unfamiliar with medical terminology time to absorb researcher Ben Stanger's findings. This pairs well with Stanger's accessible, energetic writing style. The... Read More
Tavia Gilbert, who has narrated works by this author twice before, clearly gets her informed and impassioned voice and neatly emulates her literary style. Gilbert's even tone captures the seriousness of this ambitious endeavor. Kakutani offers listeners a version of cultural history that entwines two phenomena--radical disruptions in media and the arts and the rise of the... Read More
Structured alphabetically by topic, this audiobook, a climate change primer, is a brief but pithy listen, as narrated primarily by the gifted Eunice Wong. Kolbert delivers the foreword and Section Z. Wong's performance is first rate. She narrates crisply, with the right pace and style for science. And Wong gets Kolbert--she captures the award-winning author's talent for... Read More
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are celebrated in this moving, inspirational audiobook. Karen Chilton, Adam Lazarre-White, and original contributors, including author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, narrate passages about what brought individual students to HBCUs and how their lives were changed. The result is a seamless listening experience. Contributors... Read More
Narrator Lyssa Browne guides listeners through this audiobook on the history and myths that surround the concept of the housewife in the U.S. From the idealized idea of the 1950s housewife to the contemporary woman who is expected to do it all with no help, this audiobook explores how expectations of women have changed and what can be done to create a more egalitarian society.... Read More
M.R. O'Connor recalls her surprise when first hearing about controlled burns while visiting Australia, although there isn't much surprise in her voice as she narrates. The Brooklyn journalist got firsthand experience with the prescribed fires that help revitalize forests, joining crews around the U.S. Her narration is a bit rough, and listeners might get bogged down in the... Read More
British narrator Graham Mack brings listeners into the ocean with François Sarano, who once accompanied Jacques Cousteau on the CALYPSO. Sarano wants to bring humans closer to sharks, if only metaphorically. Mack sternly catalogs the current dire threats to sharks, such as the market for their fins. Switching gears, he makes swimming with sharks seem like a normal, even... Read More
Jacques Roy's warm, even performance makes for an inviting listen. We may think we know when an animal is in play mode, but how do we understand the deeper mysteries of animal behavior? Listeners will appreciate this audiobook's deep dive into thoughtful research on concepts we may assume we understand. What, exactly, is animal play? What constitutes fun for a monkey or a seal?... Read More
Cynthia Farrell brings an excellent ear for language to her narration of this wide-ranging and absorbing audiobook. Her Spanish is flawless, and her sense of story adds impact. Author Marie Arana shows how members of our fastest growing minority have added to our literature, theater, music, politics, and sports. Based on thorough research, including hundreds of interviews, the... Read More
Emily Raboteau reads with purpose, a clear voice, and a conversational tone that works well for the personal essays in this satisfying audiobook. Her delivery style adjusts to the varied subjects: a sense of wonder at identifying birds, exasperation at dealing with New York City real estate, and empathy for a water-starved Palestinian family. She has a gift for languages; in... Read More
Natalie Duke perfectly delivers the tone of Slade's concise deep dive into how America came to reject domestic manufacturing and the long-term damage that resulted. Listeners may be familiar with how union membership has bottomed out, the ripple effects of so-called free-trade agreements, and the explosive growth of online shopping. Slade's audiobook brings this damaging... Read More
The cofounder of ROLLING STONE magazine, Jann Wenner, has released these original recordings of his interviews with superstar artists Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia, and Pete Townsend. The audiobook is a mixed bag, hampered at times by decades-old recordings. The interviews range from amazing statements by John Lennon to indecipherable... Read More
A Black songwriting pioneer and Nashville insider, now a professor at Vanderbilt, is a tireless researcher into how Black musicians in the 1920s and '30s shaped the beginnings of what we now call country music. She says these men had no standing with that period's music gatekeepers and received no recognition, but they clearly influenced Jimmy Rogers, the Carter Family, and... Read More
At the beginning of Abrahm Lustgarten's futuristic look at climate change, narrator Patrick Lawlor depicts the fear in the voice of a woman who wants to leave California because of its worsening wildfires. Lustgarten predicts that a wave of migration will soon affect the U.S., with Americans moving north to beat the heat and Latin Americans heading away from an even hotter... Read More
The best poets get that way because they have given a great deal of thought to questions such as: "What is poetry?" "How does it get that way?" Mary Oliver was one of those best poets, and in this audio version of her classic work about how to write and read poetry she offers some answers, both detailed and expansive, to John Ciardi's classic question: "How does a poem mean?"... Read More
This audiobook is a paean to birds. It's almost poetry, and author Jack Gedney's lyrical style is exactly suited to listening, perhaps even more so than reading. The text is peppered with images like this, referring to Golden-crowned Sparrows: "Their crowns shine in the fading afternoon light." Narrator Jonathan Todd Ross captures the author's style; Ross's smooth voice and... Read More
For any nature lover, this audiobook is nearly irresistible. Bjorgaas, a biologist, takes a close look at the ways insects, birds, mammals, trees, and plants adapt to life in the more densely populated human environs. The anecdotes are vividly written and fascinating, albeit somewhat awkwardly organized. Mary Helen Gallucci is an earnest narrator who does a fine job with pace,... Read More
Jason De León is a strong narrator of his own work, an eye-opening examination of human smugglers. Many of those he writes about are driven by poverty to join this dangerous trade in Honduras and Mexico. Both they and their customers try to avoid multiple risks, including arrest and violence, on their treks. De León, who spent time with his subjects over almost seven years, has... Read More
Avery Kidd Waddell delivers a commanding narration. He confidently conveys the scope of this new edition of one of the most influential audiobooks on the history of race, which dismantles the myth of a post-racial society. Kendi's work investigates the histories of six historical figures, including Thomas Jefferson, W.E.B Du Bois, and Angela Davis. Their actions, writings, and... Read More
Eli Grober narrates his collection of dystopian satires with deadpan self-assurance. It's the ideal voice for the 100 essays--none longer than eight minutes--with titles such as "'I'm Only Joking,' I Say As I Kill You" and "How I Saved Enough To Buy a House With My Parents' Money." One of Grober's more sincere readings can be heard in "The Telescope We Sent to Deep Space Wants... Read More
Sasha LaPointe, a poet and performer, delivers her edgy essays with a pleasing voice and a sure sense of the significance of her message. She reads in a word-loving style with the tempo of one who appreciates the meanings her words convey. A Coast Salish woman, she was raised on a reservation in the Pacific Northwest, knows the stresses of growing up a Native girl, and... Read More
Nell Greenfieldboyce is an NPR science reporter, so it's no surprise that she has clarity of both argument and speech in her performance of her personal essays. Topics range from the miniscule--fleas, cosmic dust--to the life changing--her difficulty in getting pregnant and her husband's polycystic kidney disease. But all are filled with wit and self-deprecating humor. When her... Read More
Books come from trees, but the trees themselves can tell us stories of their own if we know how to listen. Fittingly, I listened to part of this audiobook while sitting next to a campfire. Kaleo Griffith's narration is almost perfect for such a fireside chat. His straightforward yet conversational tone exactly matches the feel of the work. Author Daniel Lewis profiles a dozen... Read More
Dr. Joy Buolamwini carefully narrates this hybrid memoir detailing her groundbreaking research on AI software discrimination. Labeling the phenomenon she uncovered as "the coded gaze," she explains how predominantly white male computer programmers have subconsciously established bias in algorithmic decision making. As an activist, Buolamwini warns that some systems claim they... Read More
Longtime television and radio broadcaster Ray Suarez's professional voice, ease of delivery, and acute sense of story are a pleasure to listen to. His intimate performance gives the many oral histories and profiles in this audiobook a cumulative power. An empathetic reporter, Suarez has spent years gathering the material for this timely appreciation of immigrants at this... Read More
Xe Sands narrates this meditative collection of essays on life and preserving our threatened planet. Provocative yet tender, each free- flowing essay provides a glimpse of Millet's interconnected world. Personal anecdotes are juxtaposed with deep pondering about humanity's role in climate change. Expertly pairing animal facts with thoughtful observations of the human world,... Read More
Ray Porter's straightforward presentation highlights Schaller and Waldman's observations on why white voters in rural America have been won over by candidates whose political actions oppose the voters' best interests. The authors detail ways that our system gives an inordinate advantage to these rural voters, who are vastly smaller in number than their urban counterparts.... Read More
Paige McKinney offers a lively delivery of Shannon Reed's musings on her lifelong love of books. Listeners will quickly note that what's offered is an accounting of why the author reads--for her amusement, edification, and comfort. Listeners will likely find common ground, and those who share Reed's sense of humor will be amused. Sometimes Reed's background as a humor writer... Read More
Writer Morgan Parker, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, performs her latest work, a collection of essays that revolve around religious trauma, mental health, racial justice, and life as a single person in America. Her ideas are crafted with precision, and each piece in her collection feels intimate. Her performance further expresses her complex feelings, giving... Read More
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