New Reviews: Contemporary Culture

This audiobook by a British writer and ecologist is well served by Sebastian Humphreys's stage-worthy performance. The perils of capitalism throughout history and the expanding impact of today's technology are center stage in this erudite overview of how civilization and humanity are damaged by the pursuit of economic growth. Humphreys's dramatic skills never compete with the... Read More

Narrator Dan Bittner employs his skills to vastly improve Megan Greenwell's exposé on the impact of private equity firms on businesses in the healthcare, retail toys, apartment living, and journalism sectors. She uses four case studies to examine specific individuals' impacts and focuses on them over several timeframes. Bittner offers an optimistic, precise, and nuanced tone to... Read More

Anthologies are good for listeners who don't have long periods to devote to an audiobook. But that doesn't mean other audiophiles can't enjoy the pieces as well. This collection of essays on science and nature covers a wide array of topics, such as bird identification software and AI, the language of the land, and the question of whether animals know they will die. The articles... Read More

A talented team of narrators shines a light on the lives and experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming people of color in this powerful audiobook. The anthology includes 17 stories of artists, activists, drag queens, scientists, and writers. Each selection is authentic and powerful, and brings a necessary perspective, given the current social and political climate... Read More

Narrator Charles Constant is an excellent guide through this science work--clear, warm, and conversational. Rob Dunn delves into the multiple ways that two species can benefit each other, offering myriad examples of collaboration both large and microscopic. Constant seems as fascinated by the breadth of biological diversity as the author is. The mutualisms discussed range from... Read More

Former FBI Agent Robert Hilland and world-famous psychic John Edward narrate the story of their longstanding collaboration in solving cold cases. Their partnership--first distrusting and then blossoming into a true brotherhood--spanned two-and-a-half decades. Most of the story focuses on the famous John Smith murders, but it covers other fascinating cases, as well. Hilland... 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

The author's readings tend to be understated--like his poems. With the exception of Mary Oliver's DOG SONGS, dogs have not been a major topic for American poets. Billy Collins helps to fill that gap with this audiobook, a series of poems about particular dogs. Collins obviously knows and has lived with dogs, and he knows the specific dogs about whom he writes, even if some of... Read More

Researcher and psychiatric clinical nurse Ann Wolbert Burgess has written a fascinating overview of her work as an expert witness. Gabra Zackman's narration is instructive, professional, and easy to follow. She adds no flourishes as Dr. Burgess describes working with victims, perpetrators, and law enforcement. Her writing is straightforward and interesting for a layperson.... Read More

If you've ever wondered how certain words came to be or why we use particular phrases, this audiobook will be of interest. Martha Barnette performs her study of language with an earnestness that nurtures the listener. Her genuinely enthusiastic tone, which also graces a radio show and a podcast, sounds right at home in the audio format. Barnette works hard to explore as many... Read More

Narrator George Newbern's warm, conversational tone reflects the author's empathy for fellow headache sufferers. Tom Zeller Jr. argues that the headache is a common yet misunderstood malady that doesn't get enough funding for medical research. Often, it isn't taken seriously--as shown in the common expression "just a headache." Newbern is patient, and his phrasing is always... 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

Although the process of achieving sainthood is steeped in tradition and legend, author/narrator Kate Sidley tackles explaining it. She injects a heavy dollop of humor in the form of quips as she separates fact from fiction. Basically, a person must die. There is a mandatory waiting period of five years before a person can even be nominated for sainthood. The deceased must then... Read More

Rafe Beckley's calm, determined narration serves as a counterpoint to the alarming and urgent message conveyed in this audiobook, namely that an existential disaster may await those who toy with superhuman intelligence. The challenge facing humanity is that an AI machine's goals may deviate from our values, potentially leading to self-evolving systems that revise resource... Read More

John Sackville's gently authoritative narration draws listeners in as Adam Weymouth retraces the 2011 cross-country journey of Slavc, a young male wolf who moves from Slovenia through Austria and into Italy. Species coexistence is explored through the lenses of deeply entrenched cultural attitudes, the viability of rural communities, government-led conservation efforts, and... Read More

Narrator Richard Trinder's vocal tone and nuances mirror the author's attitude toward his topic: open-minded, but with an edge of skepticism, even dry sarcasm. The topic is the widespread misunderstanding of resource use. Fressoz argues that the popular idea of "energy transition"--totally switching from one source of energy to another--is fundamentally false. Newer resources... 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

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

Jason Culp offers an excellent, well-toned, and enthusiastic narration, complete with spot-on imitations of Austrian-born director Billy Wilder, in this well-researched examination of the iconic 1950s Paramount film SUNSET BOULEVARD. The movie features Gloria Swanson as the faded silent screen star Norma Desmond. Culp's breaths at the ends of sentences distract slightly, but... Read More

One can forgive the coauthors for straying from clinical detachment and instead writing with sharp edges, flashes of bitterness, and even a touch of snark. Both have endured frightening personal attacks simply for championing science. Tim Campbell's sonorous authoritative voice has a journalistic feel, but what makes his performance exceptional is how he channels the... Read More

The author narrates this creative inquiry into tech's impact on humanity with subtle charm and the curiosity of a serious tech journalist. With the vocal charm and perfection of an AI bot, Anastasia Davidson, performs the advice and commentary Chat GPT gave the author when she asked the AI program about her writing. The stories that personalize this compelling exploration... Read More

As eminent physicists born in the 1940s, authors Lightman and Rees must be troubled by the erosion of public confidence in science. This audiobook examines the nature of scientific thinking. Christopher Grove's narration is well suited to the authors' message that scientists are real human beings with diverse backgrounds, personalities, motivations, and goals. The production... Read More

Janina Edwards narrates this exploration of the musical phenomenon that is Taylor Swift--her lyrics and what it is about her music that makes her both relatable and aspirational. When author Stephanie Burt created a university course on Taylor Swift and her lyrics, the poetry scholar didn't expect hundreds of people to show up on the first day. Expanding upon Burt's lectures,... 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

Kevin R. Free's upbeat approach to this fun deep dive into the making of a dictionary adds to its charms. Well suited to word geeks, the audiobook explores the evolution of the modern dictionary while chronicling the author's stint as a lexicographer in training at Merriam-Webster. There, he encounters past and present word-mad professionals; learns the stringent, sometimes... Read More

Fred Sanders delivers this audiobook about metacognition with a perfect balance of erudition and approachability. Psychology professor Pinker describes how we understand our thoughts and how we know what others are thinking. To frame this discussion, he evokes the classic moment from the '90s television show "Friends," the one in which Phoebe realizes "they don't know we know... Read More