HUMBOLDT'S COSMOS

Although few would recognize Alexander Humboldt's name today, his 1799 scientific voyage to collect data, flora, and fauna in Central and South America brought him contemporary fame. He made observations on circumstances as well, such as the future of slavery in the New World and the effects of Spain's imposition of Catholicism on the indigenous peoples. Both Humboldt's and the author's diction sound stilted and awkward, putting narrator Ray Childs at a disadvantage from the start. Childs reads slowly, which is good for comprehension but bad for keeping listeners' attention. He becomes so tongue-tied with the abundant Spanish and Latin that he slows even more, as if approaching a speed bump. The lack of maps to follow the peripatetic accounts adds to the audiobook's challenges. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2010]