THE BOOK OF HUMAN EMOTIONS From Ambiguphobia to Umpty--154 Words from Around the World for How We Feel

The tasteful drama in Suzanne Toren’s urbane performance makes this a most enjoyable audio to hear. Her creative phrasing and historical sensibilities leave no meaning or nuance unexpressed. This exceptional audiobook begins with a curiosity-provoking overview of how emotions have been thought about and spoken about since the dawn of recorded history. The meat of the program is a series of essays on the evolution of words for emotions, essays full of information that somehow also elevate listeners to a thoughtful place where they can pause, reflect, and absorb the author’s global perspective on humanity. Though Smith’s thinking is manifestly abstract or even academic—like an anthropology or history lecture—her gift for journalistic narrative and Suzanne Toren’s vocal engagement will make a lot of listeners hear it in a more personal way. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2016]