BANANA The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

Koeppel’s popular book about banana science, culture, cultivation, and consumption poses a challenge for audiobook narrator Paul Woodson, which he fully meets. Koeppel shifts back and forth from a lighthearted study of the role bananas play in our lives in the U.S. to the tragic blood-soaked history of banana cultivation in the tropics around the world, particularly in Central America. Woodson must find a tone suitably somber to discuss the machine-gun massacre of workers in Colombia and suitably lighthearted to discuss the Chiquita banana song at length. With his smooth baritone, he does an excellent job. His pronunciation is clear, and his pacing as always good. He conveys his interest in his subject—whether it’s banana genetics, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, or Wall Street corporate takeovers. F.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2016]