New Reviews: Contemporary Culture

Emily Mester's essays describe the typical consumption practices and conflicts she witnessed while growing up in her Midwestern family. She combines her memories with fascinating observations on how class impacts the ways people think about, talk about, and spend their money. Chloe Cannon's performance captures the restrained emotion of a writer who is looking at social... Read More

Andrew Eiden's narration makes learning about the American Southwest a fun adventure. The audiobook is an informative amalgamation of natural history, personal narrative, travel writing, and historical and cultural data that highlights the unique past and present of the region. Eiden mimics the author's zest for exploration but doesn't accurately reflect the vocal... Read More

Rankings in sports always evoke debate--in a bar, between pals, or at work. This audiobook is a comprehensive compilation of the greatest basketball players of all time. Jaime Lincoln Smith narrates in a deep, steady voice, altering pitch ever so slightly when quoting someone but not trying to imitate anyone's voice. He gradually takes the listener through the audiobook, which... Read More

This outstanding audio collection begins with a thought-provoking introduction by editor Wesley Morris in which he discusses the struggle over what individuals and societies can think. The narrators take turns delivering the 22 works originally featured in publications such as HARPER'S MAGAZINE, THE ATLANTIC, and THE NEW YORKER. One standout is "Jenisha from Kentucky." Jeanette... Read More

In a conversational but serious manner, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist Adam Ratner explains that effective measles vaccines have existed for more than 60 years. Sadly, the very success of this technology has resulted in a kind of collective amnesia about the risks of measles. Ratner doesn't sound like he's going to give up his medical career to narrate... Read More

Colorful content, excellent narration, and fresh subject matter make this audiobook a standout. Author Glenn Adamson delivers an even, well-timed narration that includes some flourishes. The audiobook surveys future forecasters, such as Buckminster Fuller, Sun Ra, Shulamith Firestone, Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells, Werner von Braun, the Rand Corporation, Marcus Garvey, and the... Read More

Part memoir, part manifesto--the heroic chef and founder of World Central Kitchen José Andrés's brief audiobook would have greatly benefited from a professional narrator. This is truly unfortunate as the story of Andrés's rise to celebrity chef and food philanthropist is fascinating. He trained at great places and learned his innovative style at the world-famous Spanish... Read More

More than 20 years after her bestseller, SHE'S NOT THERE, trans author and activist Jennifer Finney Boylan presents a nuanced view of parenting, gender expectations, and growing older. Gabra Zackman narrates with warmth that makes listening seem like an intimate talk with a friend. Zackman mirrors Boylan's wit and capacity for deep reflection. Her narration is especially... Read More

Biologist Thor Hanson describes how during the Covid pandemic he attuned his senses to the wildlife right in his backyard. Narrator Stacy Carolan strikes a curious tone as he narrates the author's explorations of nature in Kansas City. Carolan's delivery is laid-back yet quickly paced as he presents the author's observations on the daily life that was going on all around him,... Read More

Decades after its publication, this audiobook by John McPhee retains its relevance. The author's poetic writing style--rendered equally poetically by narrator Grover Gardner--is inviting. The book covers three regions and humanity's attempts to control them--the lower Mississippi River, mountains outside Los Angeles, and an Icelandic volcano. McPhee's straightforward sentence... Read More

Narrator Fred Berman takes listeners on an absorbing journey through Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, revealing the myriad ways that ice has been intricately connected to life throughout Earth's history. Berman communicates paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin's passion for the complexities of polar regions. His search for fishapod fossils introduced him to the... Read More

A dialogue began when Thomas Piketty, a French economist who has written widely on economic equality, and Michael Sandel, a Harvard philosopher, met in May 2024 at the Paris School of Economics. In this edited version, Derek Dysart, as Sandel, interviews Piketty, whose part is narrated by Stephen Graybill. Both have a lot to say about the value of equality, especially as it... Read More

On a visit to Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, bestselling author John Green met Henry, a charismatic patient who looks much younger than his age due to the ravages of a tuberculosis infection on his body. They established a friendship, and Green's interest in the disease grew, leading him to become a supporter of Partners in Health and an advocate for reducing... Read More

In a voice full of curiosity, insight, and the driest sense of humor, author/podcaster Dorian Lynskey takes the listener on a fascinating and comprehensive tour of one of civilization's most durable tropes: the end of the world. Mixing fact, fiction, and prediction, Lynskey smoothly moves from the terror of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa to the Martian "invasion" of H.G.... Read More

Jacques Roy's narration sounds like a political science lecture as Alexander Vindman's analysis of Russia's invasion of Ukraine delves into the history behind the conflict. He covers the Chernobyl disaster, denuclearization efforts, Ukraine's role in the fall of the Soviet Union, and relations between Russia and the region dating back to the seventeenth century. It's packed... Read More

Add "outstanding audiobook narrator" to Brown's impressive resumé. He is, after all, a Food Network personality, a cookbook author, and an avid food science researcher. Given his long-running gigs on "Iron Chef" and "Good Eats," along with his work as a pitchman for GE, it's no surprise that he performs his "essays and ruminations" smoothly and wittily. His range of interests... Read More

Jonas Oloffson's exploration of the sense of smell starts with herring: Narrator Adam Verner's light tone suggests Oloffson's awareness that his love of the fish dish is not widely shared. As a smell researcher, Oloffson undertakes such activities as smelling lampposts to understand what dogs smell and trying pungent durian ice cream in Singapore. Verner captures the author's... Read More

There's a presumed sense of fairness in our justice system. But Michael Beck's harrowing performances of 10 true stories of devastating injustices reveal the error of that presumption. A neighbor is falsely accused of murdering a woman on the same day that his wife has major surgery. Four Navy sailors are pushed into falsely confessing to a vicious crime in Norfolk. A man goes... Read More

Crisp and to the point, Matt Godfrey delivers this timely audiobook in a tone of urgency and optimism. Heaphy led the legal team charged with investigating the Unite the Right riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and the January 6 riot in Washington, DC, in 2021. Listeners hear a concise overview of those events with well-organized details that illuminate how these... Read More

Karen Chilton's performance provides the vocal resonance to convey the power of this audiobook. Listeners unfamiliar with the urgency of environmental justice are advised to prioritize this title. The land people live on and their access to water, plumbing, and healthcare are among the fundamental qualities discussed. Much of what makes environmental policy work involves a deep... Read More

Dan Bittner's narration pairs nostalgia for American baseball with an incisive examination of the game today. Throughout the summer season of 2022, listeners follow the fortunes of a town whose MLB affiliation was removed in 2020 as part of a 25% downsizing of minor league baseball. In an effort to retain local baseball in Batavia, New York, new owners purchased the Batavia... Read More

Joe Jameson delivers an impressive performance of this comprehensive text. His pace and cadence work well with this fact-filled audiobook; even his intelligent-sounding British accent effectively conveys Smil's expertise on the state of the world's food supply. Smil, an energy expert, has long been a student of the planet's food. He says, "Numbers are the antidote to wishful... Read More

Weathersby deserves thanks for bringing attention to ongoing efforts to replace the sculptures, monuments, and street names that honor the racist heroes of the Civil War. While the author specializes in writing, not narrating, his sincere, pleasing tone propels stories that range from the Dakotas--Mount Rushmore and the still unfinished massive monument to Crazy Horse--to the... Read More

Jon Waterman has written an ode to an Alaskan wilderness that is quickly disappearing due to climate change. His warm, almost poetic text, combined with photos in a pdf file, paints a clear portrait of what is and what was. Sadly, his narration doesn't match his words. The tone is reverent, and his delivery generally matches it. But many times he starts a sentence with a loud... Read More

Rebecca Romney, an author and dealer in rare books, narrates her intriguing exploration of eighteenth-century women writers in a mellow, welcoming voice. A longtime Jane Austen fan, she set out to explore the other women writers Austen might have been reading. Romney interweaves Austen's life with the life stories of these pioneering authors, her own reactions to their writing,... Read More

Television journalist Claire St. Amant takes listeners behind the scenes of her job as a reporter and producer for "48 Hours." St. Amant does a fine job of narrating the audiobook herself--though at times some of the more emotional aspects of the work might have been better performed by a seasoned actor. That said, momentum is enough to propel the listener forward. St. Amant's... Read More

Braden Wright provides a crisp, even narration of this thoroughly researched overview of land--specifically, who owns it and how that ownership fortifies power over time. Albertus's audiobook seeks to provide a comprehensive review of how "the great reshuffling"--a phenomenon through which land is acquired, repossessed, or stolen-- consistently results in various significant... Read More

In this audio original, a follow-up to her 2019 book, CONSCIOUS, Annaka Harris continues her exploration of consciousness through recorded interviews with 20 experts in philosophy and a variety of sciences. As a listening experience, the interviews are often pleasantly chatty, and the author's command of her subject allows listeners to stay connected to the core ideas in her... Read More

Journalist and television personality Juan Williams's audiobook arrives four decades after his first book, EYES ON THE PRIZE (1987), which covered the mid-twentieth-century Civil Rights movement. This work argues that Barack Obama's presidency and the development of the social media age reflect the emergence of a second civil rights movement. Fueled in part by police killings... Read More

Many authors focus on championship teams that are in the spotlight and have banners hanging from the rafters. But John Glionna has turned his attention to a sleepy town on the Nevada-Oregon border called McDermitt, which participates--when it's able to--in eight-man high school football. Narrator Danny Campbell's slightly scratchy timbre fits the American West, and his engaged... Read More

Narrating with a steady, measured rhythm, NEW YORK TIMES columnist Maureen Dowd introduces the listener to the best of her long-form, in-depth interviews with some of the most recognizable personalities in popular culture. Dowd is most at ease and sounds practically playful when discussing her favorites, such Kate Winslet, Paul Newman, and Candice Bergen. She's a bit more... Read More

Narrator Stephen Graybill uses a measured tone and deliberate pace to tell the raucous story of the founding and vicissitudes of National Public Radio. Longtime listeners will recognize well-known names like Bob Edwards and Susan Stamberg, but Oney also dives deep into how managers and producers covered controversial issues, warts and all. Oney documents the network from its... Read More

Narrator Gregory Jones deftly presents 20 lessons on privacy protection, using smooth transitions and well-timed pitch inflections to maintain listeners' attention and buy-in. The lessons provide concrete actions that are built on convincing evidence. For example, in "What the Constitution Says," the author advises on how to respond to police questioning. In "Small Data Paint... Read More

In this searing indictment of U.S. imperialism, journalist Omar El Akkad exposes the rot at the heart of American liberalism and the ugly truth that undergirds American democracy: It's predicated on the subjugation of marginalized people around the globe. El Akkad focuses on the genocide in Gaza but also draws on his career as a journalist in the post 9/11 years and his... Read More

This audiobook is a love song to otters. Nearly a prose poem about the playful mammals, it is presented charmingly by narrator Jayne Entwistle. With her warm voice and English accent Entwistle becomes the author in this first-person account. She makes Darlington's text come alive. You can almost feel it as she tells of stepping onto the soft bottom of a shallow marsh and of... Read More

Legal journalist Toobin, author and narrator, examines the history, meaning, and ongoing significance of the presidential pardon. A longtime CNN legal analyst and prolific author, he is an effective narrator whose tone and style sound like a historian's. The central story--but by no means the only one--is the September 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon by President Gerald Ford.... Read More

Narrator Emma Faye brings enthusiasm to what might otherwise be a dry academic study. She is almost chirpy at times. Despite an occasional lightness of tone, this audiobook is quite serious in identifying and addressing a problem with how college courses are taught. The author contends that the chief point of those classes is, or ought to be, how to think about the subject... Read More

After MSNBC host Chris Hayes begins his audiobook with what behavioral science knows about voluntary and involuntary attention, he explains how this fundamental human faculty is being hijacked by corporate America and slick political operatives. Hayes is an authentic narrator of his important message. His easy-listening performance conveys a comfortable command of his emotional... Read More

Ari Fliakos expertly delivers this timely audiobook about how some Americans get geographically trapped, preventing them from accessing better livelihoods. Appelbaum's research takes aim at the use of neighborhood covenants, codes, and other systemic tools to prevent diversification. Relating to these issues, housing costs have skyrocketed in the most desirable neighborhoods,... Read More

Sarah Perry performs her collection of micro essays, which revolve around her love of candy. Each essay highlights a different confectionery sweet, which she uses to contemplate her relationships, ideas around humanity's pursuit of pleasure, or memory's connection to taste and smell. Perry perfectly describes the experience of eating each candy--every delightful texture and... Read More

Many people involved in education--educators, parents, even some students--are interested in supporting critical thinking as an outcome. But getting there is difficult. Although former teacher bell hooks sometimes falls into progressive educational jargon, much of what she has to say about critical thinking makes sense. And she covers a number of other educational topics, as... Read More

Canadian guitarist Rik Emmett is still making good music at the age of 71. His most recent recording is a collection of 10 instrumental pieces showcasing the iconic Fender Telecaster guitar. These "liner notes" reflect on the unique characteristics of the guitar and the creative process, as well as a fair share of mundane musings. Emmett's voice is still robust, and his... Read More

Sarah Lewis's careful scholarship probes racial hierarchy and its insidious hold on the American psyche; she carries out this examination through paintings, sculpture, and photography. Lewis narrates her work in a gentle tone and, sadly, a rather uneven cadence. She focuses initially on a painting called THE CIRCASSIAN BEAUTY, which contributed to the false belief that the... Read More

Narrator Peter Noble's clear voice, rich timbre, and impeccable pacing bring to life the complex and often bizarre world of art authentication. It begins with art collector Joe Simon's call to longtime art critic Richard Dorment in 2003, requesting assistance in getting a detailed answer about why the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board declared two works in his collection to... Read More

In this hopeful audiobook, the soft-spoken author asks 20 diverse experts what's needed to slow down climate change. The people she interviews share their well-informed views, and three of them--the additional narrators--narrate their own poems and other writing. Together, they make this lengthy production a fast-moving joy to hear. Rather than being discouraged about the... Read More

Paleontologist Riley Black's vivid writing and Wren Mack's wonderstruck narration make these vignettes of prehistoric life on Earth fascinating listening. Traveling through the planet's geologic epochs, Black imagines detailed scenes, and Mack's engaged performance evokes the weather, landscape, creatures, and interactions that Black describes. Yes, dinosaurs, insects,... Read More

Narrator Sam Rushton creates a compelling audiobook experience as he guides listeners through the world of wild cacao that is unique to the terroir of the Bolivian Lowlands, Brazilian Amazon, and parts of Mexico. This engaging narrative weaves the complex social and economic history of wild chocolate--from its medicinal, ritual, and familial uses in ancient and contemporary... Read More

Podcaster Kelsey McKinney offers up an entertaining analysis of gossip. Using research, opinion, and her own personal experiences, McKinney digs beneath the surface of "spilling the tea" and takes a passionate, captivating, and bubbly approach to her narration. In a casual tone, she introduces a history of gossip and its contributions throughout generations, as well as the... Read More