Roger Wayne embraces the author's enthusiasm and has many fun moments narrating this irreverent, informed guide to little known stories about food. From his emulation of a squeaky, pretentious English cookbook writer downgrading American pie to his imitation of a working-class Brit in a quote from TRAINSPOTTING, Wayne's voice work shines. The pie section is splendid: American pie, especially, is celebrated, and British pies with their unsavory fillings and coffin-lid top crusts are disparaged. The author is also witty when discussing nineteenth-century food experts (read charlatans) Graham and Kellogg, whose names live on as brands. His explanations of why tomatoes have lost their flavor (bred to travel) and potatoes are so uniform (thank McDonald's) are educational and clever. This audiobook enlightens as it entertains.
Pub Date: 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062973238
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dr. Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who recounts his experiences searching for new medications in the Amazon rain forest. He makes an impassioned plea for the world to stop destroying this irreplaceable resource. Since the author reads his own work, we can rely on the pronunciation of some unusual botanical terms; however, his voice (presumably not trained for performance) lacks the enthusiasm and fascination the words suggest. Furthermore, with no chapter references and few pauses between sections, transitions, such as the change of location from Ecuador to Massachusetts, are awkward.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Emily Woo Zeller is an affable guide through this brisk introduction to paleoanthropology. Paleoanthropologist Sang-Hee Lee assumes that listeners aren't familiar with her field, and it's apparent in most of the lucid, bite-sized chapters on a variety of topics. Coupled with Zeller's polished delivery, the result is less a classroom experience and more akin to an audio museum tour. Zeller's smooth voice makes for easy listening--occasionally too easy, to the point of being lulling. And though the authors aim for a beginner-friendly approach, some chapters are still too dense. Listeners who don't already know the finer points of Homo erectus versus Homo habilis may be scratching their heads. But these are minor faults of an otherwise worthwhile popular science audiobook.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781684410330
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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