Alison Stanton
- 7
- reviews
- 1
- helpful vote
- 9
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The Light Eaters
- How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
- By: Zoë Schlanger
- Narrated by: Zoë Schlanger
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 330
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 300
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 300
The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into the drama of green life and the complexity of this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence. In looking closely, we see that plants, rather than imitate human intelligence, have perhaps formed a parallel system.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining perhaps but not science.
- By Jerry Miller on 07-31-24
- The Light Eaters
- How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
- By: Zoë Schlanger
- Narrated by: Zoë Schlanger
A fabulous and thoughtful work
Reviewed: 06-04-24
I have always been a bit obsessed with plants and feel a strong sense of connection and ease in a plant filled world. I have taken courses, and taught children to adults about plants. Therefore this book was a delightful find. Zoë Schlanger is curious, open-minded and intelligent. I love how she was open to ideas often thought of as “out there” but also able to analyze and explain these new concepts in a grounded manner. Thank you for writing this wonderful book!
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The Invention of Prehistory
- Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins
- By: Stefanos Geroulanos
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 21
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4 out of 5 stars 16
Books about the origins of humanity dominate bestseller lists, while national newspapers present breathless accounts of new archaeological findings and speculate about what those findings tell us about our earliest ancestors. We are obsessed with prehistory—and, in this respect, our current era is no different from any other in the last three hundred years. In this coruscating work, acclaimed historian Stefanos Geroulanos demonstrates how claims about the earliest humans not only shaped Western intellectual culture, but gave rise to our modern world.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Too much judgement
- By Historic Philosopher on 04-23-24
- The Invention of Prehistory
- Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins
- By: Stefanos Geroulanos
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
A brave, insightful work
Reviewed: 05-18-24
This is a monumental piece that explores and critiques the history of people, almost entirely from the dominant group, inventing some narrative regarding the prehistory of humans. This narrative inevitably supports the cohort that wants to stay in power. Geroulanos is fascinated with the seemingly extreme and curious need that people have to invent these stories and then hold them close as essential to their identity. I have wondered about this too but knew of no one exploring the phenomenon.
Since the scholars and advocates of these theories hold them dear, I see Geroulanos’s work as an act of courage. He must have experienced significant push back and perhaps ostracism for delving into this unquestioned quagmire. But I say bravo - I thoroughly enjoyed and grew from reading this great work of scholarship.
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Papyrus
- The Invention of Books in the Ancient World
- By: Irene Vallejo, Charlotte Whittle - translator
- Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand-copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Papyrus is the story of the book’s journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. Irene Vallejo evokes the great mosaic of literature in the ancient world, all the while illuminating how ancient ideas about education, censorship, authority, and identity still resonate today.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great read
- By Hunter Pechin on 12-15-22
- Papyrus
- The Invention of Books in the Ancient World
- By: Irene Vallejo, Charlotte Whittle - translator
- Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
Incredible research
Reviewed: 04-16-24
I wish I could remember even a fraction of the vast amount of information covered in this book. It’s a fabulous ride through the history of literacy. There are two main ideas I will remember from this book. The first is that respect and the sacredness of the written word ebbs and flows throughout history and reflects the beliefs and politics of the era. The second is that books have come in all kinds of forms. This is especially relevant with books now being available on a screen and in audio form. Makes one wonder what defines a book.
Someday I’ll listen to this book again. It’s such a grand exploration with wonderful nuggets of knowledge along the way.
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Twilight of Democracy
- The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
- By: Anne Applebaum
- Narrated by: Anne Applebaum
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,170
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,867
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,849
From the United States and Britain to continental Europe and beyond, liberal democracy is under siege, while authoritarianism is on the rise. In Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum, an award-winning historian of Soviet atrocities who was one of the first American journalists to raise an alarm about antidemocratic trends in the West, explains the lure of nationalism and autocracy. In this captivating essay, she contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Modern Dictators & President who wants to be them
- By AJ on 07-23-20
- Twilight of Democracy
- The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
- By: Anne Applebaum
- Narrated by: Anne Applebaum
Powerful and informative
Reviewed: 10-13-23
This is a in-depth analysis of what is going on in the world. It is also very personal for the author. I learned a great deal and appreciate how authentic and considered the writing was.
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A Passage North
- A Novel
- By: Anuk Arudpragasam
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 100
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Story4 out of 5 stars 88
A Passage North begins with a message from out of the blue: a telephone call informing Krishan that his grandmother’s caretaker, Rani, has died under unexpected circumstances—found at the bottom of a well in her village in the north, her neck broken by the fall. The news arrives on the heels of an email from Anjum, an impassioned yet aloof activist Krishnan fell in love with years before while living in Delhi, stirring old memories and desires from a world he left behind.
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5 out of 5 stars
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@ Jayantha Hettigama
- By Chamalhe on 08-26-21
- A Passage North
- A Novel
- By: Anuk Arudpragasam
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
An insightful work
Reviewed: 01-21-23
At first, I didn’t know if I could get through the long and intricate examinations of everyday experiences. However after awhile, I just rode with it and came to really appreciate Arudpragasam’s insights into experiences that we all have, such as the insecurities of new love or concern about if our life has meaning within the greater historical and political context of our time. His account and thoughts about death and funerals are especially perceptive. This is an unique book; you can feel the influence of the author’s philosophical background. If you can let go of expectations regarding what a novel should be, then reading it can be a very sweet and revealing journey.
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1 person found this helpful
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How to Hide an Empire
- A History of the Greater United States
- By: Daniel Immerwahr
- Narrated by: Luis Moreno
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,525
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,102
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,093
We are familiar with maps that outline all 50 states. And we are also familiar with the idea that the United States is an "empire", exercising power around the world. But what about the actual territories - the islands, atolls, and archipelagos - this country has governed and inhabited? In How to Hide an Empire, author Daniel Immerwahr tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States. In crackling, fast-paced prose, he reveals forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light.
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1 out of 5 stars
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How to beat a straw man to death
- By Susan on 01-25-20
- How to Hide an Empire
- A History of the Greater United States
- By: Daniel Immerwahr
- Narrated by: Luis Moreno
Important book
Reviewed: 11-27-22
I’m so impressed by this book. It’s extremely well researched and gives refreshing insight to a topic cloaked and buried in order to preserve an illusion of America’s constant benevolence. When I was a child I lived in the Philippines when my father taught there. I knew Americans were resented but the reasons were not explained. I finally understand! I think it’s our duty to strip away illusions even if it results in disillusionment. It is better to know the truth. This isn’t a stodgy academic work. somehow the author makes it engaging and fascinating. Like a magic trick explained, the truth about so many things are revealed here.
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Sex, Race, and Robots
- How to Be Human in the Age of AI
- By: Dr. Ayanna Howard
- Narrated by: Amandla Stenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 376
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 376
In the movies, robots can be terrifying. In reality, thinking machines are disrupting the world in ways that are even more disturbing than in Hollywood fantasies - but they also have the potential to change our lives for the better. In this stirring, visionary work, acclaimed roboticist Dr. Ayanna Howard explores how the tech world’s racial and sexual biases are infecting the next generation of Artificial Intelligence, with profoundly negative effects for humans of all genders and races.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Will not return
- By bilihor on 12-26-20
- Sex, Race, and Robots
- How to Be Human in the Age of AI
- By: Dr. Ayanna Howard
- Narrated by: Amandla Stenberg
Fascinating
Reviewed: 08-28-22
This book provides great insight into how AI works, how it is influenced by social bias, and the risks and opportunities related to its implementation. Personable and intelligent writing and well performed.
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