Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica

A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information, Eleventh Edition

By: Various

Narrated by: full cast

Length: 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Prepare yourself for the ultimate multicast performance. We've gathered many of Audible's most popular narrators to bring to life some of the most extraordinary words ever written. 19 words, in fact, carefully selected and arranged alphabetically as in their original source: the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. We created this enlightening journey from AUDIENCE to LITERATURE because you asked for it. You said you could listen to your favorite narrators read the phone book, bookcase assembly instructions, or a restaurant menu. With this production we've proven that a truly talented narrator can, in fact, take any work and make it extraordinary. Enjoy!

The full list of narrators includes:

Nick Podehl - AUDIENCE
CJ Critt - BLACKBALL
Kaleo Griffith - BLACKMAIL
Katherine Kellgren - BLUNDERBUSS
Kevin Pariseau - CHAOS
Tom Stechschulte - CHAPERON
Sebastian York - CHEESE
Cassandra Campbell - CHIC
Victor Bevine - COB
Eric Michael Summerer - DECOY
John Lee - ELIXIR
Sophie Eastlake - ENTHUSIASM
Therese Plummer - EPHEBEUM
Zachary Webber - EPISTAXIS
Peter Ganim - GERBIL
Luke Daniels - IMAGINATION
Eric Dove - IMITATION
Scott Brick - JEALOUSY
Gregory Salinas - LITERATURE

Please Note: This recording of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was Audible's 2016 April Fool's Joke.

Public Domain (P)2016 Audible Studios

Thank you Audible - Love It!

Performing Humor - is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours (Latin: humor, "body fluid"), controlled human health and emotion. People of all ages and cultures respond to humour. Most people are able to experience humour—be amused, smile or laugh at something funny—and thus are considered to have a sense of humour. The hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the behaviour inducing it to be inexplicable, strange, or even irrational. Though ultimately decided by personal taste, the extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence and context.

Amazing cast that kept me riveted to my seat!

What made the experience of listening to Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica the most enjoyable?

This was an unexpected, but amazing listen that was really brought together by the cast

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sebastian York was definitely one of the standouts in this cast. His delivery of cheese made me so hungry!

What about full cast’s performance did you like?

They literally read excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica.

If you could give Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica a new subtitle, what would it be?

*The best of the best*

Any additional comments?

This is definitely the #1 must listen of 2016!

This audiobook made my deaf friend hear

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, this book was INCREDIBLE. I was listening to it this morning over coffee with my friend who has been deaf his entire life. My friend was reading his newspaper when suddenly he leapt up shouting "I CAN HEAR, I CAN HEAR! THAT IS THE MOST GLORIOUS RENDITION OF THE WORD 'COB' IMAGINABLE!" He spilled his hot coffee on my hand, but it was worth it!

What other book might you compare Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica to and why?

I suppose the closest thing I can compare it to would be The Odyssey. It was an epic listen with trials and tribulations, and I had no idea where it was going next! I was on the edge of my seat during Tom Stechschulte's "Chaperon."

Have you listened to any of full cast’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never listened to any before, but I can't wait for their next book! It's going on my audible wait list.

If you could give Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica a new subtitle, what would it be?

"Magic for your Ears"

Any additional comments?

Audible, why have you kept a masterpiece like this from us for so long?! I am going to listen to this over and over and over again. I had so many favorites I can't even choose one, but I think Cassandra Campbell's reading of "Chic" really stood out as a winner. Oh, but then there was "Gerbil" by Peter Ganim, and "Imagination" by Luke Daniels! I guess I just need to listen to it again... Will update later.

Elation Becomes Disappointment

I was overjoyed when I saw that Audible had finally added the Encyclopedia Brittanica to their library, but that quickly turned to crushing despair when I began to listen. The book is ABRIDGED!!! They destroyed its beautiful and compelling story in order to condense it for easy consumption by those unwilling to dedicate a few short weeks to one of the greatest literary works ever created.

Brilliantly Told!

Would you listen to Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica again? Why?

I have listened to this masterpiece several times already (I think 11 or 12? Losing count...) It has increased my IQ at least 20 points. I now know pi to 200 digits and expect to know more soon.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica?

"A Thunder Box or Gun"

What does full cast bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I can't read, so I actually got the story this way.

If you could give Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica a new subtitle, what would it be?

"The Infinite Empty Space" -Chaos

Any additional comments?

I can't believe audible is giving this masterpiece away for free. Best deal of the year, perhaps the decade.

Educational, Funny, & Free

This free download is not to be missed. Sure, it's humorous in its very concept (We said we'd listen to these narrators read anything, even the phone book or dictionary...now Audible is testing us on the veracity of that claim), but more than that it's educational. Aside from word meanings, it will likely inspire some listeners to wonder, as I did, why the 11th edition in particular was selected, and to google "11th Edition Encyclopedia Brittanica." When you do, you'll discover a value much greater than the sum of these seemingly disjointed parts. It's not just that this edition was exceptionally well-written and scholarly, either, although it was "the first edition where readability was courted in addition to scholarship," according to one article I read about it in the Guardian. Touted by Hans Koning of The New Yorker as "the last great work of the age of reason," the 11th edition represented a peak of colonial optimism before the slaughter of WWI. Koning called it "the final instance when all human knowledge could be presented with a single point of view," although modern readers should bear in mind that point of view seems shockingly naive and racist by our standards. Over 1700 authors, including famous leading lights in the arts and sciences, contributed to make this the most highly sought after multivolume reference work in the history of rare book selling and collecting.

I kind of want to own a set of my own now.

Best production of the Encyclopedia I have heard

Where does Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best book I have ever had an opportunity to listen to by far.

What other book might you compare Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica to and why?

The 10th edition of the Encyclopedia was good but the 11th edition blows it away with the great narrators

Which character – as performed by full cast – was your favorite?

the narrator that did audience was the best

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh an cry at the same time. I plan on listening to this book at least once a month.

Any additional comments?

I can not express how much I LOVE this book.

All Star Narration Cast

Would you consider the audio edition of Excerpts from The Encyclopaedia Britannica to be better than the print version?

This one is close, but to be read to by some of my favourite narrators makes this experience one of the best encyclopaedic experiences I've had in recent memory.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm a personal fan of 'Chaperon' and I think Tom did a brilliant job with it.

Have you listened to any of full cast’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Several of the cast, in fact. In comparison they are all on their A-Game, Nick Podehl (Narrator for Black Hills) does one of his best performances yet.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to excerpts from the 16th edition!

A total blunderbuss

Thank you Audible, for listening to the customers that listen to you. I'm only sorry Jim Dale and George Guidall didn't make the cut.

Absolutely Hilarious

I figured this was an April Fool's Joke - guessing that it would wind up being some sort of laughing with a 'did you really think we'd have our reader's read from the encyclopedia?' However -it really is expert readers reading portions of encyclopedia entries. Would I recommend this to a friend? It depends if that friend was really bored and had never heard of Wikipedia... It is however in and of itself hilarious and does give one a chance to listen to a very large number of readers in a concentrated form.