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My Planet
- Finding Humor in the Oddest Places
- Narrated by: Angela Dawe
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 08-12-13
- Language: English
- Publisher: Brilliance Audio
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $10.49
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Spook
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- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 1,034
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 833
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In an attempt to find out, Mary Roach brings her tireless curiosity to bear on an array of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die. She begins the journey in rural India with a reincarnation researcher and ends up in a University of Virginia operating room where cardiologists have installed equipment near the ceiling to study out-of-body near-death experiences.
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4 out of 5 stars
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good book, gave me more questions then answers
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Grunt
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,850
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good book, can't abide the narrator
- By Robin on 06-29-16
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Packing for Mars
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- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,675
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,742
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Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know - and More
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Gulp
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,109
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,778
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Best-selling author Mary Roach returns with a new adventure to the invisible realm we carry around inside. Roach takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: The questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Awesome, quirky read!
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Stiff
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,288
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5 out of 5 stars
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Human Errors
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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We humans like to think of ourselves as highly evolved creatures. But if we are supposedly evolution's greatest creation, why do we have such bad knees? Why do we catch head colds so often - 200 times more often than a dog does? How come our wrists have so many useless bones? And are we really supposed to swallow and breathe through the same narrow tube? Surely there's been some kind of mistake. As professor of biology Nathan H. Lents explains in Human Errors, our evolutionary history is nothing if not a litany of mistakes, each more entertaining and enlightening than the last.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Most interesting, well narrated
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Spook
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- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Bernadette Quigley
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 1,034
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 833
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 834
In an attempt to find out, Mary Roach brings her tireless curiosity to bear on an array of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die. She begins the journey in rural India with a reincarnation researcher and ends up in a University of Virginia operating room where cardiologists have installed equipment near the ceiling to study out-of-body near-death experiences.
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4 out of 5 stars
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good book, gave me more questions then answers
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good book, can't abide the narrator
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Packing for Mars
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4 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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Darn funny if you're open to the idea.
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We humans like to think of ourselves as highly evolved creatures. But if we are supposedly evolution's greatest creation, why do we have such bad knees? Why do we catch head colds so often - 200 times more often than a dog does? How come our wrists have so many useless bones? And are we really supposed to swallow and breathe through the same narrow tube? Surely there's been some kind of mistake. As professor of biology Nathan H. Lents explains in Human Errors, our evolutionary history is nothing if not a litany of mistakes, each more entertaining and enlightening than the last.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Most interesting, well narrated
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Quackery
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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What won't we try in our quest for perfect health, beauty, and the fountain of youth? Well, just imagine a time when doctors prescribed morphine for crying infants. When liquefied gold was touted as immortality in a glass. And when strychnine - yes, that strychnine, the one used in rat poison - was dosed like Viagra. Looking back with fascination, horror, and not a little dash of dark, knowing humor, Quackery recounts the lively, at times unbelievable, history of medical misfires and malpractices.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting book
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5 out of 5 stars
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Didn't know syphilis could be so fascinating.
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Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty - a 20-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre - took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. With an original voice that combines fearless curiosity and mordant wit, Caitlin tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters, gallows humor, and vivid characters (both living and very dead).
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4 out of 5 stars
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Ms. Frizzle Takes the School Bus to a Morgue
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And Then You're Dead
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
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5 out of 5 stars
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perfect for a precocious 9 year old boy
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It Ended Badly
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Spanning eras and cultures from ancient Rome to medieval England to 1950s Hollywood, Jennifer Wright's It Ended Badly guides you through the worst of the worst in historically bad breakups. In the throes of heartbreak, Emperor Nero had just about everyone he ever loved - from his old tutor to most of his friends - put to death. Oscar Wilde's lover, whom he went to jail for, abandoned him when faced with being cut off financially from his wealthy family.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Depends on what you're looking for
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When the Air Hits Your Brain
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,352
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,340
With poignant insight and humor, Frank Vertosick, Jr., MD, describes some of the greatest challenges of his career, including a six-week-old infant with a tumor in her brain, a young man struck down in his prime by paraplegia, and a minister with a .22-caliber bullet lodged in his skull. Told through intimate portraits of Vertosick's patients and unsparing-yet-fascinatingly detailed descriptions of surgical procedures, When the Air Hits Your Brain illuminates both the mysteries of the mind and the realities of the operating room.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Sensitive and Enlightening
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Caesar's Last Breath
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 913
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 837
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 833
The fascinating science and history of the air we breathe. It's invisible. It's ever present. Without it, you would die in minutes. And it has an epic story to tell. In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times best-selling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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vastly entertaining
- By Amazon Customer on 08-11-17
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Calypso
- By: David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,601
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6,913
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,847
If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you're getting with Calypso. You'd be wrong. When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And it's as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation - and dark humor - toward middle age and mortality.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Dark and funny
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An Anthropologist on Mars
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- By: Oliver Sacks
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 863
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 768
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 768
To these seven narratives of neurological disorder Dr. Sacks brings the same humanity, poetic observation, and infectious sense of wonder that are apparent in his bestsellers Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. These men, women, and one extraordinary child emerge as brilliantly adaptive personalities, whose conditions have not so much debilitated them as ushered them into another reality.
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5 out of 5 stars
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SACKS IS AN ABSOLUTE JOY !!
- By Jeff on 09-22-13
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Corsets and Codpieces
- A History of Outrageous Fashion, from Roman Times to the Modern Era
- By: Karen Bowman
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 43
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Story4 out of 5 stars 41
Have you ever wondered why we wear the type of clothes we do? Packed with outlandish outfits, this exciting history of fashion trends reveals the flamboyant fashions adopted (and discarded) by our ancestors. In the days before cosmetic surgery, people used bum rolls and bombastic breeches to augment their figures, painted their faces with poisonous concoctions, and doused themselves with scent to cover body odor.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Mediocre At Best
- By Maggi on 06-13-18
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The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons
- The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery
- By: Sam Kean
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 807
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 733
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 736
Early studies of the human brain used a simple method: Wait for misfortune to strike - strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, horrendous accidents - and see how victims coped. In many cases their survival was miraculous, if puzzling. Observers were amazed by the transformations that took place when different parts of the brain were destroyed, altering victims' personalities. With the lucid, masterful explanations and razor-sharp wit his fans have come to expect, Kean explores the brain's secret passageways.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Detailed but not overly Technical
- By Michael on 05-06-15
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The Mother Tongue
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 715
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 644
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Story4 out of 5 stars 645
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
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3 out of 5 stars
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More satire than history
- By Barbara on 12-18-15
Publisher's Summary
Follow New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach - but be careful not to trip - as she weaves through personal anecdotes and everyday musings riddled with her uncanny wit and amazingly analytical eye. These essays, which found a well-deserved home within the pages of Reader's Digest as the column "My Planet," detail the inner workings of hypochondriacs, hoarders, and compulsive cheapskates. (Did we mention neurotic interior designers and professional list makers?) For Roach, humor is hidden in the most unlikely places, which means that nothing is off limits. Whether she is dwelling on her age or talking about the pros and cons of a bedroom night light - "A married couple can best be defined as a unit of people whose sleep habits are carefully engineered to keep each other awake" - Roach finds a lesson, a slice of sarcasm, or a dash of something special that makes each day comical and absolutely priceless.
In keeping with our mission - curating the best listens in the land - Reader's Digest editors neatly packaged these timeless (and hilarious) Roach essays together for the first time.
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Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars171
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4 Stars125
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3 Stars102
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2 Stars35
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1 Stars16
Performance
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3.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars160
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4 Stars91
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3 Stars61
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2 Stars48
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1 Stars57
Story
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars181
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4 Stars106
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3 Stars92
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2 Stars19
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1 Stars16
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann
- California
- 04-23-14
Narrator drove me crazy
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The narrator
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The way she would draw out the vowels in words. I couldn't finish this book because the narrator was too distracting.
Any additional comments?
I loved Mary Roach's other books. I'm sure this one is very good as well but I couldn't get past the first few chapters.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne
- Tampa, FL, United States
- 12-25-13
Terrible narration ruins an entertaining book
Would you try another book from Mary Roach and/or Angela Dawe?
I like Mary Roach. The trouble was the narration. She sounded like she was trying too hard to project her voice, which left no room for personality, Very flat and monotone. I will have to break down and actually read this book!
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 10-31-14
Unlistenable Narrator: Didn't Get Past the Forward
What didn’t you like about Angela Dawe’s performance?
The narrator sounds like a carnival barker. I couldn't get past a few minutes of the forward. The book's content might be fine, but I'll never know. Roach should just narrate her own books.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ann
- SAINT MARYS, OH, United States
- 11-30-13
Bad narrator
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Felt the need to emphasize the last word of every SENTENCE. No matter what word it WAS. Couldn't bear it for more than 45 min. Love Mary Roach, but I think I'll get this one in print.
28 of 29 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- nashville, TN, United States
- 11-15-13
Needs a different narrator.
Great stories but the narrator kind of ruined my listening experience. Would give it another try with a less monotone voice.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon frequent customer
- 07-22-15
If the sound of nails on a blackboard don't bother you, then go ahead and buy this book.
Narrator's voice was grating. I got through 4 or 5 chapters and gave up.
I don't recommend this book.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cmac
- 05-06-15
Amusing and good
Mary Roach continues to impress, while the narrator seemed to be yelling the words at me. Overall really quite good!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
- Tanny M. Martin
- 02-28-15
Love Mary Roach.
My Mary Roach collection is complete. i have enjoyed her quirky perspective through every book. This one is short, funny 'slice of life' essays and are different from her other books but has me giggling and connecting frequently. I did not love the narrator, I felt she sounded as though she was shouting. I just lowered the volume and it certainly was not enough to keep me from listening.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Wayne
- Matthews, NC
- 08-13-15
My Planet is a series of newspaper columns...
written by Mary Roach. It may deserve more than 2 stars but Mary Roach's other books are much better. I especially liked Stiff and Gulp.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kevin Stokes
- Fairport, NY USA
- 07-27-15
Very Funny
The book is comprised of short essays on random subjects of everyday life. Most are amusing, and some made me burst out laughing, causing some odd looks because I was listening with headphones in public.
Mary's own personality comes though, and she seems like a person you'd like to know in person. Also, almost all of the book is g rated, with a sprinkling of pg stuff like a tiny bit of bad language.
The narrator sounds like a brash NYC comedian, which sometimes doesn't feel right but overall didn't detract too much.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jana
- 01-04-16
Love the book, can't stand the performer's voice
Well, the title describes my feelings completely. I am a big fan of Mary Roaches work. Despite the fact that this book is different from her usual meticulous research driven work it is still very enjoyable and refreshingly entertaining.
but...
The performer's voice is just...wrong. It sounds as if she's shouting every word and the intonation seems off too. After a few minutes of listening I actually feel wound up instead of relaxed. Trying to introduce this book to friends resulted in the same discomfort for them. Coincidentally, they found Roaches other great book Packing for Mars sounding like being read by a robot.
I can't see myself being able to suffer through the rest of this audio book. If only there was a way of "reading it"...oh, wait...;)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- hOnesty
- 02-19-18
Quite a good witty book
Observations of the author are funny and entertaining but voiceover is not good enough to represent the humour in the script. Overall good book showing how funny are some parts of our daily lives.