Hope and humor, in unusual places
The Last Lecture
By Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Hyperion Audiobooks, unabridged nonfiction, four CDs, four hours and 30 minutes, $21.95, read by Erik Singer; also available as a download from audible.com, $10.46
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
By Mary Roach
Brilliance Audio, unabridged nonfiction, eight CDs, 10 hours, $34.95, read by Sandra Burr; also available on 1 MP3 disc, $24.95, or as a download from audible.com, $17.47
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
By Tony Horwitz
Random House Audio, abridged nonfiction, seven CDs, nine hours, $35.95, read by the author
Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
By Morgan Spurlock
Random House Audio, abridged nonfiction, five CDs, six hours, $29.95, read by Erik Singer
Every once in a while an audiobook comes along that is as inspirational as it's rumored to be. Randy Pausch's succinct words of wisdom have been compiled into one such audiobook, "The Last Lecture." In fact, it is more than just inspirational, it is also extremely entertaining.
In 2006 Pausch, a lecturer in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, discovered he had pancreatic cancer. On Sept. 18, 2007, he gave a last lecture, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," which was videotaped and became an Internet hit. Then came "The Oprah Winfrey Show," a book deal, and a long list of childhood dreams that Pausch was able to fulfill - all because he wanted to share his positive approach to life with his three children. We're just lucky enough to be able to hitch a ride.
It's too bad Pausch, a funny, impassioned speaker, didn't record the audiobook. Luckily, narrator Erik Singer captures both his brio and his Everyman quality. Whether quoting Pausch's father or explaining the importance of thank-you notes, Singer expresses the joy and enthusiasm that are a part of the Pausch daily routine, and doesn't overdo it.
Sex is not usually funny. Well, not usually this funny. Writer Mary Roach has tackled the science and business of sex in a surprisingly amusing, extremely approachable audiobook, "Bonk."
Although it does not approach Roach's "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," it has its pleasures. Sure, her jokes are occasionally sophomoric, and she digresses too often and at too much length. But more often than not she is dryly, slyly witty about subjects ranging from the research labs for sex toys to pig-breeding farmers.
Sandra Burr gives good delivery. She ably expresses both the loopy and serious qualities of this audiobook with perfect timing and a commanding presence. Another plus is the inclusion of the hard copy's footnotes.
Another audiobook that takes an academic subject and presents it with wit and charm is "A Voyage Long and Strange," which began when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz realized how little he knew about the people who discovered and explored our country.
His prologue begins in Plymouth, and he eventually ends up there, covering three subjects along the way: discovery, conquest, and settlement. The exploits of the Vikings and Spanish, French, and English explorers are deconstructed, often with a curiosity and drollness reminiscent of Bill Bryson. The author does scrupulous research, talking to locals at historic sites who have their own ideas of how things went down centuries ago. Though Horwitz is occasionally a victim of his own prejudices (it doesn't sit right when he pokes fun at a native Canadian tribe's karaoke night), he manages to debunk more than a few myths with this travelogue through history.
On a few occasions one can hear a small stumble over the text, but for the most part Horwitz does a fine job of narrating. The abridgement was ably done, and Horwitz has an easygoing, engaging manner that matches his writing style.
Morgan Spurlock, writer and director of "Super Size Me," also logged a ton of frequent-flier miles, for his audiobook and movie "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?" He really should have stayed home.
Not that this is a terrible audiobook, but neither is it particularly good. Terrorism isn't an inherently funny subject, but the problem here is Spurlock's sometimes obtuse demeanor and frequent digressions about the upcoming birth of his first child, which are less than mesmerizing.
He has some informative discussions with people in the Middle East who like Americans but dislike our foreign policies. He meets with the buddy of a 9/11 terrorist and speaks with a former jihadist. More interesting is the snarling resentfulness of young Muslims in Paris who are treated as second-class citizens.
Erik Singer's polished narration is on the money, and the abridgement works because it tightens up the material, but the ending just fizzles out. Spurlock's juvenile humor and hapless demeanor make it consistently clear that this guy was out of his depth. Let's hope he turns his attention back to pop culture and stays out of the arena of international politics.
Rochelle O'Gorman is publisher and editor in chief of audiobookcafe.com.
