The World Until Yesterday

Listeners interested in remote places of the world will enjoy this modern-day analysis on why some civilizations develop technology while others do not. Narrator Jay Snyder is a reasonable choice for this volume, which is grounded in anthropology, cultural analysis, and history. He manages capably the intricate sentences that explain the details of life for tribal people from New Guinea to Brazil. The explanations are dense, technical, and profound--fascinating for those who want to learn more about these societies at the edge of modernization. Snyder's tone is warm and personable. The listener can imagine him as an engaging professor; his rich baritone lends the detailed text an approachable quality it would lack with a drier reading. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine