The Black Swan

Taleb is overly reliant on heavy irony, but, happily, David Chandler's narration rescues the author's repetitive discussion of his theory of randomness and the potential impact of random events. Using his own life to examine the actual impact of unexpected and unpredictable events, Taleb recounts the story of his childhood and rise as a Wall Street financer. Chandler's delivery of sardonic lines is often tongue-in-cheek, a tone that is less grating on listeners than the smug tone of the author's words. Chandler infuses Taleb's theory of the Black Swan with an energy that propels listeners to learn more, rather than focusing on Taleb's verbosity. Even if Taleb's theory doesn't interest, Chandler's delivery manages to enhance this production. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine