(Read by Nikki Amuka-Bird; Penguin Audio; 14 hours; 11 CDs)
This topics of this mix of previously published and new-to-audio essays range include race, culture, politics, art, and interpersonal relationships. Zadie Smith has a fascinating mind. She notices things most of us glide over – her essay about Facebook will have you laughing as she points out the obvious. There is much food for thought here and you’ll want to make a list of the writers who influence her and the music she adores. Nikki Amuka-Bird, however, is not the best narrator for this project. She has a cultured British manner and reads quite smoothly, but her voice is much too soft, making her sound timid when the material calls for a forthright approach.
Grade: B+
