Delicious cover art

Delicious

The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human

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Delicious

By: Robert Dunn, Monica Sanchez
Narrated by: Russell Bentley
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About this listen

This delightful audiobook narrated by Russell Bentley offers a savory account of how the pursuit of delicious foods shaped human evolution

Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavor. But what exactly are flavors? Why are some so pleasing while others are not? Delicious is a supremely entertaining foray into the heart of such questions.

With generous helpings of warmth and wit, Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez offer bold new perspectives on why food is enjoyable and how the pursuit of delicious flavors has guided the course of human history. They consider the role that flavor may have played in the invention of the first tools, the extinction of giant mammals, the evolution of the world’s most delicious and fatty fruits, the creation of beer, and our own sociality. Along the way, you will learn about the taste receptors you didn't even know you had, the best way to ferment a mastodon, the relationship between Paleolithic art and cheese, and much more.

Blending irresistible storytelling with the latest science, Delicious is a deep history of flavor that will transform the way you think about human evolution and the gustatory pleasures of the foods we eat.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Robert Dunn and Monica Sanchez (P)2021 Princeton University Press
Anthropology Evolution Food Science

Critic Reviews

"An utter delight. Delicious is a gastronomic tapestry of far-flung anecdotes, science, and history expertly woven into a story of the profound significance of taste and aroma for humans and other species. I relished every page." (Joanna E. Lambert, University of Colorado Boulder)

"Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez write with the creativity of great chefs and the precision of food biochemists. This book is a feast that will not only stimulate your mind but also excite your senses. No book better brings the natural and gastronomic sciences to life while instilling us with wonder better than this one." (Gary Paul Nabhan, father of the local food movement, author of Food, Genes, and Culture)

"A revolutionary look at the way our appetite for the delicious made us human. Taking readers on an exciting journey into the past, Dunn and Sanchez reveal how and why we love to eat the things we do and the impact this has had on human biology and culture. You will never look at food the same way again." (Vanessa Woods, New York Times best-selling author of Survival of the Friendliest)

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narrator's voice was too monotone

the narrator's voice ruined this one, way too monotone, random inflexions every now and then. this made it difficult to concentrate on the content of the book. wouldn't recommend.

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