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The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being
- Evolution and the Making of Us
- Narrated by: Dr Alice Roberts
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
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The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being
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Summary
The presenter of the BBC's The Incredible Human Journey gives us a new and highly accessible look at our own bodies and into the past to uncover the evolutionary secrets hidden in all of us.
Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize.
Alice Roberts takes you on the most incredible journey, revealing your path from a single cell to a complex embryo to a living, breathing, thinking person. It's a story that connects us with our distant ancestors and an extraordinary, unlikely chain of events that shaped human development and left a mark on all of us.
Alice Roberts uses the latest research to uncover the evolutionary history hidden in all of us, from the secrets found only in our embryos and genes - including why as embryos we have what look like gills - to those visible in your anatomy. This is a tale of discovery, exploring why and how we have developed as we have. This is your story, told as never before.
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Critic reviews
"From your brain to your fingertips, you emerge from her book entertained and with a deeper understanding of yourself." (Richard Dawkins)
"A masterful account of why our bodies are the way they are...this book really shines.... Roberts's lightness of touch is joyous, and celebratory." (Observer)
"Witty, personal and above all informed by passion and deep knowledge, this is the story of you, not just from conception onwards but from the millions of years of evolution that have shaped the way we are today." (Adam Rutherford)
What listeners say about The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being
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- Dr B.
- 05-01-24
Wow!
Since I was a Medical Student, 1980-85, a lot has happened. I learnt loads from this audiobook. Even on the 4-5th listen through. Awesome.
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2 people found this helpful
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- toby oxford
- 29-03-23
Fascinating story of Us
This was another fantastic book from Alice, and great that she was the narrator too as I find it adds something extra to the reading. The story of our development as humans and the evolution that got us to where we are today never ceases to amaze. Alice has a way of making this complicated process very enjoyable to listen to and describes processes and developments in scientific understanding easy to relate to and remember. I enjoyed this book a great deal and look forward to the next one.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 20-05-24
Beautiful read and I actually understood everything she said
I took this a s punt and thoroughly enjoyed all of it. As a grandparent with more to come this was a fascinating journey through the whole process and much more.
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-07-24
Factual
I love the depth but also the ease at which the author/narrator imparts her knowledge, so that even the listener with a passing grasp of how we are all here can take it in and understand the subject
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- Frankie Ryder
- 04-05-24
Fascinating and informative
Love that she explains everything in understandable terms. Would not have looked into such a niche field otherwise. As ever, Prof Alice Roberts has produced an excellent book. I never get tired of listening to her voice.
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- Amazon Customer
- 15-02-24
Evolution at its best
Perfect Narration, by Alice. Clear and informative.......How will Creationism Square with Evolution?..... well God must of given that asteroid a nudge that wiped out the Dinosaurs...?
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- Anonymous User
- 29-04-23
good listen
very good and well read , I learnt a lot about being me and how we all got here.
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1 person found this helpful
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- mrs pat wilkinson
- 09-10-24
Interesting subject
Alice has her usual way of making it interesting and enjoyable. Great to listen to
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- colin sheady
- 17-04-24
Clarity and simplification
Loved the clarity of Alice’s voice and the method and examples of simplifying a complicated subject for the layman.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sah
- 07-10-24
Thought provoking
An utterly wonderful walk through of the complexity of the human body. Alice Roberts' reading gives a warmth to what could be an academic treatise but she brings it alive. A must read for student medics and lay people alike. So many times I found myself asking why I'd not thought about the subject before, such as the difference between how limbs are connected to the skeleton.
My biology teacher spent so much time helping me understand the basics of embryology. He made it fascinating and I hope he is still alive to read this book. You have reignited my interest. Thank you, Alice !
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