Book description
A vivid look at 10 astonishing people who are maintaining some of the world's oldest and rarest cultural traditions. Eliot Stein has traveled the globe in search of remarkable people who are preserving some of our most extraordinary cultural rites. In Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, Stein introduces readers to a man saving the secret ingredient in Japan's 700-year-old original soy sauce recipe. In Italy, he learns how to make the world's rarest pasta from one of the only women alive who knows how to make it. And in India, he discovers a family rumored to make a mysterious metal mirror believed to reveal your truest self. From shadowing Scandinavia's last night watchman to meeting a 27th-generation West African griot to tracking down Cuba's last official cigar factory "readers" more than a century after they spearheaded the fight for Cuban independence, Stein uncovers an almost lost world. Climbing through Peru's southern highlands, he encounters the last Inca bridge master who rebuilds a grass-woven bridge every year from the fabled Inca Road System. He befriends a British beekeeper who maintains a touching custom of "telling the bees" important news of the day. And he crunches through a German forest to find the official mailman of the only tree in the world with its own address - to which countless people from across the world have written in hopes of finding love. These are just some of the last custodians preserving age-old rites on the brink of disappearance against all odds. Let Eliot Stein introduce you to all of them.
Snow Cream
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Hitch Frenzy
Bookmarks are a must-have for any audiobook lover. They help me stay organized and engaged. The ability to play various audio formats without conversion is amazing. ListenBook is top-notch. Perfect narration for this genre! The voice actor’s tone matched the atmosphere of the book, enhancing the overall experience. No complaints—just a smooth, enjoyable listen from beginning to end.
Starshine
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Third Moon
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Evil Smith
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Daffy Neo
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Fresh Peper
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Twisty Freesia
ListenBook's integration with CarPlay and Apple Watch adds a new level of convenience to my audiobook journey. My workouts have become more enjoyable and productive with ListenBook's compatibility with Apple Watch. Tone adjustment is a brilliant addition that lets me personalize the narration to my liking. It adds an extra layer of connection to the audiobooks.
Eye Candy Kitten
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Miss Nova
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Ba1t
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Clang Glyph
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Atlantic Rim
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All Natural
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Trash Master
I've fallen in love with genres I never thought I'd explore, all thanks to this app. This app's sleek design and effortless navigation have made my audiobook journey a true delight.
Star Jammer
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Noh Noh
This app has brought stories to life in a way that traditional reading never could. Downloading audiobooks is a breeze, thanks to the variety of options available. I love the download options. ListenBook gives me so many ways to get my audiobooks onto my device.
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Boost Princess
I'm blown away by the quality of narration on this app – it's like being in the story. CUE playlist support is a fantastic feature that allows me to create curated listening experiences for different moods and settings.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience