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    The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1: Evolution in Action
    The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1: Evolution in Action
    The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1: Evolution in Action
    Audiobook (abridged)3 hours

    The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1: Evolution in Action

    Written by Wendy Northcutt

    Narrated by Jason Harris

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it, showing us just how uncommon common sense can be!

    Meet the absentminded terrorist who opens a mail bomb returned to him for insufficient postage. Marvel at the thief who steals electrical wires before shutting off the current. Gape at the would-be pilot who flies his lawn chair suspended from helium balloons into air-traffic lanes.

    These tales of trial and awe-inspiring error illustrate the ongoing saga of survival of the fittest in all its selective glory!

    Don't miss the other volumes of the Darwin Awards.

    ©2000 Wendy Northcutt; (P)2001 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherListen & Live Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2000
    ISBN9781593162689
    The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1: Evolution in Action
    Author

    Wendy Northcutt

    A graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in molecular biology, Wendy Northcutt began collecting the stories that make up the Darwin Awards in 1993. Her award-winning Web site www.DarwinAwards.com is one of the most popular humor pages on the Web. The Darwin Awards have been profiled in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and on NPR’s All Things Considered. Wendy is the author of the international bestsellers The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action, The Darwin Awards 2: Unnatural Selection, and The Darwin Awards 3: Survival of the Fittest.

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    Reviews for The Darwin Awards, Vol. 1

    3.5/5

    22 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Want to read about idiots? This is the book for you. Darwin Awards are given to those who cannot pass their genes on, which is a good thing for the rest of the human race. Hilarious and entertaining stories.
    • 4/5
      Not much I can say about this one: it's a collection of Darwin award winners (and the honourable mentions) and their stories. It's both hilarious and possibly a sad commentary on the advancement, or lack thereof, of common sense. For anyone who might not be familiar with the Darwin Awards, they are given each year for:significantly improve the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race in an obviously stupid way. They are self-selected examples of the dangers inherent in a lack of common sense, and all human races, cultures, and socioeconomic groups are eligible to compete. Actual winners must meet the following criteria: Reproduction Out of the gene pool: dead or sterile.Excellence Astounding misapplication of judgment.Self-Selection Cause one's own demise.Maturity Capable of sound judgment. Veracity The event must be true. (source: darwinawards.com/rules) Always good for a chuckle!
    • 2/5
      This wasn't as funny or entertaining as I imagined.
    • 1/5
      The audiobook would have been much better if the reader didn't keep using fake insulting accents of different nationalities and localities. Hearing someone speak broken English in an Indian accent and a fake southern American accent trying to spund stupod is appalling in 2019.
    • 2/5
      The Darwin Awards commemorate ""individuals who ensure the long-term survival of our species by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion." The subtitle is "evolution in action." The description on the back cover asks you to "Marvel at the thief who tries to steal live electrical wires. Gape at the lawnchair jockey who floats to a height of 16,000 feet suspended by helium balloons." These purport to be true, verified stories: I guess that's why in the end I just can't find them funny. The book is filled with short notations explaining how these individuals overachieved, and are usually less than two pages each, often just a few paragraphs. Let me give you a flavor by sharing a short one with you:Silenced by the Lambs(28 January 1999, England) A flock of sheep charged a well-meaning British farmer's wife and pushed her over a cliff to her death. Betty, 67, was charged by dozens of sheep after she brought them a bale of hay on the back of a power bike. The sheep rushed forward and rammed the vehicle, knocking Betty and her bike over the edge of a vacant quarry near Durham. "I saw the sheep surround the bike. The next thing she was tumbling down the incline," a neighbor told reporters. Her husband is being comforted by friends.I guess I'm a party pooper, and I admit I've snickered at "Darwin Award" anecdotes told to me over instant messenger and email. But being told these are verified and realizing there was a real person (and this story doesn't make her sound all that stupid, just unlucky) takes all the fun out of it for me. I should add though, I'm really not a joke book person and this is very unlike my usual read. I read it because it was in the Humor Section of "The Ultimate Reading List" which I had been working through. Oh well, maybe Nora Ephron or Dave Barry will suit me better.
    • 4/5
      By now a cultural icon, the Darwin Awards were created by Wendy Northcutt in 1993. This is the first book of an ongoing series, because there is really no end to human stupidity. This is the only one of the books I have ever read, and I found myself mostly annoyed at the color commentary. I can understand the impulse to fill empty space with pithy remarks, but really we are all just here for the gory details. All else is superfluous.Accordingly, I skipped almost all the chapter introductions, and I liked the book much better. I did feel a little bit guilty reading this. I suppose by definition this book is taking delight in others misfortune. Perhaps it is simply that God works in mysterious ways.
    • 4/5
      The endless stupidity of the human race is highly entertaining, but some of these are as sad as they are funny.
    • 4/5
      Great bathroom reading :)
    • 4/5
      An entertaining account of people who've removed themselves from the gene pool by their own stupidity. Effort has been made to verify the veracity of these tales, which read a lot like urban legends. A quick read, although maybe not one to get through in one sitting. Best read in snippets (waiting rooms, public transportation, etc)
    • 5/5
      If you enjoy laughing at the stupidity of other people, then this book is for you. Some of these stories are hilarious. Others will have you shaking your head. All of them will leave you feeling glad you aren't related. The Darwin Awards contains over 180 stories in the following categories: * Darwin Awards: nominees lost their reproductive capacity by killing or sterilizing themselves, thereby removing themselves from the gene pool. * Honorable Mentions: survived their escapade but still illustrate the innovative spirit of Darwin Award candidates. * Urban Legends: these are cautionary fables with various versions circling the internet, but any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental. * Personal Accounts: these were submitted by loyal readers and are plausible but generally unverified.Darwin Awards and Honorable Mentions are further divided into: * Confirmed by Darwin: indicates that a story was backed up by multiple submissions and more than one reputable media source. * Unconfirmed by Darwin: indicates fewer submissions and the unavailability of direct confirmation of media sources.This is a seriously funny book and I highly recommend it.