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  • A Brief History of Vice

  • How Bad Behavior Built Civilization
  • Written by: Robert Evans
  • Narrated by: Tristan Morris
  • Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (46 ratings)

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A Brief History of Vice

Written by: Robert Evans
Narrated by: Tristan Morris
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Publisher's Summary

History has never been more fun - or more intoxicating.

Guns, germs, and steel might have transformed us from hunter-gatherers into modern man, but booze, sex, trash talk, and tripping built our civilization. Cracked editor Robert Evans brings his signature dogged research and lively insight to uncover the many and magnificent ways vice has influenced history, from the prostitute-turned-empress who scored a major victory for women's rights to the beer that helped create - and destroy - South America's first empire. And Evans goes deeper than simply writing about ancient debauchery; he recreates some of history's most enjoyable (and most painful) vices and includes guides so you can follow along at home. You'll learn how to:

  • Trip like a Greek philosopher
  • Rave like your Stone Age ancestors
  • Get drunk like a Sumerian
  • Smoke a nose pipe like a pre-Columbian Native American

A celebration of the brave, drunken pioneers who built our civilization one seemingly bad decision at a time, A Brief History of Vice explores a side of the past that mainstream history books prefer to hide.

©2016 Robert Evans (P)2016 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“Mixing science, humor, and grossly irresponsible self-experimentation, Evans paints a vivid picture of how bad habits built the world we know and love.” (David Wong, author of John Dies at the End)

“Evans' goal is to investigate and illuminate the human tradition of merriment and debauchery, which he does with tact, humor, and insight.” (Publishers Weekly)

“An engaging and compelling assemblage of pop culture and cultural anthropology (pop cultural anthropology?), an exploration of the growth of civilization via things that our own culture has in many ways declared taboo. This is one of the more entertaining books, fiction or nonfiction, or whatever, that you'll read this year.” (Allen Adams, The Maine Edge)

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What listeners say about A Brief History of Vice

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Very fun book

The only thing which could have improved it is if Mr Evans narrated it himself.

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enjoyable and informitive

I really rather enjoyed this book, it presented the material with the appropriate sort of scientific thought process, well remaining consistently sort of fun and willing to Embrace vice in a pleasing and sort of laissez-faire Manor. I particularly enjoyed delving into the history of some obscure narcotic and then receiving a recipe for it that could be created in modern America, followed by Robert's personal experience with said narcotic.

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:)

Honestly I think I would have really enjoyed it if Robert Evans narrated it himself. I listen to his podcast so I could hear his tones through his writing and it was kind of disappointing for his voice to be absent if that makes any sense? The book was a lot of fun and very enjoyable.

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shit I got to try

I need to buy a hard copy of the book now to try out the recipes.

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