Listen to a sample
The Face
- Author
- Fay Bound-Alberti
- Narrator
- Fay Bound-Alberti
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 26 February 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 45 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A pioneering study into how we interpret faces and what they reveal about us, from a world-renowned cultural historian
What’s in a face?
The face is one of our quintessential features and is the only part of the body where all the senses come together: smell, taste, sight, touch, hearing. Though your face might change over the course of your life – whether through ageing, accident, illness or lifestyle – it remains a foundational marker of your identity.
In The Face, cultural historian Fay Bound Alberti explores the ways humans have interpreted faces and correlated their features with ideas of morality, social hierarchy, psychology and so much more, revealing some of the cultural biases that inform the interactions of our everyday lives. Bound Alberti charts how new technologies that reflect or alter our face’s appearance have transformed our conception of selfhood over time – from the growth of portraiture in the Renaissance and the mass production of mirrors and photography in the nineteenth century, to twenty-first century innovations, such as digital avatars and face transplants.
Bringing together a wealth of fascinating research, interviews and illuminating personal narratives, Bound Alberti probes beneath the surface to ask what our faces really say about us.
© Fay Bound Alberti 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
-
Equal parts gripping and scholarly... a timely book that gets to the heart of contemporary society
Sunday Times
-
An elegant and engaging history... at its most compelling when it becomes polemical, showing how the sexism, classism and racism that informs how we have long perceived faces is reinforced today
Financial Times
-
An expansive exploration of the human face and the extraordinary burden it has been made to carry... a meticulously researched and unsettling book, and Bound-Alberti’s overarching message is poignant
New Statesman
-
Enjoyable, fascinating, impressive and deeply intellectual... weighty, political and beautifully written
Lancet
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Compelling, scholarly, striking... an elegant history
Evening Standard
-
Fascinating... a distinctive take on what we don’t normally appreciate as a “cultural object"
Telegraph best book of 2026
-
A cultural unpacking of our most scrutinized organ... an ambitious, entertaining survey of human perception
New York Times
-
Stimulating... Bound-Alberti’s roving narrative touches on everything from eugenics to makeup to the first selfie... It makes for a fun and thought-provoking rumination on what it means to take each other at face value
Publisher's Weekly
-
The Face has blown me away. It's utterly fascinating, beautifully written, scholarly yet entertaining and I completely love it. I couldn't admire Fay Bound-Alberti more
Joanna Lumley
-
Like the double-faced god Janus, Bound-Alberti’s piercing gaze is split between our rich past and our uncertain future, enabling her to offer some fascinating insights about the nature of human identity. She uses both the wide-angle lens and the magnifying glass to dazzling effect. A compelling and thought-provoking book that is sure to linger in the reader's mind
Lindsey Fitzharris, New York Times Bestselling author of The Facemaker
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Fay Bound-Alberti
- Narrator
- Fay Bound-Alberti
- Duration
- 9 hours 45 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 February 2026
- ISBN
- 9781837311903
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Social and cultural history, History of medicine, Social and cultural anthropology, Social, group or collective psychology, Physiological psychology, neuropsychology, biopsychology, Anatomy
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.A pioneering study into how we interpret faces and what they reveal about us, from a world-renowned cultural historianWhat’s in a face?The face is one of our quintessential features and is the only part of the body where all the senses come together: smell, taste, sight, touch, hearing. Though your face might change over the course of your life – whether through ageing, accident, illness or lifestyle – it remains a foundational marker of your identity.In The Face, cultural historian Fay Bound Alberti explores the ways humans have interpreted faces and correlated their features with ideas of morality, social hierarchy, psychology and so much more, revealing some of the cultural biases that inform the interactions of our everyday lives. Bound Alberti charts how new technologies that reflect or alter our face’s appearance have transformed our conception of selfhood over time – from the growth of portraiture in the Renaissance and the mass production of mirrors and photography in the nineteenth century, to twenty-first century innovations, such as digital avatars and face transplants.Bringing together a wealth of fascinating research, interviews and illuminating personal narratives, Bound Alberti probes beneath the surface to ask what our faces really say about us.© Fay Bound Alberti 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.