As my headline suggests Holt doesn’t play near any edges in spite of his book title. If the reader is new to math/physics-oriented books then, sure, they will likely be intellectually titillated. If you’ve been around the block several times with this particular subject the authors tend to reflect similar stories, themes, and characters with predictability.
Not a total waste of time since the author manages to slip in the occasional anecdote or erudite thought that sufficiently brings a touch of soul to an otherwise bland and meaningless book.
The narrator did a fine job. No issue there.