Narrator Christopher Grove gives this relatively short look at life, the universe, and just about everything else a good performance. Lightman is a professor of both physics and the humanities at MIT. In this audiobook he presents his musings on topics ranging from consciousness to the Big Bang and to how infinitely small and large infinity may be, among other subjects. Grove's enunciation is precise, and his articulation, which has a somewhat staccato quality, is easy for the listener to follow. Expression is appropriate for the text but can be a bit dry from time to time, a trait that may be as attributable to the topics as the narration. Still, the overall effort makes this a worthwhile look at one scholar's view of contemporary cosmology.
Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593394601
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dr. Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who recounts his experiences searching for new medications in the Amazon rain forest. He makes an impassioned plea for the world to stop destroying this irreplaceable resource. Since the author reads his own work, we can rely on the pronunciation of some unusual botanical terms; however, his voice (presumably not trained for performance) lacks the enthusiasm and fascination the words suggest. Furthermore, with no chapter references and few pauses between sections, transitions, such as the change of location from Ecuador to Massachusetts, are awkward.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.
Narrator Cassandra Campbell assumes the voice of biologist Haskell, author of The Song of Trees (2017), for an illuminating first-person tour of one of nature’s most common sights: flowers. Campbell provides momentum to a narrative that, though richly informative, could easily have become rambling and slack. “We live on a floral planet,” Haskell says, and he goes on to explain how that fact is key to our existence. Flowering plants first appeared 200 million years ago, and they enabled humans to evolve—and to survive. The narrative is loosely organized into eight illustrative categories, covering magnolias, orchids, grasses, roses, teas, and more.
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281794
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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