During a period in which science is under assault by social media and politicians, this is a welcome story of collaboration among doctors, drug researchers, and the families of children with a rare genetic disorder. Kristen DiMercurio lets the clarity of the author's prose carry the weight with her straightforward narration, but her voice warms up in all the right places, including the many heartbreaking passages chronicling the short lives of these children. Amy Dockser Marcus knits together an argument for citizen science, in which traditional tools such as clinical trials can be supplemented with data and observations from families living with rare diseases that get little attention from pharmaceutical companies.
Pub Date: 2023
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593671849
Publisher: Penguin 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:
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Emily Woo Zeller is an affable guide through this brisk introduction to paleoanthropology. Paleoanthropologist Sang-Hee Lee assumes that listeners aren't familiar with her field, and it's apparent in most of the lucid, bite-sized chapters on a variety of topics. Coupled with Zeller's polished delivery, the result is less a classroom experience and more akin to an audio museum tour. Zeller's smooth voice makes for easy listening--occasionally too easy, to the point of being lulling. And though the authors aim for a beginner-friendly approach, some chapters are still too dense. Listeners who don't already know the finer points of Homo erectus versus Homo habilis may be scratching their heads. But these are minor faults of an otherwise worthwhile popular science audiobook.
Pub Date:
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781684410330
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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