With exacting care, author Ashlee Vance introduces his immersive journalistic study of the commercial space race from the early 2000s to the present. Throughout the remainder of this spellbinding discussion of entrepreneurs and the business of space, Robert Petkoff recounts the successes and failures of contemporary commercial endeavors by the dreamers and multimillionaires of SpaceX, Falcon 1, Rocket Lab, Astra, Firefly, and Planet Labs to make rocket launches quotidian events. Petkoff is passionate as he describes attempts to seed low orbit with communication and geolocating satellites. A must-listen for fans of space-exploration science and the race for the stars. An accompanying pdf includes illustrations from the text.
Pub Date: May 9, 2023
Duration: 18 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062998910
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An engaging experience.
This audiobook deals with everything from the historic investments that led to world-dominating companies, such as the Chinese technology company Tencent, to predicting the products and services of the future. An audiobook of such complexity requires a narrator who can handle the task, and David Thorpe manages it admirably. Thorpe uses his masterly voice, which sits somewhere between that of a BBC World Service presenter and an easy, relaxed Home Counties accent, to guide listeners through a sea of numbers, acronyms, and terms such as YP, RPS, and market cap. Rather than simply reading, Thorpe presents the work with excitement and enthusiasm, and this enjoyment transfers to the listener.
An engaging experience.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668103425
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Carol Dweck, author of MINDSET, narrates the Foreword of this audiobook in a workmanlike fashion, explaining her scholarly relationship with author Mary Murphy. Murphy argues that the creative and talented mindset transcends the innate gifts of an individual. Cultures of growth are explained as both revolutionary and helpful at Microsoft and many other well-known organizations. An extended discussion of nature versus nurture follows. Sadly, Murphy's narration leaves much to be desired. It lacks gravitas in its nasal timbre and almost childlike pitch, and occasional odd phrasing and pauses mid- sentence may further alienate the listener. A professional narrator may have made this discussion more approachable.
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797172057
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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