In this audiobook, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb takes listeners through the beguiling interstellar mystery surrounding "Oumuamua"--a not easily identified object that was observed in our solar system in 2017. Like all good detectives, Loeb unravels every clue and eliminates all but one explanation for Oumuamua's odd shape, spin, non-gravitational acceleration, and luminosity: It is a piece of alien technology. Robert Petkoff's fast narration builds suspense without racing past the technical details. He reflects Loeb's intellectual heft and giddy curiosity, as well as his steady confidence in the face of academic opposition. From Galileo to SETI, Loeb describes unconventional ideas that have been derided and dismissed. Listeners are left to decide for themselves the implications of ignoring a potential first contact with intelligent alien life.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781665023337
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.
Revolutionary ecologist Simard follows up her 2021 bestseller with an equally mind-altering memoir on the restorative powers of forests. Giving a standout performance as narrator, Simard successfully weaves depictions of her adventures in the wilderness conducting scientific research with reflections on her personal and professional lives. Simard's soft, lyrical, western Canadian lilt adds rich emotional dimensions to her audiobook, in which she grapples with the difficult yet regenerative effects of death. As she witnesses the clear-cutting of nearly every old-growth forest in her beloved province, Simard faces the dispiriting losses of her mother and a brilliant colleague. Importantly, the author inspires action through vivid descriptions of her environmental activism and experiences learning the forestry practices of various Indigenous cultures.
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174287
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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