Two researchers with interests in synesthesia and atypical strengths (savants) offer a compelling overview of how brain structure allows us to accomplish unusual mental and physical feats. Andrea Gallo's splendid narration, notable for her low-key cheeriness and vocal clarity, keeps the long production from bogging down with the authors' often obscure case studies. There are phrasing glitches, mainly disorienting pauses, but, overall, Gallo makes this material eminently understandable. The audiobook describes the way regions of the brain communicate with other regions when we're learning and performing complex tasks. The work is more informative than prescriptive, but the information is inspiring: The stories and neuroanatomical details provide concrete models of how people can systematically learn such things as a new language, a musical instrument, or any physical skill.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781490676272
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.
Here are the unlikely stories of how people have worked to return elk to Kentucky, bison to Illinois, and red wolves to coastal North Carolina. Charlie Thurston narrates with a satisfying tone and an appropriate tempo. A fine environmental journalist, Moore captures the sublime—the return of the grand sandhill cranes—and the profane—locals who want to rid their land of red wolves and adopt the slogan, “Shoot, shovel, and shut up.” Moore’s meticulous research takes listeners from pre-colonial times to the present-day environmentalists, wildlife biologists, and organizations committed to the reintroduction of these iconic species. The Nature Conservancy garners high praise, as do those who believe in restoring grasslands, saving wetlands, and recapturing abandoned mines.
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 16 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063001251
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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