Consciousness hasn't been proven in animals, but Charles Foster has tried to approximate it with his immersive experiences in wildness. He's sampled the lives of badgers, otters, foxes, red deer, and swifts and here shares his thoughts. Foster's narration is often amusing, delivered with self-mockery in his British accent. For example, he likens the tastes of worms that make up most of a badger's diet to wines and recalls being sneered at by a vole while attempting fox-like behavior. At other times, he waxes philosophical on the way animals "inhabit the instant" and on the unfair methods hunters use to kill deer. Listeners may not get a full understanding of being a beast, as the title promises, but the author's insights are entertaining and thoughtful.
Pub Date: June 21, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524721947
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The author describes her efforts to implement a meaningful sustainability initiative for Wales and the world at large. An educator and minister of the environment, sustainability, and housing in her tiny country, she's a wonderful narrator who sounds at once relaxed and passionate, likable and dignified. Her voice is a perfect vehicle for amplifying her humanitarian intentions as well as the breadth of her methodical thinking. But what makes this audio so inspiring are the personal asides she shares throughout concerning her willingness to be vulnerable and her calm resolve to do something for the world's future generations. Davidson's descriptions of the laborious process of cultural transformation would have been dry listening without her pleasing UK speaking voice.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
When Captain Salvador Alvarenga and his young assistant, Ezequiel Cordova, set out from Costa Azul, Mexico, on a fishing expedition, the experienced captain could not possibly have expected the type of journey that lay ahead. Narrator George Newbern does an excellent job delivering the story of Alvarenga's struggle to survive at sea in an open boat for 438 days before finally coming ashore on a remote island many miles away in the South Pacific. Newbern’s consistent pace and varied tone keep the compelling story going, communicating the harrowing aspects of the journey as well as Alvarenga's inspirational will to survive his extended ordeal at sea.
Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2015
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442396029
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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