A prize-winning reporter for the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL has written a readable, fair-minded account of the collapse and transformation of the Great Lakes ecosystem from the opening of the Erie Canal through the present. Jason Culp narrates this epic tale of human arrogance, unintended consequences, and environmental degradation, told through personal interviews, memorable stories, and solid descriptions of science. Culp's pace his consistent, and his narration exceptionally clear. His slightly nasal tenor complements Egan's avuncular style, and he evidences no difficulty with scientific vocabulary. While the author offers as much optimism as anyone can, the story of the Great Lakes is a cautionary tale of importance far from their shores. A great audiobook for anyone interested in environmental issues anywhere.
Pub Date: March 7, 2017
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524779900
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ranjit Madgavkar narrates these essays on how forces beyond their control--for example, war, imperialism, language, climate change--influence people's lives. His strong but clear Indian accent never lets listeners forget that author Ghosh is a native of West Bengal, a fact that explains Ghosh's strong interest in colonialism, anti-colonialism, and the history of South Asia. The opening essays about the participation of Indian soldiers in the disastrous British Mesopotamian campaign of WWI are particularly fascinating. Madgavkar approximates different accents in the quotations from authors of other nationalities, making clear where they begin and end. Even without knowledge of South Asia, listeners will comprehend these essays because Madgavkar gets across the emotions.
Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2026
Duration: 19 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228648760
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Science writer Shea explores the complexities and interconnectedness of Arctic ecosystems and cultures with a calm, respectful narration. His keen examination of Arctic climate change includes impacts to narwhals, caribou populations, and wolf packs, as well as the Indigenous residents of Alaska, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, whose own cultural traditions and lives on the land have been disrupted. The author's conversations with hunters during his travels throughout these regions further illuminate the deep cost of changes to their homes. Shea guides listeners from the "lost Norse colony" of Grøenland to modern-day tensions along European borders, showing how myriad factors have always played into humanity's complex relationship with Arctic regions. Shea's grounded, gently paced observations are laced with poetic descriptions that invite quiet, engaged reflection.
Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063138605
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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