Dr. Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid study and extraction mission, invites listeners to delve deeper into the project's early development and ultimate success. Lauretta creates a companionable experience as he conversationally discusses the trajectories of his personal and professional spheres. These include a sky-gazing youth in the Arizona desert and a life-changing experience with SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project) during his undergraduate years at the University of Arizona. Now he's at the forefront of an exciting frontier in planetary science. The author's infectious passion for the mission's outcome will engage listeners through its highs and lows. Sir Brian May, astrophysicist and member of the band Queen, delivers brief but memorable performances of reflective interludes that include ethereal music.
Pub Date: March 19, 2024
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668637180
Publisher: Hachette Audio
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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