by David Ewing Duncan ; read by John Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2019
John Lee narrates Duncan's playful imaginings of how robots will integrate into human society. Lee's crisp and deep British voice guides listeners through Duncan's chapters, each of which focuses on a particular domain for robots, such as medicine, politics, consumerism, relationships, etc. Relying on interviews conducted in the last few years, Duncan draws out the possibilities, even cross-referencing how one robot type may impact another and how all of them will likely result in the simultaneous destruction and expansion of human life. Duncan shows that the future of robots is rife with contradictions, morally ambiguous challenges, and even monotonous elements, all of which come across a bit more dramatically in Lee's performance.
Pub Date: July 16, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781984888358
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Jane Davidson ; read by Jane Davidson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2020
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
by Pamela Paul ; read by Lisa Flanagan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 26, 2021
Narrator Lisa Flanagan has a wonderful vocal personality--lithe with a broad palette of pitch patterns and a range of believable emotional tones. Her friendly voice works well with this lighthearted overview of how dramatically the Internet has changed the world in the past 30 years. Though being digitally connected has improved life in many ways, the author says we've lost many of the interpersonal experiences that used to sustain us. We have less privacy, don't need all those reference books, and have largely forgotten how to have vocal conversations with other people. The audiobook is entertaining nostalgia for anyone who feels incompetent navigating the World Wide Web, and a soothing reminder that those of us who miss the simplicity of the pre-Internet era are not alone.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593418055
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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