With a friendly vocal demeanor, narrator Adam Verner invites listeners into this fascinating history of the lunar rover and the later Apollo missions. Earl Swift closely examines the creation of the rover and its pivotal role in traversing the moon's surface to carry out lunar research. The audiobook provides insightful background on the space program and looks at the rover's role within it. Verner evenly paces his narration, providing clarity to complex information. He expresses genuine enthusiasm for the breakthroughs in the design and building of the rover and echoes the excitement of the engineers whom Swift interviews. With his careful attention to explanations of engineering challenges, Verner helps make this audiobook accessible to a wide range of listeners.
Pub Date: July 6, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062986566
Publisher: Harper 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
Once again, Pollan makes the unknown make sense.
Pollan is a favorite with listeners, and rightly so. He may not possess a silken or practiced voice, and he’d be nobody’s first choice to narrate Proust, but few author-narrators are as engaging or as effectively bonded to their narrative. Pollan here explores one of the most fundamental of questions: What is consciousness? This leads him to other questions. Where exactly is consciousness located? What other species possess it? Pollan takes his listener on a journey through theories and research sites, each rendered with his signature economy and precision. Some sections may require relistening, but the difficulties lie in the subject matter, not the prose. That couldn’t be clearer or more illuminating.
Once again, Pollan makes the unknown make sense.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217282159
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
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