Author Ed Conway narrates this fascinating survey of six raw materials essential to civilization: sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. Conway's narrative point of view is the plural "we," and his narrative reach is global. We visit salt mines and blast furnaces, and gaze far into the cyberfuture, all of it informative, fresh, and enlightening. Conway is an animated narrator, but his voice is unpleasantly pitched, and his unpolished British accent smashes "w's" and "r's," as in "world." And "what" is a clanky "wot." One grows attuned, but some adjustment is required for each listening. Even so, this is a revelatory narrative, and no listener will afterward be able to look at a saltshaker or a stretch of beach the same way.
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
Duration: 15 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593788264
Publisher: Random House 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
A beautiful performance of a fascinating and moving story.
Narrator Sean Pratt is masterful in expressing the bravery, selflessness, and deep sense of humanity that underlie and accompany this tragic true story. Kolker relates the history of a family blasted by a rare form of inherited dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Five of nine siblings, along with their mother, have the genetic mutation that strikes while they are only in their 40s and slowly changes their personalities. It’s a cruel fate, but Pratt’s narration brings empathy, suspense, and even hope. As the next generation faces the same challenges in their own future, listeners will hope that scientific research, pharmaceutical development, and genetic modification may provide some relief from FTD and other forms of dementia.
A beautiful performance of a fascinating and moving story.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 57 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406425
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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