Narrator L.J. Ganser’s conversational delivery perfectly matches author-primatologist de Waal’s easygoing style, increasing the accessibility of this examination of animal behavior in captivity and in the wild. Humans have long thought of themselves as having a monopoly on complex emotions such as empathy, delayed gratification, long-term memory, and friendship. But after learning how monkeys and apes interact with each other and how they solve everyday problems, listeners may begin to question their own uniqueness. Ganser wisely honors the author’s storytelling approach to this complex subject, allowing his own enthusiasm and wonder to shine through. Through hearing examples of apes sharing a sense of humor and elephants being self-aware and imaginative, listeners will discover just how similar we are to fellow mammals. C.B.L. 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781980032168
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.
Ela Lee’s smooth narration and soothing tones are perfectly suited to this collection of contemplative essays. Kōda explains that her close relationship with trees was sparked by her father. Trees were his passion, and he gave each of his children a tree to nurture. As Kōda visits forests around Japan, various trees spark memories. Even when these memories are painful, a sense of healing and growth pervades. Lee’s deliberate pace allows room for quiet reflection throughout this lyrical journey into the significance trees hold for Kōda and the ways that they mirror her world and the rhythms of human life.
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063443433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
Listeners will be transported to some of America's most dramatic landscapes.
Three women passionate about America’s wild places helped inspire the public’s love of the natural environment and gave rise to the term “ecofeminism.” They are profiled in this triple biography along with the environments they cared about—the Grand Canyon, Colorado high mountain skiing areas, and the Adirondacks. With her easy pace, Kimberly Wetherell makes listening a pleasure. Wetherell effectively relays Hansman's lyrical descriptions of the three environments, taking listeners into powdery snow, rushing water, and deep woods. Her conversational tone suits the material but is especially effective in the opening and closing chapters, when the author speaks from a first-person perspective.
Listeners will be transported to some of America's most dramatic landscapes.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 52 mins
DD ISBN: 9781488238031
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
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