Narrator Peter Berkrot's smooth, assured tone perfectly suits author Fred Nadis's thorough exploration of humanity's long-held spacefaring aspirations, with Mars a particular focus. Nadis reveals how the popular imagination--from nineteenth-century sci-fi novels to blockbuster films--along with scientific research and government and commercial endeavors, has delivered the necessary impetus for innovation and exploration. Berkrot's companionable pacing engages listeners with the scientific discoveries, ambitions, and dreams of each successive generation. Fascinating stories of Mars-enthusiast conventions, communes and biospheres, tourism ventures, and key figures enhance this production. While expansion to the outer orbits is anything but straightforward or guaranteed, Nadis provides hope that someday it will take place.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Oasis 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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