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
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.
Narrator Cassandra Campbell assumes the voice of biologist Haskell, author of The Song of Trees (2017), for an illuminating first-person tour of one of nature’s most common sights: flowers. Campbell provides momentum to a narrative that, though richly informative, could easily have become rambling and slack. “We live on a floral planet,” Haskell says, and he goes on to explain how that fact is key to our existence. Flowering plants first appeared 200 million years ago, and they enabled humans to evolve—and to survive. The narrative is loosely organized into eight illustrative categories, covering magnolias, orchids, grasses, roses, teas, and more.
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281794
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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