Next time someone calls you a rat, it might be truer than you think. Science journalist Hannah Holmes takes listeners on a tour of various research labs where genetically engineered mice, rats, and voles explore mazes, survive shocks, get hooked on cocaine, and have their brains probed for chemicals. Holmes contends that they display rudimentary versions of human personality traits like anxiety and cheerfulness. She writes in an engaging style that generally translates well to audio, especially her use of clichés as jumping-off points for discussions. But this is still a technical work that requires a higher degree of concentration. Susan Denaker uses pauses effectively to break up long sentences and adds a bit of emotion to selected passages. Her characterization of accents isn’t strong, but it doesn’t detract from the overall work.
Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2011
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307879431
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The author describes her efforts to implement a meaningful sustainability initiative for Wales and the world at large. An educator and minister of the environment, sustainability, and housing in her tiny country, she's a wonderful narrator who sounds at once relaxed and passionate, likable and dignified. Her voice is a perfect vehicle for amplifying her humanitarian intentions as well as the breadth of her methodical thinking. But what makes this audio so inspiring are the personal asides she shares throughout concerning her willingness to be vulnerable and her calm resolve to do something for the world's future generations. Davidson's descriptions of the laborious process of cultural transformation would have been dry listening without her pleasing UK speaking voice.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Lisa Flanagan has a wonderful vocal personality--lithe with a broad palette of pitch patterns and a range of believable emotional tones. Her friendly voice works well with this lighthearted overview of how dramatically the Internet has changed the world in the past 30 years. Though being digitally connected has improved life in many ways, the author says we've lost many of the interpersonal experiences that used to sustain us. We have less privacy, don't need all those reference books, and have largely forgotten how to have vocal conversations with other people. The audiobook is entertaining nostalgia for anyone who feels incompetent navigating the World Wide Web, and a soothing reminder that those of us who miss the simplicity of the pre-Internet era are not alone.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593418055
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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