At the dawn of creation and a billion light years away, a pair of black holes collided and created the barely perceptible sound of gravitational waves. How would scientists even begin to detect such an event? Distinguished theoretical astrophysicist and popular science author Janna Levin narrates her fascinating and detailed account of the construction and operation of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), at Caltech and MIT, with a voice of wonder, commitment and, at times, exasperation. Levin doesn't shrink from discussing the handling of billion-dollar budgets while working with some of most brilliant and quirky scientists in the world. In the end, one can hear the pride in Levin's voice as her team stands on the brink of witnessing one of the pillars of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Pub Date: March 29, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735209879
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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