WALL STREET JOURNAL investigative journalist Carreyrou presents meticulously researched, clearly written evidence of the fraud perpetrated by business wunderkind Elizabeth Holmes. The former CEO of the once-renowned Silicon Valley startup Theranos bilked investors of millions and potentially risked the lives of patients around the world with a groundbreaking diagnostic product that did not work reliably. Will Damron is the perfect choice as narrator. His precisely articulated style makes the entire effort sound as if it is a cloak-and-dagger spy novel. The author used many brave whistle-blowers who were a part of Theranos for his research. This is an eye-opening and chilling portrait of outright lies and duplicitous actions arising from blind ambition. Holmes is now looking at possible prison time.
Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525642848
Publisher: Random House 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
Narrator Emily Woo Zeller is an affable guide through this brisk introduction to paleoanthropology. Paleoanthropologist Sang-Hee Lee assumes that listeners aren't familiar with her field, and it's apparent in most of the lucid, bite-sized chapters on a variety of topics. Coupled with Zeller's polished delivery, the result is less a classroom experience and more akin to an audio museum tour. Zeller's smooth voice makes for easy listening--occasionally too easy, to the point of being lulling. And though the authors aim for a beginner-friendly approach, some chapters are still too dense. Listeners who don't already know the finer points of Homo erectus versus Homo habilis may be scratching their heads. But these are minor faults of an otherwise worthwhile popular science audiobook.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781684410330
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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