Decades after its publication, this audiobook by John McPhee retains its relevance. The author's poetic writing style--rendered equally poetically by narrator Grover Gardner--is inviting. The book covers three regions and humanity's attempts to control them--the lower Mississippi River, mountains outside Los Angeles, and an Icelandic volcano. McPhee's straightforward sentence structures translate well to audio, as does his use of metaphor, which renders complex subjects in terms listeners can understand and appreciate. Gardner's pace also makes it easier for listeners to follow technical discussions. The author's message is that humanity has no choice but to try to control natural forces, but we should also strive harder to live as part of nature.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798855596069
Publisher: Tantor Media
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
When Captain Salvador Alvarenga and his young assistant, Ezequiel Cordova, set out from Costa Azul, Mexico, on a fishing expedition, the experienced captain could not possibly have expected the type of journey that lay ahead. Narrator George Newbern does an excellent job delivering the story of Alvarenga's struggle to survive at sea in an open boat for 438 days before finally coming ashore on a remote island many miles away in the South Pacific. Newbern’s consistent pace and varied tone keep the compelling story going, communicating the harrowing aspects of the journey as well as Alvarenga's inspirational will to survive his extended ordeal at sea.
Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2015
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442396029
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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