Neil Hellegers narrates the story of a 1974 CIA project that was reminiscent of a Hollywood movie. In one of those instances when truth is more amazing than fiction, the goal was to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129, armed with nuclear weapons. K-129 sank in 1968, and, after an extensive search by the Soviet Navy, the U.S. Navy located the ship but was adamant that it could not be recovered. However, the CIA came up with a plan that included building a specially designed ship to recover the submarine at nearly 16,000 feet, using a fake project supposedly funded by billionaire Howard Hughes as a smoke screen to mask their intentions. Hellegers's somewhat gravelly baritone voice is understandable, but not optimal for this production. His timbre is slightly nasal, his intonation not very expressive, and his pacing subtly disjointed. The story itself, reminiscent of the movie ARGO, is quite interesting.
Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
Duration: 15 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525499718
Publisher: Penguin 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
Once again, Pollan makes the unknown make sense.
Pollan is a favorite with listeners, and rightly so. He may not possess a silken or practiced voice, and he’d be nobody’s first choice to narrate Proust, but few author-narrators are as engaging or as effectively bonded to their narrative. Pollan here explores one of the most fundamental of questions: What is consciousness? This leads him to other questions. Where exactly is consciousness located? What other species possess it? Pollan takes his listener on a journey through theories and research sites, each rendered with his signature economy and precision. Some sections may require relistening, but the difficulties lie in the subject matter, not the prose. That couldn’t be clearer or more illuminating.
Once again, Pollan makes the unknown make sense.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217282159
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
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