Narrator Cynthia Farrell has demonstrated her versatility over a wide range of subjects and genres. She--like her present topic--embraces material but doesn't intrude, and is thrifty, ingenious, and reliable. The Franklin stove, today a relic of history, was in its time a revolution in domestic life, and its story provides an unexpectedly rich and compelling perspective on ecology, population, and industrialization at their most fundamental levels. Added too is the role and personality of Benjamin Franklin himself, best known as a senior statesman, but here in his creative prime, an emerging world figure and the first American genius. This is a narrative with many rewards and surprises, stimulating to the mind and pleasing to the ear.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2025
Duration: 14 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781511349307
Publisher: Brilliance 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
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.
Revolutionary ecologist Simard follows up her 2021 bestseller with an equally mind-altering memoir on the restorative powers of forests. Giving a standout performance as narrator, Simard successfully weaves depictions of her adventures in the wilderness conducting scientific research with reflections on her personal and professional lives. Simard's soft, lyrical, western Canadian lilt adds rich emotional dimensions to her audiobook, in which she grapples with the difficult yet regenerative effects of death. As she witnesses the clear-cutting of nearly every old-growth forest in her beloved province, Simard faces the dispiriting losses of her mother and a brilliant colleague. Importantly, the author inspires action through vivid descriptions of her environmental activism and experiences learning the forestry practices of various Indigenous cultures.
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174287
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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