There's a lot of distance to cover in this audiobook--virtually the entire universe--and narrator Tristan Wright's brisk pace and engaging tone keep the content moving. The trip begins some 400 trillion kilometers away. As tour guide, Wright eventually descends into the Earth's exosphere, stratosphere, and finally to that densely packed, weather-driven atmospheric layer known as the troposphere. Once listeners reach this thin 15-mile-high band of gases and particles --about two-thirds through the audiobook--author Mark Broomfield digs deep into the issues of air quality, climate change, and human sustainability. Though some of the terminology may seem baffling (diffusion tubes, odor panels), Broomfield's approach is plain-English and friendly--with forgivable attempts at humor--making for a pleasant excursion through atmospheric science.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781662031281
Publisher: Dreamscape
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
Cooper proves a sure guide for Levenson’s argument for the critical importance of vaccines.
Levenson argues that present-day anti-vaxxers like Robert Kennedy Jr. use historical arguments that may have had some validity when vaccines were first developed but have since been debunked and are now being recycled cynically. Mike Cooper’s energy and British accent ensure clear communication of the history and science behind the safe and effective vaccine system we have today. He occasionally employs a snarky tone that strikes just the right note as Levenson discusses Andrew Wakefield’s discredited beliefs about the link between vaccines and autism and Kennedy’s comparison of vaccines to genocide. Levenson takes on the philosophical question of individual rights and vaccine mandates but notes that state power is being used to prevent mandates that would ensure the health of all.
Cooper proves a sure guide for Levenson’s argument for the critical importance of vaccines.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217286645
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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