It's hard to believe that a machine could replace Rob Shapiro's effective, nuanced narration of this audiobook, but then again it was once hard to believe there would be driverless cars and voice-activated homes. We are witnessing the baby steps of artificial intelligence (AI) research. But what happens when machines become more intelligent than humans? Will malicious redeyed robots enslave humanity (not likely), or will man and machine become one ("the singularity"--or as it's known by nonbelievers, "the rapture of the Geeks")? Author Max Tegmark doesn't predict the future, but he lays out AI in an engaging style, particularly in the use of entertaining scenarios, read with flair by narrator Shapiro.
Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780451485083
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
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.
Narrator Cassandra Campbell assumes the voice of biologist Haskell, author of The Song of Trees (2017), for an illuminating first-person tour of one of nature’s most common sights: flowers. Campbell provides momentum to a narrative that, though richly informative, could easily have become rambling and slack. “We live on a floral planet,” Haskell says, and he goes on to explain how that fact is key to our existence. Flowering plants first appeared 200 million years ago, and they enabled humans to evolve—and to survive. The narrative is loosely organized into eight illustrative categories, covering magnolias, orchids, grasses, roses, teas, and more.
Haskell’s insights and sensibility are perfectly conveyed by Campbell’s acute narration.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281794
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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