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
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: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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