Want controversy? Listen to this audiobook; then go to a party, and start talking about the genetic basis of race. Alan Sklar's deep, resonant voice makes him an excellent choice to narrate as the author uses the latest research on the human genome to argue that race may be more biological, and therefore less cultural, than we'd like to admit. It's a provocative idea and one that scientists are beginning to discuss. Sklar approaches the book seriously but makes the information accessible. He pauses effectively to let listeners absorb the ideas, and he varies his pitch and tone to accentuate the important evidence. While there are times when he reads too slowly and the book bogs down because of it, overall, he does a fine job keeping things interesting.
Pub Date: May 6, 2014
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780698162655
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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