Christopher Brown's timbre may sound less than ideal to some listeners, but his interpretations are clear, and he's in sync with the author's passion for the intelligence he sees in the incredibly diverse plant kingdom. Paco Calvo argues that plants may not have centralized brains like higher animals but often have communication systems that allow them to adapt, remember, anticipate, and act in sophisticated and even intentional ways. Calvo's perspectives are both philosophical and biological. He quibbles with the dismissive ideology and word choices people use to describe plant vs. animal functioning, bemoaning humans' longstanding lack of attention to plants. His stories about what some plants can do compared to simple animal organisms will change that to appreciation and respect.
Pub Date: April 25, 2023
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696611657
Publisher: HighBridge 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: tomorrow
An authentic performance that matches the author’s heartfelt journey.
During the several summers she works as a fire ranger in northern Alberta, Canada, Moyles maintains a delicate equilibrium with the black bears that live in the area surrounding the fire tower she’s assigned to. She’s also dealing with a complicated relationship with her brother, Brendan. The close bond the siblings had as children is undermined in adulthood by profound political differences and substance use disorders. Moyles’ Canadian accent and natural-sounding timing convey her deep-seated sense of decency and honesty. When Brendan dies, the sudden loss feels shocking, and her grief is undeniable. Moyles makes detailed and sometimes charmingly anthropomorphic observations of the bears. She sets up a camera at their favorite scratching post, names the bears based on their markings, and dubs herself an auntie to the bear cubs.
An authentic performance that matches the author’s heartfelt journey.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798318542367
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
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