by Peter H. Diamandis & Steven Kotler ; read by Arthur Morey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2012
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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This antidote to pessimism delivers an abundance of hope. Tech entrepreneur Diamandis, with Kotler's assistance, argues that the gap between pockets of abject poverty and plentiful societies around the globe is swiftly closing. Arthur Morey champions this unique worldview by narrating with measured pacing and an engaging tone. His considered reading contributes to the clarity of the scientific studies and global statistics cited by the authors. The forward momentum in Morey's voice urges listeners to the book's promising conclusion. Technological innovations, techno-philanthropy, inventions, and empowerment are all coming together to form a future of rosy abundance, not scarcity. “Abundance for all is within our grasp," the authors say, born of the potentiality of the future. In sum, the glass, for the first time in human history, is really half-full.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Mark J. Plotkin ; read by Mark Plotkin & PhD ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
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
by Thomas Levenson ; read by Mike Cooper ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2026
Cooper proves a sure guide for Levenson’s argument for the critical importance of vaccines.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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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: today
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