Gabrielle Baker's posh London accent adds a classy touch to this intriguing study of financial devolution. As defined by the author, tokens are "things that are almost but not quite money." For example, ancient Mesopotamia's clay tokens signified a share in the grain harvest. In modern times, tokens include phone cards, discount coupons, frequent-flier miles, pre-loaded EBT cards, and NFTs. Baker's brisk narration connects historical and contemporary tokens; for example, two-ton Micronesian Rai stones served as ceremonial gifts and were maintained in an invisible oral ledger, not unlike the blockchain system used for cryptocurrency. Other modern examples, such as Amazon workers being paid in Amazon gift cards and online gamers using tokens ("skins") as collateral for online gambling, hint at a dark financial future.
Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798350870183
Publisher: Tantor Media
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
The more we know about the universe, the less certain it all seems.
In just under seven hours, this engaging and instructive audiobook answers, as best as anyone can, all the questions listeners might have about particles and dark matter and the fate of the universe. Beginning with the Babylonians, Genevieve Swallow offers a well-paced narration of this history of scientific advances through the centuries. Much of this is familiar, but the narrative excels in scope and clarity, and Swallow’s performance brings ease and precision. From subatomic paradoxes to the first probes into space, Swallow is a steadying presence for a heady tour of the awesome and the strange, the inconceivable and the barely imaginable.
The more we know about the universe, the less certain it all seems.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063476486
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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