The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey can levitate to hover like a helicopter and fly in a forward direction like a conventional airplane. Built by a committee of engineers, entrepreneurs, politicians, lobbyists, and generals, the tilt-rotor aircraft had substantial difficulty getting off the ground. By now, the Pentagon has put 28 years of development and $20 billion into a weapon likely to cost an additional $35 billion before the program ends. Kevin Foley narrates with sonorous speech that can make one’s eardrums resonate. Foley’s from-the-page style adds no frills or impersonations to the writer’s extensive factual passages. The greatest burden for listeners will come from attempting to visualize—without pictures or diagrams—the abundant technical and mechanical minutiae described.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2010
Duration: 18 hrs, 30 mins
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
First, Simon Winchester, OBE, introduces listeners to the ubiquity of wind and its effects on the world. His careful pronunciation and British accent create an enjoyable backdrop for the conversational style in which stories are integrated with information that demonstrates where and how wind has had a direct influence on all the subjects in the Dewey Decimal System, including culture, arts, science, geography, language, and history. The journalist provides information that is both relatable and educational; topics range from Oz's Dorothy Gale being caught in "America's storm" to examples of how wind has been used for warfare. Winchester's passion for moving air is evident as he reminds listeners that the "wind blows equally for all."
Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063374485
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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