Sandro Galea's analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic is a public health call to action, and narrator Roman Howell capably conveys this message. After each solemn chapter title announcement, Howell amps up the urgency as he describes the pandemic's effects on geography, politics, economics, racism, and history itself. Howell's narration reinforces Galea's tenet: Medicine and healthcare should never be considered a panacea for contagion. Rather, the U.S. must recognize that systemic social inequities persist and will be kindling for the next pandemic. Howell's delivery of Galea's illuminating stories is particularly effective--when reading a description of the 1816 wreck of the French ship MDUSE, for instance, he emphasizes the poor seafaring choices made and creates a link from a past disaster to the present one.
Pub Date: Dec. 28, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781696607193
Publisher: HighBridge 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
The prose and Athavale’s expertly restrained performance meld gracefully in this flawless audiobook.
Narrator Vidish Athavale's voice is softly indelible, like the snow that blankets the Himalayan landscape the author so beautifully describes. An Indian wildlife biologist, Suryawanshi has spent decades studying snow leopards and their ecosystem among the planet's highest mountain peaks. What differentiates the author's scientific work, and his enthralling narrative, is his goal to understand and protect rather than conquer. The author also achieves a near-perfect balance between insightful and entertaining personal observations of remote communities (both animal and human); his own growth as a scientist, husband, and father; and the difficult and dangerous scientific work he and his colleagues have undertaken.
The prose and Athavale’s expertly restrained performance meld gracefully in this flawless audiobook.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217336845
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
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