Author/narrator Seb Falk challenges listeners to check their assumptions about the scientific contributions made during the European Medieval period. Falk uses Brother John of Westwyk (1350-1400)--an English monk, astrologer, and inventor--as a gateway into discussions on the interconnected nature of religious and social life, and education during this time. The author's passion for the Middle Ages translates into an accessible, well-paced production. Falk's lilting delivery as he discusses influential figures and key instruments, like the astrolabe, creates an absorbing experience. His facility with Latin, Middle English, and Arabic words, phrases, and names allows the focus to remain on the scientific achievements being discussed. From monastic life to the firmament and beyond, listeners will acquire a clearer understanding of this period.
Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781705265581
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
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: yesterday
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