Susan Rogers narrates in an authentic, thoroughly charming voice that makes this fascinating audiobook a treat to hear. It's the type of amateur performance that speaks to listeners more with its vulnerability and enthusiasm than its polish, but it's beguiling nonetheless. This enlightening audiobook is an enticing mix of music neuroscience, the authors' knowledge of music genres, and Susan Rogers's insider experiences as a sound tech. (She was the audio engineer for Prince's PURPLE RAIN.) The two professors explain the seven dimensions of music that people can attend to and illuminate these features in various recordings they reference. Helped by the youthful innocence in Rogers's performance as much as the authors' conversational writing, this accessible audiobook will ignite new freedom in how we interact with music and art more generally.
Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705072875
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.
Here are the unlikely stories of how people have worked to return elk to Kentucky, bison to Illinois, and red wolves to coastal North Carolina. Charlie Thurston narrates with a satisfying tone and an appropriate tempo. A fine environmental journalist, Moore captures the sublime—the return of the grand sandhill cranes—and the profane—locals who want to rid their land of red wolves and adopt the slogan, “Shoot, shovel, and shut up.” Moore’s meticulous research takes listeners from pre-colonial times to the present-day environmentalists, wildlife biologists, and organizations committed to the reintroduction of these iconic species. The Nature Conservancy garners high praise, as do those who believe in restoring grasslands, saving wetlands, and recapturing abandoned mines.
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 16 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063001251
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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