Narrator Christie Moreau strikes just the right balance of seriousness, empathy, and a detective's curiosity in this fascinating investigation of the world of psychiatry. In 1973, Dr. David Rosenhan published an article in SCIENCE titled "On Being Sane in Insane Places" after eight healthy people, including Rosenhan himself, faked their way into psychiatric hospitals. Susannah Cahalan tries to find those pseudopatients. What she learns casts doubt on Rosenhan's data and conclusions. In a thoughtful and charming narration, Moreau reveals the odd note of whimsical humor. She is also appropriately sensitive to Cahalan's own brush with psychiatric misdiagnosis, when a rare autoimmune disease attacked her brain, presenting as schizophrenia.
Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781549175299
Publisher: Hachette 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
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.
Revolutionary ecologist Simard follows up her 2021 bestseller with an equally mind-altering memoir on the restorative powers of forests. Giving a standout performance as narrator, Simard successfully weaves depictions of her adventures in the wilderness conducting scientific research with reflections on her personal and professional lives. Simard's soft, lyrical, western Canadian lilt adds rich emotional dimensions to her audiobook, in which she grapples with the difficult yet regenerative effects of death. As she witnesses the clear-cutting of nearly every old-growth forest in her beloved province, Simard faces the dispiriting losses of her mother and a brilliant colleague. Importantly, the author inspires action through vivid descriptions of her environmental activism and experiences learning the forestry practices of various Indigenous cultures.
A subtle, powerful performance makes this science memoir heartbreakingly beautiful.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174287
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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