Plan for some entertaining and intelligent details from an author who knows how to both entertain and inform. Aware of the controversy about whether zoos should exist, Thomas French takes listeners to several zoos and parks. He focuses on a few animals to familiarize listeners with some captive environments and what they have taught us about the social hierarchies of unstudied species. Narrator John Nelson’s voice may strike one as rough and unfriendly—until he makes one laugh. He pays attention to every word and coordinates his brisk pace to complement the well-written sentences. Authentic accents creep in here and there, but Nelson’s default voice keeps him from overwhelming the story. Listen to even a bit of this, and you won’t stop.
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The author describes her efforts to implement a meaningful sustainability initiative for Wales and the world at large. An educator and minister of the environment, sustainability, and housing in her tiny country, she's a wonderful narrator who sounds at once relaxed and passionate, likable and dignified. Her voice is a perfect vehicle for amplifying her humanitarian intentions as well as the breadth of her methodical thinking. But what makes this audio so inspiring are the personal asides she shares throughout concerning her willingness to be vulnerable and her calm resolve to do something for the world's future generations. Davidson's descriptions of the laborious process of cultural transformation would have been dry listening without her pleasing UK speaking voice.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
When Captain Salvador Alvarenga and his young assistant, Ezequiel Cordova, set out from Costa Azul, Mexico, on a fishing expedition, the experienced captain could not possibly have expected the type of journey that lay ahead. Narrator George Newbern does an excellent job delivering the story of Alvarenga's struggle to survive at sea in an open boat for 438 days before finally coming ashore on a remote island many miles away in the South Pacific. Newbern’s consistent pace and varied tone keep the compelling story going, communicating the harrowing aspects of the journey as well as Alvarenga's inspirational will to survive his extended ordeal at sea.
Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2015
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442396029
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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