Joe Jameson delivers an impressive performance of this comprehensive text. His pace and cadence work well with this fact-filled audiobook; even his intelligent-sounding British accent effectively conveys Smil's expertise on the state of the world's food supply. Smil, an energy expert, has long been a student of the planet's food. He says, "Numbers are the antidote to wishful thinking," and he uses quantitative means to arrive at his recommendations. He argues astonishingly that with some improvements in diet choices, technology, and wise use of how and where we grow crops, the planet may be able to feed its projected 10 billion inhabitants in 2050. His data-driven focus balances energy needs and real-world preferences for meat with the issues surrounding land use and climate change.
Pub Date: March 4, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217064274
Publisher: Penguin Audio
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
Narrator Lisa Flanagan has a wonderful vocal personality--lithe with a broad palette of pitch patterns and a range of believable emotional tones. Her friendly voice works well with this lighthearted overview of how dramatically the Internet has changed the world in the past 30 years. Though being digitally connected has improved life in many ways, the author says we've lost many of the interpersonal experiences that used to sustain us. We have less privacy, don't need all those reference books, and have largely forgotten how to have vocal conversations with other people. The audiobook is entertaining nostalgia for anyone who feels incompetent navigating the World Wide Web, and a soothing reminder that those of us who miss the simplicity of the pre-Internet era are not alone.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593418055
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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