Discover Top 100 Audiobooks in Science & Technology, Environment

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Title: An Appeal to Reason

Subtitle: A Cool Look at Global Warming

Author: Nigel Lawson

Narrator: Stephen Thorne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

Lawson carefully and succinctly examines all aspects of the global warming issue: the science, the economics, the politics, and the ethics. He concludes that, contrary to the deeply-flawed Stern Review, the conventional wisdom on the subject is suspect on a number of grounds; that global warming is not the devastating threat to the planet it is widely alleged to be; and that the remedy that is currently being proposed, which is in any event politically unattainable, would be worse that the threat it is supposed to avert. All this is argued with logic, common sense, even wit, and thoroughly sourced and referenced.

The book concludes by outlining the form a rational response to global warming should take, and explains why the mistaken conventional wisdom has become the quasi-religion it is today, and the dangers that this presents.

Lord Lawson has written a long overdue and much needed corrective to the barrage of spin and hype to which the politicians and media have been subjecting the public on this important issue, which affects us all.

Members Reviews:

Logic on the Global Warming debate

What did you love best about An Appeal to Reason?

The logical argument presented by Nigel Lawson is not based on opposing the views of the pro global warming movement, but by explaining the impact of what the movement is proposing and letting the listener draw their own conclusion to the validity of the argument.

What other book might you compare An Appeal to Reason to and why?

If you like this book you may be interested in Professor Plimers 'Heaven and Hell.' Both books rely on science and logic to provide persuasive arguments on this topic.

What about Stephen Thornes performance did you like?

I found Stephen Thorne's delivery to be well timed and very clear, whether listing at normal speed or double speed. As he reads the book,I get the feeling that Nigel words are talking directly to me.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me very frustrated with the global warming religion and the impact these are having in the political world.

Any additional comments?

A must read, if you want to be aware of both sides of the debate.

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Title: What's Next

Subtitle: Dispatches on the Future of Science

Author: Max Brockman

Narrator: Erik Davies, Kirsten Potter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-26-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

How does our sense of morality arise from the structure of the brain?

What does the latest research in language acquisition tells us about the role of culture in the way we think?

What does current neurological research tell us about the nature of time?

This wide-ranging collection of never-before-published essays offers the very latest insights into the daunting scientific questions of our time. Its contributors - some of the most brilliant young scientists working today - provide not only an introduction to their cutting-edge research, but discuss the social, ethical, and philosophical ramifications of their work.

In essays covering fields as diverse as astrophysics, paleoanthropology, climatology, and neuroscience, What's Next? is a lucid and informed guide to the new frontiers of science.

Editorial Reviews:

Narrators Kirsten Potter and Erik Davies deliver a lively, vibrant reading in this rich, varied, and consistently engaging volume. What's Next: Dispatches On the Future of Science is a collection of essays by a few of the world's most brilliant young scientists on the issues and questions that matter most to them and to the coming generation. Editor Max Brockman asked these scientists to discuss their work for the general public, and the 18 essays that result are an engrossing peek into some of the most compelling and consequential scientific questions of our time. Each scientist takes us to the heart of their research, in fields ranging from neuroscience to theoretical physics to paleoanthropology. In an essay by Katerina Havarti, we learn about the paths to extinction of our own hominid ancestors, and consider the possibility of extinction in our own species. Sean Carroll takes us into the depths of space-time, where it seems we know ever less than was previously thought about the nature of the universe. David M. Eagleman zooms in to the human mind to puzzle out the mysteries in our perception of time. Despite the broad scope of topics, the essays are held together by their common interest in the most fundamental questions of humankind questions about where we came from, who we are, and where we're going.

In their reading, both Davies and Potter demonstrate a firm grasp on their scientific subject matter, whether they are delving into mirror neurons and the morality of the human mind, as in an essay by Christian Keysers, or leading us on an exploration of the way language shapes our thinking with an essay by Lera Boroditsky. Davies' voice is smooth and controlled even soothing but never soporific, and his pacing and tone are sensitive to the complexity and nuance of his subject matter. Potter reads with a voice that is at once melodious and polished, and her experience and talent in fiction narration is evident in her ability to bring the authors' voices to life.

With its solid narration and keen insights on the big scientific questions of our time, What's Next is a captivating listen from beginning to end.

Members Reviews:

Worth the Time

Max Brockman has done a great service by producing "What's Next?" The book is a series of brief "papers" on various science topics each making current research questions and science issues available to the general public.

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Title: Sounds of the Deep

Subtitle: An Exploration of Life in Our Seas

Author: British Library Sound Archive

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-19-09

Publisher: The British Library

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

From the icy waters of the Antarctic to the tropical seas of the Caribbean, 'Sounds of the Deep' takes you on a journey through the oceans and introduces a fascinating collection of sounds from the marine world.

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Title: Rainforest Requiem

Subtitle: Recordings of Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest

Author: Richard Ranft

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr

Language: English

Release date: 02-19-09

Publisher: The British Library

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

The recordings have no spoken announcements, so the download can be used for relaxation and background sounds at home, but there is a leaflet included listing the sounds in order and the animals which made them. The material was selected from over 130,000 wildlife recordings in the Sound Archive, and was mostly made in August 1988 in Amazonian Columbia by Richard Ranft.

Members Reviews:

A beautiful requiem.

If you could sum up Rainforest Requiem in three words, what would they be?

I can't.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't have one. I don't know any of the animals I was hearing.

Which character as performed by the narrator was your favourite?

Yet again, an irrelevant and stupid question in this case, as there is no narrator and no characters in the conventional story sense.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book but wouldn't like to use it for meditation as there are volume changes between some of the recordings which made me jump as it was.

Darned DRM!!

I wish I had read more carefully that Audible files are DRM's. All I want to do is to store the files on my NAS and play them back via my Sonos box. What a pain - I will never use this service again.

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Title: Beautiful Bird Songs from Around the World

Author: The British Library

Narrator: uncredited

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-19-09

Publisher: The British Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

This download showcases some of the most exquisite sounds that can be heard in the natural world, from the rich, melodious songs of the Blackbird, Pied Butcherbird and Nightingale that are full of complexity, ingenuity and perfectly arranged phrases, to the breathtaking compositions of the Skylark, Albert's Lyrebird and White-rumped Shama, and the rhythmical variations on a theme from the Chiming Wedgebill and White-browed Robin-chat.

©2008 The British Library Board; (P)2008 The British Library Board

Members Reviews:

Really beautiful

I had been searching for some good bird song recording for quite a while. This is exactly what I had in mind. The tracks are between 2 and 5 minutes, no voice over comment, just the bird singing in a high quality recording. There are 40 different bird songs showcased from all over the world. The record is truly great.

You will hear some amazing sounds in this compilation.

Thank you, Audible, for making available this wonderful material.

Excellent recording but...

Excellent recording but for someone like me who is interested in which birds are which for the purpose of future identification it is very unhelpful/exasperating not having a detailed running order for the tracks - number and what species are contained in each track or "chapter" [which is how they come up on iTunes]. Can you address this issue by sending me a track list or making one available on the website please?

Enjoyable menagerie of bird songs.

Would you consider the audio edition of Beautiful Bird Songs from Around the World to be better than the print version?

What a stupid question. How can there be a print version of a book about bird songs? It has to be listened to, not read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love the song of the Blackbird, but love most of the songs in this book.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Most of them.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

some of the bird songs are very funny, sounding like squeaky toys or squeaky swings or just funny or quirky.

Any additional comments?

I think the Blackbird is wrong as it's missing. I hear very little of the Blackbird and lots of Nightingales instead. I have the cd version and definitely heard blackbirds where they should be on that. Needs investigating I think.

Delight

These gorgeous sounds have delighted my teenage naturalist grandchild, and given my bored feline ecstasy on a boring gray winter day despite his puzzle that I can't help locate the songsters. A lasting pleasure for me too.

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Title: Pocket Issue, Drink & Drugs

Subtitle: Culture of Excess?

Author: Amanda Eleftheriades

Narrator: Lucy Price-Lewis, Richard Lyddon, Lisa Coleman, Stephen Pacey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-08

Publisher: Pocket Issue

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

Drink & Drugs: Culture of Excess? checks in and asks if there is a quick fix. How is Britain handling societal drugs and alcohol usage? And how does this compare with abroad? Are we so different in our indulgence to the seemingly more civilised Europeans?

Critic Reviews:

"Prep yourself by keeping the one on global warming in the downstairs loo..." (Mary Killen, The Spectator)

"Precisely what's needed..." (Hephzibah Anderson, The Daily Mail)

"So much information, so little time. But audio technology can help." (Karen Robinson, The Sunday Times)

"For everyone who longs to be well-informed but lacks the time (or attention span)." (Alex Clark, The Observer)

"Exactly what any busy person needs - the facts at your fingertips!" (Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 & Panorama)

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Title: You Are Here

Author: Thomas M. Kostigen

Narrator: Thomas M. Kostigen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-23-08

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

Kostigen writes: "We may reduce, reuse, recycle. So we save a tree. We use less gas. We conserve power. What effect do those actions really have on the world? So much of this information is in a vacuum without the necessary context. We have been told, not shown, what issues matter and why. Read on and you will be taken to the frontlines of the environmental battlegrounds. This isn't about conjecture or the future....We travel to distant and exotic locales to make clear the price of our current actions."

Starting with Jerusalem, where we see history crumbling before our eyes, Kostigen then takes us to what well may be a glimpse of our future in Linfen City, China, one of the most polluted cities on the planet. From a garbage patch twice the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to the melting arctic ice shelf, to the flood zone that is Mumbai, India, to the dwindling rainforests of the Amazon, You Are Here describes the environmental crisis in a way we can feel, see, and touch.

Kostigen presents us with opportunities for change and shows us how to take action on the spot, wherever we are. Combining groundbreaking research and frontline reporting, Kostigen pulls back the curtain on the most pressing and provocative issues of the day - and in so doing, we see the earth and our place on it in brand new light.

Members Reviews:

You can have an impact book

So why this book over other environmental books? Tom does an exceptional job bringing home the affect of our local actions on the rest of the world and the effect of others on the US. The book does not just address the issues from the security of an office but rather Tom takes the reader to the hot spots around the world. He looks at a lot of issues that are known. What is not know is how exactly our action affect the word. For instance, what would happen if I reused each plastic bottle of water just once? If we all did this the impact would be substantial. The book is not another droning "humans bad" environmental book. It is a "you can have an impact and do so easily book. I highly recommend the book. I will probably use it in my next conservation class. The recording itself is excellent and as Tom reads it, the annunciation matches the authors feeling. Narrating the obvious concerns of author facing surgery via machete in the middle of the rainforest can only be properly conveyed by the author himself.

Inspirational in a way I did not expect

If you could sum up You Are Here in three words, what would they be?

Thoughtful. Thoughtful. Thoughtful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of You Are Here?

His descriptions of how the distribution of garbage works. How computers from the LA schools sit in land fills in India, and how something like 25% of the polution in LA is from China.

He creates a whole picture .... but it is not dark, morbid and fanatic. It is thoughtful and well informed. Simple and to the point.

What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

not sure

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Garbage, without judgement

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book. Growing up on a farm, I am very aware of what comes around goes around. I am also aware, that to go to one extreme or the other is pointless.

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Title: Storm World

Subtitle: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming

Author: Chris Mooney

Narrator: Lloyd James

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-17-07

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

Mooney follows the lives and careers of the two leading scientists who stand, bitterly opposed, on either side of the issue. One believes that global warming has nothing to do with hurricane ferocity or frequency; the other believes as fervently that it does; both have staked their reputations on their respective positions. Mooney shows these two men in action as they debate the issue across the country and are followed by the media. He also uses them as a way of showing how hurricane studies have evolved and how government, the media, Big Business, and politics have affected the ways we study and interpret weather patterns. Hurricanes are natural disasters, capable of inflicting almost unimaginable destruction. The culture that has grown up around predicting, charting, and even defining them is very much man-made.

Combining lively portraits of the leading figures, vivid science journalism, and the latest reportage from the weather front (the last section covers the 2006 hurricane season), Mooney, a native of New Orleans, has written what will surely be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

Critic Reviews:

"Storm World...skillfully anatomizes the scientific and political debate over hurricanes and global warming." (The Washington Post)

"A well-researched, nuanced book." (The New York Times)

"The author's thorough research is evident throughout, and he does a fine job of sifting through complexities and presenting the science in an engaging and readable package....In Storm World, Mooney catches real science in the act and, in so doing, weaves a story as intriguing as it is important." (The Los Angeles Times)

Members Reviews:

A compelling history of the science of hurricanes

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a fascinating history of hurricane science, running in parallel with our increasing understanding of global warming. Mooney presents a wel-researched history of hurricane science, along with personal interviews and insight into the people who developed it. It's fascinating to learn how recently we came to understand the physics of hurricanes and what affects them.

What did you like best about this story?

The parallel storytelling of global warming and hurricane physics - a great way to structure the book

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Title: Wind

Author: Jan DeBlieu

Narrator: Mary Woods

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-27-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

DeBlieu visits the water observatory at the summit of Mount Washington, where some of the highest wind speeds in the world have been recorded. She talks to survivors of a deadly tornado in Iowa, tries hang gliding over North Carolina's Outer Banks, and climbs sand dunes in Oregon and slickrock formations in Utah - everywhere exploring the effects, subtle and brutal, comforting and terrifying, of the wind.

Critic Reviews:

"This is nature writing at its most expansive and rewarding." (Booklist)

"The wind will never be the same for [listeners] after finishing this book, its presence now heightened and explicated. DeBlieu has achieved the Big Two: enlightenment and high entertainment." (Kirkus Reviews)

"[Woods'] melodic voice seems to smile while describing the influences of wind on life forms, geography, and our planet's environment. The narrator's cheerfully pedantic delivery suits a book in which science is mixed with the author's own life experiences." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Painful

Clearly this was not the book for me. I found the first 2 cd's so painful I threw it away. I was looking for a more scientific and less personal story - which was not the book the author wrote. I would recomend it if you are interested in lyical descriptions of wind - but you don't really want to know about the science.

OK, some interesting stuff, but not enough

This felt like part travel log, part science book. I learned some stuff, but it seemed a bit long for this. If you're really interested in the topic, I'd say go for it. But, it's not like some books that I tell friends about.

disappointing

This book is like salt-free potato chips, empty calories without anything interesting.

Not as informative as I would have wished.

Would you try another book written by Jan DeBlieu or narrated by Mary Woods?

Overall, not a book for me to recommend. I understand that scientific works can be made more easily understood by such books. A Brief History of Time for example. Loved it. However, the narrator could not get me interested in this somewhat disjointed approach to explaining some of the phenomena of wind currents around the world.

What will your next listen be?

Back to something more interestingly portrayed by a less soporific narration.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

This was a voice which I felt did nothing to increase my interest,

beautiful

the author is in love with the wind and melds science, history and philosophy with descriptive prose to show you why

only criticism is the prosecution can meander and stray at times but not enough to lose a star

If like me you are focused on Strategy, change and leadership then learning about the chaotic constant that is Wind, how it affects the world, life and the whole of humanity is essential reading.

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Title: Nature Notes for 1906

Author: Vanessa Benjamin

Narrator: Vanessa Benjamin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-23-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Environment

Publisher's Summary:

Besides noting the flora and fauna, she included poems and quaint folk sayings, saints' days, mottoes, and tidbits of history. Follow along with her month by month as she chronicles the summer thunderstorms and the first hard frost, notes Lady Day and Candlemas Day, watches birds nesting and raising their young, and quotes Shakespeare's praise of the fickleness of April and Browning's description of early November hours.

Known in its facsimile reproduction as The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, Edith Holden's Nature Notes of 1906 will take the listener back in time 100 years to when a young woman had the leisure time to deeply explore every nook of her countryside, sweetly celebrating the progress of the seasons on every page of her diary.

Members Reviews:

A Natural History Tapestry Woven with Poems Et All

Where does Nature Notes for 1906 rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This is my favorite nature treatise next to Annie Dillard's Pilgrim At Tinker Creek. It is soothing and delightful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Nature Notes for 1906?

Her expressions when discovering things are great. She includes well thought applicable poems with the seasons.

Which scene was your favorite?

Without giving anything away it is really one of my favorite books.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Delight.