THE UNIVERSE IN A SINGLE ATOM

Richard Gere's low-key delivery is effective, although it may take the listener a few minutes to adjust to it. Clearly both the Dalai Lama and Gere wish the narrator of this work to be an instrument who makes the holy man's wisdom and humanism accessible and meaningful. Listening is well worth the effort as the text raises complicated and profound questions; for example, the issue of the genetic alteration of plants and its ramifications, many not yet identified. Ultimately, the Dalai Lama's message comes down to the necessity of knowing and understanding our planet's living organisms and recognizing our serious obligations, not only to ourselves, but to the planet as a whole. L.C. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]