BECOMING EARTH How Our Planet Came to Life

Joe Ochman narrates in a resonant voice and crisp style that suit this audiobook about earth science. He does nice work with subtle modulations of tone when he emulates a quoted person's accent. The text combines reporting, research, and a dollop of personal experience. Jabr travels widely to corral his immense subject; destinations include the Russian arctic; Iceland; England; Colorado; and Portland, Oregon. His thesis that Earth is a living planet, rather than a planet with life, calls to mind the Gaia hypothesis, long critiqued but now gaining acceptance. He uses earth system science to back his assertions and meets the late James Lovelock, who fathered the Gaia theory. Pleistocene Park, plastics, the microbial basis for evolution, and carbon sequestration are a few of the many fascinations. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2024]