THE HUMAN, THE ORCHID, AND THE OCTOPUS Exploring and Conserving Our Natural World

Jacques Cousteau was a legendary adventurer--and an environmental activist. In his memoir, Cousteau, a firm proponent of the planet's rights long before Al Gore came along, runs the gamut from expressing concern to indulging in a raging polemic, never sparing the world's governments in the process. The material gives the book a heavy-handed tone, which is echoed by Stephen Hoye's theatrical reading. His delivery is as clipped as the sails of Cousteau's beloved CALYPSO. Hoye doesn't attempt to evoke Cousteau's distinctly French parlance, but where he does match Cousteau is in his sanctimonious quality, which reinforces the text's strident tendencies. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2008]