13 THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time

The author tackles the most difficult concepts in science—for example, string theory, dark matter, the Big Bang—but makes little attempt to explain them in simple terms. Even a scientifically sophisticated and curious audience may feel overwhelmed. Brooks's lack of organization in the structure of his discussion further obfuscates comprehension. Narrator James Adams, who has an aristocratic-sounding British accent, tends to drone on without spark or modulation. His pluses as a reader are his superior fluency in scientific vocabulary and his ability to render it without breaking the brisk cadence. However, neither the narrator nor the narrative offers significant entertainment value to most general listeners. Further, one could argue that an audio presentation may be too rapid for absorbing such challenging concepts. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]