HOW I KILLED PLUTO AND WHY IT HAD IT COMING

In August 2006, after the three generations of humans had grown up with nine planets, the solar system shrank to include just eight. Mike Brown is to blame: He’s the Cal Tech astronomer whose discoveries prompted the planetary demotion. Ryan Gesell’s youthful, nasal voice is a good fit for Brown’s friendly, funny, and personal account of the events. You can hear Brown’s pride as he revels in the joy of his baby daughter and admire the dignity with which he handled himself when a team of Spanish astronomers tried to pass off his data as their own. There’s no scientific jargon or formulas here—just the entertaining reflections of a humble scientist who made one of the great discoveries of our time. D.B. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]