AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
The authorial voice in this nonfiction work is strong, so it’s vital to have a narrator who catches that element in the audiobook. Dan Woren fills the bill. Author Berman reads the introduction, but Woren owns the rest of the work, which is a kind of science travelogue, with verbal trips to sites, and the people associated with them, throughout scientific history. Woren is especially good at making the author’s sarcastic humor sound natural. The only drawback to this work is the science itself, which at times is hard to follow. Listeners will understand the concepts as they’re being discussed but will have a hard time remembering them. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"Entertainingly kinetic.... [Berman] transmits science geekery in vivid prose stuffed with unexpected insights and arresting observations.... Absorbing."—Michael Benson, New York Times
"Vastly entertaining.... Zoom is invaluable for everyone who once knew Newton's three laws and would like a refresher, but it is more fun than that.... Bob Berman knows how to make science accessible."—Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe
"An engagingly quirky popular treatment of the ongoing debate about the nature of space and time in the universe and our place as both observers and participants."—Kirkus Reviews
"Berman has a knack for clearly explaining potentially difficult scientific concepts in layman-friendly terms and applying these concepts to natural phenomena with engaging anecdotes.... Zoom is an entertaining journey through a variety of scientific fields, accessible even to readers with light science knowledge."—Tobias Mutter, Shelf Awareness
"A cheerful collection.... A vast amount of stimulating material in breezy, accessible prose that even precocious adolescents can understand."—Publishers Weekly
"One of the best-known and most widely-read astronomers in the world, Bob can translate complex scientific concepts into terms that are easily understood by the casual stargazer, yet meaningful to the most advanced researchers."—WAMC's Vox Pop
"This light-hearted expedition combines impeccably sound science with a caustic sense of humor...both enlightening and entertaining.... A thoroughly enjoyable and educational journey."—Frank L. Cloutier, The Post and Courier
"If ever there were a physics book to read at the beach, this is it.... Berman is an engaging writer, and Zoom is an entertaining read."—Sheilla Jones, Winnipeg Free Press
"Berman interweaves a formidable number of facts through the book that light up every page.... An entertaining read...."—Michael Banks, BBC Focus
"An absorbing account of how motion is everywhere around us."—Ben Beasley-Murray, The Daily Mail
