New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik moved with his wife and son to Paris in 1995 to live and write; they stayed almost five years, through the birth of their second child. Gopnik's essays on Parisian culture, design, food, and the experience of raising an American child in an old and beautiful foreign city are sparkling. This selection of essays (these are unabridged excerpts) ranges from the politics of finding an apartment to a battle to defend a cherished brasserie from an Alsatian restaurant chain and includes Gopnik's poignant reflection that to the ear of his 3-year-old, who speaks perfect French, his own French is that of an immigrant. The author's rushed reading and sometimes mushy diction do not enhance the experience of his prose, so elegant on the page, but the book itself is a delight.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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