A.J. Jacobs has made a career out of his annual explorations; he spent a year living biblically and a year learning the encyclopedia. Now he’s spent a year exploring the ways humans maintain their health. Each month is dedicated to different body parts or health theories, and no trend is too obscure to merit attention—whether it’s orthorexics (health-food obsessives who endanger their own health) or cavemen (those who espouse boiled meat and running barefoot through Central Park). Health experts, it turns out, are often just people who stack some initials after their name, and Jacobs struggles to be the voice of reason above the din of contradictory advice. The author reads his work with conviction though some listeners may find his persevering tone not unlike that of a precocious child constantly tugging at your arm.
Pub Date: April 10, 2012
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780743598774
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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