Rob Shapiro has a resonant voice, and his narration style--thoughtful and deliberate--suits this unauthorized biography of futurist Buckminster Fuller. Shapiro performs the sometimes difficult text, full of geometrical concepts and Fullerisms, with careful pacing and apt timing that allow the listener to take in Fuller's long, packed, and exceptional life. From the same family as Transcendentalist Margaret Fuller, Buckminster was socially connected but never financially secure. The author is out to set the record straight. He questions Fuller's memory, veracity, and integrity. Yet in the end, the creator of the geodesic dome, the coiner of "Spaceship Earth" and "synergy," comes through as flawed but immensely energetic, gifted, and visionary. No hagiography here but a compelling listen.
Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
Duration: 18 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062947253
Publisher: Harper 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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