Narrator Kimberly Farr makes all the right choices in delivering this audiobook. The inflections she gives Dr. Edith Farnsworth, the original owner of the famed house at the center of this story, sound spot-on. Her understated delivery of architect Mies van der Rohe's quotes--he had a strong German accent--keeps the biography from descending into parody. The battle between the great internationalist architect and his client had plenty of drama and tension. Van der Rohe designed the iconic glass house in Plano, Illinois, an hour outside of Chicago, in 1945. It took years from the initial idea to its completion in 1951. The client and architect were originally friends, but by the time the glass house was completed, they had entered into a long, tortuous suit and countersuit.
Pub Date: March 17, 2020
Duration: 8 hrs, 54 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593155790
Publisher: Random House 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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