Alexandra Horowitz walks her Manhattan neighborhood with a series of tremendously varied experts to discover what is hidden in plain sight. A geologist points out the surrounding stones and fossils, a typographer critiques the fonts on the signs, a blind person can't see at all but always knows when there is an awning overhead, and a physician diagnoses medical conditions by watching the gaits of passersby. She also walks with her young son, who sees triangles everywhere and walks mighty slow. Horowitz is a charming companion. Her clear voice is appealing, and her tone is laid-back, yet, at the same time, her intellectual curiosity is catching, and her frequent surprised wonder is palpable. Horowitz's quiet enthusiasm will motivate the listener to pay closer attention to the surrounding environment and leave the cell phone at home.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781442359345
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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