Author Ohanian made his mark with Reddit.com, and this audiobook is his founder's story (a memoir lite), mixed with some entrepreneurial inspiration and topped off with a dash of polemic (let's keep the Internet free, like forever). Ohanian is a veteran TED lecturer and video game enthusiast, and he invests his audiobook with an energetic, self-confident, and slightly self-absorbed performance. A downloadable PDF augments the audiobook, and the frequent references to it may become annoying for listeners on the go. Despite the title, this genre-crossing audiobook doesn't offer any insights into the future, and the theme--a free Internet will promote entrepreneurial development--seems self-evident (and self-serving). R.W.S. 2014 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478951933
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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