The Honorable John Kerry's staff assistant and President Barack Obama's deputy chief of staff provides a well-intentioned but lackluster mash-up of a memoir and a guide to political strategy. Precise enunciation by this first-time writer and narrator is admirable, but her monotone delivery seems to assume the listener's interest. Her frequent use of nicknames for other staff is confusing, and her self-absorption and self-congratulation demean her effort. Raw language, apparently for its own sake, provides no insight into the Executive Branch. Endless lists of specific items moved from one office to another seem pointless, as do extended discussions of tampon availability and digestive disorders in the White House. The title of this work strongly applies to the audiobook effort.
Pub Date: March 21, 2017
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478961017
Publisher: Hachette 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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