Banished to China by the Catholic Church in the 1920s for his anti-doctrinal ideas about the evolution of humans, Father Teilhard de Chardin struck anthropological gold. His 1929 discovery of Peking man in Java gave science a missing link in the theory of evolution. Amir Aczel writes for all curious readers, regardless of their level of scientific expertise. Narrator Barrett Whitener makes the painless science even easier as he breezes through the French and Chinese names and technical terms. His voice seems reserved and unhurried, a plus when listeners want to absorb all the details without having to rewind. By making the discovery of evolution and its verifying evidence into a fun story, both author and narrator lighten education with entertainment.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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