Since 2003, Ann Wroe has written and edited obituaries for THE ECONOMIST. In this audiobook she describes the challenges of creating a life in words and delivers its blend of memoir, poetry, philosophical inquiry, and biography in a distinctly British accent. It begins with the story of a famous carp. Her anecdotes have unique insights: Playwright Arthur Miller was a woodworker; Raoul Wallenberg, the Swede who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis, is memorialized by sculptures of his briefcase in Budapest and New York; French mime Marcel Marceau invented his speechless alter ego, Bip the Clown, in reaction to the horrors of WWII. Curiously, very few women are included in the portraits. A fascinating listen.
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781400347957
Publisher: Harper 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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