ROLLING STONE magazine contributor Anthony DeCurtis has written a subtly drawn portrait of Lou Reed, the man generally credited to have created alternative rock. Narrator Peter Coleman delivers a nuanced, passionate performance, and the overall listening experience is as dark, jagged, and contradictory as Reed himself. Reed died at age 71 in 2013. The iconic, complex musician who encouraged listeners to "take a walk on the wild side" reinvented his personal and performance lives many times. There's pain, beauty, and drug-induced illness in both the words and timbre of the listening experience. Without doubt, this is a must for Reed's fans, but others will need a strong interest in rock as art to appreciate the decadence and decay of Reed's story.
Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
Duration: 16 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478955337
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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