President Obama’s distinctively deliberate delivery, singular cadence, and love of words are all fully on display in this, the first volume of his monumental memoir. (Another volume is projected.) The sound of his voice—sometimes professorial, sometimes storytelling, occasionally intimate—is well known around the planet. The audiobook is packed with anecdotes and political memories. What sticks with the listener are the family moments, his growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia, the love story with Michelle, playing with his children, the influences of his mom, grandad, and grandma. Much of his memoir has the quality of an interior monologue in which he explains his famous calm, his work ethic, the job of being president. Opinions populate the paragraphs. Crises abound—and to a remarkable extent, his history is our history.
Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2020
Duration: 29 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525633723
Publisher: Random House 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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