President Barack Obama narrates his first memoir with his characteristically deliberate and measured style. He recalls both his personal growth and development of political agency, and provides an updated preface that listeners will find as engaging as the body of the audiobook. Hearing the chapters delivered by the author himself is a surprisingly intimate experience that illuminates the various roles he has played in the national and global arenas. This is not an imaginative performance but a heartfelt one that reflects the man the public has come to know. We are brought into his thoughts and dilemmas surrounding being a person of mixed race, reuniting with distant relatives, and shaping the future of his country. Fans of memoirs will enjoy this even if they've already read it in print.
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
Duration: 14 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593509586
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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