Narrating this enlightening look at socialism's history and modern-day relevance, narrator Benjamin Isaac is easy to hear and understand. Some listeners will wish for a more colorful performance; his pleasing voice and faithful interpretations make the sentences clear, but his vocal style lacks the subtle emotional variations necessary to signal the thematic shifts and surprises in this enlightening work. Nonetheless, Isaac's otherwise clean performance does succeed in making clear the author's belief in socialism's potential to remedy today's increasingly unequal social and political order. Sunkara says that when socialism is not corrupted by regimes that exercise rigid central control, as China and Russia do, it can bolster democratic participation and ensure that citizens have access to health care, housing, education, and other opportunities for improving their lives.
Pub Date: April 30, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549175619
Publisher: Hachette 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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