Michael Crouch immediately projects the author's hero worship of his future brother-in-law, William Nealy. At the age of 12, Wallace admires 18-year-old Nealy's derring-do as he jumps from a roof into the family swimming pool. Crouch proceeds to render Wallace's tongue-in-cheek portrait of his "rock star" mentor who taught him everything from caring for a boa constrictor to building a waterbed frame. The fairly neutral narration is tinged with the author's admiration for Nealy's gifts--repairing, publishing, illustrating, playing extreme sports, and loyally caring for Wallace's sister after the early onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Crouch's tone turns somber and mournful when Wallace discovers Nealy's journals, in which he writes about the sadness and suffering of his hidden self before his suicide at age 48.
Pub Date: April 11, 2023
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781649041401
Publisher: N/A
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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