Dave Isay introduces this collection of stories about finding meaning in one's work by recounting his initial calling to radio broadcasting just as he was about to enter medical school. Isay is the founder of StoryCorps, an oral history project. This recording features careers that run the gamut from landscaper to teacher of at-risk students to street corner astronomer. Isay introduces the themes, but many of the interviews are conducted by family members, friends, and brothers-in-arms. It's a format that is entertaining and fascinating. Some stories will make you weep--a former battered wife who removes tattoos from abused women for free, the medical examiner who feels a crushing burden to identify the bodies of illegal immigrants. The final narrative, almost a gut punch, describes the emotions of corrections officers who work in the execution unit of the Huntsville, Texas, prison.
Pub Date: April 19, 2016
Duration: 2 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781681682174
Publisher: HighBridge 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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