What would most Americans do with a financial windfall? The host of NPR's "Marketplace" takes several field trips to find out. His destinations include the Mall of America, Las Vegas, seminars for investors and entrepreneurs, an upscale retirement village and Levittown. Each segment starts with a lucky winner news clip and ends with what Brancaccio has learned. As you might imagine, a radio personality has no trouble putting his own material across, making it informative as well as entertaining. His sense of humor, often self-deprecating, and his unhurried, even stumblebum, approach make you feel a part of each adventure. Only the title seems amiss, but, then, "spending with direction" isn't too gripping.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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