Something between the sound of a music box and an old schoolhouse piano begins the tape and when it stops, Dee Brown's slow drawl emerges. He reveals a quintessential small-town boy reaching for the big time, first in the arena of what we now call "scam" and, later, in the less disreputable field of journalism. The backcountry Ozark setting adds almost mythic dimensions to the stories. Brown isn't a polished reader. He's a well-honed writer who projects unease with the words as if, at times, he cannot believe he wrote them. How good to be young and ready to rear, but more wonderful is the fullness of age and ripeness of wit that relates youthful disasters with compassion and a rueful tone. Brown is authentic and sincere. More polish might be out of place.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1993
Duration: 2 hrs
Publisher: August House 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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