Jess Jackson's Kendall-Jackson wine, a favorite of the Reagans, helped popularize California chardonnay. The process of figuring out the scrappy Jackson made his own family into "wine-country criminologists." Mel Foster mostly narrates Edward Humes's bio of Jackson as a radio announcer would. It's not fancy, but it's easy to listen to. Jackson's personality, from his contrarian business strategies to his fascination with French oak barrels, comes through as Foster drops just the gentlest hints of emotion and temperament into his reading. Humes does some excellent detective work in piecing together the late entrepreneur's life, and it's a fascinating one. Even a teetotaler might drink in the story of the former cop and lawyer's last, greatest career.
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2013
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781480504219
Publisher: Brilliance 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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