Ellen Ullman juxtaposes her professional life as a computer programmer with the development of the tech industry over the last 20 years. While her prose has a distinct style and wit that make it worth reading, her narration of the audiobook falls flat. She speaks in a largely monotone voice, and, though it sounds in some ways artistically appropriate for a book about the life of a programmer, the absence of emotion and the constant drive of words leave the listener empty and uninterested. It's likely that few people will enjoy the audio version of this powerful memoir of a woman in a male-dominated field that has come into cultural prominence.
Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2017
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427292162
Publisher: Macmillan 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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