Peter Ganim's beautiful and moving narration reveals moments of horror, heartbreak, joy, and inspiration as a young boy learns lessons about food and applies them to life. Ganim’s narration of Eric Ripert’s memoir artfully conveys the mosaic of intense emotions experienced by Ripert as a boy who endured traumas such as the divorce of his parents and mistreatment at the hands of his stepfather. As a young adult, he followed his passion, toiling amid the highly competitive world of cooking. Ganim’s narration, accentuated by a fluid French accent, is dynamic and modulated, capturing Ripert’s experiences and responses with anguished and fearful whisperings, deep anger, and, finally, tenderness and humble confidence. It’s a listening experience so compelling that one can almost hear the clatter of kitchenware.
Pub Date: May 17, 2016
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780147522733
Publisher: Random 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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