Narrating this mammoth critique of the official mental disorders manual, David Drummond sounds like a savvy prosecutor making opening arguments in a slam-dunk murder trial. Though he clearly relishes the irony in this often gossipy narrative, his dignified performance wisely stops short of sounding too dramatic. The journalist/author speaks with a lot of APA insiders who were involved in the fascinating conflicts that led to the latest volume of the DSM. His book is balanced, judging neither the protagonists nor Big Pharma and the insurance industry, whose fortunes all rest on how mental health disorders are defined. With Greenberg's colorful storytelling and superb grasp of the philosophical issues, this is outstanding consumer-advocate reporting on some important controversies facing psychiatry today.
Pub Date: May 13, 2013
Duration: 14 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sylvia Nasar's excellent biography of the tragic but ultimately triumphant life of mathematician John Forbes Nash,, Jr., gets cheated by poor audio production. Anna Fields's volume is so low that some of her trailing sentences are inaudible except in a silent room. Blackstone compounds the problem with a very high-noise recording. The end result is a production that can't be listened to comfortably in a car or walking in public because Fields's voice ranges from near-whisper to just above normal volume. The listener who compensates for the whisper is overwhelmed by her louder sections. In future Fields projects, Blackstone needs to use compression. Read the excellent book instead.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 19 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The authors, both neuroscientists, believe that Internet search logs offer an astounding research opportunity: a look at human sexuality that is anonymous and, thus, probably acutely honest. What do people search for, sexually, online? The results are enlightening, sometimes startling, and rather humorous. The potential for titillating smarminess in this topic is enormous, but narrator Andrew Garman never goes there. His demeanor is professional and full of good cheer. The graphic language, which he reads with clarity and humor, could come off equally as silly or scandalous, but his pace never feels like it's lingering or leering, and his tone is instructive. There are charts and lists in the text, and Garman easily incorporates them into the listening experience.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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