Narrator Rob Shapiro's deep voice and calm tone holds listeners' attention throughout Krist's discussion of three public figures who influenced the growth of the city of Los Angeles--which was originally smack in the middle of a desert. Shapiro's first-class performance is simply superb. The history revisits themes addressed in the modern classic film CHINATOWN, with Jack Nicholson--and listeners with even a passing interest in the "water rights story" and its relationship to L.A.'s development will likely enjoy this audio tour de force. Using sophisticated storytelling and alternating chapters, Shapiro recounts the stories of engineering wizard William Mulholland, film director D.W. Griffith, and Pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Shapiro considerably advances this incisive look at the history of Southern California's sprawl.
Pub Date: May 15, 2018
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525526520
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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