Helen Gurley Brown, author of SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL, and legendary editor of COSMOPOLITAN magazine, was a singular woman who really did change the world. How she did it, and the prices she paid as well as the rewards she reaped, make for a truly fascinating listen. The Hearst Corporation apparently has a stranglehold on Brown's archives at Smith College, though she meant them to be available to researchers. Gerri Hirshey has found ingenious ways around their self-serving obstructions; she tells a full, complex story of a unique personality and her mid-century world. Eliza Foss is perfectly equipped to narrate this juicy saga with warmth, sympathy, and enthusiasm. Her attention never flags, and the only unwelcome distractions in this excellent production are audible edits.
Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 18 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524708788
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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