Jacinda Ardern believes empathy and kindness should be central to politics. Her warm voice and Kiwi accent embody authenticity, earnestness, and self-effacing humor. At a young age and newly pregnant, Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand's prime minister, heading a coalition government from 2017 to 2023. She was the face of the government's response to a terrorist attack at two mosques, a volcanic eruption, and the Covid pandemic. Ardern's memoir focuses more on the personal than on wonkish policymaking. She's a natural storyteller, reeling in the listener while maintaining an ever-present sense of purpose. She grows up the daughter of a small-town policeman, grapples with the increasingly uncomfortable fit of her family's Mormon faith, and brings her newborn onto the floor of the United Nations.
Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217165261
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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