It would be easy to write a biography of Richard Feynman with the kind of manic iconoclasm that marked his life. But that would be a disservice to the significant contributions of this Nobel laureate physicist. The same goes for the reading of the audiobook. To deliver it with bombast would be unfair to both the book and the man. Dick Estell offers a steady reading in this reissued production. He varies his pacing well, adding speed when he reads some of the nearly stream-of-consciousness descriptions of Feynman by others and by Feynman about himself. He declines to differentiate individual speakers, but this matters little as the author always makes clear who is speaking. The book offers solid scientific history as well as biography, and Estell’s evenhanded reading makes it easy to comprehend.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
Duration: 21 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307915108
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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