by Jaron Lanier ; read by Pete Simonelli ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 6, 2013
Narrator Pete Simonelli's personable, evenly modulated style moves the material in this audiobook as if it were on a conveyor belt. Each building block in the book's thesis--that the Internet is creating vast income disparity--arrives discretely and clearly. That's no small feat considering that, at times, the author's theories are difficult to comprehend and his proposed solutions hard to believe. But there's plenty of thought-provoking, inventive stuff here, and it's hard to knock Lanier's core belief that nothing is really "free" on the Internet--we're all paying for Twitter, Bing, MapQuest, and all the other Siren Servers (mega companies that dominate an Internet business sector)--and the bill for all of it will soon come due.
Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442368408
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by William F. Buckley Jr. ; read by Walter Lawrence ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Jonathan Kozol ; read by Jack Winston ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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