Toobin's take on the nine people who sit on the nation’s highest court is intimate, personal, and vital. He focuses mostly on the personalities in the Rehnquist Court and the current Roberts Court, showing how character, background, and political philosophy influence the decisions made by the Court on the great issues like civil rights, presidential powers, church-state relations, and the defining issue of the past thirty years—abortion. Don Leslie reads Toobin's complex analyses of the justices with feeling and understanding, neither exaggerating nor minimizing the issues. He is faithful to the author's affection for certain justices—O'Connor, Souter, and Rehnquist—while being respectful of his antipathy to others. Behind-the-scenes struggles, such as Bush v. Gore, are explored in detail, because they affect the future and because, though changes in the Court's direction are snail slow, they ultimately define the United States’ role in the world.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 15 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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