Like the lawyer who poorly represents himself at a trial, Jill Lepore is a poor choice to perform her landmark book on the bizarre backstory of Wonder Woman and her creator. Wonder Woman, a DC superhero known around the world, was created by William Moulton Marston, an egocentric polygamist with delusions of grandeur and strange ideas about womanhood. His obsession with bondage was evident in hundreds of Wonder Woman comics in the 1940s, a phenomenon that changed only after his death. Lepore's book is powerful, but her performance is poor. Her voice is sometimes screechy and quavering, and does not lend itself to male dialogue. But the book is amazing as it reveals Marston's desire to be dominated by women and his peculiar lifestyle with the two, possibly three, women who shared his home.
Pub Date: 2014
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780553551341
Publisher: Random House Audio
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:
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:
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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