This audiobook about psychedelic drugs is interesting but overwritten.
This may be a "short, strange trip" about the influence of LSD and magic mushrooms and the psychedelic boom that started in the 1960s, but the book could have benefitted from a few shortcuts. Narrator Matt Godfrey does his best to move the story along, and his lively delivery is infectious, but a good editor could have cut a quarter of the book without damaging the story. Even the introduction seems endless. The subject is fascinating, examining the impact of LSD and magic mushrooms on the 1960s counterculture and beyond. There are also some eye-opening descriptions of life in San Francisco that kill the whole notion of flower power.
This audiobook about psychedelic drugs is interesting but overwritten.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 50 mins
DD ISBN: 9781464283871
Publisher: Sourcebooks Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A testament to the enduring power of art to transcend politics and cultural differences.
English actor Christian Coulson fully embodies the persona of charming British art dealer Oliver Hoare in this audio original. With a cultured aristocratic voice, he relates Hoare’s exploits among the billionaires and museum curators who collected Islamic art. In 1994, Hoare arranged for part of the “Shahnameh,” a sacred culturally significant 16th-century illustrated Persian manuscript housed in London, to be returned to Iran in exchange for Willem de Kooning’s Woman III, a work considered blasphemous by the Islamic Republic. Coulson portrays the tension of the politically charged deal, which was overshadowed by Hoare’s highly publicized affair with Princess Diana. A smooth operator, Hoare used his network of privileged connections to bypass authority and complete the trade.
A testament to the enduring power of art to transcend politics and cultural differences.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217080007
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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