Eric Jason Martin narrates this timely treatise on writing and AI by longtime English professor and writer John Warner. The author emphasizes that Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT cannot think or write; they merely use algebraic algorithms to deliver tokens (AI-speak for words) that follow a plausible pattern. The author warns that by outsourcing human thought processes, we risk losing those abilities. He makes his case with considerable wit. However, Martin misses almost every chance to showcase the author's message. Ironically, he narrates in an almost robotic fashion. Despite this, his slow pacing and crisp enunciation give the listener every opportunity to mull this well-reasoned argument. Final chapters offer suggestions for when, why, and how to push back against the AI onslaught.
Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228499201
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a respectful, serious tone, Lizan Mitchell narrates the personal story of Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the Little Rock Nine, who challenged the policy of educational segregation in Arkansas during the Civil Rights movement. Carlotta’s story recounts her life from her childhood in Little Rock though the Civil Rights era and all the way to Barack Obama’s 2008 election to the highest office in the land. Mitchell’s forte is expressing the emotional aspects of the story, especially her struggles to move on from the hate and discrimination she faced during her teen years. The one distraction from the excellent narration is the chapter read by Peter Fernandez. Since Mitchell reads the rest of the story on her own, including all the quotes, it’s surprising to suddenly hear Fernandez’s voice. Furthermore, the switch seems unnecessary.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Julia Winwood's narrative tone is that of a well-done lecture, with emphasis on interesting ideas and intriguing facts. She can bring a hint of suspense to the invention of the ring binder and make listeners smile as they hear a poem on alphabetical order. Judith Flanders's history of ordering systems and the developments that made them necessary is thoughtful but a bit esoteric. Her account of the roots of the written word and libraries focuses on such things as indexes, concordances, and card catalogues. Early on, the origins of the word "abracadabra" in the Roman alphabet can seem magical as delivered in Winwood's voice.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549104800
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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