Bell Labs was the incubator for the scientific innovations that shaped one of today's vital components of daily life—worldwide telephone service. AT&T gave birth to Bell Labs in the 1920s. In his narration, Chris Sorensen is clearly enamored with the work environment that nurtured so many creative concepts and inventions. However, Gertner's book deals more with the ingenious collaborations of the people involved than with the details of technical triumphs. Nonetheless, Sorensen's pacing lags between sentences: He pauses as though the listener is expected to contemplate complex formulas and leaps of cognition. But there’s no need to ponder those pioneers' fully lucid scientific experiments or their accomplishments and treacheries. As a result, the listener—itching to know what's coming next—becomes becomes impatient for Sorensen to get on with it.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 17 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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