"'If Jefferson was wrong, America is wrong. If America is right, Jefferson was right.'--James Parton 1874." With this quote, Ellis begins the biography that won him the 1996 National Book Award. As his myth has grown and prospered, our third president has become the darling of many, and often warring, interest groups. What would Jefferson say today about taxes, about civil rights, abortion? Nobody knows. Hence the title. Susan O'Malley's straight-forward reading is clear and forceful, if unexceptional. Why was a woman chosen to read a book by a man, about a man? This is unclear, but then it has often gone the other way.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 16 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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