This audiobook and its narration are excellent. The work is a travelogue, a memoir, and an engaging lesson on the history and ethics of science. Its foundation is Harris's drive to explore and her adventure-filled bicycle trip along the Silk Road. Narrator Amy Landon has a warm, conversational voice marked by a slight breathiness and drawn-out vowels at the end of many sentences. Her tone reflects what's happening on any given page; she sounds amused when that is appropriate and more serious when tackling the science-related sections. Landon maintains the listener's interest throughout. That is a true achievement, given that the audiobook is told largely through narrative and there is limited opportunity to take advantage of dialogue to provide the variety of different voices.
Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2018
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062850805
Publisher: Harper 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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