Authors Newman and Winston take a deep dive into education in the U.S. and around the world and provide a compelling argument for a renewed emphasis on vocational education at the high school level. They aim to replace the current idea that high schools need to prepare all students for college in order to secure their futures. Narrator Callie Beaulieu narrates this work in a straightforward way that emphasizes the practical approach of the authors. As cases are presented from Career and Technology Education (CTE) high schools in the United States as well as those in Europe, Beaulieu does not alter her pace or use any accents that would distract from the book's message. Overall, Beaulieu provides a reading that is easy to listen to at a pace that allows the listener to digest the stories and arguments.
Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781622319879
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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: 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228499201
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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