Dr. Magliato’s memoir allows listeners to meet a woman working in a man’s world—the specialty of cardiac surgery. A memorable scene has Magliato massaging an open heart while riding a patient to the OR on a speeding gurney. She tells of her training, her romances, her experience of sexual harassment, and the effects of such a demanding profession on her family. The author’s juxtaposition of medical jargon with condescending phrases like “little soldiers in the blood” sometimes seems oxymoronic. Maybe narrator Renée Raudman is taking the author’s occasionally patronizing lead as she sounds like an an elementary school teacher talking to children. Her portrayal makes the Type A doctor sound like she is lacking in assertiveness. In her praise, Raudman pronounces most of the medical vocabulary with aplomb.
Pub Date: April 19, 2010
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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