Mel Foster's reading is excellent. He deftly handles this text, which tells the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger from his days in Austria to his success in Hollywood. His narration helps the work move quickly. Foster's vocal characterizations, especially his version of Arnold himself, are particularly good. The text tells the good, the bad, and the ugly about the current California governor, although there's more good than bad and ugly. The author has written several celebrity biographies, and this work is more about the rise of a celebrity than the election of a governor. There is much on his early life, which means that there are more details about bodybuilding than most would probably like.
Pub Date: June 7, 2005
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance 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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