This is a superficial, lurid, and confused biography of the iconic comedian, who died in 2014 at age 81. Erin Bennett's narration is intelligent and effective, but it can't rise above the many problems of the biography itself, which brings nothing new to Rivers's own published accounts and interviews. Jarring jumps in time happen throughout the entire audiobook without adding thematic elements or explanations of Rivers's often paradoxical motivations. While the book visits all of the principal milestones in Rivers's roller-coaster career, the work still reads like a rehashed star profile rather than the insightful look at a complicated public life one hoped it would be.
Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2016
Duration: 16 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478987628
Publisher: Hachette 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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