The title of this short audiobook refers to what it's like being part of the working poor in America. It's not fun. Other people avoid you, or they expect you to act in certain ways, and when you don't, they make unkind assumptions. Linda Tirado reads her own book, and her performance will require listeners to adjust their expectations. She begins by reading 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, zooming through her life which, we learn, is jam-packed and hurried. After a while, she settles into a manageable pace but zips past words and swallows others. Then her tone becomes preachy and angry. When all is said and done, her approach works, but, by the end of the book, the listener is as tired as she is.
Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2014
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780698180130
Publisher: Penguin 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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