Narrator John Rubinstein celebrates this "epiphany of taste" with his cogent and insightful performance. The historic convergence of four culinary pioneers in Provence in 1970 marked an impromptu culinary summit and the fledgling revolution of American cuisine. Rubinstein exudes wonder for the nascent food culture that transformed the way we experience restaurant and home cooking today. He provides precise French pronunciations for settings, recipes, and ingredients. Author Barr is food writer M.F.K. Fisher's great-nephew, a status that gained him access to telling journals, letters, and conversations between the gastronomic luminaries who came together during that holiday season. While the book's nonlinear structure becomes a bit confusing in audio as it jumps between time periods and personalities, Rubinstein's expressive descriptions of food and France are enchanting.
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2013
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780804148849
Publisher: Random House 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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