Medley engagingly asks interviewees and listeners to consider which ideals are worth tenacity in the face of unlikely odds.
Journalist Medley narrates this reflection on how and why people pursue goals with a vanishingly low chance of success. After a thought-provoking interview with a political candidate whose campaign pitch was “I know I’m not going to win,” Medley spins his fascination with her indifference toward defeat into six years of worldwide interviews. Medley’s tone is both clinical and enthusiastic as he explores the varied reasons given for fruitless pursuits. His narration comfortably inhabits both his own role as chronicler and those of his subjects, from Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) scientists creating pathways for future searches for extraterrestrial life to lifelong advocates for low-income service reform.
Medley engagingly asks interviewees and listeners to consider which ideals are worth tenacity in the face of unlikely odds.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780771032141
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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