Cornel West is joined by an all-star cast of actors and actresses who breathe life into some familiar and some unfamiliar works by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in this powerful audiobook production. Each narrator manages to channel the cadence and style of King but not in a way that is derivative. Instead, they uniquely blend their own vocal abilities with the well-known speaking style of King. Sharing speeches, interviews, letters, essays, and other original words by King, West interweaves context and meaning to show that the King who has been memorialized is often far from the real King, who advocated for a much more dynamic and equitable world than his most famous speech, "I Have a Dream," indicates.
Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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