The dispassionate hardness in Bernadette Sullivan’s tone works well for this riveting memoir about the realities of being a high-functioning sociopath—a person who has no conscience or empathy for others and is manipulative, predatory, and uncommitted to anything or anyone beyond his or her own self-interest. Sullivan’s beguiling voice and total command of every phrase and sentence magnify the addictive appeal of the author’s impenetrable self-regard and shameless power over others. Though corporate executive M.E. Thomas (a pseudonym) provides an interesting assortment of mental health research on sociopaths, what lingers is the candor of her self-revelations, as well as her request that we learn something about people with this syndrome rather than judging them.
Pub Date: May 14, 2013
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780385362399
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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