This memoir concerns the ordeal of Micah Garen, a journalist who was in Iraq in the summer of 2004 filming a documentary with Carleton. Shortly after Carleton returned home, Garen was discovered to be a foreigner and taken hostage by militants. This is their ordeal-Garen's as a hostage and Carleton's as one of the people working to win his release. Alternating passages in this abridgment, the authors read their own stories, filled with the anxiety of the unknown and the determination to survive. Garen gives a somewhat stiff reading that, while not monotonous, is often lacking in energy. Carleton has more skill as a reader and exhibits more energy and verve.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2005
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 743567420
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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