Narrator Jonathan Yen's voice takes listeners to a place where "the air smells like sweet cocoa." This biography tells the story of Milton S. Hershey's life as well as the birth and growth of his famous chocolate company, the town named after him, and the progressive ideas of an earlier era. Hershey, Pennsylvania, was created from Hershey's vision of a utopia, a vision that was widely disseminated by journalists. Yen sounds a bit like a pitchman as he goes back in time to describe the efficient new chocolate plant, which survived its owner's sugar speculation and the Great Depression. While Yen gives the quotes the sound of real conversation, there's just a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he describes Hershey's vision of utopia.
Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2019
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781977333988
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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