Ballet is precision balanced with beauty. This audiobook has more than enough precision but lacks the beauty of spontaneity. As Lisa Renée Pitts haltingly delivers the story of the only African-American soloist in the American Ballet Theatre, her pauses are so pronounced that they become a distraction, and her enunciation can seem pedantic. Copeland's narrative has a healthy portion of egotism, and Pitts's chilly, choppy delivery exacerbates the distant tone. Whenever Pitts lets her guard down and engages with the spirit of the text, the listener can engage with the story, which is inspiring and easy to follow. In the spaces between those natural moments, though, the listener is kept at arm's length.
Pub Date: March 11, 2014
Duration: 10 hrs
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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