Author Mo Rocca's engaging narration makes it obvious that he is delightfully obsessed with underappreciated dead people--celebrities, politicians, and others whose lives he describes with a seemingly endless supply of interesting facts and observations. With a flinty-clear voice and colorful phrasing that is in a league with the best, his naturally enthusiastic performance enhances the drama and entertainment value of his excellent research and tight storytelling. He draws the audiobook's format from his popular podcast of the same name; both provide concise life summaries of the type you'd hear right after a person dies. Colorful and full of ironic humor, this work will make you smile and think. It's a showcase for the author's finely tuned insights about people, sensitivity to cultural context, and narrating talent.
Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508294931
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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