Narrator Erin Bennett does a great job reading this groundbreaking audiobook. Most histories of the rocket era during and after WWII focus on the achievements of men. This audiobook corrects that bias by telling the stories of the brilliant women, known as “human computers,” who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and made our space and missile defense programs possible. It’s a terrific story and well told. It’s also good history. Bennett reads at a lively pace, and her sharp, slightly nasal voice keeps the story moving. She varies her tone, and, although she doesn’t include character voices, she makes it easy to follow the action with well-timed emphases and pauses that heighten the tension in the story.
Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478985396
Publisher: Hachette 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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