This collection of four beautiful essays, published in the NEW YORK TIMES shortly before Oliver Sacks's death, feels like a last, parting gift from Sacks to listeners. In "Mercury," "My Own Life," "My Periodic Table," and "Sabbath," Sacks looks back over his long and accomplished life and faces his own mortality. More than anything, he's still filled with wonder at the world. Dan Woren, who also narrated Sacks's memoir, ON THE MOVE, reads in a firm and clear voice. One might wish for a slightly more intimate and personal tone, or for him to linger a bit over Sacks's turns of phrase, to better allow listeners to contemplate them. Nonetheless, Sacks's message resonates, rewarding multiple listens.
Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2015
Duration: 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735206137
Publisher: Random House 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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