Film historian McGilligan offers the first full biography of comedy icon Mel Brooks. Narrator Stephen Hoye picks up on McGilligan's snarky tone, delivering the numerous negatives about the mercurial writer/actor/director/producer with admirable objectivity. Brooks, the comedy genius who created YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, BLAZING SADDLES, and THE PRODUCERS, was also a fractious negotiator, a manipulative self-promoter, and a product of his time, when being "PC" wasn't considered important. Brooks's humor was often crude and rude, demeaning women and heavy on fart and fag jokes. Hoye's narration keeps die-hard Brooks fans hoping for some positives about the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winner--the "Nice Mel"--but those are few and far between. Perhaps it's better not to know our heroes too well.
Pub Date: March 19, 2019
Duration: 21 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062891792
Publisher: Harper 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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