This memoir highlights the eclectic adventures of the endlessly curious, highly imaginative, and wildly innovative Allen. Details of his early life and his creative and business activities with Bill Gates predominate, but his post-Microsoft charitable and “special interest” businesses and activities are thoroughly explored as well. Allen’s writing style is impersonal, and Sean Runnette's narration reflects the author’s chilly, somewhat arrogant tone. While Runnette employs precise enunciation, his tone is flat, bordering on the mechanical. While that tone may be appropriate for Allen’s personality, it does little to engage listeners. Those interested in the history of the personal computer, rock music lore, and world travel to unusual locales will learn much from this production.
Pub Date: April 19, 2011
Duration: 14 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781101432433
Publisher: Penguin 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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