Paul Johnson’s engaging extended essay on Socrates might be better called “Socrates, A Man of His Time.” Johnson spends much worthy effort placing Socrates in the fifth-century Athens that is his proper place. Ancient Athens, like Socrates, is subject to interpretation, and Johnson presents it as a British gentlemen’s club utopia in which rhetoric sparkles, friends are important, homosexual desire is tolerated (but rarely acted upon), and women are admired but excluded. John Curless’s rich voice and upper-class British accent add to the world Johnson conjures. His Greek pronunciation is perfect—English, but not too much so. Johnson truly admires his Socrates (as he reviles Plato), and his affection gives the narrative life.
Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2011
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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