This audiobook tackles the uncomfortable notion that our criminal justice system treats the poor terribly, if not criminally. Through fines, an unjust bail system, and a jail system that sometimes substitutes for a mental health facility, the author argues, being poor is now akin to being a lawbreaker. Narrator Eric G. Dove has a deep, authoritative voice, and he succeeds in establishing the serious and informational tone this book deserves. He approaches the work with an unadorned style, but he doesn't vary his performance enough to move beyond the text, and at times he doesn't pause enough to let us contemplate the author's words. Dove does a serviceable job with an audiobook that should be widely read and discussed.
Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781543628104
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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