A mind-control expert examines the coercive and subtle ways people can be made to adopt distorted thinking that works against their own interests and free will. Describing examples like the brainwashing of Korean War prisoners and cults that distort personalities, Rebecca Lemov explains that these corruptions of self-interest and autonomy almost always follow a pattern of trauma, uncertainty, and a lack of social grounding. She also shows how media content habits, advertising, and social instability can impair a person's reality testing and distort their worldview. Patty Neiman's elegant voice and exquisite resonance with every idea and nuance in the author's writing promote complete absorption of this important audiobook. Her comfortable diction and pitch patterns are beautiful to hear and a perfect vehicle for the author's impressive thinking.
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217168736
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sylvia Nasar's excellent biography of the tragic but ultimately triumphant life of mathematician John Forbes Nash,, Jr., gets cheated by poor audio production. Anna Fields's volume is so low that some of her trailing sentences are inaudible except in a silent room. Blackstone compounds the problem with a very high-noise recording. The end result is a production that can't be listened to comfortably in a car or walking in public because Fields's voice ranges from near-whisper to just above normal volume. The listener who compensates for the whisper is overwhelmed by her louder sections. In future Fields projects, Blackstone needs to use compression. Read the excellent book instead.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 19 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The authors, both neuroscientists, believe that Internet search logs offer an astounding research opportunity: a look at human sexuality that is anonymous and, thus, probably acutely honest. What do people search for, sexually, online? The results are enlightening, sometimes startling, and rather humorous. The potential for titillating smarminess in this topic is enormous, but narrator Andrew Garman never goes there. His demeanor is professional and full of good cheer. The graphic language, which he reads with clarity and humor, could come off equally as silly or scandalous, but his pace never feels like it's lingering or leering, and his tone is instructive. There are charts and lists in the text, and Garman easily incorporates them into the listening experience.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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