Rick Ankiel's spectacularly wild pitching during a Major League playoff game as millions of fans watched became a St. Louis Cardinals legend. Ankiel exudes sincerity and humility in his narration as he recounts his many years of trying to regain control of his pitching. While this memoir likely will be enjoyed most by baseball fans, Ankiel's story is really about the search to master anxiety and what to do when every strategy fails. He reads self-help books, practices deep breathing, medicates, and employs a sports psychologist. When Ankiel finally gives up the fight and reinvents himself as a home-run-hitting outfielder, he finds a way forward. The hard-won peace with his life and unique career is right there in his voice, along with optimism for the future and determination to be a great father to his sons.
Pub Date: April 18, 2017
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478920069
Publisher: Hachette 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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