Byron Wagner’s performance of this complex yet fascinating discussion of digital piracy, privacy rights, creativity, and copyright law is workmanlike and straightforward. However, his singular tone and unwavering inflection do nothing to motivate the listener to focus on these involved, arcane topics. Levine comes down on the side of giant entertainment corporations that believe that nearly all world citizens with the access would routinely and boldly steal copyrighted intellectual property from file-sharing Internet sites and similar portals. Wagner’s simplistic and unadorned presentation style does not help the listener arrive at an answer to the question as to whether the culture business can survive our digital times.
Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307879998
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An engaging experience.
This audiobook deals with everything from the historic investments that led to world-dominating companies, such as the Chinese technology company Tencent, to predicting the products and services of the future. An audiobook of such complexity requires a narrator who can handle the task, and David Thorpe manages it admirably. Thorpe uses his masterly voice, which sits somewhere between that of a BBC World Service presenter and an easy, relaxed Home Counties accent, to guide listeners through a sea of numbers, acronyms, and terms such as YP, RPS, and market cap. Rather than simply reading, Thorpe presents the work with excitement and enthusiasm, and this enjoyment transfers to the listener.
An engaging experience.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668103425
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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