In 1999, Governor George Ryan of Illinois asked the author, a lawyer turned novelist, to sit on a commission to study the death penalty. Turow's storytelling ability transforms what he learned during that inquiry into a thought-provoking treatise based upon his experience in capital cases, personal interviews, extensive reading, and the proceedings he attended. His measured, deliberate voice makes sure every word receives the right emphasis, as though he were speaking to a jury. Neither his delivery nor his rhetoric proselytizes, and listeners will never be sure on what side of the polemic he stands, until the last word of the audiobook reveals his verdict. J.A.H.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
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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