Why would you choose to listen to this audiobook? As Sheena Iyengar points out in her engaging study, our choices are part of a constantly changing interactive relationship with our environment. We choose our clothes, for example, to distinguish ourselves from what we perceive to be “average,” and yet we don’t want to stand out too much. We fiercely believe in choosing our own life partners, yet 20 years after tying the knot, people in arranged marriages tend to be happier. Before the fall of Communism, Eastern Europeans were unhappy about their limited consumer choices, yet years after the fall many of them find consumer choice to be a prison. Orlagh Cassidy narrates with a scholarly, balanced sensibility that keeps the work appealing. She adds an empathetic touch when recounting Iyengar’s anecdotes about her childhood and Sikh extended family. Those who loved BLINK, THE WISDOM OF CROWDS, or FREAKONOMICS are sure to enjoy this.
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A resonant, gut-wrenching memoir that may inspire listeners to hit a dusty trail of their own.
Kessler, prolific author of nonfiction, intrepidly narrates this immersive memoir of her 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino Francés after the devastating loss of both her husband and her daughter in the same year. Kessler’s tone is clear, even during the more heartbreaking chapters that revolve around her husband’s cancer and daughter’s drug use. Her tale, which toggles between the depths of grief and musings on consumerism or finding “uncomplicated joy in a Spanish tortilla,” exhibits the kind of harmonious braiding that makes a memoir soar. At the end of some longer sentences, Kessler’s delivery frays with a slight tiredness, but that lends to the big-picture experience of what is, indeed, a really long walk.
A resonant, gut-wrenching memoir that may inspire listeners to hit a dusty trail of their own.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654361
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
Author/narrator Sophie Lucido Johnson brings a conversational tone to her discussion of the importance of close relationships beyond family. Her direct and personal tone, steady pacing, and approachable rhythm guide listeners through reported stories, research, and lived experience. Her easy-sounding narration suits the audiobook's blend of analyses and anecdotes as she shifts naturally between reflective passages and practical examples of shared living, mutual care, and chosen family. Emotional moments are conveyed with warmth, while more informational sections remain grounded and accessible. Johnson's companionable delivery supports her emphasis on connection and helps listeners stay engaged as ideas build. Overall, the author's performance makes this audiobook an intimate, thoughtful, and well-paced experience.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797195162
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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