William Hughes's easy conversational style captures the heart of this memoir of the friendship between L.A. TIMES columnist Steve Lopez and homeless musician Nathaniel Ayers. Lopez discovers Ayers on Skid Row, not far from the city’s Beethoven statue, playing a two-string violin. Ayers was once a musical prodigy who played bass at Juilliard until schizophrenia loosened his grip on reality and a promising career. What begins as a good idea for a column becomes a transforming friendship for both men. Hughes hits no wrong notes in his narration. He is especially impressive in rendering emotions that run the gamut from wonder and awe at the power of music to Ayers's random profane outbursts when paranoia kicks in.
Pub Date: May 1, 2008
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
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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