Originally from Great Britain, Tina Brown, former editor of THE NEW YORKER and VANITY FAIR, offers a rather offhand, sluggish narration of these self-aggrandizing diary entries. The name-dropping diaries were kept within the span of her years at VANITY FAIR. Here, in all their glory, are the excessive and extravagant go-go 1980s, but this chronicling of expensive and expansive entertainments and meals out is more likely to be of interest to those who were in her orbit at that time; otherwise, the work is absent any spark to ignite others' interest. This lack of context for the average listener creates a repetitive series of tales of big egos and even bigger sums of cash to be expensed to the Condé Nast Corporation. Skillful power-brokering is also discussed, but that doesn't save the overall lack of appeal of the listening experience.
Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
Duration: 16 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427292674
Publisher: Macmillan 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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