Dennis Boutsikaris moves flawlessly through three different narrative lines in this audiobook without confusing the listener or mixing up points of view or speaking patterns. The author weaves the real-life stories of a corrupt cop, a wrongly accused African-American, and a gang leader turned Black Panther activist who live in New York City in the 1960s. His goal is to examine the challenges, problems, and pitfalls that sent the city into decline by the mid-1970s. Boutsikaris shifts smoothly from the impersonal history of the city to the more dynamic and engaging accounts of the individuals. The author’s crisp prose and Boutsikaris’s strong delivery will keep listeners engaged throughout this street-level account of the social forces at work in that time and place.
Pub Date: 2011
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062083838
Publisher: Harper Audio
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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