Joey Gallo was a gangster who read existential philosophers, wrote poetry, painted watercolors, and was the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s song "Joey" and popular journalist Jimmy Breslin’s novel THE GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT. Narrator Josh Clark’s reading of Folsom’s history of the Gallo brothers is an odd mix of violence and comedy. Clark’s tone is amused as he quotes Gallo: "My life is one foot in the coffin and the other on a banana peel." Clark is equally adept at recounting moments of utter brutality as Gallo brags about executing the barbershop hit on Albert Anastasia and delivering an assortment of vicious beatings. Clark has an upbeat, jazzy reading style that fits this colorful account of the life and times of “Crazy Joe.”
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2009
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge 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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