Gjelten mixes a smooth cocktail of histories--of the Bacardi family, their rum company, and Cuba--and Robertson Dean's delivery of that mix both pleases and holds the listener's interest. With his deep, soft voice and subdued tone, he comes across as nearly whispering, but his delivery is not soporific. His intelligent interpretation consistently brings out the author's meaning and represents his thoughts and opinions clearly. Dean's pacing is just right for the material; he tells it like a story. The variety of material--the switches from family members to corporate interests to national and international politics--helps to keep one's attention from flagging. Anyone interested in the Bacardi company or in Cuba should enjoy this audiobook and Dean's skillful performance.
Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2017
Duration: 18 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525532149
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Golden Voice narrator Cassandra Campbell explores Mattel's dark side in this unauthorized history that exposes spying, copyright infringement, and the true origins of Barbie. Hitt's investigative reporting asserts that Barbie's creator, Ruth Handler, was often ruthless. Handler claimed that the inspiration for Barbie came from her daughter, but Barbie was a near-identical copy of a German doll that was created four years prior to Barbie's debut. Hitt argues that while Handler faced sexism herself, she chose corporate profit over supporting women and minorities. Campbell invokes emotion where appropriate, as when she uses a barbed tone for Handler's remarks about people she hated and a flat voice to capture her matter-of-fact, uncaring attitude. Campbell's pace and tone let the writing shine.
Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797193847
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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