Here's a good audiobook to listen to while preparing dinner. It’s part contrarian (GMOs are good for the ecology, meat should be taxed according to its environmental impact) and part travelogue (listeners take taxi rides to remote foreign locales for inexpensive ethnic cuisine). In essence, the book veers between the Food Channel and FREAKONOMICS. (Author Cowen is an economist and food blogger.) Narrator Stephen Hoye’s authoritative tone makes Cowen’s more provocative ideas palatable and provides vocal cohesion to what might otherwise seem like a series of essays. This big-picture econo-centric audiobook explains why you should avoid trendy restaurants packed with pretty girls, the link between Prohibition and bad dining, and how Dr. Spock dumbed down American eating habits.
Pub Date: April 17, 2012
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780449011195
Publisher: Random House 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
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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