Volatile Walter Yenikoff burned his candle at both ends in the 1970s and '80s, moving and shaking in the record business while indulging himself with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Half bragging, half confessing, he narrates his own frank, profane, and vivid account of his rise and fall. His story is spiced with anecdotes of his encounters with the likes of Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Barbara Streisand, and James Taylor. There are narrators with far more skill than this gravelly voiced Brooklyn boy, but no one else could give the listener such an accurate sense of his personality, humor, and view of persons and events. Further, he is by and large listenable, albeit uneven. A guilty pleasure even for those of us who dislike pop music and care nothing about its machinations.
Pub Date: March 2, 2004
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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