Discover the Top 100 Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

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Title: A Slip of the Keyboard

Subtitle: Collected Nonfiction

Author: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman (foreword)

Narrator: Michael Fenton Stevens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-23-14

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 99 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of essays and other nonfiction from Terry Pratchett, spanning the whole of his writing career from his early years to the present day.

Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of listeners the world over with his best-selling Discworld series - but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett's nonfiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important); from memories of Granny Pratchett to speculation about Gandalf's love life, and passionate defences of the causes dear to him.

With all the humour and humanity that have made his novels so enduringly popular, this collection brings Pratchett out from behind the scenes of the Discworld to speak for himself - man and boy, bibliophile and computer geek, champion of hats, orangutans and Dignity in Dying.

Snuff was the best-selling adult hardcover novel of 2011. A Blink of the Screen, Terry's short fiction collection, was also one of the best-selling hardcovers of 2012.

Members Reviews:

The Best

This is not the fun, escape from the daily stressed Terry Pratchett kind of read. It is more of a "tell me what you REALLY think" glimpse into his thoughts. I listened to this a few days after Sir Terry's death and for me was a fan's way of mourning. I found it painful in a grief kind of way but by getting to know and understand him better I feel I can honor and, yes, in the way of all his fans, love him more. And all feelings aside it is a truly thought provoking, perception enlarging, slightly skewed world view and like the comforting hand of DEATH on your shoulder Sir Terry Pratcett is still here to lead me into an alternate and unknown universe. I recommend this book.

Inspirational words from Terry

This book is a thought provoking and inspirational collection of works from Sir Pratchett. Full of noteworthy quotes and ideas to consider. It reads like a personal message from Terry to his fans.

Goodbye to a Brilliant Writer

Any additional comments?

Since this a compilation of his articles and speeches, there was some repetition, and more of the curmudgeon than came across in the books. But he was brilliant, and the world feels this loss.

Not fiction but still amazing

Pratchett is amazing and the things he writes fantastic!! This is his non-fiction writing that show his wit and wisdom for life carries over no matter the subject!!!

Great Book

The Slip of the Keyboard was humorous and heartwarming. It really made me want to read more books by Sir Terry. He is a great advocate for dying with dignity. Thank you.

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Title: Fire Shut Up in My Bones

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Charles M. Blow

Narrator: Charles M. Blow

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-23-14

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 214 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A gorgeous, moving memoir of how one of America's most innovative and respected journalists found his voice by coming to terms with a painful past.

New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow mines the compelling poetry of the out-of-time African-American Louisiana town where he grew up - a place where slavery's legacy was felt astonishingly close, reverberating in the elders' stories and in the near-constant wash of violence.

Charles's attachment to his mother - a fiercely driven women with five sons, brass knuckles in her glove box, a job plucking poultry at a nearby factory, a soon-to-be-ex husband, and a love of newspapers and learning - cannot protect him from secret abuse at the hands of an older cousin. It's damage that triggers years of anger and searing self-questioning.

Finally, Charles escapes to a nearby state university, where he joins a black fraternity after a passage of brutal hazing, and then enters a world of racial and sexual privilege that feels like everything he's ever needed and wanted, until he's called upon, himself, to become the one perpetuating the shocking abuse.

A powerfully redemptive memoir that both fits the tradition of African-American storytelling from the South, and gives it an indelible new slant.

Members Reviews:

Authors should NOT read their books.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, it might have been had a professional read the book. It's a rare talent and generally authors don't have it. This is an example. It sounded like "pressured speech". Barbara Kingsolver, Simon Winchester, Alexander McCall-Smith and John Le Carre' can do it, but most authors should leave it to the professionals

Would you be willing to try another book from Charles M. Blow? Why or why not?

Definitely YES, if he did not read it.

What didnt you like about Charles M. Blows performance?

The pace/cadence. Again, it seemed like "pressured speech. Way too slow and the sentences did not flow appropriately.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I don't think so. It might depend on the cast.

Any additional comments?

I've listened to over 900 books in the past several years and I've come to appreciate what a talent "performing" a book is.

Courageous

I am a fan of Charles Blow and rate him among my top three columnists. His memoir was moving, revelatory and told with great candor. And while I was very drawn to his story, I agree with the other reviewers who found his personal narration detracted from, rather than enhanced my enjoyment of the book. The exception was when he assumed the voice of another person. Quality narration of audiobooks is a special talent. That is one area of control that most writers should be persuaded to relinquish. That was certainly the case here. However, the memoir is great. I would recommend it to friends, with the caveat that they read, rather than listen to it.

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Title: Bach

Subtitle: Music in the Castle of Heaven

Author: John Eliot Gardiner

Narrator: Antony Ferguson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-02-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 72 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most unfathomable composers in the history of music. How can such sublime work have been produced by a man who (when we can discern his personality at all) seems so ordinary, so opaque - and occasionally so intemperate? John Eliot Gardiner grew up passing one of the only two authentic portraits of Bach every morning and evening on the stairs of his parents house, where it hung for safety during World War II. He has been studying and performing Bach ever since, and is now regarded as one of the composer's greatest living interpreters. The fruits of this lifetime's immersion are distilled in this remarkable book, grounded in the most recent Bach scholarship but moving far beyond it, and explaining in wonderful detail the ideas on which Bach drew, how he worked, how his music is constructed, how it achieves its effects - and what it can tell us about Bach the man.

Gardiner's background as a historian has encouraged him to search for ways in which scholarship and performance can cooperate and fruitfully coalesce. This has entailed piecing together the few biographical shards, scrutinizing the music, and watching for those instances when Bach's personality seems to penetrate the fabric of his notation. Gardiner's aim is "to give the reader a sense of inhabiting the same experiences and sensations that Bach might have had in the act of music-making. This, I try to show, can help us arrive at a more human likeness discernible in the closely related processes of composing and performing his music." It is very rare that such an accomplished performer of music should also be a considerable writer and thinker about it. John Eliot Gardiner takes us as deeply into Bachs works and mind as perhaps words can. The result is a unique book about one of the greatest of all creative artists.

Members Reviews:

Brilliant book badly presented

Gardiner's brilliant investigation of the man through the music is thrilling and moving. Ferguson's reading could be worse, but not much. His intonation is generally passable, but he is clearly not competent to read this book. Technical music terms, but also multisyllabic academic expressions flummox him, receiving weird emphases and pauses that force the reader to guess what is really being said, not to mention disrupting the illusion that the reader is speaking with understanding. That's not even to count the sporadic errors like "Bach finds the means to take the string out of the aggression".

Worst of all is his pronunciation of German, which is crucial to a biography of Bach. One wonders why Ferguson didn't look at the text and just decide that it would be too embarrassing: Either he should pass on the job, or spend an hour or two at least learning some of the basics of German pronunciation. He sounds like a computer programmed to pronounce English written text, fed with German writing and just ploughing through it. It would be barely less comprehensible -- and less disruptive to the reader -- if the German expressions and texts were simply cut out and replaced with silence or white noise..

A Deep History of Bach

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I listen to about three books a week, so I have a broad experience in the varying qualities of books of various genres.

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Title: The Storyteller's Nashville

Author: Tom T. Hall

Narrator: Tom T. Hall, Peter Cooper

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 29 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The legendary country music songwriter known as the Storyteller delivers the genre's most bracing, hilarious, and unique memoir, bringing to life long-gone characters from Nashville's streets and barrooms and detailing his one-of-a-kind journey in music. This expanded edition of Hall'soriginal 1979 book includes never-before-heard poems and vignettes - read by the author - and new chapters that bring us up to date with Hall as he sits with President Carter, caps his recording career, quits drinking, ponders his legacy, examines the creative process, and retires from the music industry. "If youwant to retire, go ahead," he says. "Life will still present innumerable occasions for you to go out and make an ass of yourself."

Members Reviews:

Outstanding book!

What a great book about one of my childhood's greatest memory makers. The detail within each story is amazing.

Just wonderful!

Narrator did a wonderful job. This book is such a great look into the life of Ole T.

the Storyteller lived up to his name

TcB ...loved it a very different perspective of Nashville the Nashville machine from a very humble man

An underrated classic

Any additional comments?

This audiobook is brilliant and hardly anyone knows about it. It doesn't matter how you feel about Tom T. Hall... his anecdotes and voice make this an engrossing story that will sweep you along and keep you engaged. The story follows Hall from his arrival in Nashville as an aspiring songwriter until he made it to the Grand Ole Opry and the top of Music City. But it's not a biography... it's a memoir about craft told in a manner that only Tom T. can tell. I love this book, I've listened to it 5 or 6 times now. Even my wife liked it, and she's much pickier than me. It's brilliant, just spend your credit here and thank me later.

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Title: My Life with Deth

Subtitle: Discovering Meaning in a Life of Rock and Roll

Author: David Ellefson, Joel McIver

Narrator: David Ellefson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-14

Publisher: David Ellefson

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 91 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Faith, hope, and heavy metal

In My Life with Deth, cofounder and bassist of Megadeth David Ellefson reveals the behind-the-scenes details of life in one of the world's most popular heavy metal bands. If you're looking for revelations, they're here, including the drug habits that brought the band members to their knees. You'll learn of David's unsuccessful attempts at rehab and the period when he was strung out on methadone, cocaine, and heroin - all at the same time.

But My Life with Deth is far more than just another memoir of debauchery. Ellefson also shares the story of his faith journey, which began when he decided his only choice for survival was to get free from his addiction. In his recovery, he returned to his childhood roots in the Lutheran church and embraced his Christianity, which continues to inform his life and work today.

In the pages of this book, you'll find insightful comments from some of the biggest names in heavy metal, along with life lessons for every listener. Whether religious or not, you'll be enthralled, informed, and inspired by this tell-all book on discovering meaning in a life of rock and roll.

Members Reviews:

Informative and inspiring

Dave writes with honesty and conviction. He tore down the wall between religion and heavy metal. This is an eye opener. Great read and great listen to. I love the fact that he reads his own story for the Audible edition.

MEGA Life! Music, Passion and Faith!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am a huge Megadeth fan! I didn't know what to expect from the book, but wanted to hear it in his own words! I read along with the book as I listened to the audiobook. I really enjoyed it. I totally recommend this book to Megadeth fans and music lovers because David Ellefson gives a human perspective to what it is really like being in a heavy metal band. It is not all sex, drugs and rock n roll (even though you are surrounded by it). It is also hard work, sacrifice and a clear vision of what you want to accomplish in your life/band. Mustaine had the vision David Ellefson had the discipline and work ethic to help Megadeth reach its goal. This book teaches life lessons everyone can apply to their owns lives and the book is easily relate-able no matter who you are. We all struggle with sin, and making the right decision. No one is perfect, but each day is an opportunity to make the right decision and David shows that through his life experiences.

What other book might you compare My Life with Deth to and why?

This book can be compared to other autobiographies of rock stars. It is a first hand experience of what happened in the beginning, middle and present of the band with some inside perspective.

What about David Ellefsons performance did you like?

David does a great job of telling his experience in the band and how he fell and picked himself back up again in his life. What I truly applaud him for is he never once bad mouths anyone in this book. He never complains or makes you think he is bitter. He admits at times, he was upset and not fun to be arund, but he does it in a way that keeps it classy and respectable. He is very honest with himself and to the reader. He talks about his addiction and his recovery.

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Title: Fear and Loathing in America

Subtitle: The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968 - 1976

Author: Hunter S. Thompson

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 32 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

This astonishing volume of private correspondence, a critically acclaimed follow-up to The Proud Highway, shows Hunter S. Thompson as brazen, incisive, and outrageous as ever. When that first book of letters appeared in 1997, Time pronounced it "deliriously entertaining", Rolling Stone called it "brilliant beyond description", and the New York Times celebrated its "wicked humor and bracing political conviction".

Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. To read Thompson's dispatches from these years - addressed to the author's friends, enemies, editors, and creditors, and such notables as Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, and Kurt Vonnegut - is to read a raw, revolutionary eyewitness account of one of the most exciting and pivotal eras in American history.

Members Reviews:

HST fans must read

Would you consider the audio edition of Fear and Loathing in America to be better than the print version?

yes Malcolm Hillgartner does a great job of conveying the right feel

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fear and Loathing in America?

hunters conversations with jimmy carter

Which character as performed by Malcolm Hillgartner was your favorite?

hunter

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

buy the ticket, take the ride

Any additional comments?

all HST fans should read the proud highway and fear and loathing in america, as they are the closest things to a autobiography that he wrote

Crazy at its best

Been a fan since Hells Angels. Always a good read an now a good listen. Thompson an Duke could always sniff out a German,pinko,waterheaded swine from miles away..Miss his shit..RIP

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Title: Remember the Time

Subtitle: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days

Author: Bill Whitfield, Javon Beard, Tanner Colby (contributor)

Narrator: Neal Ghant, Brad Raymond, Brian Troxell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-03-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 139 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Hounded by the tabloid media, driven from his self-made sanctuary at Neverland, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion - a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldnt leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singers personal security team: Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves.

Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired, and to keep everyone else out, making them the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: What really happened to the King of Pop?Driven by a desire to show the world who Michael Jackson truly was, Whitfield and Beard have produced the only definitive, first-person account of Michael Jacksons last years: the extreme measures necessary to protect Jackson and his family, the simple moments of happiness they managed to share in a time of great stress, the special relationship Jackson shared with his fans, and the tragic events that culminated in the singers ill-fated comeback, This Is It. The truth is far more compelling than anything youve yet heard.

An indispensable piece of pop-culture history, Remember the Time is the story of a man struggling to live a normal life under extraordinary circumstances, the story of a father fighting to protect and provide for his children.

Remember the Time is the book that dismantles the tabloid myths once and for all to give Michael Jackson back his humanity.

Members Reviews:

Amazing Book! I didn't feel dirty listening to it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! I almost didn't buy this book because I have NO interest in reading a sordid "MJ tell-all" and I was so pleasantly surprised that this book is the exact opposite.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that it literally restores his humanity and the authors really truly and genuinely cared about him, his kids and his well-being. To me, that makes a WORLD of difference. The only thing that was a little offputting was the man who read for Javon. SInce Javon was supposed to be younger than Bill, it was weird that the man reading for him sounded like he was all of 60+ years old. But it did give a great contrast so it was clear whose account you were listening to so I guess it served its purpose.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many awesome scenes in this book I definitely can't pick just one. But one of the funniest was when Bill told people in the store that the man behind the mask was Prince and they left them alone and the fact that MJ got a kick out of that. So cute! OH, and also the scene where MJ had no problems with his fans sitting outside of his house all day. That really shocked me. I always heard that he loved his fans but all celebs say that, right? He really and truly LOVED his fans.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Michael Jackson, the human.

Any additional comments?

Anyone on the fence about purchasing this book, by all means do it! If you ever wanted to know the human side of MJ and how much his kids really loved him and how much he truly loved his fans.

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Title: Unbreak My Heart

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Toni Braxton

Narrator: Robin Eller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-20-14

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 203 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The best-selling solo R&B artist finally opens up about her rocky past and her path to redemption.

While Toni Braxton may appear to be living a charmed life, hers is in fact a tumultuous story: A tale of personal triumph after a public unraveling. In her heartfelt memoir, the six-time Grammy Award-winning singer and star of WE tv's hit reality series Braxton Family Values is unapologetically honest in revealing the intimate details of her journey.

Toni and the entire Braxton clan have become America's favorite musical family, but what fans may not know is the intense guilt Toni once felt when she accepted a recording deal that excluded her sisters. That decision would haunt Toni for years to come, tainting the enormous fame she experienced as a popular female vocalist at the top of the charts. Despite her early accomplishments, Toni's world crumbled when she was forced to file for bankruptcy twice and was left all alone to pick up the pieces.

Always the consummate professional, Toni rebuilt her life but then found herself in the midst of more heartache. The mother of an autistic child, Toni had long feared that her son's condition might be karmic retribution for some of the life choices that left her filled with remorse. Later, when heart ailments began plaguing her at the age of 41 and she was diagnosed with lupus, Toni knew she had to move beyond the self-recrimination and take charge of her own healing - physically and spiritually.

Unbreak My Heart is more than the story of Toni's difficult past and glittering success: It is a story of hope, of healing, and, ultimately, of redemption.

Members Reviews:

I love the content and story, but not narration...

Toni's story had me at hello. I wish there was better narration though. The narrator speaks well, but her inflection at times falls flat.

Breathing Again!

I love Toni Braxton EVEN MORE now! ! She is AMAZING! BRAVO TONI BRAXTON! BRAVO!

Amesome

I love her honesty the most, I had totally attention until the end and I thought it was amazing regarding the song unbreak my heart.

I loved it!!!

Toni Braxton is my absolute favorite artist!!! great read. This is my second time reading it!!! awesome

Loved the story, but the narrator...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this book to anyone and you don't even have to be a Toni Braxton fan to enjoy it. The book takes you through her parents first meeting to her awkward childhood to being signed by LA Reid and Babyface and even gets into the Braxton Family Values, her health issues and her sons Autism. I can't imagine that she held anything back with all that was shared in this story. It was excellent.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Toni of course, but not just because it's her story, but because I found quite a few similarities between she and I that I would never have guessed.

Would you be willing to try another one of Robin Ellers performances?

Absolutely not. I feel she did not do the book justice. She mispronounced simple words and her attempts to emote sounded like a teen in a school play.

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Title: Take Me Home

Subtitle: An Autobiography

Author: John Denver

Narrator: John Denver

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-14

Publisher: Rocky Mountain Merchandise, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 98 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

In a career that spanned decades, John Denver earned international acclaim as a singer, songwriter, actor, and environmental activist. Songs like "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Rocky Mountain High", and "Annie's Song" have entered the canon of universal anthems, but at his start John Denver was a young man with little more than a fine voice, a guitar, and a dream. Growing up in a conservative military family, he was not expected to drop out of college and head to Los Angeles, where the music scene was flourishing. Nor was he expected to succeed. In Take Me Home, John Denver chronicles the experiences that shaped his life, while unraveling the rich, inner journey of a shy Midwestern boy whose uneasy partnership with fame has been one of the defining forces of his first 50 years. With candor and wit, John writes about his childhood, the experience of hitting L.A. as the '60s roared into full swing, his first breaks, his years with the Mitchell Trio, his first songwriting success with "Leaving on a Jet Plane", and finally a career that made his a global household name. He also explores his relationships with the women in his life - particularly his first wife, Annie Martell, and his second wife, Cassandra Delaney - as well as his parents, his children, his partners through his life, and his friends.

Honest, insightful and rich in anecdotes that only a natural-born storyteller could tell so well, Take Me Home is a highly charged and fascinating audiobook from beginning to end. It's like spending a couple of days with a good friend.

Members Reviews:

Loved hearing John Denver telling his story

What did you love best about Take Me Home?

Hearing John Denver's voice telling his story. It left me wanting more of his story, more details.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Take Me Home?

Learning from him the details of how he started out and then eventually the successes he had. He earned his success little by little. His passionate determination and of course his extraordinary talent eventually got him to where he wanted to be. Nothing was handed to him.

What does John Denver bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

He told his story his way to the reader--his perspective in his own beautiful storytelling voice!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"The John Denver Story"

Any additional comments?

I have the actual paper book & this audiobook is NOT the whole book. A lot was left out of this audio. I would have preferred to have the whole book in his spoken word.

Sitting with John

Today is the anniversary of his death so spending the day with him reading his autobiography was like spending a day with an old friend. Wonderful book and having it read by him made it that much better.

The struggles of fame

John Denver may have been a world wide known celebrity, but he was a person. A person like you and me with problems and issues that he had to deal with. In his story he explains these and how he dealt with them. He just had the balls to share them with us through his book. He really makes you feel that you are not alone.

A story I never knew...

I have always loved John , but never knew much about him. This was a Wonderful insight into to him. I miss him and his music.

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Title: Genius of Place

Subtitle: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted

Author: Justin Martin

Narrator: Richard Ferrone

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Frederick Law Olmsted is arguably the most important historical figure that the average American knows the least about. Best remembered for his landscape architecture, from New York's Central Park to Boston's Emerald Necklace to Stanford University's campus, Olmsted was also an influential journalist, early voice for the environment, and abolitionist credited with helping dissuade England from joining the South in the Civil War. This momentous career was shadowed by a tragic personal life, also fully portrayed here.

Most of all, he was a social reformer. He didn't simply create places that were beautiful in the abstract. An awesome and timeless intent stands behind Olmsted's designs, allowing his work to survive to the present day. With our urgent need to revitalize cities and a widespread yearning for green space, his work is more relevant now than it was during his lifetime. Justin Martin restores Olmsted to his rightful place in the pantheon of great Americans.

Members Reviews:

A Great Tribute To a True Genius

Generation of the book was well done, and complimented the terrific writing style of the author. Overall, an interesting and fairly lively look at Olmsted's life and works. I would recommend this for students, and anyone with an interest in how landscape architecture grew as a profession, and how Olmsted's vision was the driving force.

The Man who shaped America

What made the experience of listening to Genius of Place the most enjoyable?

I had first heard of F L Olmsted when I saw a painting by John Singer Sargent. Then heard of him again in "The Devil and White City" where he did the landscaping for the 1893 Exhibition. So to find out that he had done so many places in America; he was the "Lancelot (Capability) Brown" of America

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that he was a Polymath was more than I expected. And where it says in the book that he wished he had found that Landscape Architect was his calling and did not want his son to waste time on other employment. But, it was the life experience that had shaped him and also America.

Have you listened to any of Richard Ferrones other performances? How does this one compare?

Richard Ferrone as always delivered a 5 star performance with his warm and clear voice. I have now searched out one of my unheard books read by him,

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Olmsted Legacy

Any additional comments?

I alread knew that he had come to England and the rest of Europe for inspiration, and recognised parts of Central Park that had been born from these journeys; and I loved the way he described his parks as the lungs of the city. As with all Polymaths his health suffered at the end, so sad