JAN 2018
AUDIO BOOK REVIEWS
by Jonathan Lowe
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THE
KARDASHIANS: AN AMERICAN DRAMA. How did it
happen? From the curious life of patriarch Robert
Kardashian, whose family meatpacking business was
tainted by scandal, to “momager” Kris
Jenner’s top-secret plan for the future, The
Kardashians reveals the untold, definitive story based
on two years of investigative reporting and scores
of candid, on-the-record interviews, ranging from
childhood friends to powerful business associates,
who break their silence for the first time In the
decade since the Kardashians first appeared on the
scene, millions of speculative words have been written
about their drama-filled lives. But most has been
tabloid hype and gossip column fantasy. Until now.
Oppenheimer has authored revelatory books on such
international icons as the Clintons, the Kennedys,
the Hiltons and more. Now comes The Kardashians, the
true story that will make headlines and shock even
the most loyal fans. This audiobook will make listeners
gasp, cringe, and take to social media. An ear-opening
biography involving sugar-daddies and excess, it is
narrated by the excellent and award-winning Holter
Graham, with John Hinch. Jerry Oppenheimer, New York
Times bestselling author, has written several unauthorized
biographies of public figures, including Hillary and
Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, Rock Hudson, Martha Stewart,
Barbara Walters, Ethel Kennedy, Jerry Seinfeld, and
the Hilton family. In addition to his work as a biographer,
he has worked in several different capacities as a
journalist, including as an investigative reporter
and a producer of television news programs and documentaries. |
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How
we came to this moment is revealed by Jaron Lanier,
the father of virtual reality technology, in his
new book DAWN OF THE NEW EVERYTHING He
explores the connections between technology, philosophy,
and people living in the real world. The audiobook,
narrated by Oliver Wyman, is a fascinating blend
of memoir and future science, colored by his personal
story and the facts which are often ignored in our
headlong rush toward “the internet of things.”
An unhappy childhood in the deserts of El Paso and
Albuquerque with his father spark reflections on
what constitutes being a real human versus an avatar
in a computer constructed universe. The current
propensity to use technology for spying on people,
together with social platforms like Facebook and
Twitter becoming juggernauts that “stand in”
for actually talking to people in person (or even
on the phone) are decried as not fulfilling tech’s
potential for good. (A similar stance is taken by
the author of “The Filter Bubble,” in
which only short term profits matter to giant corporations
that exploit the data to mine users while pointing
to bottom-of-the-barrel products that sell best,
like Grand Theft Auto 5, which made a billion dollars
in three days of release, allowing the virtual experience
of killing cops and civilians.) Lanier is critical
of the total immersion society is having with their
gadgets (a 2010 book by him was You Are Not a Gadget:
A Manifesto.) If “offbeat” is a bad
word, and not a popular one in our conformist culture,
that is clearly a loss, because “offbeat”
is also another word for being original and new.
Wikipedia is also part of this “mob rule”
mindset in which the “factoids” that
Ray Bradbury once talked about in Fahrenheit 451
stand-in for actually thinking and reading. Quantity
has taken precedence over quality, and bigger is
considered “better.” (Ask Mr. “Wonderful”
on Shark Tank.) Hailed by physicists like Lee Smolin,
Lanier’s humanistic approach to VR, AI and
the Internet is understood more clearly in this
new book, which offers more perspective on his being
“one of the most original thinkers and writers
in technology,” and points the way to correcting
the road which the Information Age is currently
traveling.
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In
fiction, Ella Warren loves her job working for celebrity
news magazine, The Life, as an undercover reporter.
Her evenings are spent using her alias to discreetly
attend red carpet events, nightclubs, and Hollywood
hotspots like the fabulous Chateau Marmont, where
her eyes are always peeled for the next big celebrity
story. When Ella’s new Devil Wears Prada-type
boss starts a not-so-friendly competition among the
reporters to find an exclusive story or be fired,
the stakes are higher than ever. But is being in Hollywood’s
elite inner circle worth jeopardizing her friendship
with budding actress Holiday Hall and her relationships
with her boyfriend and her family? As the competition
grows fiercer, her life becomes intertwined in a public
scandal that may cost her everything.
A
juicy, big-hearted audiobook about a young woman who
loses herself in a fast-paced, glamorous world where
finding your authentic self isn’t easy. ACCORDING
TO A SOURCE by Abby Stern is narrated by
Therese Plummer. Abby Stern has been a Hollywood insider
and freelance celebrity reporter for over seven years.
She has covered red carpets and interviewed A-list
celebrities for People magazine, among others. Her
fascination with the entertainment industry will never
tire. She resides in Los Angeles with her dignity
(mostly) intact and shattered dreams of a stand-up
comedy career. |
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And
don’t forget my own FAME ISLAND,
narrated by an Emmy winner, directed by a Grammy winner,
and now also an ebook under the KindleUnlimited
program. If you’re a member, it’s
free. If not, it’s $3.99. Based on a true story
about a Powerball winner who disappears with a plan
to be famous for more than just 15 minutes! |
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