Gratitude

Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


This collection of four beautiful essays, published in the NEW YORK TIMES shortly before Oliver Sacks's death, feels like a last, parting gift from Sacks to listeners. In "Mercury," "My Own Life," "My Periodic Table," and "Sabbath," Sacks looks back over his long and accomplished life and faces his own mortality. More than anything, he's still filled with wonder at the world. Dan Woren, who also narrated Sacks's memoir, ON THE MOVE, reads in a firm and clear voice. One might wish for a slightly more intimate and personal tone, or for him to linger a bit over Sacks's turns of phrase, to better allow listeners to contemplate them. Nonetheless, Sacks's message resonates, rewarding multiple listens. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine