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122 reviews for:
Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR
Lisa Napoli
3.77 AVERAGE
122 reviews for:
Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR
Lisa Napoli
3.77 AVERAGE
Fascinating back story on the women who were instrumental in the creation of NPR. I wish we'd gotten a little more of the drama of the later years, but overall an intriguing read if you're a regular NPR listener.
Overall underwhelming, but that may have been because I could not give the book my undivided attention. Some political takes seemed out of date or more conservative than I was expecting, but that should be tempered by the generational contexts of the protagonists. Extra star awarded for some excellent anecdotes about the Panama Canal and how "All Things Considered" earned its name.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A fun vacation read! I loved this book. A history of NPR and all the figures - especially the women - who shaped it from Day 1. From radio’s funky, experimental early days to how friendship between these women helped shape the institution. I cried, I laughed, I fell even more in love with NPR.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I had to wade through too much minutia and tangential information to get to the important parts of Susan, Linda, Nina and Cokie's stories.
A good choice for a Thanksgiving travel audiobook. Intelligent but light, inspiring but down to earth.
(Audio)
This book centers on the "Founding Mothers of NPR" but also gives us a history lesson into other key players in radio as well as insight into the women's families and personal histories.
This book was a bit dry in parts and I sort of glossed over the boring bits.
Overall, this is a good book for anyone interested in the history of NPR and key players who made it successful.
This book centers on the "Founding Mothers of NPR" but also gives us a history lesson into other key players in radio as well as insight into the women's families and personal histories.
This book was a bit dry in parts and I sort of glossed over the boring bits.
Overall, this is a good book for anyone interested in the history of NPR and key players who made it successful.
I read this book for the online Wellesley book club and am underwhelmed. It buries the reader in masses of trivia about the biographies of each woman's parents, upbringing, schooling and first marriages, plus how each wended their way to NPR, then skips over pretty much all of their careers, from 1987 or so to 2020. Similarly, the book minutely covers NPR's history until the late 1980s or so, then drops the topic. The reader is left to wonder both what NPR's track record has been on managerial and staff diversity over the past three decades, and what the organization does these days. The coverage of the four women is far from even, too. A lot of attention is paid to Susan Stamberg and to Cokey Roberts, but Nina Totenberg gets only glancing focus and Linda Wertheimer practically none at all. The book also repeats itself in sexist and irritating ways. I got tired of reading about what these women wore and the endless references to "beautiful" Cokey's " almond" eyes and the timbre of her voice. What made Cokey Roberts awesome was what she said with that voice! Nor did we need endless reminders of the disparaging term, "Fallopian Jungle," of where Cokey lived or of where they all had weekly dinners. And lastly, the author needs an editor, to deal with her awkward and occasionally erroneous use of words.