AUDITION

Listeners who've been following Barbara Walters's interviews about her new book will notice something missing: Walters's account of her extramarital affair didn't make it into this abridgment. As Walters reads the stories of her life, it often feels like too much has been cut in order to fit in mentions of her life milestones--becoming a "Today" co-host, the Begin-Sadat interview, and her million-dollar contract to become the first female evening news anchor. Walters's heartfelt reading comes through most emphatically as she discusses her troubled relationship with her daughter, Jackie. With a gap made obvious by the TV interviews and cuts that dilute the impact of her accomplishments, this abridged edition of Walters's much-talked-about autobiography will disappoint many listeners. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]