1959 The Year That Everything Changed

Author Fred Kaplan looks at 1959—and the years that followed—in terms of the vast shifts in scientific, cultural and political thinking that took place. Music, the appearance of hippies, and the beginning of the Vietnam War ushered in changes that would last forever. Previously, the government could label books as obscene and throw the authors in jail, but mores were evolving. The birth control pill unshackled women from the threat of pregnancy as the Cold War heated up. Narrator Joe Barrett’s voice sounds like a strong whisper. His unique manner with language and inflection sets him apart from any other reader, making all of his narrations memorable. The mixture of his softness with events of the '60s sets a nostalgic mood that might stir memories of bygone days. J.A.H. 2011 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2011]