The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Rogets Thesaurus Audiobook, by Joshua Kendall Play Audiobook Sample

The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus Audiobook

The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Rogets Thesaurus Audiobook, by Joshua Kendall Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Stephen Hoye Publisher: Tantor Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 6.00 hours at 1.5x Speed 4.50 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: April 2008 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781400176533

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

16

Longest Chapter Length:

59:05 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

08:04 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

33:41 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

4

Other Audiobooks Written by Joshua Kendall: > View All...

Publisher Description

Peter Mark Roget—polymath, eccentric, and synonym aficionado—was a complicated man. He was an eminent scholar who absorbed himself in his work, yet he also possessed an allure that endeared him to his mentors and colleagues—not to mention a host of female admirers. But, most notably, Roget made lists.

From the age of eight, Roget kept these lists with the intention of ordering the chaotic world around him. After his father's death, his mother became overbearing and despondent. Soon, his sister also descended into mental illness. Despite these tragedies, Roget lived a colorful life full of unexpected twists and discoveries—including narrowly avoiding jail in Napoleon's France, assisting famed physician Thomas Beddoes by personally testing the effects of laughing gas, and inventing the slide rule.

Evocative and entertaining, The Man Who Made Lists lets readers join Roget on his worldly adventures and emotional journeys. This rich narrative explores the power of words and the everlasting legacy of a rediscovered genius.

Download and start listening now!

"Roget lives when you read this book; and to think before I read it, I never knew his name other than the 'name on the thesaurus', every writer's best friend. His story is compelling and human, Kendall writes beautifully. I should add that I 'listened' to the audiobook version of this book. "

— djgalvan (5 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • Brisk and vivid

    — Los Angeles Times

The Man Who Made Lists Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 2.86363636363636 out of 52.86363636363636 out of 52.86363636363636 out of 52.86363636363636 out of 52.86363636363636 out of 5 (2.86)
5 Stars: 2
4 Stars: 3
3 Stars: 9
2 Stars: 6
1 Stars: 2
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
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  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " Rarely do I not finish a book. I just couldn't work up the enthusiasm for Mr. Roget. At least I learned that I've been pronouncing his name wrong for the last 20+ years. "

    — Shannon, 2/16/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Read by Jushua Kendall "

    — Pithee, 2/11/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall (2008) "

    — Tom, 2/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " As someone who loves lists and the thesaurus...gave great insight into the thinking of a brilliant man who did not get his due until now. "

    — Jennifer, 1/31/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " This was a very enjoyable book. If you like history and learning about the lives of famous people this is for you. I also think that Roget may have been a little autistic, definitely had OCD. "

    — Tobi, 1/26/2014
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Pretty dry read about the guy who created Roget's Thesaurus. Read this book because the author did a great job with the invention of the guy who created the dictionary Merriam Webster. "

    — Vincent, 1/18/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " A very good book. I loved finding out all the stuff I didn't know about Roget, of which there was much! I recommend. "

    — Jennifer, 1/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " This book is an interesting foray into the world of professionals in England in the early to mid 1800s. It does seem to spend too much time trying to determine why Roget created his Thesaurus rather than going into more detail about the reference work itself. "

    — Terry, 1/9/2014
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Interesting information but author does a lot of extrapolation of the information he has making me question the validity of what he says. "

    — Rebecca, 1/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Suffers from the titanic complex - know how it ends - he writes the book. However, who knew he was such an interesting character. Needed more focus on him personally versus the other "cool" people in his life. "

    — Lauren, 12/14/2013
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " I don't put books down in the middle...seriously, but I couldn't get past page 66. I love books like this, but this one is in need of editing. "

    — Dawn, 9/1/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " I thought I would love this book as I love words, dictionaries,thesarus etc. but I was disappointed. Although there are psychological explanations given for Roget's passion the book was not coherent and failed to interest me. "

    — Alina, 5/9/2012
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Anyone who has an appreciation for descriptive expression and is somewhat articulate will really appreciate Roget's story. "

    — Melissa, 4/30/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Curious story of the life of Peter Mark Roget. Yeah, the Thesaurus guy. A psychiatrist's dream, it seems. Completely enjoying it. "

    — Pearl, 10/5/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Reading Roget's actual thesaurus is far more interesting than this book that contained almost no actual bizarre facts and stories that I thought it would. "

    — Regina, 9/17/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " An interesting but sometimes dry story of Peter Mark Roget. I found the historical setting interesting and I learned a great deal about the history of science along with world history. And Roget wasn't a grandfather until he was 89. "

    — Denise, 11/17/2010
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " As someone who loves lists and the thesaurus...gave great insight into the thinking of a brilliant man who did not get his due until now. "

    — Jennifer, 9/27/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Curious story of the life of Peter Mark Roget. Yeah, the Thesaurus guy. A psychiatrist's dream, it seems. Completely enjoying it. "

    — Pearl, 9/8/2010
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " It is just so boring! I want to get to some kind of story but the author has a writing disability or something. I quit. "

    — Eliana, 3/6/2010
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " I read this because my thesaurus is one of my favorite books. It's a bit tiresome to read; it's basically a biography of Roget. Fascinating, though, was his childhood obsession with compiling lists, which lasted his entire life. "

    — Michelle, 2/26/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Like so many biographies, this book is one the dry side, but the information is fascinating. I certainly knew nothing about Roget and, as it turns out, he was a pretty interesting character. I give this book a 3 for compelling reading and a 4 for interesting content. "

    — Kaye, 1/19/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall (2008) "

    — Tom, 12/15/2009

About Joshua Kendall

Joshua C. Kendall is the author of The Man Who Made Lists, about the creation of Roget’s Thesaurus, and The Forgotten Founding Father, a biography of Noah Webster, the lexicographer responsible for Webster’s Dictionary. He is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Psychology Today, and BusinessWeek, among others. He is currently an associate fellow of Yale University’s Trumbull College.

About Stephen Hoye

Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.