Ro Tek

Narration Makes All The Difference

Revisado: 12-01-18

Having listened to the book with the similar title by Philip Carlo, I had thought the content, story and narration were very good on Carlo's part. So I decided to give this version written by Anthony Bruno and narrated by Bronson Pinchot a listen, because of the good reviews here on Audible.
I was not disappointed. Pinchot does an outstanding job of story telling and narration. I think that based on the content (which seems to be lacking in depth compared to the Carlo Book), the narration by Pinchot certainly makes up for it. I've listened to Richard Kuklinski giving his jailhouse interviews and Pinchot nails his voice almost identically. Its absolutely impressive, you would think that you were listening to Kuklinski himself, which draws you easily into the story. Pinchot tells the story with all the inflection and drama it deserves. Without his involvement, I don't think the experience would have been quite as good, and overall, based on the narration alone, I give this book two thumbs up. However, if I were to base the content and story comparing it to Carlo's book, I find that there is more to it with Carlo writing, as he takes us into intricate places within the story, whereas Bruno runs us through a chronology which bounces around, and only with focused attention, could I maintain perspective on the overall story.
Bottom line, if you are interested in the ICEMAN and Richard Kuklinski's story, you might want to give this one a try. Its worth a listen, for sure.

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Great Story, Poor Narration

Revisado: 11-21-18

This is without question an unbelievable story with all of the admiration for Joe Pistone and his work as an undercover FBI agent working in a harrowing situation with stone cold killers in the the American Mafia. The story goes quite a bit further than the movie, of course, with the author including some of the actual wiretap recordings to give the listener a first hand experience of getting to know and understand the personality of the players. However, as good as Pistone has written this, there should have been a different narrator. Its always good to have the author narrate their work as they are emotionally invested in their work and it comes across more believable and credible. I just listened to an autobiography of Alec Baldwin, where he narrated his own work, and did a wonderful job. I was transported right into the story.
Pistone on the other hand, read this book with a flat narrative, little inflection and in some spots, just plain trouble in reading. By virtue of his work on this book and what he has written, he was a great undercover FBI agent, but narration is not his forte. I think that the book would have been much better to listen to with another, professional narrator. That is the only thing which I felt was negative, and the rest of the story and the book was great.

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Absolutely Terrifying

Revisado: 09-29-18

This account of serial and contract killer Richard Kuklinski's life is no less than a riveting story, which was very difficult to put down. Author Philip Carlo does a wonderful job of writing a virtual biography of Kuklinski including diving into the mind of someone who was so pathological, warped and remorseless, its hard to believe that such criminals exist. Carlo's writing style is finite and direct; he paints the picture of Kuklinski and his deeds without any sugarcoating, defining in detail his murderous personality and his "business-like" approach at killing others. Carlo's writing gives the listener a chilling account of Kuklinski's life starting as a member of an abused household, perpetrated by his father. The consequences of his fathers actions on Kuklinski's future personality are devastating, including the eventual desire of Kuklinski to kill his own father, given the chance. From his rise as a bullied and meek, passive neighborhood boy, to the 6'5" 300 pound mob killer who stalked his victims far and wide, the descriptions of how he performed his "business", at times is hard to stomach, let alone believe. From his double life as a family man living on a quiet street in suburban New Jersey, coupled with a crazed killer who was hired by the Mafia families in New York and New Jersey to execute contracts, is well documented in this book. Kuklinski's love for his children and his wife is something he would quickly kill for, and did, all the while he was not afraid to dish out some abuse to them, himself. Kuklinski's life was one of disarray in his personal matters but of organization when it came to his business. He took contracts on anyone and anybody, as long as the money was there for him at the end of the job. His affinity for addictive gambling and blowing all his money was a symptom of his lonely life, filled with memories of childhood abuse by his alcoholic father. He translated his anger into killing others, sometimes in demonic ways, such as his binding of his victims and leaving them to be eaten alive by large rats in caves in rural Pennsylvania, or within a two month period to beat 15 men to death with his fists, hammers and tire irons, because "he needed the exercise". He had no feeling or remorse when it came to inflicting pain on his victims, perhaps a reflection of the pain he suffered in his own childhood. Coming from a Polish background, he could not become a member of the Mafia, however, he was very satisfied with living quietly with his family, and not bringing any attention to him or his misdeeds. His killing reach did not only include Mafia hits, but legitimate businessmen, who he could easily murder and rob. Carlo also takes us on a journey of how Kuklinski viewed the world when it came to personal insults directed at him, or the abuse of women and children (even though he was abusive to his own), or the bullying of somebody who was weaker than their aggressor. He had no issues with torturing and killing those who hurled insults his way, such as his criminal associate, Roy DeMeo a captain in the Gambino Crime family, or the killing of someone who sexually or physically abused women and children. He always claimed to have some morals when it came to killing and he would never kill a woman or a child. Overall, the book was excellent, and one of the main features I found which was as compelling as the writing is the narration done by Michael Pritchard. He does an outstanding job, with a "matter of factness" which lends itself nicely to the story of a man who kills for a living, in a direct business like manner. This book is not for the faint of heart, as there are graphic descriptions of the killings, and significant reference to suffering and dying of his victims. Carlo's first hand approach in writing this book, including his interviews with Kuklinski directly, only add to a credible account of his horrific story.

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A Titillating Title, Uninteresting Content

Revisado: 09-10-18

Any author who writes about their personal lives do so at their own peril. Ali Davis in her recounting of her days as a porn clerk does just that. A summation of her observations while working at the video porn store takes the listener down a pathway of Davis' ruminations about her personal beliefs related to pornography, the objectification of women in porn, and ultimately the human face of pornography consumption. Anecdotes about customers personalities and preferences may seem titillating to those listeners who may consciously compare their own interests in the subject. It becomes evident with author Davis' who through sarcastic reference to porn video titles at her store, allow the listener to see inside to a degree, of how she views the world of pornography somewhat based on her knowledge of the video industry and her personal interaction with the porn consumer. Personally, I found the content to be somewhat mundane and uninteresting as it relates to what people like to watch in relation to sex films. Honestly, I was lured by the title, expecting a more introspective look into the world of selling pornographic videos, and a more purposeful attempt at uncovering what drives consumers to pornography.

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Avery Doing What He Does Best: Deflecting

Revisado: 02-16-18

had no thought or opinion on Sean Avery one way or the other when he played in the NHL. Quite frankly, I had little interest in him, his style of play or his controversies. If he happed to be playing in the game I was watching, I had no issue with the guy, he brought some level of entertainment to the game. But then again in their own ways, so did the other 45 players on the ice.
Being both a player and a fan, I enjoy reading pretty much anything about the game of hockey. Having picked up his book (titled differently in Canada, by the way) and had a look at it at Indigo back in Canada, it intrigued me, but I decided not to spring for the hardcover. However, while traveling, I did see it available on Audible and had some credits to use, so I thought what the hell, and bought it. So some of the tidbits I did read back in Canada, did help me in eventually buying it, albeit in digital form.
First thing is that Avery himself narrates it. I enjoy the authors who narrate their own books, it seems to commit the author in a more profound way to the story. And in Avery's case, this guy is going to tell you HIS story, so its a natural fit. I found that this was an interesting foray into character introspection; Avery is keen on explaining his behaviour to the listening audience, so that in some way, we'll all of a sudden stand up and exclaim: "Oh yeah, his character as detestable as it was in the NHL and even off the ice, was all supposed to be an act.". Avery seems to be looking at this explanation as his redemption for many of the things he did in distaste while a player; whether it was laughing at another player's wife for the way she looked, or humiliating an ex-girlfriend on national TV or his off color and weird behaviour during the course of an NHL game, he defines it as all an "act'. Like an actor setting up a character in a play or movie. He infers that during his career, it was a different Sean Avery in the public eye, than how he was privately.
In this book, he spends an awful lot of time attempting to get the public to buy this. But in his mind, I am sure that he could give a f**k, because in his own words, he didn't care what people thought of him and if this was a way he could stay in the NHL for as long as possible he was going to behave this way.
The book delves into some of the behind the scenes lives of NHLers. Its interesting in that regard, but if you are looking for a "tell all", you will be disappointed. He scratches the surface of bad behaviour only, and rarely or doesn't talk about good behaviour.(charities, hospital visits etc.). He name drops a lot, he talks about the famous women he's dated. He talks about people who had influence on him as a person and hockey player, both bad and good. Brett Hull- Good. Mike Modano- Not so good. Chris Chelios- Good, Mark Hardy- Not so good. John Torterella - Not so good. He has a hayday at Torterella's expense, which I think Torterella had coming anyway.
In fact, he rips some of those who may have had a hand in his success; such as Red Wings GM Ken Holland. I think if its important for Avery at this stage of his life to come back at a GM who once got rid of him for his bad behaviour, he still has a lot of reconciling to do in his life.
Overall, I found the book interesting in the first few chapters and that was it. In spite of his interviews where he says he fashioned the book in a "tell all' format.
Avery is an enigma in that he made the NHL from an unenviable draft position. He never was drafted in the NHL. Yet he put a good enough ACT together to make it. This is an interesting story, and again, he credits his acting and his character development as an outsider and fringe player, with helping him break ground in the NHL.
The stories then got repetitive and more diatribe about about nightclubs, and nightclub people and more clubs and concerts, and more people he name dropped, got mundane. Even his internship at Vogue was disinteresting, in that he took interest in the job, because he could "meet babes". One would think that an NHLer, particularly a Ranger, would not have much problem in meeting babes? There's plenty of them available for sports stars, one would surmise?
He's going to tell you over and over that his name was being chanted at Madison Square Garden. They were chanting for a 3rd liner. Mike Modano never had his name chanted, he will let you know.
In the book, Avery's going to tell you how he made the NHL over and over, when there were naysayers.
He's going to tell you he is a victim in all the controversy and crap he was involved in.
So if you have an interest in his explanations, have at it. As I said, the most interesting part of this book for me, was his determination in making the NHL, which can be said, I am sure for the other 700 or so players who also play in the best hockey league in the world. If you want a tell all, you'll just have to wait, until someone else has the courage to actually write a "tell all" in the sense we all expect.

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A Five Star Memoir!

Revisado: 04-14-17

I've always enjoyed Alec Baldwin as an actor and his memoir "Nevertheless" immediately appealed to me, as I have always been interested in his rise to fame, and in some ways, somewhat interested in his life and those oh so public events that have shaped many movie goers' impression of him including me.
Baldwin sets the record straight on a few things, one most impressive, is that he has been sober for over 30 years, contrary to what readers may find in the tabloids. I was unaware of this.
What I also found, unlike many memoirs I have listened to or read, he interprets his life through a lens of retrospection, providing the listener/reader with his own personal observation and understanding of the events which he defines as changing the course of his life. Its almost like a book of lessons.
This book is definitely worth a listen. Narrated by Baldwin himself, he throws himself behind revealing some messy truths in his life, and with a great deal of self-deprecation, honesty and admissions, he provides a truly interesting capsule of his rise to success, his addictions, his trials and tribulations, and an open and candid view of the business of acting, TV and movie making. If one is looking for revelations, gossip or tabloid journalism, this is not it. Instead, he takes you through a thoughtful view of his family life on Long Island, his eventual rise to stardom, some of his proudest work, along with many admission of failures and stumbles along the way., and his attempt to understand why it happened.
Baldwin does not write maliciously about those who have brought him strife, nor does he attempt to shift blame in any way to those who have harmed his career or personal life. Refreshingly, he attempts to provide the listener with an understanding of his role in those events, and what responsibility fell on him.
Baldwin walks a very fine line in the regard of calling any one out in his book, but what he does do elegantly, is write. I was most impressed with his style in which he narrates like he acts. Natural, open and inviting. It was a pleasure to listen to him talk about those actors he admired, why he admired them and those who had helped him craft his acting chops along the way. The plethora of fine actors and actresses he has come to know, is illuminating, and brings a dimension to the book which is not only interesting, but also a look into the inside life of one of the most prolific movie actors of our time. What he didn't write about much were his brothers and sisters to any great degree, the assumption being that he wanted to focus this book on his life as narrowly as he could, and perhaps retain a degree of privacy for his famous brothers and his sisters as well. There is little discussion in his book about his brothers, but he writes very simply about his sister Beth, in the context of her involvement in their Long Island family life, mostly as it relates to Baldwin's relationship with his mother and father. Baldwin loved his mother and father, and he writes about his relationship with both of them in a way which is as raw as you can get. He is able to take you into his boyhood home and unravel the story of struggle, hard times, and dysfunction. He idolized an almost absent father who with his own unrealized dreams, gave all he could to his family as he worked tirelessly to provide for.
I am totally impressed with this book, it maintained my interest right to the very end, and I have a new found respect for Baldwin, his intellect, and his ability to write a great memoir about his life. Highly recommended.

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Awesome Listen, With OUTSTANDING Narration

Revisado: 08-01-16

I have read a number of books on this topic in the past and this was one of the best. Not only did not have to flip the pages, I had the honor to listen to one of the best narrators read it to me! Ray Porter does an outstanding job on a riveting story which takes you into the personalities of the DEA and those they hunt down, those in the Cartels south of the border. Its an inflammatory listen, with a geopolitical spin, however it never loses sight of the human toll that the war on drugs is taking. Ray Porter is the master of the voice. He takes you into the story and he masters the characters, including the female voices, of all things, so you are never lost within the story. I would highly recommend a great listen, with an awesome narrator who takes you into what is an expertly written book on the subject. Its worth the time, and I could not tear myself away from listening to it, any chance I got. Well done!

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An Outstanding Listen!

Revisado: 02-09-14

Being Canadian, watching American politics from the sidelines, is often like watching a sideshow in a circus, as politics in the USA is a somewhat different animal than what we are used to.
The narration was done beautifully first off, and the story behind the Obama election with all the personalities involved was more than interesting.
The authors of Game Change have brought the best and worst of the most well known political figures to the table; McCain, The Clintons, Sarah Palin, and of course Obama in all his glorious arrogance. The thing I found most interesting was how "human" the authors portrayed these politicians. Their failings, their fears, going deep inside their personal lives, and just how vulnerable they are, or can be. These are faces of these people that one doesn't see in TV soundbites or when they are delivering speeches. I applaud the author in this regard, because literally nothing was held back, including the decision making which affected the nation at large. How President Obama finally had Hilary Clinton agree to take over the Sec of State position, after she vehemently told him no. Or how and why McCain chose the loose cannon in Sarah Palin as a running mate, when he had unbelievably qualified and capable people who may have changed the course of history for McCain had he selected them. The stories are raw, the dirt seems real. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and if there is an interest in President Obama and his politics, or how he climbed to the echelon of American politics while steamrolling over his opponents, this book is recommended.

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A Good Primer for Any Reader

Revisado: 04-08-13

I enjoyed this book by Charles Bowden, who also narrated it.
He describes the story in his factual, monotone voice, so it's important to get engaged in the story, listen closely, or you may miss key pieces of the book.
This may be on purpose by Bowden, to illustrate the casual savagery, lack of law enforcement, American involvement and Mexican government interests which exists in Juarez.
I found I had to go back over parts to catch back up on the story, as it sometime is a little difficult to stay on top of it, with the slow, unchanging pitch in narration.
However, Bowden's account of the conditions in Juarez are chilling, and his first person description is even more credible. He describes the lawlessness of a city under siege from a citizen's perspective, having interviewed and spent time with innocents living in this city during the writing of this book.
He uses the experiences of real people, for example, Miss Sinaloa, a beauty queen abducted by a Mexican drug cartel and eventually freed only to be placed in a mental institution, as a backdrop to his story. He educates us on the rise of the Mexican cartels, the power and pure brutality which they possess, and the influence on authority and government which allows free range activity south of the border in Juarez.
This book is somewhat of a primer and close-up look into the changing political landscape which includes now includes the drug cartels as a financial power base in Mexico. Its an interesting listen and will bring anybody who reads it up to speed on a situation in Mexico which has escalated in notoriety and presence over the last 7 years.
I would recommend it to readers interested in this topic.

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As Good As The First Time!!!

Revisado: 02-17-13

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Beautifully narrated and wonderfully horrific! Stephen King's best work, beautifully written and enormously engaging.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack Torrance, as Stephen King demonically demonstrates his slow demise...His slow disintegration of his mind and his perceptions of the evil which is lurking in the hotel are mind blowing!

Which scene was your favorite?

Jack Torrance entering the "empty" lounge for the "fish and goose" soiree. As the Overlook Hotel is closed for the winter, and Jack and his wife and son are the only people in the hotel, the appearance of "Lloyd", the bartender, is the harbinger of the horror that is to unfold for Jack.

If you could take any character from The Shining out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Since there were essentially only 4 main characters in the book, Jack Torrance would be the most interesting. He had little grasp on reality and his understanding of what was real and what wasn't, was very intriguing. Asking him about what he thought of the evil forces which were forcing him to kill his wife and child would be most interesting.

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