Powernoodle

Eckert's "The Frontiersmen" is a better listen

Revisado: 04-24-25

I enjoyed Allan W. Eckert's "The Frontiersmen", so I thought I would give this one a try. Whereas The Frontiersmen has a storyline or plot of sorts, "That Dark and Bloody River" has no real plot and is a collection of stories about Indians chasing Frontiersmen, and Frontiersmen chasing Indians. After several hours of this, it becomes somewhat monotonous. It is moderately interesting, but if you are going to listen to only one, I would recommend The Frontiersmen instead. It follows the life of Simon Kenton from childhood to death - and what a life it was.

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Lindbergh was not a good person.

Revisado: 12-19-24

First a little rant about Charles A. Lindbergh, and then to the book. From the 1930s onward, Lindbergh was largely though not exclusively a terrible human being. He first engaged in moral equivalence between the Nazi's and the West, arguing that if America and Western Europe would just be more friendly this Nazi thing would have never become a problem. He was quick to defend Japanese in American internment camps, but never spoke of the plight of Jews in concentration camps. Though after America entered WWII Lindbergh did work to develop American air technology and he flew in several combat missions, it was accompanied by the criticism that the West had drug us into the war. America's fault again.

Earlier, Lindbergh silenced his wife's anguish over the death of their child and later mostly abandoned her through their marriage. But the real tell about how awesome Lindbergh was as a human was that he had 3 secret families and 7 illegitimate children in Europe who he also abandoned. This is not recounted in Berg's book, as it was proven shortly after publication.

As an aside, its a little mind-bending that Charles Lindbergh - whose famous aircraft had no windshield and was literally held together with chewing gum, met Neil Armstrong and was present to watch the launch of Apollo 11. In my mind, this is akin to John Adams playing paddleball with Tiger Woods. It just doesn't compute.

On to the book. It is an obviously extensively-researched account of Lindbergh's life going back to his predecessors. Narrator Lloyd James is a professional and you hear it. The trajectory of Lindbergh's life, and the manner in which is it recounted in the book, make for a very good listen. Mrs. Lindbergh's weakness, victimization and depression are on display as well. Did I love it? No. That's a high standard. I did like it and may listen again some day. And at 31 hours, you get your credit's worth both in quality and quantity.

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Similar to Jason Fung's books

Revisado: 11-08-24

This book is similar to Jason Fung's excellent books, which I recommend above Fast, Feast, Repeat, as Dr. Fung is the real expert who got the whole intermittent fasting craze going. One thing Gin Stephens is wrong about is the effect of non-caloric sweeteners on insulin. She says these sweeteners are a no no, because they raise insulin. This is simply not true, as I and others have proved with a constant glucose monitor. But aside from that, she advocates "clean" fasting, which is real fasting. So after you've read a book or two from Dr. Fung, and still need some motivation, this one is fine.

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This is one I will listen to over and over.

Revisado: 09-27-24

For the amateur hobbyist of quantum mechanics, Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate and the Nature of Reality helps provide some slight sense of ballast in the stormy seas of the continuing quantum mechanics debate. While even Einstein and Bohr could not agree on the fundamental nature of reality, this book at least helps define the players and their respective views. Its the kind of book that I plan on listening to again every 6 months going forward, just to remind myself of what the playing field looks like. Its so easy to get lost in the minutia of quantum mechanics that its good to have a big picture, philosophical reset from time to time. This book does that. Highly recommended.

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A good listen for any Seinfeld fan.

Revisado: 07-01-24

Michael Richards comes off as quite likeable, and tells a good story. This is a good one for any fans of the Seinfeld television series.

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Heavily biased in favor of radical leftists.

Revisado: 07-01-24

At every turn, author Gage bends the narrative to coddle the communists and anarchists intent on harming America, rendering "G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century" unlistenable. No wonder the leftist Pulitzer Committee and failing New York Times loved it. And to make matters worse, she employs a female narrator whose attempts to mimic Hoover's voice are laughable. At least I learned not to buy any other books that say Pulitzer on them. I got my money back.

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Not a great look at quantum physics.

Revisado: 03-31-24

I've read or listened to a number of books on quantum mechanics, and have familiarized myself with the subject as best I can with Youtube content providers like PBS Spacetime and others. I'm basically a moderately-informed amateur at best, who believes that quantum theory is mind-bending dark magic. While Quantum Physics - What Everyone Needs to Know has received generally favorable reviews, it just did not resonate with me. For one, the narrator sound like he has his false teeth in backward. How someone who has a prominent "S" lisp can become a narrator is as mysterious as quantum mechanics itself. The book's content just seemed jumbled, and very much requires visual aids to understand what the author is trying to communicate. I did have somewhat of an epiphany when the author asserted that quantum fields, not subatomic particles, are the fundamental building blocks of reality. So, well done on that. I received this book for free as part of my Audible membership. Had I paid for it, I would have returned it. Consider instead the incredible "Beyond Weird" by Philip Ball, which may have you listening to it over and over. Thanks.

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Buy it.

Revisado: 03-01-24

Beyond Weird is truly one of the greatest resources for anyone who cares about quantum mechanics. Listen to it over and over. Take notes. And then listen some more. It really is that good. While no resource can help you understand quantum mechanics, at least you'll be at peace with your ignorance.

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Worth a listen - but heavily biased against Amazon

Revisado: 09-18-23

My review is limited to episodes discussing Amazon. There is a lot of interesting stuff here, and I think it is worth your time. But there is a heavy bias against Amazon (and capitalism), especially in its growing usage of robotics and in the episodes "Is Amazon Too Big? We Ask Its Sellers" and "I love Amazon. Let's Break It Up." The producer of the podcast appears not to recognize that Amazon - like all companies and corporations in America - exists solely to make money for its shareholders and not to make leftists feel good. You know the podcast is veering sharply to the left when they play the screeching voice of Senator Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren demanding the breakup of Amazon. So while there is some plenty of interesting material here, prepare to hold your nose if you aren't an anti-capitalist like Warren. Even so, I think its worth your time - especially for the price (free). Thanks.

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My first Stephen King novel and probably my last.

Revisado: 06-21-23

I did some online research to determine which King novel to try first. I chose "It" largely because its about 44 hours of listening, which would keep my brain cone busy for a while. "It" is a protracted series of vignettes which largely have nothing to do with the underlying storyline. I guess that some would call this character development. And with probably two dozen characters, and the storyline moving back and forth between the past and the present, I find it difficult to keep track of the characters and who is doing what. And for me at least, the titular villain is not the slightest bit scary. So while this is very subjective, "It" just doesn't provide the plot to keep me interested. Steven Weber as the reader is excellent. Thanks.

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