Ramil C. Wright

A good book to read but not a good AUDIBE book

Revisado: 03-29-22

This would be a good book to read on paper but only a good one to hear. It is clear from the (excellent) narrator that there are diagrams, images and formulas printed in the book that illustrate and illuminate the text but the listener can not see. This is particularly true in the sections on the geometric approximation of pi, limits, two holed torus shortest distances, and the Hilbert infinite hotel diagram. The section on conditional probability may have been the best part of the book as it is so often misused in medical and legal circles. Mathematics is a beautiful and elegant subject but deserves images to compliment words.

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Who fails here - author or reader?

Revisado: 04-03-21

Ar preformed, a rather tedious book with so much introspection that I sometimes felt as if I were eavesdropping on a therapy session. However, about two-thirds into the book it occurred to me that a better performer could pump some life into Ms Standich. But two things argue against that point. Some of the other characters, e.g., Josephine, and Peter came to life, and I have listed to a Peter Lovesly book preformed by Sue Lyons and loved it. I also enjoyed Anne Perry's series with Charlotte Pitt, so I'm left with an unsatisfying book by a previously satisfying author. I got tired of hearing Elena relive her past (in Berlin and with Aden (Anton), and endlessly question her feelings for Aden.

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Perils of Pauline model, but failed execution

Revisado: 11-20-20

At least 25% too long as each time our heroine got into a scrape (and there are many, many, many), she hearkens back the the mantra of her training (RADA) or what her father in Oregon said and then she gathers up the moxie to surmount the latest danger. Each time a scene shifts, the listener is "informed" of the date, time, and location. If this device is designed to let the listener know of how much time has passed since the last episode or to indicate that two activities are occurring at the same time, it fails as the listener will have forgotten the prior announcement. At least a reader could go back in the book and check but this is not so easy in audio format. The performer is OK but gets a bit to caught up in the endless episodes of "oh no how do I got out of this situation". The most interesting character in the book is the former Munich policeman Gunter whose professional standards override the political pressures of the time - and then he gets quickly bumped off near the end of the book without much further comment on his underlying character. This was my second audio with this author. I did not care for the first that I read 7 years ago, but a review in Audiophle indicated this book was a change of pace for the author. Perhaps so but only in time and place but not in style.

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Tour de Force for Plot

Revisado: 06-17-20

This book is a finely woven tapestry of many people whose emotions and actions play out in the years from 1860 to 2017. Their stories intersect in a multitude of ways, not all of them clear when you first encounter them. They all have one house in common, an old multi-room structure constricted in the 16th C on a bend in the upper Thames in Wiltshire. Even some of the most obscure rooms in the house play a part in the tale. The characters come and go and the time shifts can be sudden (and unexpected), so it is necessary to pay attention from the beginning or you may become confused or lost. The effort is well worth it. Some of the connections between characters in different era may be obscure and then suddenly become delightfully clear. Ms Froggattt's performance is excellent. With so many characters (especially female) coming and going at different stages in their lives requires a lot of acting skill - and she is up to it.
While reading about 60-70 audio books a year, I rarely write reviews, but this one demanded that I empress my pleasure.

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Erudite, Entertaining and Enlightening

Revisado: 04-27-20

For the first time in listening to many of the Great Courses, I felt I was back in the classroom again in the presence of a great professor. And having been a college professor for many years I could appreciate the way she engaged the listener. I could imagine taking one of her classes or sharing the podium with her in a team-taught class. She is a masterful communicator.
Some reviewers berate her for spending a bit of time on gender based language. If this bothers you, bear with it as the whole is here greater than the sum of its parts.
English is a marvelous and inventive language. Listen to this book and be amazed by its flexibility.

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Amaziing, cute, Amusing, Insightful

Revisado: 10-10-19

What a nice April Fools Day surprise. Cast of well know Audible readers tackling a diverse set of words. Thirteen minutes of pleasure. Thank you, Audible!

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Somewhat Flat Performance

Revisado: 01-19-19

Good ingenious plot; however the performer was not adept at making the multiple characters distinct. ;Several revisers have noted that is was not always clear when the many flashbacks began and ended. I suspect that these breaks would be more clear cut in a paper copy of the book. The performer could have taken a small pause or voice inflection when the book's time frame changed. These flashback are important to the story and add greatly to its richness.

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OK if You Haven't Read Them Yourself

Revisado: 10-23-18

My mistake in selecting this audiobook was believing (hoping) that there would be deeper or more insightful discussion of each topic. Instead, these lectures only introduce the books and might indeed inspire listeners to actually read rather than hear about these works, many (but not all) of which are as Prof Fears says, masterpieces. Of the 33 books covered, I had read 24 previously, so only learned a bit more than I already knew. I gave the course 3 stars overall rather than 2 only because the wrap-up lecture is masterful.
Below are a few overarching comments and specifics on some of the lectures:
I found it rather pretentious to throw in various phrases in Greek, Latin, Old English, German, and Italian. We have no doubt that he is learned and erudite and had read and studied each of his topics. What’s the point of reciting the wonderful opening lines of the Iliad in Attic Greek (and not even properly inflected) when these words are so powerful in English. His German is pretty good, but the rest?
Huge focus on democracy and cites Athens so often that you might miss the few references to the Athenian governments that were tyrannical, and no reference to the monarchies or aristocracies.
Prof Fears’ style of presentation is off-putting and is like that of an old-time preacher, especially when he is laying out the plot of a book. When narrating a book’s story, e.g., Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Oresteia, The Divine Comedy, Julius Caesar, 1984, etc., he simplifies the text. These are glorious books and stand tall with their own words.
He often espouses the notion of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, times, or culture, and yet subtly describes right actions in terms of present day democracy and a Christian-centric culture.
Thoughts about some of the lectures:
Iliad – somewhat sketchy; little about Hector and nothing about Menelaus, Ulysses, or Ajax. If Prof. Fears is going to impress us by speaking the famous openings of the Iliad, then he should do so recognizing that Attic Greek is an inflected language.
Meditations – A good lecture that captures nicely the role of Marcus Aurelius in contemplating a good, ethical life.
Bhagavad Gita – An excellent portrayal of the central message of the Gita and a nice presentation of the often misused word - karma.
Koran – Only a few dictates from the Koran itself and mostly telling the story of the life of Muhammad. He gave a nice presentation of the Islamic sense of “One God”, but left out the great schism arising after Muhammad death and its spiritual consequences.
Gilgamesh and Beowulf – Interesting from a historical perspective but without many lasting lessons.
Job – One of the best lectures by Prof. Fears – the listener can feel the pain, piety, confusion, and faith of Job. Well done.
The Oresteia – Pretty well done given the complexities of describing three plays in 30 minutes
The Bacchae – great play but the plot is described in too “cute” a way that makes it hard to see the moral lesson.
Prometheus Bound – a good discussion of tragedy
Aeneid – This has never been an enlightening book for me and Prof. Fears did not convince me otherwise. Not his fault.
All Quiet on the Western Front – on of the best lectures in the book. He captures the book’s tone superbly.
The Prince – accurate portrayal of power.
Republic – focus on the organization of society/government rather than how that organization provides insight on the individual and morality which is what lies at the heart of the book. Despite our modern use of the word republic, the book is not about republican government. Plato’s title is Πολιτεία, which is the relation of the citizen to the state. In Latin it became res publica; and in English, republic.
On Liberty – OK, but is vague about defining the arena within which the individual may claim protection from political infringements on his individual freedom of action. Mills fails to align his case for human freedom with the right to private property and its use in all ways that do not violate the comparable individual rights of others.
Morte D’Arthur – waste of time to get at love and redemption
Faust. Two lectures spent trying to explain and clarify Goethe, and it would take even more. This is a masterpiece of writing and Prof Fears could have spent more time on the meaning of the actions of the characters. Goethe was to the German language what Shakespeare was to English.
Walden – So Thoreau claims that letters sent to you will not enrich your soul and that reading newspapers will prevent you from learning about yourself. Did he really believe that each person should live the way he did? This is a lecture that could have been devoted the ideas of more profound great thinkers, e.g., Aristotle, Kant, Hume, Descartes, Buber, or even Simone de Beauvoir.
Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire – very well done.
Lord Acton. Not as worthy of an entry as the other authors; is Prof. Fears enamored of Lord Acton because he wrote a book collating his notes (ideas)

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Lovely story; even more so if you are a veteran

Revisado: 08-26-18

This book is clever, engaging, suspenseful and wistful. It is a well done blend of nostalgia, romance, and science fiction. There is time travel, yes, but in an unusual way. The first few sentences of the tale set up the plot although you have no idea of that at the moment. Many characters in the story, but all are kept separate very well by the narrator. The camaraderie and trust of the air crew is well portrayed and is palpable.
I read 60-70 audible books a year and rarely write reviews. Fata Morgana cried out for one.

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Splendid

Revisado: 10-22-17

I have a PhD in science (not physics) and have read accounts of special and general relativity multiple times over the past 50+ years. Never before has it been made so clear as by Brian Greene and his colleagues, Those persons who, over centuries, have striven to unravel the nature of the Universe deserve our highest honors. But not far behind them are those, like Brian Greene, who can make these mind-bending concepts understandable to the rest of us.

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