Karbush

It was ok

Revisado: 02-09-19

Fairly interesting but I found the writing to be maybe a little contrived or predictable. written for dramatic effect. It was ok.

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A little happier

Revisado: 11-27-17

The author says meditation has made him ‘a little happier’ and, for me, it didn’t sound very convincing. He follows that with a vignette about doing a walking meditation and being in a ‘muddle’ about some issue and that his meditation practice helped him to gain perspective on it- but I wasn’t convinced. When I think of my happiest times it was in childhood and adolescence when I didn’t have to capacity to analyze my life- I lived much more in the present, not questioning everything I did and believing much more in illusions- that I’d find a fulfilling relationship job that God exists etc. I has my downs and ups but somehow I had greater peace in life with those. The author has done what academics so readily do- written a book based on the analysis and dissection of a process that is probably best just experienced. He has found a way to own and make money from an ancient practice and for me that took away the mystique which kills the joy. Meditation is not necessarily about happiness but about awakening; I get it- but I’m not convinced it has made his life more fulfilling or meaningful or awakened but that he now explains away his suffering with Buddhist rationales because he his job is to analyze and he has applied that in a way that allows him to continue to spend most of his time in his frontal lobe in a way that feels consistent with Buddhism. I guess what I’m saying is, having spent 5 years in a PhD program, I am unconvinced that the obsession with dissecting and categorizing every experience is one that leads to happiness and fulfillment and decreased suffering. I am thinking that living in the present and experiencing the magic of life - as we tend to do more easily when we are younger - is possibly the way to go. Having a meditation practice, a spiritual life might lead to much joy and fulfillment but over analyzing those experiences and then writing them up in papers and books may be antithetical to this. Sir Ken Robinson is an amazingly insightful and witty British educator who was once an academic and he makes a joke about academics that felt so true to me. He said they live in their heads and slightly to one side....their bodies are just tools to carry around their heads. That they might go to a discotheque and instead of enjoying it and living in the moment, they can’t wait to go home so that can write a paper about it. (His talks are in TED- highly recommend!) Thats kind of how I feel about this book. I think I’ll just meditate without reading anymore books by western authors in the experience of meditating.

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Great story, narration disturbing

Revisado: 07-30-17

Where does Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am not yet finished, but I am loving this look into Richard's life. Very detailed - you really feel like you are there with him in the story. I was just a preschooler during the Stones heyday but still the book brings back fond memories for me and I especially love hearing about the other musicians Richards knew and his fondness and respect for the Black musicians who inspired him. The narration is really bothering me. Unlike most others, I really liked Depp's subdued reading and did not think it was an American accent but a soft British one. When the 2nd guy takes over, it is like nails on a chalkboard. I am hating his voice to the point where I often just want to stop listening. Over the top, fake sounding accent to me (but I'm no expert - just really overdone and grating). I sure hope he doesn't narrate the rest of the book! This is a good book, nonetheless.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Keith, of course. Kind, down to earth.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

See comments above.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not finished yet, but again, am really impressed by his understanding of, fondness and respect for the Black culture and musicians of that era. I am African American and his depictions mesh with my experiences as a very young child growing up in the 60s. Rather than judge Blacks as inferior or immoral; he seems to resonate with their warmth, generosity, nonjudgmental acceptance of him as an outsider to the standard American culture of that time. I'm not saying the Blacks of that time were perfect, but he does capture the best they had to offer. That really struck me.

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Well Written and Engaging

Revisado: 08-17-16

Very engaging--I never lost interest. Thorough --if you like adventure stories you will like this and learn a lot about diving. Narration was ok but you could hear him taking deep breaths before reading which was kind of weird. I highly recommend this book.

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Riveting

Revisado: 07-09-16

Very engrossing--never a dull moment. I stayed riveted the entire story! I sometimes drift and my mind wanders with some audiobooks--not this time. Highly recommended.

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Thought provoking

Revisado: 01-07-16

A really novel approach to examining Leonardo's life. Author makes some leaps but worth a listen.

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disappointed

Revisado: 06-11-12

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I didn't find this book particularly insightful. It was very brief and more like a series of observations than anything that really delved into the psychological reasons for the excess baggage. Having read 'A Fine Romance' first, another book by the same author, I was expecting something more--as that book is incredible.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

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