Nancy

Overall great content but narration less appealing

Revisado: 08-14-24

Great book. Learned a lot. But I didn’t like the “virtual voice” that narrated it. It did crazy things like reading footnote references in the middle of the text, butvwithout reading the content of the footnote. Thus it gave a disconcerting interruption to the narration.

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Great book!

Revisado: 02-24-24

A lot of new information and analysis you won’t find in typical history books. Worth the read for sure!

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Great book!

Revisado: 11-04-23

Sowell combines a wealth of historical facts with careful and succinct analysis to support his conclusion that our society’s social justice warriors are misguided.

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Fabulous. Best Audible listen in 3 years

Revisado: 11-29-15

This book offers a visceral understanding of what it must have been like to be a Marine fighting in Vietnam. It touches on all aspects of the experience, from personal courage, health issues derived from operating in a jungle, what it was like to engage with the enemy, the role of military politics, and racial tensions within small Marine battalions. It is an absolutely brilliant accounting of the war experience. The narrator made the primary characters come alive. I recommend that one listen on Audible rather than read a hard copy

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OK Read, but not Clines' best

Revisado: 06-07-15

Book was fun to listen to, and narration was very good. First half of book was far better than second half. It held my interest tightly!
I have a problem with science fiction books like this one, however, when it continually strains the reader's/listener's credulity in a number of instances and for different, highly implausible reasons. This began to happen in serious ways in the book's second half. It seems almost that Clines was deciding what part of "science" he had to make up at what point in the story line to keep the plot flowing the way he wanted it to. Even where the science he made up was inconsistent with the "science" in a previous chapter. So, I can't give this book a very high rating. It is still fun to listen to if you just happen to have 10+ hours to spend on a Highly implausible story.

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Slow Start, but A Gripping Book w/Surprising End

Revisado: 05-31-15

This book is, first of all, very well-written for its genre. The author pays attention to every detail, as a good mystery book must do.. I had trouble getting interested in the first few chapters, but from then on I couldn't put the book down. The last part of the book is very much a surprise. I definitely recommend this author for mystery lovers.

For comparison, I believe it is more interesting and better written than The Girl on the Train.

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It is very, very good but not great

Revisado: 05-01-15

One reason I gave this only four stars is that the characters in the book--especially the main character, Rachel--is an unsympathetic one. I generally prefer books where one can readily identify with the protagonist. But, Rachel's self-destructive character removed that element of interest in the storyline, at least for me.
Other than that, the book was very well-written and will definitely hold your interest. The ending was a surprise, which was a good thing.

I liked very much the short chapters. For some reason, it makes the reading go faster!

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Fabulous, Simply Fabulous

Revisado: 05-01-15

Sowell's contribution to the understanding of politics is one of (a) boiling down the arguments of both sides of policy debates to their essential elements and then (b) reconciling those arguments to actual, subsequent effects of established government policy; i.e., was an actual government policy successful in producing the ex ante claimed-for results?

Such an exercise is necessary if one is to learn from history and to make informed choices going forward. One of Sowell's most valuable insights is to illustrate throughout the book how there are no government policy "solutions" to any societal problem (such as, say, income inequality). He argues--and illustrates with many concrete examples--that there are only tradeoffs. Government policies always benefit some individuals, but impose net costs to others. The "anointed", who tend to propose expanded government policies generally ignore those tradeoffs, preferring to call their proposals "solutions". They either don't understand that tradeoffs exist or else they are demagogues. The "benighted" are those of society's individuals who incur the costs of such policies, while the "anointed" generally benefit by enhancing personal power.

Sowell's is a brilliant piece of well-documented analysis. Whether you agree with Sowell or not, if you care about politics, you should read this book. It will enhance the sophistication and accuracy of your thinking.

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Definitely Held My Attention, but Not Coben's Best

Revisado: 05-01-15

This thriller consists of a plot in which relevant & intertwined facts about a long-past event are slowly revealed. So, it doesn't keep you at the edge of your seat, but it does keep you speculating about what these facts are and how they relate. I personally prefer thrillers in which the protagonist is in constant danger, so that's why I give it only 4 stars.
Scott Brick is excellent as a narrator.

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A Lovely Victorian love story

Revisado: 03-09-15

I couldn't stop listening! Beautifully written, the book is both emotionally touching and has a compelling storyline. Books like this one could never be written today. The narrator was superb. Her pronunciation of a few of the words and names in the book were actually incorrect vis-a-vis the written book, but that was my only (and very minor) complaint about her narration.

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