Stephen

I couln't get past the opening chapters.

Revisado: 08-23-18

This material is simplistic, overly verbose and full of conjecture with very little actual science. For example, many people might not know that the Chinese legend of "dragons" has been linked to Chinese discovery of dinosaur fossils in ancient times. But telling us that this is so does nothing to further Dr. Ford's premise and wastes the time of those of us who already knew it.

Dr. Ford's conjectures might be correct for all I know, but I wasn't convinced by the opening chapters to spend 20 hours trying to find out.

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

An important message, a bit weak in the telling

Revisado: 08-29-13

Mr. Stockman certainly has the credentials to back up his thesis, and the message is an important one for our times. Not only was he a member of President Reagan's Office of Management and Budget, he spent many years working in the world of banking and finance, and actually ran a real, decently sized business for several years.

However his writing style leaves something to be desired. He tends to overuse superlative and hyperbole, and some of his images and analogies are obscure. There are far too many adjectives -- the book could probably have been reduced by 25% without affecting the message, just by getting rid of the extra words.

Another difficulty that the listener may experience is that the timelines tend to be convoluted. A recent train of events is related and then the story jumps back to the early 20th century to fill in historical background and identify the causes which let to the recent events. I am not sure that the story could have been told better in a different way, however: it is a very complex subject and he covers it in detail.

This book is definitely important if one wishes to understand how the US economy got into its current situation.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

The long view of Western history

Revisado: 08-29-13

The serious student of Western history will probably not learn anything terribly revealing from this course, but it provides an excellent context and perspective on the subject. The focus is on daily life of common people, though it provides an overall survey of life among the wealthy as well, in order to fill out the picture.

The lectures are clearly understandable in terms of the material presented and the performance is magnificent. Professor Garland speaks with real passion and emotion that helps one develop a clear image of the message. Most importantly, Professor Garland's analysis is conducted in the context of the times, rather than the context of some modern ideology.

It was a joy to listen to.

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esto le resultó útil a 30 personas

Hated it

Revisado: 10-21-12

Pagden admits his bias in the first few sentences of the book. I found his analysis extremely flawed due to those biases. A history writer should interpret actions and motivations in the context of the era under review, and at least make an effort to avoid letting their personal bias pollute their interpretations. I think Pagden failed on both counts.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Bryson does his usual good job

Revisado: 10-21-12

If you enjoyed James Burke's "Connections" you will enjoy this book. Bryson walks through his 19th century English house outlining the purpose of each room and the history of how the type of room was used in the past. Along the way, he connects related historical conditions and events into a unique and fascinating web. For instance, at one point he takes us from the house in England to the technical problems of building the Erie Canal in New York State.

Bryson does an excellent job of reading his own work.

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Moderately well done

Revisado: 10-21-12

Charlton Griffin does a good job of reading this work, but the background effects tend to distract from the listen in spots. It is a bit tough to follow in places, though I found it much better the second time through. That may have been because I am not that familiar with the era. Winston does a good job of describing Charlemagne in the context of his time and seems to be unbiased. I highly recommend it for the serious history buff, and somewhat less for those with a more casual interest.

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Mostly market data

Revisado: 10-21-12

I was expecting information about the brewing and use of beer in the Middle Ages. This book had a little of that, but it was mostly market data about how much was produced in particular regions and where it was distributed. The interesting information got lost in the marketing data. I did not finish the book, which is rare for me.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

A beautiful book

Revisado: 05-31-12

This book is amazing. It covers a broad span of subjects with sufficient depth to be interesting. It is coherent, cogent and concise. It is also poetic and emotional without being sappy.

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Very interesting, given it's narrow focus

Revisado: 05-23-12

This is a memoir, and thus is not much of a "story". It mentions people and places unknown to the listener. Given this, it provides a fascinating window for those of us with a serious interest in the life and times of the people who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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This is a kid's book

Revisado: 05-23-12

I'd recommend this for very young people only, or those with a total absence of knowledge regarding US colonial and pre-colonial history. Educated adults don't need or want this particular book.

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