Sierra Bravo

Constant humor buried in a griping story.

Revisado: 10-31-24

I love this series because it explores the issue with people, be they biological or "Bobs". This book as a little harder to follow because of multiple story lines jumping back and forth but definitely worth the listen.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

The only fiction I listen to (except sci fi)

Revisado: 10-31-24

Not usually one for novels set in the present day but this series and this book in particular is excellent. The political polarization flows through the background painting both extremes as the danger they are. Meanwhile our hero (broken as he is) trudges on toward recovery while making the world a better place. That is a worthy goal for us all.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

well written

Revisado: 11-25-23

at great story well told. could not put it down. The plot pulls you in but the descriptive prose is amazing. it makes the story like you are there.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

done in Stroble's typical reporter style

Revisado: 09-28-21

a series of interviews with very intelligent people on very difficult topics. Worth the time and easy to listen to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not an easy Book

Revisado: 05-24-19

If you liked 12 rules for life and would like another Jordan Peterson book be careful. This is not and easy reads (or listen). The book starts with the observation that well before we became scientists and started asking "what is it and how does it work?" we asked the question "what does it mean?". To a large extent we have stopped asking that question and Peterson argues that we still need to ask that question. The first third of the book justifies (if you need it) why that question is still relevant. If the question of things having a meaning is valid that inevitably leads to the rabbit hole of the meaning of life. That is a very deep and complicated hole. I believe that Peterson has some interesting and relevant thoughts on the subject and his perspective is unique (at least to me). So this is a book about psychology, philosophy, and to a lesser extent theology. As such it is not written for the causal reader. That said every time I was about ready to give up and say "too deep" up would pop a very clarifying thought to add to my personal list of how to live life. It is worth the read if you are willing to do the work. If it is too much work at least listen to the summary at the end. You will not have the background of the thought process leading up to them but the conclusions are worth deep consideration.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Many interesting things but beware

Revisado: 03-15-18

This book contains many interesting facts and scientific theories and the early section on the evolution of man is quite interesting. What struck me most about the book is that in the early part where the author is most qualified he is very careful to note what is theory and alternate theory but later in the book when is offering his opinion on a number of things (such as how research monies are allocated) he presents his opinions as fact. The first third of the book is well worth the read (or listen) but the last two thirds is simply the author's opinion on a host of things presented as fact. Opposing view points are NOT included or even mentioned. The arrogance of this tends to come thru in spades. Got 80% of the way thru the book and just could not take it anymore. In 15+ years of audible over 360 books this is only the third I have not finished. Read the first third and save your time for something better.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 250 personas

What happened that did not make the public relm

Revisado: 09-05-17

I waited a while before reviewing this book. Time often improves perspective. I would say that this is an essential read fro anyone wishing to understand the financial crisis on more than a rudimentary level.

The view of the financial crisis from someone who survived it (very well thank you) John's insight into what caused it and what exacerbated it are probably more first hand than anything else you will read. It makes it very clear that there was plenty of blame to go around both for the regulators (who helped cause the problem) and the banks themselves (whose actions were often unethical). This is a front line report you will learn a lot you probably have not read elsewhere.

Finally the last part of the book contains probably the best discussion of "Business Ethics" that I have read. As someone who had taught the subject at the college level, and as as such has reviewed the standard course material available, John's discussion of ethics is outstanding and should be required reading for any business major. If I were still teaching I would use it as the definitive text on the subject.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Good Deep Questions, Trite Shallow Answers

Revisado: 08-28-17

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. It is very good at making you think about what is/should be the purpose of government in the 21st century. Having never been to Finland I must take what the author says as fact. It appears that in Finland the government is relatively efficient and delivers high quality services at reasonable prices. As such the people are content with the relatively high taxes because they get so much for them. If government can remove the deep stresses of modern life why not go that way? Is it just a matter of will that the United States is so different?

Unfortunately looking at two countries at a given point in time does not touch the deeper issues as to what can be done and if it can be maintained over a long period of time. For example; the author argues that the relative effectiveness of the education system in Finland is because it is "supply side" whereas the US is "demand side". The problem with this is that the only reason that the US is becoming "demand side" is the utter failure of the supply side model in the US over the last 60-80 years or so. Places like New York City used to have really good public schools. This raises all the important questions like; does the supply side system degrade over time? Is there another reason for this systems failure in the US (perhaps the increasing national mandates overpower local approaches) As the book notes it can not be just a matter of funding as the US spends more. But the book does not discuss this.

Discussing the state of the US Health Care system and giving only one sentence to malpractice insurance and its implications almost seems like journalistic malpractice. Every time the author gets close to a really deep discussion she bounces off with either standard liberal rhetoric of quotes some politician. Her statement that Social Security and Medicare are two places where the US does a reasonably good job totally ignores the fiscal nightmare these programs have created.

There is no question that education (both primary and secondary), health care, day care, and taxes are systems in the US that are all in various levels of broken. We, as Americans, need to thoroughly study them and then fix them. Our Future depends on it. In fact I believe that the Author actually hits the crux of the matter when she states that Fins trust their government and Americans typically do not. She even goes so far as to state that American's have reason for this mistrust as we do not get much from our government relative to the money it takes. (When it comes to good government we are "at the back of the class")

So ultimately why does government work well in Finland and not so well in the US? Is it size? (after all Finland is smaller than about half the states) Perhaps more services should be handled solely at the state level as government tends to be more responsive as it gets closer to the people. Perhaps it is the democracies simply do not age well and that the US being early to the game has aged into massive bureaucracy as opposed to good government. We all recognize the need for effective government; as we have seen in US education system, pouring more money into a broken system does not tend to fix it, neither apparently, does heaping endless mandates on at the federal level.

I want our government to do for our citizens what Finland's does for theirs, I just do not see how it can in its current state of repair. The deep answers lie in how we can fix our government so it can provide us the services we deserve at a price that does not break us all. Unfortunately this book does not go there. I really wanted it to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

Not an introduction

Revisado: 08-08-17

This is probably not a good introduction to particle physics, at least not in audio form. I actually doubt that any introduction in audio form would make a good introduction, the figures need to be in front of you when you first wade into this deep of a subject. That said if you have the basics down the book makes a good read.

The author does a good job in interspersing personal information about some of the historical figures that gives some brevity, and allows the readers mind some brief rests, from what is a very deep subject. Without the personal sidelines the book would be very difficult to listen to.

My one criticism is that the author presents his own materialistic beliefs as facts. He simply states that the specific value of one constant or another is what it is as a coincidence of nature and that fact that if the constant were even a minuscule bit different the universe never would have developed life has no greater significance. The author surly knows that the question as to whether the universe was designed to sustain life or if the possibility for and the existence of life is simply as series of extremely improbable coincidences is not a question that “science” (at least in its current form) can answer. It is a matter of faith no matter which side you are on. Sliding your religious views in as facts without any real discussion of the underlying argument is disingenuous.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

What does science really say about evolution

Revisado: 06-07-17

It never ceases to amaze me how people with supposedly scientific minds believe blindly in random mutation evolution. Like any scientific theory it has things it explains and things it does not explain. Like any scientific theory it must constantly be reevaluated in light of new evidence. It seems like our world has changed Darwin's evolution from a scientific theory into a religion of its own. Meyer offers a thought provoking look at the evidence. This is a great book for Christians to equip their children with as they enter Middle school "science" classes. It is a good book for anyone with an open mind on the subject. As Mark Twain is quoted as saying: "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 27 personas