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Trying to make DNA interesting

Revisado: 05-07-14

Would you try another book from Bryan Sykes and/or Dick Hill?

They apparently did good research, but the most interesting bits were about their social engineering skills.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Shorten it

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Dick did a good job using his voice inflection to keep the dry material conversational

Do you think Saxons, Vikings, and Celts needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

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Loved the first half of the book. Very authentic.

Revisado: 04-05-14

Would you listen to Oil! again? Why?

No need to listen again. I will remember it because so many of the stories rang true to my own life experiences with human nature.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bunny's dad was my favorite. Pragmatist.

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Nothing to be celebtrated

Revisado: 03-03-14

What did you like best about Ghost in the Wires? What did you like least?

Remember the days when you could trust your neighbor, leave your doors unlocked, and let your kids play outside? Well, Mitnick is apparently one of the guys that ruined it for everybody else. HIs skill at defrauding people (he calls it "social engineering") left a trail of collateral damage that increased the cost and complexity of life for each of us. Ray Porter does a brilliant job of reading the book, but the story itself is as disturbing as it is tedious.

Would you recommend Ghost in the Wires to your friends? Why or why not?

I prefer "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll.

What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?

His intonation conjured up a Mitnick-type character very vividly.

Was Ghost in the Wires worth the listening time?

Would have been better in an abridged version about 1/3 as long.

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Excellent research, inside story

Revisado: 02-08-14

What made the experience of listening to The Quest the most enjoyable?

I learned a lot of new information that put events into a plausible framework.

If you could give The Quest a new subtitle, what would it be?

From fossil fuels to renewables

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Very easy and pleasing to listen to

Revisado: 09-09-13

Where does Hurlbut's Story of the Bible rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

remind yourself of some Bible stories you've forgotten. Imagine the movie running in your mind as you listen to the stories.

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I agree. Jesus Existed.

Revisado: 08-21-13

What made the experience of listening to Did Jesus Exist? the most enjoyable?

Ehrman methodically gives plausible reasons leading to the conclusion that a man named Jesus did exist - and was the basis (somehow) for later stories about him.

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Comprehensive apologetic by and for Believers.

Revisado: 08-21-13

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The first half of the book sets out the most prevalent rationale adopted by questioning Believers to bolster their faith or assuage their doubts. Jeffrey does a better job than many evangelists of mentioning problems with his arguments that still cause debate among scholars, but he omits a whopper. Particularly weak for a book alleging to offer "proof" is his unspoken premise that the Synoptic Gospels are completely reliable and therefore substantiate prior prophecy - only to loop back using substantiate prophecy as "proof". In a book with this agenda, he must consider whether the Synoptics were specifically written to make it appear that prior prophecy had been fulfilled and respond to those critics. He is silent.The second half of the book deteriorates into the author's personal apocalyptic interpretation of Scriptures and is not very convincing. Notice how the authors mentions that there are thousands of fulfilled prophecies, then mentions that there are hundreds, then says there are many, and finally just explains in detail how a carefully chosen few (might) have been fulfilled if you think about them in just the right way.

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Sensible and rational information about The Bible

Revisado: 08-21-13

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Spong expresses the certainty that something amazing happened during and at the end of Jesus's life, yet also explains how the explanations we accept as "Gospel" today may have been plausibly embellished to the extent that we cannot know what to believe (exactly).

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The failure of Spong to articulate a satisfactory substitute that the human mind can grasp in place of the traditional dogma.

Was Jesus for the Non-Religious worth the listening time?

Worth the time to hear succinct presentation of an alternative viewpoint delivered directly, rather than as a "straw-man" by a traditional evangelist.

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Fuzzy conclusion

Revisado: 07-08-13

What did you like about this audiobook?

I really liked the first Spong book that I read, "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism". Each chronologically subsequent book got a bit less precise culminating in this one. What exactly does eternal life mean? He doesn't explain it.

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Not suitable for thinking persons.

Revisado: 07-02-13

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If you are not a Believer a priori, then there is no utility from this book.

This is a three-hour orthodox evangelical sermon delivered in whispery, emotive tones. The author doesn't even bother to set up straw men about why the Bible might not be inspired and knock them down. He assumes we all agree within the first few pages that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, blah blah blah... and even says that the remainder of his book won't make sense unless one agrees that. Isn't that circular reasoning?

His two repeated assertions to prove divine inspiration are, "There is no other possible explanation for...", and "The only possible explanation is...". In fact, scholars have plenty of alternative explanations that I hoped the author would address. Very frustrating.

This books is only intended to assure the faithful that they can ignore any creeping doubts that might enter their minds.

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