Ray Massey

I quit listening

Revisado: 01-22-15

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

A narrator that clearly enunciates and has a tone that carries over background (road) noise.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Louis Gosset's voice has the same tone as the road noise as I traveled down the highway. I couldn't understand the words and finally quit. The book has a reputation that made me try to stick with it but I eventually gave up. My rating of the story is given based on my experience trying to listen (not to the content of the book) - disappointing.

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Good but came short

Revisado: 11-20-12

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Contains interesting stories and information on how we interact with animals. The author recognizes that we are inconsistent in the way we deal with animals. I expected the book to be lean towards animal rights but found the author to really wrestle with the implications of granting animals equal status with humans.

He struggles with the question of whether humans and animals are different in kind or different in degree. If different in degree, rather than kind, this argues for treating animals as we would treat humans. He recognizes this as overly difficult and therefore settles for being inconsistent. He will treat humans better than animals (eat them, use them for experimentation and work, etc). But he gave up too easily on the question of difference. I suggest reading Part 1 of "The Everlasting Man" by G. K. Chesterton for a great treatise on man being different in kind from animals. If you settle on this, much of the anguish the author struggles with would be more consistently resolved. Great stories but he gave up too easily on the foundational truth that would resolve the dilemma.

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Great Life Lessons

Revisado: 07-19-12

What made the experience of listening to Man of the Family the most enjoyable?

I like all Ralph Moody books I have read. This one I decided to listen to as well. I was not disappointed. The story came through with the same strength and heart.

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Academic Hubris

Revisado: 07-19-12

What would have made The Irrational Economist better?

The book should have had "uncertainty" or "risk management" in the title. It assumed that decision makers were irrational because they addressed uncertainty differently than the authors would have addressed it. While the made mention of decision theory and the importance of psychology in making decisions, they assumed that their methods were superior. The title or summary should also have emphasized that a major portion of the book dealt with climate change. The authors had a perspective and treated other perspectives as neanderthal.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It actually contains excellent information on decision making theory and uncertainty.

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