Margaret Auld-louie

Fascinating and incredibly detailed

Revisado: 04-13-23

This book is a fascinating and incredibly detailed account of how diseases spillover to humans, and traces the history of many of the major diseases that afflict humans. The author traveled and worked extensively with scientists that investigate diseases, as well as interviewing numerous scientists, and he describes his experiences with them in great detail. He also explains the science in great detail but in a very understandable way. The level of detail might be too much for someone who doesn't have a strong interest in science. I have a biology degree so I found all the details fascinating but I can see how it might bore some people. I found the narrator to be very good, except for his mispronunciation of some words. His voice made the story engaging for me, not boring at all. Although it's a long book, I didn't have any trouble listening to it or finishing it, as it was so interesting. I think this is the best book I've read on the subject, certainly better than something like the Hot Zone which is sensationalized and has inaccuracies. The only part I didn't like was the imaginary journey of a person with AIDS down the river to a city in Africa in the early 1900's, to illustrate how AIDS spread from its origin. I would have preferred the author to just describe how AIDS must have spread in this way instead of making up a story about this, as if he were writing a novel.

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Wonderful book, gripping story, great narration

Revisado: 02-16-23

I do not understand all the negative reviews here, saying Harry is whining, entitled, spoiled, etc. He did not come across to me as any of those things. He came across as very genuine, honest, thoughtful, caring, kind and self-deprecating, while still enjoying a good time (partying). He is definitely critical of himself when he feels he has done wrong. If he got some details wrong in his memories, that doesn't invalidate everything he says. His emotions are still the same, even if he doesn't remember the exact setting where something happened or the exact computer game he was given. If I had to write a book about my life, I'm sure I'd get a lot of details wrong as I can't remember everything totally accurately going back decades. The only people who can write a totally accurate memoire would be people who kept detailed diaries their whole lives (not me). This book really gave me a good sense of what his life was like from the time his mother died to the present, and why life has been difficult for him at times. Just because he is rich, doesn't mean his life hasn't been difficult and that he is not deserving of compassion. I've known wealthy people who were suicidal. Money doesn't equal happiness. His book really gives a feeling for what it's like to have the paparazzi hounding you all the time and why that makes it difficult to live your life. I never really understood why the paparazzi were a problem until reading this book. And I learned why the paparazzi made it so difficult for him to keep a girlfriend, which I didn't understand previously. I also didn't understand why it was a problem for him to lose the security personnel for him and his family until reading this. I didn't realize that he and his family (wife, children) were in so much danger, but they are. And it takes a lot of money to provide the type of security that they need to stay safe. I think that the problem with the paparazzi and the lies written about Harry and Meghan has been particularly difficult for them, vs. previous royals, because we are in the age of social media, where everything is magnified by social media. So, an untrue story in the tabloids can fuel rage against them on social media, leading numerous people to want to harm or kill them. Yes, Harry is bitter about the press and the paparazzi, but I think he has good reason to be, given how they have impacted his mother, himself and his loved ones. The one thing I didn't like about his book was how his mother comes across as totally angelic, without a fault in the world, rather than a flawed, normal human being. But that may be inevitable since he was only 12 when she died, so he didn't know her after he had grown up. We do tend to idolize our parents when we are younger.

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so boring

Revisado: 03-06-20

put it on during commute home and was so boring I wanted to change to something else but couldn't because I was driving.

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Gripping story of what it's like to become a dr

Revisado: 08-29-19

I usually don't like it when a non-actor author narrates their book, as they tend to do a poor job. But in this case, the author did a masterful job of narrating the book, in addition to having written a gripping tale of what his first year as an intern was like. This is one of the best medical-themed books I've ever read (and I read a lot of them, since I enjoy the topic). It really gives a feel for what his day-to-day life was like as an intern. It conveys how lost he felt at first, and how his mentors and the experiences he went thru helped him gain his footing. And it conveys both the horrifying and wonderful experiences he had in equal measure. It also conveys his passion for being a doctor, both the medical part of it and the part that involves helping people and connecting with patients. His patients are lucky to have someone so dedicated as their doctor.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 03-12-18

I like Tom Hanks so I really wanted to like this but it was disappointing. it was like looking at Norman Rockwell paintings. Tom Hanks is a fan of old typewriters, and apparently of older times. I don't share his nostalgia I used a manual typewriter in high school and college and I much prefer a computer. I also prefer modern times to the older decades that Tom Hanks is so nostalgic for. I did not find the older decades pleasant to live in.

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could not get into

Revisado: 03-12-18

got this free from Audible and wanted to like it but just could not get into it. gave up after a short while listening to it.

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Boring at times

Revisado: 12-24-17

I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. It was a chore to get thru it rather than a delight. At times it was boring and I felt like I was trudging thru those sections waiting for it to get interesting again.

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Fascinating, compelling stories

Revisado: 11-26-16

This is an interesting way to do an autobiography, "in parts", as the title says, where the author tells stories from his life instead of a continuous narrative, though it is mostly in order. The stories are compelling and the writing is top notch. The performance is also top notch, as is usually the case with actors reading their own books, since they are, after all, actors. It's interesting to learn how Bryan got into acting, as well as how he approaches acting. His love of acting and drive for excellence at it comes thru in this book. It helps one to understand why he is such a fine actor. I must confess that I could not get thru all the seasons of Breaking Bad because it was just too dark for me, but I recognize his fine skill as an actor and am glad he became recognized and famous for his talents.

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Great book, horrible narrator

Revisado: 11-26-16

This is a fascinating book, but the narrator is horrible. It would have been better to have the author narrate it than Lisa Renee Pitts. Lisa has a stilted way of speaking and enunciating words that is very distracting, and she pronounces some words so strangely that it's hard to understand what she's saying. She pronounces "artistic" as it the word were "autistic" and unfortunately that word occurs a lot in this book, since it's about the author's artistic endeavors. I got thru the book despite the narration because it's such a compelling story, but I wish this book would be redone with a better narrator. This is the worst narration I've ever heard.

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Best radio comedy series of all time

Revisado: 04-08-16

It was with trepidation that I purchased Season 1 of Cabin Pressure, not knowing if I would like it. The series is so great that once I started listening, I couldn't wait to go thru the rest of the seasons as well as the Christmas special and this final episode. The final episode is a great story and ending to the series. My only complaint is that there are not more episodes and seasons. The entire series is excellently written and acted and it is very easy to picture the action, even though it's audio only and not video (like a TV show). I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it during my commute.

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