strategy game fan

narration stunk

Revisado: 08-08-21

The narrator just didn't get the concept of dramatic pauses;. Read the hard copy of you can or maybe slow the audio to 90% (I didn't try this). The narrator ran through sentences and paragraphs without slowing for breath. the story was fun despite this.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

I get it!

Revisado: 04-03-17

I'm one of those thick people who thought I could never learn a language. I was wrong! Paul Noble is teaching me French and I'm getting it. Even my friend who teaches French at Rice University says that my pronunciation is great.

Here's the thing: I've tried every method imaginable to learn Spanish: Pimsleur CDs, state department tapes, Berlitz classes, ten different phrase books with audio components. I grew up speaking Spanish until I was 5, but just couldn't learn it as an adult. Oh, and I took two years of Spanish in high school, too. What a waste.

So I was reading an old article in the Economist that boiled down the languages an English speaker can learn and it said that if you don't have an immediate need to learn Mandarin or German or whatever, try French, as it's the easiest to learn and gives you a great foundation for learning more languages. I don't know if the latter is true, but French is definitely not impossible to learn.

I listen to about 40 minutes per night, sometimes more. And I listen to the same parts over and over again. I've listened to every part of part one at least 15 times.

I haven't decided whether to add Duolingo and/or Livemocha before I start part two. I might wait until all of the spoken parts are done to switch to writing. We all learned to speak long before we learned to write and I know that if I knew how to spell French words, I'd pronounce them like a Texan.

Give Paul Noble and Collins French a try!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Surprisingly awesome

Revisado: 07-10-08

I loved this book, but was initially disappointed that an American was chosen to narrate a story written by an Australian and set entirely in Europe. He pulled it off and I'm duly impressed.

Kids of all ages who like hard science will enjoy this story of how Will, Gaia, and Andrew set out to save the world. There are no dragons or elves or magic of any sort. The author takes great pains to include the sources for Will's scientific equipment in the back of the printed books.

This first book in what is turning out to be an excellent series (the fourth book is due out in August) is a great book for the kind of person who might once have read Tom Swift or something of that sort. It is also appropriate for fans of the Alex Rider series, without being quite as dark. Recommended for anyone aged 10 and up.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

smart & smart alecky

Revisado: 05-22-08

The dialog in this book is worth the price of admission. The banter between the two main characters rivals that of any buddy movie, despite one being a skeleton and the other being only 12. Recommended for those 9 and up who are not put off by the concept of a talking skeleton. Highly recommended for smart alecks of all ages.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

disappointing

Revisado: 01-03-08

Two stars for the idea, which was good, but none for the execution, which was poor. Characters were unevenly developed. The linear presentation did not work with an active prologue, then very little action until the end of the book.

Zero stars for the narratior, who consistently mispronounced "nuclear" and kept pausing to drink during the second half.

This title is only recommended for those obsessed with the concept of private education.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

terrible for beginners

Revisado: 12-11-05

Rush Hour French might be good as a refresher, but lacks the repetition necessary for a beginner (after multiple listens, I still can't count to ten in French--why is there no jingle for this simple task?). The presentation is entertaining, but at the expense of teaching. Further, the sections within the audible file don't match the chapter breaks, making navigation nearly impossible. Recommended only for worst enemies.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona