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I Swear
- Politics Is Messier than My Minivan
- De: Katie Porter
- Narrado por: Katie Porter
- Duración: 9 h y 1 m
- Versión completa
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Never having run for office before, Katie Porter charted a new path in 2018 when she was elected to Congress as a Democrat in historically conservative Orange County, California. Underestimated as a single mom and chided for her progressive values, Katie defied expectations. Then, using her signature whiteboard, she began to take CEOs and corrupt government officials to task in Congressional hearings. The videos went viral, introducing Americans to her no-bullshit style, and making her a coveted guest on cable news and late-night television.
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Truly Genuine Storytelling
- De LReeves en 04-25-23
- I Swear
- Politics Is Messier than My Minivan
- De: Katie Porter
- Narrado por: Katie Porter
Don’t be misled by the title
Revisado: 05-01-23
I got this on a whim after watching her bit on Colbert. I enjoyed Veep, and the book was positioned in a similar vein—insider look on the dysfunction of Congress.
There were a few such nuggets, but this is mostly a campaign tool for the author. She’s unquestioningly convinced of her moral superiority to those around her, evidenced by every selected anecdote from her life, emphasizing how those around her failed to live up to her ideals and how she alone brought goodness and light—even strongly criticizing her Democratic colleagues.
And that’s what most of the book is. One has to give her credit for moxie.
If you already like her and share her political opinions, you’ll probably like the book. But there’s not much here for the rest of us.
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The Just City
- Thessaly, Book 1
- De: Jo Walton
- Narrado por: Noah Michael Levine
- Duración: 11 h y 9 m
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Created as an experiment by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, the Just City is a planned community populated by over 10,000 children and a few hundred adult teachers from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future - all set down together on a Mediterranean island in the distant past.
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Could Not Get Past Mispronunciations
- De Martha K. en 04-22-17
- The Just City
- Thessaly, Book 1
- De: Jo Walton
- Narrado por: Noah Michael Levine
Felt Too Juvenile
Revisado: 02-09-21
As someone trained in philosophy and history, I thought this would be right up my alley, an interesting concept to explore. But the writing, for me, came across as too juvenile and superficial. Sounds like it's written from the vantage point of a tween girl, which if I were that, would be great, I can only assume. I am not, though.
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A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons
- Brief Histories
- De: Geoffrey Hindley
- Narrado por: Eleanor David
- Duración: 13 h y 3 m
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Starting AD 400 (around the time of their invasion of England) and running through to the 1100s (the 'Aftermath'), historian Geoffrey Hindley shows the Anglo-Saxons as formative in the history not only of England but also of Europe. The society inspired by the warrior world of the Old English poem Beowulf saw England become the world's first nation state and Europe's first country to conduct affairs in its own language, and Bede and Boniface of Wessex establish the dating convention we still use today.
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A very dry history of the Ethels
- De Neil Chisholm en 07-23-13
- A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons
- Brief Histories
- De: Geoffrey Hindley
- Narrado por: Eleanor David
Great overview
Revisado: 07-23-19
Really enjoyed the history. It honestly made me wonder if this is the main source that Bernard Cornwell used for his Saxon series. So much seems lifted right from these pages.
I was amused that the reader used ancient Latin pronunciation rather than medieval, which would have been more appropriate. And why Latinize English words? “Carolingian” should use a soft ‘g’ just as if it were an English word—because it is! Also, I think she could have listened to Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf to at least get an approximation of correct Old English pronunciation. Some serious butchery there. 😂
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We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- De: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrado por: Ray Porter
- Duración: 9 h y 56 m
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There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! Bob Johansson has just sold his software company for a small fortune and is looking forward to a life of leisure. The first item on his to-do list: Spending his newfound windfall. On an urge to splurge, he signs up to have his head cryogenically preserved in case of death. Then he gets himself killed crossing the street. Waking up 117 years later, Bob discovers his mind has been uploaded into a sentient space probe with the ability to replicate itself.
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Ignore the Publisher's Summary! This is Amazing!
- De PW en 04-12-17
- We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- De: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrado por: Ray Porter
I Wanted to Like This
Revisado: 07-13-17
I really wanted to like this. It has all the basics for a story right up my alley--AI, future science, sci fi, allusions to popular media, etc.
But the author spoils it by trotting out the tired atheistic canard that religion (and religious people) are inimical to science and scientific advancement. Not only did he trot it out, but he made it a central, recurring theme.
This is a real pet peeve of mine, and you'd think that given the vast majority of humans are still religious/theists of some stripe, an author wouldn't want to unnecessarily alienate them. And yes, this aspect was wholly tangential to the core plot line. People by nature are afraid of change and things they don't understand; this is not intrinsic to religion, so he could have easily created some group opposed to the research/advancement without relying on this tired, inaccurate perception of religious people.
I respect the autonomy of an author to inject his worldview into his books, but I'm just so tired of this showing up in the great genre of sci fi. The premise is demonstrably not true, despite the overly hyped (and mostly inaccurately recounted) Gallileo story and the overblown controversy around evolution/creationism being taught in schools. Contrast that to the thousands upon thousands of scientists who have been and are religious/theists, not to mention the oodles of scientific institutions sponsored by and populated with believers.
So although I almost never boycott anything, I'm going to pass on the rest of this series. I have to assume it will continue to feature "those ignorant religious people who are opposed to reason and science" given the prominence of that theme in this book.
SOME POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW
As for the other aspects, I did like the idea of Brazil becoming/being a major power. I haven't seen that before, so it was original at least to me. They were, however, pretty flat in terms of character development.
I did like the exploration of incorporating actual human mind scans as the basis for quasi-AI, and dealing with some of the psychological issues that might crop up from that was clever.
The cantankerous English general/colonel/whatever he was was another cliche. In fact, most of the parties on Earth were cliches. It reminded me of BV Larson in that it was lazy character usage--just seemed to be an easy way to move the action forward.
The overbearing condescension of the Bobs was a bit much too. I did like the exploration of the individuation of personalities post copying.
Then there's that indigenous species of the one planet with the apes and the others--I can't remember what they were called. That was just another way for the author to expose his philosophical views on humanity/evolution, which are wholly unoriginal and pretty banal, IMO. If you want a much more imaginative treatment of this line, I suggest Star Maker by Stapledon. He was incredibly imaginative in treating alternative evolutions. Taylor's apes were reminiscent of Burroughs' Barsoomian ape creatures, but less imaginative. Then there's the whole "smart, tool-using creature that shows up the big dumb athletic ones"--again, tired cliche.
Normally, I'm pretty easy to please with sci fi, but this was too much laziness, too much use of tired cliches (one of which happens to be a pet peeve), so I can't recommend it.
That said, Porter did a fine job of narrating and a bang up job on some of the popular character impersonations. Kudos to him!
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Spell or High Water
- Magic 2.0, Book 2
- De: Scott Meyer
- Narrado por: Luke Daniels
- Duración: 11 h y 39 m
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A month has passed since Martin helped to defeat the evil programmer Jimmy, and things couldn't be going better. Except for his love life, that is. Feeling distant and lost, Gwen has journeyed to Atlantis, a tolerant and benevolent kingdom governed by the Sorceresses, and a place known to be a safe haven to all female time-travelers.
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SQUID PRO QUO
- De Jim "The Impatient" en 10-16-15
- Spell or High Water
- Magic 2.0, Book 2
- De: Scott Meyer
- Narrado por: Luke Daniels
Lots of Fun!
Revisado: 04-29-15
Good clean fun. Like the playing with time continuity. Humorous and well written characters. Performance was stellar. Def recommend it.
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Rip-Off!
- De: John Scalzi, Jack Campbell, Mike Resnick, y otros
- Narrado por: Wil Wheaton, Scott Brick, Christian Rummel, y otros
- Duración: 11 h y 58 m
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In Rip-Off!, 13 of today’s best and most honored writers of speculative fiction face a challenge even they would be hard-pressed to conceive: Pick your favorite opening line from a classic piece of fiction (or even non-fiction) - then use it as the first sentence of an entirely original short story.
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When is a rip-off not a rip-off?
- De Julie W. Capell en 11-24-13
A Good Sampler
Revisado: 05-29-13
The problem with a collection of short stories is that just as you are really settling into a story you like, it is over. On the other hand, the ones you don't like require shortened suffering. I only skipped one story in this collection--the Coxswain one--because I don't care for ugliness for the sake of ugliness, where the author seems to think it is a dare to see how much filth you'll put up with when it has very little, if anything, to do with the actual story. I'm not squeamish, but I don't like pointless crap.
Most stories in this were "meh," and I liked a few well enough to wish they didn't end so quickly. The main value I see in this book, and doubtless why some authors participate, is discovery. You can get a sampling of each author's style and potentially find some you want to read full works from. Not a bad deal all told.
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Monster Hunter International
- De: Larry Correia
- Narrado por: Oliver Wyman
- Duración: 24 h
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Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
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Suprizingly entertaining
- De Konstantin en 02-17-12
- Monster Hunter International
- De: Larry Correia
- Narrado por: Oliver Wyman
Enjoyed It; Reminiscent of Dresden
Revisado: 03-19-13
Entertaining book. I liked the sense of realism regarding the weaponry, tactics, and fights.
It reminded me to some extent of the Dresden Files, but it is definitely its own thing.
There was maybe a little too much deus ex machina type stuff going on, but it's okay.
Would recommend it to folks who like this sort of thing.
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The Name of the Wind
- Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
- De: Patrick Rothfuss
- Narrado por: Nick Podehl
- Duración: 27 h y 55 m
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This is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
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Not sure why the reviews are so polar opposite.
- De Aaron Altman en 06-28-09
- The Name of the Wind
- Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
- De: Patrick Rothfuss
- Narrado por: Nick Podehl
Like Something I Would Write
Revisado: 02-11-13
I really enjoyed this. Much more than I expected to. Saying it is like something I would write gives you some sense about how much it resonated with me.
I liked the story within a story within a story technique. That was fun in itself. I like that his characters have depth, for the most part. Let's say the ones that should have depth, do have depth. I like the balanced treatment of magic (as a fan of Tolkien, of course)--people aren't just throwing magical rays at each other all the time. It is used occasionally (thus far). It has fairly good/realistic rules. It has consequences. The prodigy-hero just doesn't master it easily, for free. It doesn't feel like a get out of jail free card.
Given the depth of the hero's background he covers, he does a great job of keeping things feeling real. There are some cliche thematic elements, of course, but he reins them in well.
I like the treatment of dragons. Very original (as far as I know). :)
I don't have many books these days that I feel like I don't want to set aside. This one kept me wanting to listen and wanting to not stop.
My only real criticism is more of a philosophical one. The author has a clear anti-clerical streak that is sadly very cliche. I suspect for most of his audience, they'll lap it up, but I don't appreciate the superficial large brush painting of an entire class of people.
The reader does a fine job, too. So well that he neither stands out to me nor gets in the way--everything you could ask for from a professional reader.
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Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Wil Wheaton
- Duración: 7 h y 41 m
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Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
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Not his Wheal-house
- De P. Stover en 09-16-13
- Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- De: John Scalzi
- Narrado por: Wil Wheaton
Fun, Wry Homage to Sci Fi
Revisado: 01-02-13
Being a long-time Star Trek fan, I fully expected to enjoy this, and I did. Beyond the basic idea of poking fun at the whole redshirt theme, I didn't know what it was about, and I was pleasantly surprised at the novel twist on that. Scalzi does a good job of keeping it fun and interesting despite what you might think of as a shallow concept initially.
Wheaton is a decent narrator, but having listened to a few books read by him, I will say that he has this one particular voice when he is being scornful or derisive that wears on the nerves. It's kind of like a petulant teenager tone, and it shows up too often and is too emphasized, even when it feels like the text doesn't support it. I mention it simply because it stands out to me, but overall, he does a fine job and is suited especially to a book like this given his acting background. That adds something to it.
Bottom line, if you like Star Trek and have a sense of humor, you'll enjoy this book.
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14
- De: Peter Clines
- Narrado por: Ray Porter
- Duración: 12 h y 34 m
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There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
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Super solid listen!!
- De Magpie en 06-24-12
- 14
- De: Peter Clines
- Narrado por: Ray Porter
Fun and Original
Revisado: 10-29-12
Shades of steampunk. Mystery. Science fiction. Thriller. Historical characters. Lots of fun stuff in this story with interesting twists. I especially liked the way he tied in **REDACTED**.
Recommended.
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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas