Paul Janes-brown

Great Book, Reader; a few pronunciation problems

Revisado: 07-09-19

This story is so engaging in every way. Mr. Fedarko has given us a chronicle of one of the most outstanding events in the storied history of the Colorado River. When this event is placed alongside all of the other material he presents it is a perfect crescendo at the end of this symphony. His reverence for his subject is palpable in every page. The only problem I have is the narrator, Mr. Garcia, consistently mispronounces "gunwales," pronounced "gunnels", no W sound. Shame on him. There are other mispronunciations as well. Apart from those, he does a pretty good job.

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A monument to great imagination

Revisado: 04-09-19

Novels are fiction, but this piece of fiction is so realistic it is hard to see it that way. You find yourself in awe of these characters. It makes you proud to be a human being. Mark Watney is such a great survivor. He is the one you want on your team. You hope that the courage exhibited in this novel and the calculations are real. Also the math...the math in the book is relentless and it helps one to understand how math can be a lifesaver.

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Exciting, instructive, heartwarming

Revisado: 06-06-18

I don't know whether the author sounds like Simon Vance, but his reading comes across as his story. So all I can say is I felt like I spent five hours with a great story teller. I came away with the feeling I had been to Tula Tula and I knew these magnificent creatures. I felt Mr. Anthony's vast respect and love for his land, the people and these creatures of God. I found myself engaged, entertained, and moved in a way only literature can, when it is so well done.

As he listed his trials and tribulations after deciding to take the herd, I wondered what it was that drove him so to do all that needed to be done. A lesser man would have abandoned this project at so many places along the way. This is not just the story of the largest land mammal, but it is also the story, told without ego, of remarkably successful achievement by an exceptional human being.

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Thank you, Mahalo nui loa, Gracias, Mille graci,

Revisado: 10-26-16

What made the experience of listening to They Call Me Supermensch the most enjoyable?

Shep Gordon is a real human being, who recognizes, reflects and shares his strengths and weaknesses, his triumphs and defeats. He is grateful for all of it and doesnʻt seem to have regrets or coulda, shoulda, woulda. His life is that of a serial opportunist, who as he says, didnʻt wait for history, he created it. The miracles that he created and the lives he touched, the generosity he displays and his philosophy of donʻt get mad keep the vision in sight are ways we all can benefit from this remarkable tale of a real cultural hero. He always loved what he did and he did what he loved and he is a living, breathing example that if one follows oneʻs heart the abundance will flow.

What was one of the most memorable moments of They Call Me Supermensch?

I loved what he did for Groucho Marx in his later years. That a man like Groucho could reach a place where he could not afford a night nurse is such a sad commentary. Mr Gordonʻs selfless involvement with bringing some financial security into Grouchoʻs life was so touching and such an amazing gift to a great artist.

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

Itʻs his story, itʻs as if he was sitting in your den talking to you one on one about his life; telling you all about these people who we all know, many because of him, but that we did not know the way he did. He shares his friends, friendships and the story like no narrator could. I canʻt imagine anyone reading the book when they can listen to Shep tell the story. It doesnʻt feel like he is reading it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think his relationship with Winona and her children, that he has cared for and about she and her family without having the obligation of marriage for so many years is another example of the selflessness and generosity of this remarkable person.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Gordon is a cultural hero. He was forged in the ʻ60s, blossomed in the 70s & 80s, and harvested in the 90s & 2000s. That he was and is one who takes nothing for granted, who loves Hana and Maui, and is uncomfortable in the light is so unusual. Nothing he does or has done is expected. He went where no one had gone before and transformed all he touched. That he has been in the business for more than 50 years and never had a contract with any of his associates, only a hand shake, is a way of doing business that has long been forgotten. First get the money, second donʻt forget to get the money, Third make sure you get the money!! I love that. The three things a manager must do. Beautiful.

Everything about this story is wonderful. He doesnʻt go that deeply into his spiritual side, for example, his relationship with the Dalai Lama, but I did love when he described the unique nature of our individual beings and attributed that to a higher power that we have different names for, but no matter what we name it, itʻs still the same power. This is a marvelous listen and Iʻm sure read, which I will listen to again.

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Breathtaking Truth

Revisado: 05-18-16

What made the experience of listening to Democracy Now! the most enjoyable?

The historical imperative, the depth of research and knowledge, the scope of the stories, the breath of the topics, the sense that you were listening to a true reporter who was on the scene for many of the stories. Stories that the main stream media had overlooked, either purposely or because they discounted the importance of the story; such as the massacre in 1991 in East Timor, the real story of whistleblowers such as Julian Asange and Edward Snowden, the extensive murders of unarmed African Americans by mostly, white police, the courage of people who are opposing arctic drilling by Russia, the struggle to reveal the truth about climate change and the unconscionable complicity of the American Psychological Association with the US Military in sanctioning torture.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Democracy Now!?

There are so many, but the one that really sticks out is the story about Troy Anthony Davis, a clearly wrongfully convicted African American who was executed because itʻs ok to execute an innocent person as long as the process was followed. This was such a tragic incident and made one wonder how many persons have been wrongfully convicted and executed because of prejudice against African Americans.

Also the realization that WE the US of A are the greatest threat to world peace. WE are the neo Naziʻs. We beat them, but it was a devilʻs deal because we became them.

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

She lived these stories. Her passion, understanding, clarity, is unparalleled. No reader except her could do justice to these stories. You donʻt get the sense that sheʻs reading. You get the sense that you are sitting in her den and she is telling you these stories. Recollecting them from her personal experience.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Tidbit? There are no tidbits in this book. It is one giant bite of the truth/knowledge apple after another. Every section of the book is packed with great stories, thoroughly researched and brilliantly presented. The book does leave one emotionally drained and also at times enraged.

Any additional comments?

Why Amy Goodman and Democracy now have not received a Peabody, a Pulitzer, Emmies or the Nobel Peace Prize is a testament to the bankruptcy of the establishment and itʻs values. Amy Goodman is one of our great journalists and certainly one of the most outstanding broadcast journalists ever. This book is one of the most important books of the year and should be read before the 2016 Democratic Convention by every delegate and then it should be read or heard by every American who will be voting in November.

Amy Goodman is like the Dorothy of American journalism. She pulls the curtain open on the mendacity all around us and reveals it for what it is. She points out conflicts of interest and uncovers the real story the main stream media misses. What a blessing she is and this book is.

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The title says it all.

Revisado: 05-13-16

What made the experience of listening to The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace the most enjoyable?

Enjoyable? That is not how I would characterize the experience of listening to this book. It was more like sitting on a hill overlooking a railroad track and watching two trains on a collision course. A combination of dread and sadness better describes the experience. Jeff Hobbs, allows us access to DaShawn Robert Peaceʻs full life. We learn that despite, being a criminal, Skeet, DaShawnʻs father cares deeply about him and works to make him a better person than he is. However, the circumstances of being an urban African American are a different culture than most of us know. Skeetʻs entrepreneurial spirit and his business, fell to his son when he was packed off to jail for a crime he did not commit. The son, not only expanded the operation, but he made it more successful than it ever was, while studying at Yale University and pursuing an exceptionally technical and difficult major in the sciences. Unfortunately, the drug business does not suffer competition lightly and Robertʻs business was ended at the barrel of a gun.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace?

Mr. Ross is an accomplished writer and he provides us with a host of memorable moments. Mr. Peaceʻs life, though short, was filled with stories. When he becomes a successful water polo athlete, without knowing how to swim; his accession to the top leadership at the venerable St. Benedictʻs; his relentless effort to free his father; his love for his mother, which caused him to fully embrace his fatherʻs role and business and led to his untimely demise.

What about George Newbern’s performance did you like?

Not much. I thought his style was much too matter of fact. This is a moving story and it would have been great if the listener felt that his feelings were being mirrored.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, there was much to laugh about in the book. However, there was more in it that made one cry.

Any additional comments?

This is a tragedy in the most classic sense. Here is a great young man, with amazing intellect, who is trapped by his loyalty to family and the larger socio economic problems of the times over which he has no control only a way to survive. The overriding sense of catharsis this book imparts is as good as any Shakespeare play.

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OK story

Revisado: 11-17-15

Ron Rash is an OK writer. There is nothing wrong with his work, but it is not particularly enlightening. It's not much of a mystery compared to someone like Toby Neal, for example, but it is a nice story. The characters are one dimensional. The poetic nature descriptions feel gratuitous and Rash's inability to portray romance is laughable. "Then we made love." This is a work that took three years to write, but it feels like the product of a writing mill, not a thoughtful, talented, serious writer.

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