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Not the Hollywood story, but the real facts.

Revisado: 10-10-22

This is the captivating true story of an anomaly in the white male dominated industry of aerospace engineering. The anomaly is not one person, but the fact that aeronautical mathematics was once deemed "women's work". From there, the reader can see how something as clear cut as math can be impacted by privilege and bias, even though it's probably one of the easiest to measure on the basis of merit.

This book is well researched and pulls in context from the period: segregation, impact of war on culture/politics/progress, propaganda by US and foreign governments, and how/why/when public education gets funding. I remember the space race and public education was well funded in CA to build the future workforce that could support US goals to beat Russia. There are many lessons to learn from this story about how the US should promote education in order to maintain world order. This was so rich in examples that are applicable today that I will buy the book for future reference. I enjoyed the audiobook, but I can't annotate the sections like paper.

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Waiting for the next Flavia?

Revisado: 08-11-22

I love the Flavia de Luce series in written and audio format. Jayne Entwistle (such an Austen sounding name!) brings this prodigy to life with irresistible mischievousness. So, while impatiently awaiting Flavia's next adventure, I searched for Ms. Entwistle's other narrations and found Maeve. Though not equals, Maeve's smart girl sauciness and strong girl character makes the wait for Flavia tolerable. Julie Berry's storytelling is compelling enough for me to get the next book. For anybody who's looking for a series appropriate for 10+ year old avid readers, this fills the bill. Flavia's chemistry and historical references require a bit more schooling for young readers, so Maeve is perfect as a positive female main character 3rd grade and up.

For young adult readers and older, the Flavia-Maeve comparison is similar to the Harry Potter-Percy Jackson one. Harry and Flavia are epic fictional characters. Percy and Maeve are very good, but not in the same league. They are still enjoyable and worthwhile reads of their own. Since I know Alan Bradley has hinted he has written the last Flavia novel, I can only hope that the Flavia TV series comes to fruition. Too bad Masterpiece did not option the series first. So, here's their chance to get Maeve.

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So compelling I can't stop thinking about it.

Revisado: 08-02-22

I rely on audiobooks so I can multitask. I just don't have time or energy to sit down and read for pleasure. This novel is the hard smack I needed to realize I need to make time, make time for my time being.

Ruth Ozeki is also a compelling story teller. Some authors shouldn't read their own work, but Ms. Ozeki is so good she should narrate everyone's work.

I checked out her website to see if she is touring for her latest book. I'm that smitten with her work. I'm adding her to my list of must read authors, which is super short.

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A brief history of RBG

Revisado: 06-02-22

This was a short bio on RBG starting with her family's immigration story and ending with her death. There were some great details I didn't know and it corrects certain literary license taken with the movie covering one part of her life. This audio book would have been so much better if the narrator had any gift for reading aloud. She sounds like a bored student forced to read a passage aloud in class who only speaks the words on the page without any understanding of or appreciation for the material.

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Much food for thought

Revisado: 03-04-22

I wish Mr. Kang narrated his own work. Mr. Kim's pace was so slow, I had to set the audio speed at 1.25 in order to listen. I heard Mr. Kang on a NYT podcast, which is how I came to buy the audiobook. I really wanted to hear his voice on this.

The topic is interesting unless you have no interest in race, politics and culture. I learned many new things and am prompted to follow-up on these issues further. This is my first book on the Asian American male perspective. I feel compelled to ask my son whether he's familiar with the Reddit pages on AA male angst, but will probably just hack his internet history like a good Asian mom. I find the idea of toxic AA masculinity frightening given the context raised in this book. It doesn't make sense to me as an Asian woman and mother. It's really toxic masculinity without race needing to be brought into the mix.

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Greed and selfishness is at the heart of all evil.

Revisado: 01-30-22

As a career public servant, I see the best and worst in human behavior. The sad truth is how the average person has become much more selfish. To talk about doing something for the common good is now viewed as un-American and threatening, rather than the thing that makes true democracy work and the reason America rose as a world power in so short a time. Reich explains the history and why the common good serves as a foundation for good governance. This book is important because it advocates what makes people good human beings and even better leaders. He criticizes both political parties, so it's not partisan. I gave his performance 4 stars because when he quotes a well known speaker, he tries to speak in their voice and it sounds snarky. It detracts from the message and undermines his authority.

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Flavia is an iconic character

Revisado: 11-14-21

Nearly every book in the series is as good as this first introduction of Flavia to mystery fans. She is an original. Unlike so many books of this genre, this series can be read by children and adults while entertaining all equally.

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It's Nora herself

Revisado: 11-11-21

this was short but funny. I watched a documentary about her and I was intrigued. I think I would have liked her in person. This audiobook is more like an organized set of loosely related essays about Nora's life, quirks and random rants. I enjoyed it.

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Always enjoyable and relatable

Revisado: 10-16-21

Michael Lewis is one of my favorite nonfiction writers (second to Simon Winchester, the master). He is a great storyteller and you barely notice you're listening to nonfiction. Author-read audiobooks provide the the unique inflection only the writer can give. As a parent of one theater kid (you think sports parents are bad?) and one sports kid, I can vouch that this book offers unvarnished truth. The youth sports industry is frightening. It drove me away when I learned it would cost $900 just to join a U7 soccer travel team (tourneys would cost more). We chose to pay for parochial school as a wiser investment. The impact of youth sports on the economic and educational divide is shocking. I had no idea. I highly recommend this book to all parents, even if your kid plays no sports. It will help you understand other parents and the college process. We don't live in a meritocracy. Money is what tips the scale.

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An author-read autobiographical audiobook

Revisado: 10-15-21

Fiona Hill is a woman of impact. I was so impressed with her during her Congressional testimony and now I am even more impressed. While she covers many topics besides herself, it all relates to her personal observations and experiences. she is a shining example of why women should run the world instead of the petty, arrogant and ignorant men who have destroyed democracy. 'Nuff said.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas