Natalie & Jake
- 10
- opiniones
- 0
- votos útiles
- 20
- calificaciones
-
Brilliance of the Moon
- Tales of the Otori, Book Three
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
- Duración: 9 h y 56 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
In the final installment of the Tales of the Otori, the young Takeo meets his destiny, fulfilling the prophesy: "You were born into the Hidden, but your life...is no longer your own."
-
-
A year of anticipation is over
- De James en 08-06-04
- Brilliance of the Moon
- Tales of the Otori, Book Three
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
Decent conclusion
Revisado: 09-17-24
Brilliance of the moon is overall a decent conclusion to the Otori trilogy. The book feels like far less of a trudge than Grass for His Pillow. The emotions and motivations of the characters felt more engaging again end it does a fair job of summing up the story arc.
*SPOILERS*
However, much of the story is reliant upon Deus ex Machina to resolve the overall conflicts. It is my opinion that Hearn was trying to convey that fate was really in charge the whole time, but it still feels contrived and even somewhat lazy. Overall, while better than the second book it still falls short the first. But I do applaud that she made sure neither protagonist escaped unscathed.
Again, narration is excellent.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Grass for His Pillow
- Tales of the Otori, Book Two
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
- Duración: 9 h y 25 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
The exhilerating tale of Takeo continues in book II of the internationally best-selling Tales of the Otori trilogy, a sweeping saga set in a mythical, medieval Japan.
-
-
Good book. First one was better
- De RacerX en 03-10-04
- Grass for His Pillow
- Tales of the Otori, Book Two
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
Underwhelming sequel
Revisado: 09-17-24
While not a terrible sequel, Grass for His Pillow felt very underwhelming after Across the Nightingale Floor. The book itself seems far less eventful than the other two in the trilogy and much of it becomes a trudge through the existential threat of adverse weather and famine. The lack of political intrigue or grand conflicts of the other two books makes it feel like filler in comparison. However, the "tribe" training and conflicts regarding Takeo do add some interest to the book. As with the last volume, the narrators are excellent and give added life and personality to the characters.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Across the Nightingale Floor
- Tales of the Otori, Book One
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
- Duración: 8 h y 25 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
A tour-de-force novel set in ancient Japan filled with passion, fantasy, and feuding warlords. The first volume in the highly anticipated Tales of the Otori trilogy.
-
-
Wonderful epic story
- De Jody R. Nathan en 10-04-03
- Across the Nightingale Floor
- Tales of the Otori, Book One
- De: Lian Hearn
- Narrado por: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
An excellent start
Revisado: 08-03-24
Having not read (or heard) the rest of the series, this is very promising beginning and I look forward the next installment. Frankly, when a major component of the story is essentially Magical Ninjas, it would be very easy to degrade into a corny tale at the level of Star Trek fanfic. But due to elements of realism and compelling characters, Hearn pulls it off. Shigeru's stoic determination, Kaede's quiet desperation, and Takeo's plight at being caught between three very different cultures really sells the premise and helps the reader get invested. I am interested to see where the tale goes from here.
Lastly, this is one of the best narrations I have heard. Both narrators have wonderful delivery and their array of voices really bring the characters and story to life.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Extinction Series: The Complete Collection
- De: James D. Prescott
- Narrado por: Gary Tiedemann
- Duración: 24 h y 29 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Geophysicist Jack Greer believes he may finally have found the resting place of the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. A few miles off the Yucatán coast, Jack and a team of scientists tow an aging drilling platform over the impact crater with the aim of securing a sample. But buried deep beneath the earth lies a shocking discovery that threatens to shatter everything we think we know about our species.
-
-
Holy cliche and bad science, batman!
- De Andrew Pollack en 07-23-19
- Extinction Series: The Complete Collection
- De: James D. Prescott
- Narrado por: Gary Tiedemann
Meh
Revisado: 08-02-24
Not a terrible series overall, but not a very good one either. I can appreciate that Prescott was trying to find a novel take on the old "first contact" trope, but the work still ended up somewhat lackluster in the actual storytelling. While he incorporated some interesting ideas from various scientific journals, there is little gravitas to the actual story and the characters so bland and derivative that they bordered on parody.
(I couldn't even imagine Ollie Cooper without picturing Crocodile Dundee's Paul Hogan).
I even nodded off more than once in my efforts to finish this one. The twists were either predictable or ridiculous. The tension was lacking. And finally, the lack of emotional investment in the characters made me indifferent to their struggle.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
A Generation of Sociopaths
- How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America
- De: Bruce Cannon Gibney
- Narrado por: Wayne Pyle
- Duración: 14 h y 49 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
What happens when a society is run by people who are antisocial? Welcome to baby boomer America. In A Generation of Sociopaths, Bruce Cannon Gibney shows how America was hijacked by the boomers, a generation whose reckless self-indulgence degraded the foundations of American prosperity.
-
-
Honest introspection required
- De Niki en 03-31-17
- A Generation of Sociopaths
- How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America
- De: Bruce Cannon Gibney
- Narrado por: Wayne Pyle
Extremely disappointing
Revisado: 03-05-24
I have been meaning to read this book for a while, because of how few materials there are that even address the economic policies of the baby boomer generation, and how they were extremely detrimental to subsequent generations. However, my assumption of the title was that it was a colorful euphemism.  I did not expect the author to try and make it an actual diagnosis of an entire generation.
First the good: The book does an excellent job of detailing in the political and economic policies of the baby boomer generation, and how they wielded unprecedented political power due to the population bulge of their generation. He does an excellent job of demonstrating how their policies changed, depending on the stage of life, to best serve them in the short term at the expense of future generations. I can absolutely accept an argument that boomers as a whole have been selfish and shortsighted.
Sadly, his excellent points are lost due to the glaring flaw of the book. As one reviewer noted – you cannot make a medical diagnosis of an entire generation. Additionally, for someone who places such great stock in expertise, Gibney is neither educated nor qualified to diagnose an individual as a sociopath, much less an entire group. I sincerely doubt anyone who actually has the requisite education, credentialing, and expertise would even attempt to do so.
He also seems to try and portray himself as a centralist, but many of his arguments betray his elitism; including praising blind trust in “experts” and advocating the abandonment of “anti-elitist culture.” (I find this rich as his primary accomplishment was hitting the college roommate lottery in Ken Howery.)
Finally, to the reviewer who mislabeled him as “libertarian” - Just because somebody can quote Mises does not make them libertarian. Here is a hint: when they praise FDR, praise Obamacare, advocate for student loan bail outs, and their primary solution is to increase taxes, they are not libertarian.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Men on Strike
- Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters
- De: Helen Smith PhD
- Narrado por: Susan Boyce
- Duración: 5 h y 15 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
American society has become anti-male. Men are sensing the backlash and are responding. They're dropping out of college, leaving the workforce, and avoiding marriage and fatherhood at alarming rates. The trend is so pronounced that a number of books have been written about this man-child phenomenon, concluding that men have taken a vacation from responsibility. But why should men participate in a system that seems to be increasingly stacked against them?
-
-
Finally, someone said it!
- De Stephen Reid Kidd en 11-07-17
- Men on Strike
- Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters
- De: Helen Smith PhD
- Narrado por: Susan Boyce
Excellent
Revisado: 10-25-23
Dr. Smith writes an excellent triste on the rise and social acceptance of misandry. Not only as a man, but as a father of two boys this subject concerns me greatly. I would recommend this work to every man who is dear to you and every woman you think will listen.
It is especially interesting with the changes in the ten years since it was published. I would love to read a follow up work by Dr. Smith on the rise of dating apps, hook-up culture, passport bros, MGTOW, the further plummeting marriage rates, and the population decline.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Dad Tired and Loving It
- Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership
- De: Jerrad Lopes
- Narrado por: Jerrad Lopes
- Duración: 4 h y 3 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Have the day-to-day realities of being a dad and husband left you frustrated or worn out? You're not alone. Jerrad Lopes felt that way too...until he started blogging about his struggles and discovered thousands of other men who want to be good husbands and fathers but don't know where to start. You will learn that spiritual leaders realize their story isn't the story - it's all about Jesus; point their wives, children, community, and world toward God; stumble their way through spiritual leadership rather than doing nothing; and seek humility rather than strive for perfection.
-
-
Refreshing
- De Thomas en 04-21-25
- Dad Tired and Loving It
- Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership
- De: Jerrad Lopes
- Narrado por: Jerrad Lopes
It’s okay
Revisado: 10-16-23
I was a little disappointed with this book overall, but perhaps it was my a problem with my expectations. The overarching message is the Christ should be a constant part of your parenting and marriage and not just something you do on Sunday, to which I wholeheartedly agree. But, I was expecting more on practical advise implementation of this, which was sparse. Also, a lot of it was formulaic with: (insert personal anecdote) followed by (relate to following Jesus) and we end up with analogy after analogy.
Now, I could tell that the author was very sincere and passionate. I also applaud his humility in telling some truly embarrassing stories. The mediocre review comes down to that I just did not find it very helpful. But, perhaps this is just me.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
End the Fed
- De: Ron Paul
- Narrado por: Bob Craig
- Duración: 6 h y 4 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
Over 4,000 students gathered at the University of Michigan to hear Republican Party candidate Ron Paul speak. As he began to address the topics of monetary policy and the coming depression, a chant rose from the crowd, "End the Fed! End the Fed!" As dollar bills were lit on fire and thrown into the night skies, it became clear that the real problem, one that nobody in the media was talking about, was the central bank-an unconstitutional entity and a political, economic, and moral disaster.
-
-
Very clear and understandable
- De Jonnie en 09-19-09
- End the Fed
- De: Ron Paul
- Narrado por: Bob Craig
As important today as it was when written.
Revisado: 09-19-23
An excellent work by one of the United States’ last real statesman. Dr. Paul lays out the case against fiat currency and Keynesian economics in its ability, not only to undermine the prosperity of the people, but also the propensity towards immoral politics and war. He demonstrates how the American people are being covertly robbed by the debasement of their money in a way that the most lay person can understand.
This issue is critical if we are to ever restore freedom to United States. As Henry Ford once said: if the American people understood their banking in monetary system, that would be a revolution before the next morning.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña

-
1984
- New Classic Edition
- De: George Orwell
- Narrado por: Simon Prebble
- Duración: 11 h y 22 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
George Orwell depicts a gray, totalitarian world dominated by Big Brother and its vast network of agents, including the Thought Police - a world in which news is manufactured according to the authorities' will and people live tepid lives by rote. Winston Smith, a hero with no heroic qualities, longs only for truth and decency. But living in a social system in which privacy does not exist and where those with unorthodox ideas are brainwashed or put to death, he knows there is no hope for him.
-
-
Come one, Come all into 1984!
- De Kit McIlvaine (GirlPluggedN) en 02-18-08
- 1984
- New Classic Edition
- De: George Orwell
- Narrado por: Simon Prebble
Doublethink at it finest
Revisado: 09-04-23
I have not read Orwell’s major works since high school and wanted to reread both 1984 and Animal Farm from the perspective of an adult rather than a disaffected student. I must admit that I find it fascinating that one of socialism’s biggest proponents of the 20th century was simultaneously one of it’s biggest critics. From INGSOC’s machinations to “some animals are more equal than others” he seems cognizant of the propensity of socialism (being a form of totalitarianism no matter how one dresses it up) to result in eventual despotism. Yet he demonstrates the cognitive dissonance to advocate for the same political philosophy he criticizes and thus falls into the same trap as any other modern socialist of “this time will be different.” Subsequently he becomes the prime example of what he himself coined as “doublethink.”
Despite the author’s political leanings, both 1984 and Animal Farm can serve as a cautionary tale but between the two, 1984 is by far the better work. His foretelling of everything from mass surveillance to policing language to central control of media to weaponizing of subjectivism are downright chilling and perhaps even more relevant today.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Animal Farm
- De: George Orwell
- Narrado por: Ralph Cosham
- Duración: 3 h y 11 m
- Versión completa
-
General
-
Narración:
-
Historia
George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture, quoted so often that we tend to forget who wrote the original words! This must-read is also a must-listen!
-
-
If you hate spoilers, save the intro for last.
- De Dusty en 02-18-11
- Animal Farm
- De: George Orwell
- Narrado por: Ralph Cosham
Some works are less equal than others
Revisado: 09-04-23
I have not read Orwell’s major works since high school and wanted to reread both 1984 and Animal Farm from the perspective of an adult rather than a disaffected student. I must admit that I find it fascinating that one of socialism’s biggest proponents of the 20th century was simultaneously one of it’s biggest critics. From INGSOC’s machinations to “some animals are more equal than others” he seems cognizant of the propensity of socialism (being a form of totalitarianism no matter how one dresses it up) to result in eventual despotism. Yet he demonstrates the cognitive dissonance to advocate for the same political philosophy he criticizes and thus falls into the same trap as any other modern socialist of “this time will be different.” Subsequently he becomes the prime example of what he himself coined as “doublethink.”
Some reviewers have pointed out the old argument that things would have worked out better if Snowball (Trotsky) instead of Napoleon (Stalin) had assumed power. However, history has shown the same pattern time and time again with Mao, Pol-pot, Castro, Kim-il Sung, and Maduro. The result is invariably despotism because the goals of socialism can only be achieved through totalitarian means as Mises and Hayek have thoroughly investigated. The only difference between socialism and any other oligarchy is that the resources being controlled by a select few are spuriously declared to be “public property.”
To quote F A Hayek: “Fascism is the stage reached after communism an illusion.”
Despite the author’s political leanings, both 1984 and Animal Farm can serve as a cautionary tale but between the two, 1984 is by far the better work. Although highly praised, the allegory that is Animal Farm is cumbersome at best and the story far less interesting than 1984.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña