Kindle Customer

Excellent Update on US Supreme Court

Revisado: 12-31-12

This is the second book I have read by Toobin about the SC. Although I was interested in the subject, I feared a book about this subject by a lawyer would be dull and boring.

To the contrary, Toobin writes in a very compelling style, so one ends up reading this book with the obsession, desperate to know what happens next, of one reading a thriller one cannot put down all night.

I especially love a book where I really have an enjoyable experience and at the same time I have the thrill of learning something new, as well as exciting.

So I highly recommend this book to the every man or woman as a wonderful way to update your knowledge of the current goings on at our Supreme Court, particularly in light of Robert's ruling which found the Affordable Care Act (aka Obama Care) to be Constitutional.

You will also learn a history of theories of law held by various justices going back to Marshall leading to the new, current radical right view of Contextual-ism which has been used by political forces to try to undo Constitutional interpretations that underpin the Square Deal, and especially the New Deal of FDR and further Progressive legislation and SC Rulings of the 20th century, for example, Roe v. Wade, civil and voting rights. This is a radical right court influenced by new Republican conservatism where Republican Presidents have succeeded in getting a majority (hence 5 to 4 rulings) to work toward their agenda. Especially controversial votes by this court were to make George W Bush president in 2000, and in Citizens United to allow unlimited money to be used in campaigns coming from rich, even foreign interests, here because of the growing business desire for Globalization and free, unregulated, non taxed trade to every corner of the world.

Read beautifully by Toobin himself!

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Very Refreshing Book

Revisado: 11-13-12

Would you listen to Pigs in Heaven again? Why?

YES, and I highly recommend it. The characters were unique to modern fiction. A mid-western girl of good character traveling away from home in search of identity as many young country folks do. Her being adopted by an Indian baby (found abandoned in her car), her growing and matured love for the girl, with the girl loving in return.

Then enter Political Correctness in the form of an overly zealous Cherokee lawyer fighting for a rule of Cherokee Children for Cherokee People, a tribal law passed in response to years of whites taking Cherokee babies for the wrong reasons.

The action of the story moves along as the white mother is stalked to penniless , loneliness and exhaustion trying to protect her little girl. An unusual plot twist brings everything together in the end so there is happiness to all, and I do love a happy ending. Even the mid-western young woman's mother finds happiness with in a new setting married to the Cherokee grandfather.

What did you like best about this story?

see above

Which character – as performed by Barbara Kingsolver – was your favorite?

the mid-western young woman

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

both

Any additional comments?

An excellent book I highly recommend.

OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THAT BARBARA KINGSOLVER's SOFT, STEADY VOICE WAS PERHAPS THE BEST PART!

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Mixed Bag

Revisado: 11-13-12

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Well, I loved the part about the wolves and their behavior, but the teenage girl was a big downer: alternately whiny, then sudden bursts of unthinking ugly aggression, where she seemed to have no clue of all the people she was potentially ruining or life/destroying, like lying to have her brother indicted for attempted murder, and then at the end we discover she was the real villain all along, and all of her extremely destructive behavior merely an attempt to cover up the fact that she drank grain alcohol at a party, got in bad company and her father had to track her down to save her.

This girl is really detestable and her character ruined the novel.

As the formula for any thriller demands, new information suddenly coming to light, and sudden plot twists surprises did keep the pace of the book moving along, but just barely.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

see above

How did the narrator detract from the book?

the narrators were actually very good, except for the whiny voice of that "17 and 3/4% years old" girl, who acted and sounded more like she was 8 years old but thought she was 30. That voice was extremely irritating, making the actions of this character seem even more awful.

Was Lone Wolf worth the listening time?

no, but better than some really bad novels, in that at least it got my emotions engaged.

Any additional comments?

Too many books lately set around our being supposed to feel sorry for a whiny teenager, who in fact, compared to the rest of the world, is extremely lucky (think of Kite Runner).

Even the fact that the hero had no health insurance was treated as irrelevant, since this was the type (class) of people that can handle that "small mistake" as no problem.

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A Fun Thriller

Revisado: 11-13-12

Where does The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

not high because this is usually not my genre, but I do prefer Linda Fairstein thrillers-more my style.

I read it because I had really loved The Lincoln Lawyer.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

not really

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

n/a

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

n/a

Any additional comments?

no

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Boring

Revisado: 08-18-12

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Colin Firth is a terrific narrator, and the book started out encouragingly,i.e. about hatred toward someone, but then it started to get confusing, and finally I began to wonder about the point of the story. It became increasingly boring...

What could Graham Greene have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have a more organized book, and stick with the original premise of the book.

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

An English accent helps, since the story takes place in England at a rather stuffy time.

Could you see The End of the Affair being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NO!

Any additional comments?

Book WAY overrated.

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Narrator Importance to Audio

Revisado: 07-31-12

Would you consider the audio edition of A Distant Mirror to be better than the print version?

no way

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Distant Mirror?

none

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator had nasty, harsh voice, which also was boring and monotone...very off putting

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

cry--because the material was so very good, but ruined by narrator..

Any additional comments?

Shadow County was another book I bought from audio.com which had a terrible narrator which ruined my interest in following the plot. This particular narrator had a huge rural Southern Accent, very hard to understand, plus narrator showed no emotion following the story. Twice I forced myself to try to just go with it in order to get the story, but each time I was frustrated and irritated enough to not listen to the rest--and there were four download parts to this book, so it was a huge waste of money!

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Human Character and 1930s Chinese Way of life

Revisado: 06-27-12

Would you consider the audio edition of The Good Earth to be better than the print version?

for my eyes, yes

What did you like best about this story?

seeing how greed and arrogance can develop even in someone who has come from starvation and poverty--although his success comes by the pure luck of extorting gold for the life of a rich man and stealing jewelry during a home invation..

Which scene was your favorite?

The purity and spirit of the first wife, as well as her under rated cunning, work ethic and her "street smarts" by an ungrateful husband after he has changed to a rich and arrogant man

If you could rename The Good Earth, what would you call it?

Land Obsession

Any additional comments?

Actually a marvelous depiction (about 1930) of country life in China before the Wars and Revolution soon to come, which Communist Revolution happened due to the disparity of wealth and position and the cruelty of the haves to the have nots...

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Very Disappointing

Revisado: 06-20-12

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

very angry people who hate other people and are great believers in revenge

What was most disappointing about Gillian Flynn’s story?

when I realized the heroine was not the nice, sweet girl I had at first thought, but a sociopath

How could the performance have been better?

more realistic and more cheerful

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

all of the above

Any additional comments?

disappointment that I spent so long a time reading and still being fooled and then the book turned "nuts"

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Totally Honest and Brave

Revisado: 06-20-12

Would you listen to I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me again? Why?

It makes me laugh

What was one of the most memorable moments of I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me?

her take down of rich women with everything "whining" about their "sadness"

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