Art H

an excellent 3-hour Master class

Revisado: 07-21-22

I've been struggling with the ending of my most recent novel. I went looking for help and found this. I bought it because it was short and priced right.

it did not disappoint. 3 hours of well-structured discussion, backed up with effective examples help me get back on track.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Great series - but could have better closure

Revisado: 12-12-19

This is a well-crafted and very well-written series. You could read any single book and be satisfied (though left hanging a bit at the end of #3). The characters are bigger than life, yet still believable in the context of the world. The world-building and scene-setting is first-rate.
The narration is also excellent, with good pacing, expression, and distinct voices for characters, all without sounding strained or pushed. There are even some foreign language bits that all sounded good.
My single compliant is that the last book (this one) of the series doesn't really resolve one of the big issues in the series, at least not for me. Yes, it ends, but I assumed there had to be another book, and was very disappointed when there was not.

If you want great military sci-fi scenes, strong characters, and a solid plot, and can forgive a dangling details at the end, then this book is a good choice. I don't regret buying it, but I am disappointed with the lack of closure.

SPOILER ALERT - STOP READING if you don't want to hear the details...



What is missing? The first three books build up tensions between the paranoid ruler of the Civil government and his leading General. In the last book, the governor's nephew and likely heir is even along on the big campaign, trying to undercut the hero. There are several discussions about how the hero is likely to have his eyes burned out, or be executed, when he returns successfully. These issues are not resolved. I assumed there had to be another volume, and failing that another series, but I've found neither. If I'm wrong, please let me know. But this last book was a disappointment to me for this reason.

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Perfectly performed - top-drawer writing

Revisado: 09-02-19

I've listened to pretty much everything Drake has on audible. In addition to being a very well-told story, this book is also amazingly well performed by Pete Bradbury. Unlike many other audio books, including Drake's latest Leary book: "To Clear Away the Shadows," this one has none of the obvious pasted-in audio edits, character-tone errors, and mispronounced words one hears.

This is about as close to perfection as you can get. (Another superbly narrated book is The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson, narrated by Jennifer Wiltsie.)

If you like Drake, BUY THIS BOOK!
And if you are the publisher, PLEASE get Pete working on the rest of the series!

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Interplanetary ROAD TRIP!

Revisado: 10-11-18

If this book was a wine, I would say I detected a bouquet of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,"
with overtones of Edward Abbey's "Monkey Wrench Gang." If those vintages are too dusty for you to remember, how about Yatzee Croshaw's "Mogworld" mixed with Scott Meyer's "Off to Be the Wizard" - but with far more social commentary.

Strident? Hell yes! And it's about time someone was! When half your country is in a nose-dive toward environmental oblivion and reactionary social injustice, it's refreshing to see someone call out religious and political extremists for their planet-destroying nonsense. It's even better when the author paints the outcome clearly, using the known results of following delusional approaches to their disastrous consequences.

Time travel, rock and roll, environmentalism, sex, booze, and equality. What does it take to pull it all together into a social commentary romp? Good, solid story telling and an entertaining plot. Like any good social commentator, Essen doesn't step away from the occasional opportunity to plop one of his characters on a soapbox, (or a potato-shaped boulder) to give a dandy lecture. You already know the general rant; it's the one you have really, really wanted to give to certain relatives who think we still live in 1950 and want to drag you and everyone else back into those dark ages with them. But 95% of the time Essen spins a yarn that rolls forward unstoppably, like the ball in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

While a shot of this book will help the spirits of open-minded people everywhere, not everyone is a candidate for this medicine. Contra-indications include a propensity to think the bible is literal truth, that religion gives better answers than science, or a belief that people with non-traditional beliefs or sexual orientations should have fewer rights and less self-determination. Homophobes should also stay well away; this book includes a lovely lesbian heroine who is NOT simply a girl in need of a male appendage. And if you think unrestrained capitalism and the exploitation of the environment for profit is more important than the flora and fauna that share the planet with us , you will definitely have an adverse reaction.

For the rest of us, those of us who give a damn about equal rights, the environment, and social responsibility? This book is a great big romp and a wonderful adventure. As an added bonus, the author has a wonderful knowledge of rock and roll that permeates "Time is Irreverent" from cover to cover.

The narration is first-rate. Often, narrators struggle to do the voices of both sexes. One or two characters struck me as a touch odd, but everyone was believable, and the main characters are all performed perfectly, male and female. The narrator even appears to have read the book in advance, so inflections always match the speech tags, and the tone of the scene.

I give this five stars for the delightful seven hours of optimistic entertainment and just fun it delivered, and for the great narration.

PS: I heard a rumor that there is a sequel in the works. That is a second coming I actually look forward to!

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Great detail - but never gripping

Revisado: 08-16-15

Any additional comments?

"A Long Time Until Now" reminds me of "The Martian". It is technically detailed and accurate. The people and personalities are all realistic, though I found the female characters a bit thin and a little stereotyped. The problems don't have miracle-solutions. But sometimes its a bit more like a technical manual than a novel. Unlike "The Martian" which kept me on the edge of my seat almost the whole way through, there were never any "driveway" moments for me, when I was so engrossed I stopped what I was doing to keep listening. But the writing is consistently excellent, with thoughts and words (almost always) flowing smoothly. The narrator does a reasonably good (though not superb) job separating characters. If you like sci-fi without fantasy, and appreciate good research, then you should enjoy this; at 20 hours + in length, its a great value too. I'm glad I picked it; I wouldn't listen again, but I'm glad I heard it once, and I did finish it.

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Performance threatens to kill a strong story.

Revisado: 01-09-15

What didn’t you like about Cynthia Holloway’s performance?

Sometimes robotic, often mispronounces words, tone often doesn't match the sense of the scene. Fails to break sentences in the right places or properly differentiate quoted text from unspoken thoughts.

Any additional comments?

The characters are good, and the plot interesting. Its unfortunate that the narrator is either unskilled or didn't bother to read the book before performing it.

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A compelling story, well read.

Revisado: 01-26-14

Any additional comments?

If you like hard sci fi, this is a must-listen. While I spotted a couple minor errors (for example, ASCII is read as "A-S-C-2 code", and 36 volts is referred to as "high voltage" -- I suspect he meant "high current") everything else felt "spot on". Unlike many "true to science" books, the plot never suffers from being tied to reality. His characters are incredibly true-to-life with the techies and the hard-science folks I know and love. There is GREAT use of intelligent humor and dialog. This one is hard to turn off.

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You can't Manage - you must Lead

Revisado: 04-23-05

The first 1 1/2 CD's are about sales forces, and how to lead them, setting goals, etc.

I don't lead sales forces, and I almost quit listening. I didn't like the reader's voice, and thought it "dippy". A bit like Zig Ziggler and Tony Robbins rolled into one.

But one day I didn't have any other CD's, I was caught in bad D.C. traffic, so I went on through 2 and .....

Disks 3-5 (and part of 2) are a wonderful set of stories about how to become self-aware enough to lead yourself, and thereby others. By disk four, I was so enthralled. I sat in the parking lot at work, and my driveway at home to hear the end of a point. I had to quickly turn it off so I wouldn't go through another one! I bought the book. (I bought multiple copies of the book.) I've listened to it again. I still don't like disk one much - I'm not a salesman. But I really enjoy this book.

Buy it. If you aren't a "sales manager" use disk one to get used to his voice (it grows on you, and won't seem "dippy" after about 90 minutes). Then forget it. Grow with disks 2-5.

To write this, I just went to the book to pick my favorite idea number (yes, there are truly 100). I thought it was #30: "Don't Go Crazy," but then I recalled 35: "Score the performance," and then..... you get the idea - every item here has something to offer.

Get it!

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esto le resultó útil a 19 personas

Moderate Start, Picks up FAST!

Revisado: 02-08-05

Upon starting this book, I felt like I was listening to a rather large ego telling me how great he was. But it rapidly became a great listen. I found his discussion of the evolution of the computer industry, and how IBM had to re-invent itself to fit the new paradigm, clear and true to what I've watched happening in the IT world.

Disk 5 was outstanding in his discussion of how he expected managers to be part of the solution, not spectators and supervisors of it. And his views on where the internet is going are extremely insightful.

A Must-Listen that finishes strong. A sure winner for anyone with an interest in IT, IT Companies, or our Business world and its IT components.

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esto le resultó útil a 11 personas

What is the next creative business idea for YOU?

Revisado: 07-10-04

Great business isn't just about improving what you did yesterday. It's about coming up with new ideas, and understanding that there are numerous models for building success. I found this book an incredible source of ideas to try on, argue with, and agree with.

The presentation is strong and clear. My only problem is that some mornings my commute isn't long enough and I have to sit in the parking garage for 10 minutes to find a good stopping point.

This book is NOT about hard data and careful research. It is about understanding that CREATIVITY is a big part of business. This is Peter's view of what the next general step in business creativity is, and how to be a part of it.

HIGHLY recommended.

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