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Written For The Genre, But Not Much Else

Revisado: 02-16-21

While perfectly adequate, To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars is so far grounded in repeated tropes and ready-made stock-characters, that the wordy-mysticism almost toppled the entire presentation into the negative for me. There's so many expositional pages devoted to establishing a Sci-Fi franchise rather than actual, novel scenarios or internal description. Gregorovich can be seen as a metaphor for everything wrong with the narrative: He's presented as a kooky & is full of thin literary references instead of actual depth. Yet his annoying shtick is tolerated and psychopathy is ignored only to build into a "never really in danger" suspense- mostly because the outcome is thoroughly telegraphed. I understand why Paolini needed to write so many predictable character arcs, I just wish he'd try to be more adventurous after spending so much effort establishing the setting.

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The Biography Befitting L'empereur

Revisado: 06-22-18

There wasn't a wasted passage, the clarity and authenticity were unparalleled. It was like reading all of Napoleon's biographies at once.

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A Nice Surface Without Much Depth

Revisado: 02-19-18

What did you like best about Why Time Flies? What did you like least?

The Best: A smattering of anedotes with a wide variety of sources, often returning to William James, Anselm of Canterbury, and Michel Siffre.

The Bad: Often the chapters feel like magazine articles, filled with info found in other popular science books, tv shows, and YouTube channels. The author covers a fair amount of aspects, but it all felt like introductions.

If you’ve listened to books by Alan Burdick before, how does this one compare?

I've never listened/read anything by Burdick before, but he professionally demonstrates his research. He easily links ideas together and has a nice way to place his settings-- but there's not that much depth.

Which character – as performed by George Newbern – was your favorite?

(It's non-fiction, so there's no characters) however, George Newbern has a wry, slightly earnest next-door-neighbor delivery for this one. He's pretty good.

Was Why Time Flies worth the listening time?

Yes, it's a good introduction.

Any additional comments?

This book is mostly about psychology, history and philosophy, and it only briefly talks about the modern physics, sadly avoiding quantum mechanics. There's plenty of science, but I wanted more physics!

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Great Insights on WWII Seeming Inevitability

Revisado: 03-31-17

If you could sum up The Storm of War in three words, what would they be?

Orderly, thorough summary.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Storm of War?

The newly classified additions like Great Britain's clever set-ups for getting Nazi brass confessions to Stalin's blunders which were kept hidden by Soviet propaganda.

What about Christian Rodska’s performance did you like?

His inflections and accents had the right amount of charm as some other actors make such well-known figures like Churchill, FDR, Patton and Hitler into cartoon characters by comparison.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light.

Any additional comments?

It's non-fiction but I felt moved by most of the chapters' emphasis on the magnitude, the countless unspeakable atrocities, and the unflinching examination at the cost. Andrew Roberts is a great writer first, historian second.

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Good, ignoring the bad science and cliches

Revisado: 01-16-17

Would you try another book from Blake Crouch and/or Jon Lindstrom?

Sure.

Would you be willing to try another book from Blake Crouch? Why or why not?

Maybe. Crouch's writing style has a clear utility, yet it lacks interesting phrasing or fresh juxtapositions found in more nuanced fiction.

Have you listened to any of Jon Lindstrom’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Lindstrom did an affable job-- a good casting for the Jason main character, a bland every-man.

Could you see Dark Matter being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I hope not, but it seems like it was a rough outline for a screenplay (as in, it isn't very interesting as a novel either). I suppose Rosario Dawson could be Daniella, Denzel Washington as Jason, and Noah Wyle as Ryan.

Any additional comments?

The last third of the book is the most interesting and inventive (there's a scenario not seen elsewhere in many science-fiction stories). It's worth putting up the empty plot and stock-characters to get there. Overall, it's good for the "Revenge-seeking-family-man thriller genre," but the science explanations & drawn-out premises were abysmal.

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Equal Parts Informative and Entertaining

Revisado: 12-27-16

What made the experience of listening to The Gene the most enjoyable?

Mukherjee is wonderfully skilled at organizing explanations, histories, and scientific processes as multiple threads and seemingly effortlessly ties them by chapter's end.

What other book might you compare The Gene to and why?

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley -- both books address the history and explain the biochemical processes all to build a scaffolding of speculation for future consequences with the technology.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first half of the book was nicely illustrated moments in history-- plus his return trip to his Father's home was really well done.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

“Freaks become norms, and norms become extinct. Monster by monster, evolution advanced” ― Siddhartha Mukherjee

Any additional comments?

The narrator did a stellar job as well.

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Come For The Prose, Stay For The Rarefied Air

Revisado: 12-07-16

What made the experience of listening to The Bell Jar the most enjoyable?

Every sentence is seemingly fine tuned with wonderful juxtapositions and fresh turns of phrase.

What did you like best about this story?

The deep honesty and cynical dark-humor found in such disappointing circumstances.

Have you listened to any of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She was wonderful-- perfectly cast for Esther.

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

The Bell Jar will likely stay with me for a long, long time. I feel a greater capacity for empathy, really.

Any additional comments?

Poetry is perhaps best when performed aloud and especially with Maggie Gyllenhaal's spectacular performance, this audiobook is perhaps the best way to experience Sylvia Plath's novel.

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Encompasses many aspects, yet most only intros

Revisado: 11-28-16

Overall, Gleick has written another effusively informative and entertaining book, yet much of the many worlds interpretation and finer details of quantum mechanics are coolly glossed over. Sure I'm glad all of my favorite literary references made it, but I was hoping for more background in the science department.

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Meandering but maybe that was the point

Revisado: 11-08-16

A great premise written convincingly and with a lot of research on display, however the magic rules self-imposed by King kind of ruin some of the time-travel repercussions. Some plot threads come off as a bit of a cheat, but the main attraction is the modern take on that tumultuous era that so many still blindly (and wrongly) assert to be a golden age. I certainly enjoyed my stay, but I think my card has gone from green to ochre.

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Fantastic Mix of Information & Description

Revisado: 09-02-16

A great structure for listening in 30 minute intervals, as each chapter unfolds like its own magazine article. Yong has a clear style, he goes out of his way for fresh metaphors.

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