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Gives many insights into our new Cold Wars

Revisado: 04-19-24

David Sanger has been a reporter for the New York Times for forty years, and he brings his experience, wisdom, and deep contacts with various sources to this book, which goes far beyond stories in the daily paper. As has been clear for a while now, we are enmeshed in new Cold Wars with Russia and China, and this book gives details on how this is playing out. David Sanger himself reads the opening chapter and does a good job. The main reader, Robertson Dean, is perfect for this kind of history—calm, measured, and going at just the right speed to get the listener into the many insights and stories behind the scenes. This book covers one of the most important realities of our current age, and is well worth a credit for those seeking an intelligent exploration of the topic.

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A witty and insightful epic

Revisado: 11-09-23

The conversational reading of this wonderful memoir is both comforting and inspiring. Barbra Streisand is even funnier than I expected, and her insights into the many ingredients that go into making a good song are enlightening. As an extra treat, sometimes the listener even gets to hear parts of songs from her records. I'm only about a quarter of the way through, and already feel that this audiobook will be nominated for an Audie Award.

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A fun and thought-provoking history!

Revisado: 07-01-23

Having grown up in the LA area, the massive freeways there are, as the book says, both a blessing and a curse. This witty and insightful history of freeways in LA was written by someone who has lived with them his whole life. The deep research done on them really gives the details about how they were planned, built, used, improved, enjoyed, and hated. The reading by the author is excellent, and keeps you riding along with the story without any traffic jams. If you've ever been in Los Angeles my guess is that you'll find this book enjoyable. If you haven't been in LA, but have an interest in highways and how profoundly they shape our lives, I think you'll really learn some things from this book.

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A surprisingly witty and insightful history

Revisado: 06-17-23

Smogtown is an interesting and sometimes even funny history that starts with how by 1943 Los Angeles was sometimes blanketed in toxic smog. By the late 40s work had begun to try to clean up the air, but as the population grew this became more and more challenging. There are many sources of smog, but the greatest one turned out to be, of course, the automobile. Because of the smog battle in LA, by the mid-1990s cars were polluting 99% less than cars of the mid-1960s—not only in California, but across the US and even in other parts of the world. In other words, this is a success story, but with lots of bumps in the road, oversized and colorful personalities, and so on. By the late 1990s California was even pioneering the EV revolution that is now finally underway in the 2020s. The reading by Charles Constant is wonderful, and really conveys the sense of humor that the authors are going for without overdoing it.

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Excellent reading of a solid early history

Revisado: 01-28-23

Chris Whipple has sources at the highest levels, including the head of the CIA, various other people in government, and President Biden himself. There are quotes from these people on the record, giving perceptive takes on the failures and successes during the first two years of Biden's Presidency. Narrator Mark Bramhall has a calm and measured voice of the kind I like for a history book like this. He has good expressions of emotions when needed, but doesn't overdo it, and once-in-a-while will bring an accent (sometimes slightly amusing!) when appropriate for someone who has one. Although overall this book has a positive take on Biden and his administration, the fact that it is balanced can be seen in the criticisms up and down the line for the problems and tragedies involved in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. For those interested in a behind-the-scenes history of the Biden Administration, this book is highly recommended.

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Excellent reading of an epic biography

Revisado: 09-25-22

James Fouhey gives a nuanced and wonderful reading of this epic biography by Brad Snyder. Felix Frankfurter knew presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to LBJ, and he was an especially close advisor to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Frankfurter's career as a Justice on the Supreme Court was controversial to say the least. Meticulously researched and often grippingly written, this biography is highly recommended for those interested in the Supreme Court.

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Grover Gardner brings this memoir to life

Revisado: 05-10-20

Grover Gardner is probably my favorite reader, and he does a great job as usual bringing this memoir of the early life of William Shirer to life. Since Shirer was a progressive historian and journalist this is more than just a personal memoir, but also a bit of a history of America and even the world during these first three decades of the 20th century. If you're a history buff and enjoy the nuanced, lively, and yet somehow calming readings of Grover Gardner this is highly recommended.

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An epic history of movie musicals

Revisado: 11-07-19

I haven't finished it yet, but so far this sweeping history of the movie musical from the late 1920s until today is enjoyable and impressive. Author Jeanine Basinger is an academic, and really knows her stuff, but her writing is lively and witty, while at the same time being analytical. She has her likes and dislikes when it comes to musicals, but since a lot of them are similar to mine I don't mind. Narrator Erin Bennett does a great job, giving a really vivid and expressive reading that makes the narrative come alive. For fans of movie musicals this is an essential book.

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Great book and great narration

Revisado: 09-14-19

Tom Perkins does a wonderful job narrating this classic book about this key battle. Outstanding in every way.

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We loved this exploration of dinosaurs

Revisado: 08-06-19

My wife and I listened to this on a road tip about a month ago, and we both thought that Ben Garrod did an outstanding job of exploring some of the major new discoveries about dinosaurs made over the last few decades. The interviews with the various scientists were fascinating, and all of the stories were interesting and often amusing. Good stuff!

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