Gadget

OMG

Revisado: 10-31-21

I've read the graphic novels but this audio performance was magnificent. This is going to set the standard for future audio productions. Definitely not for kids though.

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Good story but I hate Lift

Revisado: 11-12-18

Sanderson wrote this novella to fill a gap inbetween books 1 and 2. I really did not like Lift so I groaned heavily when I realized it was about her.

The story itself is interesting and Kate Reading's narration makes Lift bearable. Lift has followed Darkness to another land and discovers that another like her is in danger. #UnlikeleyHero #Magical #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

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Worth the 45 hours

Revisado: 08-06-18

I don't even know where to begin with this story! It was so epic!

The book begins with the assassination of a king and branches out to follow several different people.

It is very much in the same vein as Lightbringer by Brent Weeks.

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Fresh take on fractured fairy tales

Revisado: 02-17-18

A group of three adventurers solve various fractured fairy tales while on a larger quest. Having a different narrator for each character wss great and made following the story easier. Hoping for a sequel.

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A Dangerous Listen

Revisado: 11-14-17

Even though I already had the Kindle version of this book, I had to get the audio also. A good thing too, because Milo added things to the audio edition.
In this book, Milo talks about the various groups of people who hate him and why. It's an interesting look at politics and culture by someone who's not afraid to speak his mind.
Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes entry

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Comperable to The Curious Incident of the Dog

Revisado: 10-13-16

Rose is a fifth grader with high functioning Autism who is obsessed with homonyms, rules and prime numbers. She lives with her father and her dog Rain. Her uncle lives nearby and takes her to school and on various outings. Rose constantly points out when she sees rules being broken (including traffic rules) and blurts out prime numbers when stressed. She has issues in school as a result and has her own aide in the classroom. Of everyone in her life, her uncle is the most tolerant of her odd behavior.

A hurricane sweeps through the town and Rain is lost in the storm. The rest of the book chronicles Rose's search for her dog.

I thought the narrator did a good job of portraying Rose's character. It reminded me a lot of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

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The Latest in the "Killing" Series

Revisado: 10-13-16

I initially hesitated in getting this book after the last book, Killing Reagan, fell short of my expectations. But since it was getting great reviews, I decided to give it a listen.

Like Killing Reagan, the book is not read by Bill O'Reilly (with the exception of a chapter at the beginning and the end). However, the narrator is fine. This book deviates from the others by not talking about the killing of a specific person, rather the "killing" of a nation, in this case, Japan. I thought this was a great companion to Killing Patton which details much of World War II in the European theater, while this details the part of World War II fought in the Pacific theater. Like most of the other books in the "killing" series, the book reads like a thriller with lots of action and anticipation. It jumps around from place to place, the different battles of the war, General MacArthur, the Manhattan Project, Harry Truman and his meeting with Churchill and Stalin, and happenings in Japan. Many of the war crimes committed by the Japanese are detailed as well.

Overall, I thought it was a definite improvement after Killing Reagan. It is a definite read for any World War II history buffs.

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Good Contrast to "In a Different Key"

Revisado: 06-01-16

I listened to "In a Different Key" a few months ago and then I found out about this book.

In a Different Key looks at the history of Autism through parents and their children with Autism and follows the history of different theories and treatment options (with an in depth look at "refrigerator mothers" and the vaccine controversy) as well as looking at parent advocacy.

Neurotribes looks more at adults with Autism, touching on important psychologists in Autism's history but also looking at the accomplishments of people with Autism. The correlation between giftedness/intelligence and Autism is explored along with advocacy by people with Autism.

As a parent with two children with Autism and a certified teacher for special education, I found both books to be enlightening. "In a Different Key" helped me to see what parents had done before me to get services for their odd children while "Neurotribes" showed me hope for my children's futures.

So read/listen to both in order to get a more complete picture.

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Blown Away

Revisado: 05-04-16

I was very impressed by Wil Wheaton's reading of Redshirts so when I heard about this book and that he was the narrator, I had to give it a listen. His speaking voice is so pleasant and easy to listen to and he does the voices awesomely.

So, if you like Wil Wheaton, getting this book is worth it just for the narration.

As for the actual book itself, it is a masterpiece of everything nerd, geek, gamer and 80's. I was born in the middle of the 80's so I understood most of the references (although, I admit, I haven't played any of the games in this book or seen about half of the movies references, but I know of them).

P.S. I totally called the significance of the quarter.

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The New Book on Autism

Revisado: 02-26-16

At first glance, this audiobook may seem intimidating. The Audible version is just over 23 hours long. However, the subtitle, "The story of Autism" is quite correct because this is a narrative. It is engaging and interesting and tells the history of Autism in a story format, incorporating the stories of those who were involved. The Audible chapters are generally 20-40 minutes, meaning it can be taken in neat smaller chunks. For the most part, it can be listened to around children except for the chapter on FC where graphic sexual abuse allegations are made and the occasional cuss word from quotations elsewhere. The narrator has a pleasant voice and is easy to listen to.

The book begins with Donald Triplett, the first child diagnosed with Autism. It goes back into the past, to explore historical cases of possible Autism to explore the assertion that "Autism has always existed." It looks at the rise and fall of the "refrigerator mother," the movement to stop institutionalization, and the movement to get children with Autism the option to go to schools with "normal" children. It documents the timeline of researchers looking at the symptoms, causes, prevalence and biomedical issues concerning Autism, including the war on vaccines. It looks at the organizations who stepped up to spread awareness for the condition and helped to fund the first studies about it.

When scanning the reviews after starting the book, I saw several reviewers criticize the book for being about "the parents of children with Autism" and not more about the disabled people instead. I find it hard to believe that these people read the entire book. There are many individuals with Autism who are portrayed prominently in the book. There are also a lot of parents of children with Autism who are featured, but with good reason. The first reason is that most of the "high functioning people with Autism" who would be capable of arguing about the perception of Autism would not have even been considered Autistic when the diagnosis was originally conceived. And of those who were, a great majority were locked away institutions and would not have received an education to help them be able to be leaders in the Autism community. So, yes, a lot of parents are involved in the story of Autism because they were the ones who fought for change because their children were not able to speak for themselves. Only after parents pushed for education and services and non-institutionalization and after Asperger's Syndrome was added to the mix, did we see higher functioning people with Autism leading "normal" daily lives, getting careers and starting to speak for themselves. Toward the end of the book, there is a confrontation between a mother of a child with severe Autism (who has medical issues, seizures and gastrointestinal issues related to his Autism) and an activist who has high functioning Autism. The activist says that Autism does not need a cure, while the mother asserts that this normal-looking person with Autism who can talk and drive does not necessarily speak for her son who in his sickened condition, probably does not want to exist this way.

The book resounded with me, both as a mother of two daughters with Autism and as a licensed teacher in special education. I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about Autism and for educators as well. It has a great balance between narrative story and technical details that will appeal to the general public and higher education alike.

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