tomato161

Exactly what it says it is

Revisado: 08-06-21

I have read a couple of critical reviews which downgrade the lectures for reasons which, it seems to me, ignore the point of the lectures. What Steinberg attempts to do is show the many ways in which Western civilization was transformed from a world of absolute monarchs where all wealth and power was concentrated in the hands of a few, who competed with other for dominance while ensuring that no one else would share; to what we know today, a world where the notion of a "public sphere" exists, a world of democratic and social rights, a world of modern liberal capitalism, of scientific progress and philosophical ,and religious tolerance. By his selection of the people he has chosen to review, he is able to demonstrate how each of the lives showcases the developments that took place.
Unlike many series which focus on the who and the what and the when, this series instead focuses on societal ideas and concepts. I found I had to listen twice - once to get the general route of where the journey was taking me, and then a second time so that I could more carefully observe the sights along the way. It was well worth it.

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Harlequin Romance for today

Revisado: 06-01-16

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

Those who are looking for Strong Women for validation purposes.

What could Anita Diamant have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Maybe - have a reason for writing it?

Did Linda Lavin do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Liked her narration.

Any additional comments?

This is a genre book - a book written for women who like to enter a dream world where all women are strong, independent, compassionate, loving, supportive, and men exist as props for the stories of the women. The female characters almost all demonstrate all the positive "female" qualities. There are only two flawed women: one dies early, and the other, the stereotypical Jewish mother, merely serves to show how noble our heroine really is by suffering silently. The rest are unanimously noble, creative, nurturing, etc etc etc. The men are paper cutouts. They are either Bad and pathetic - primarily because they don't demonstrate those "feminine" qualities - or they are Good because they devote their lives to adoring their women, children and the oppressed. All business people are bad, except the one who operates his business by giving his product away for free. Perhaps the most telling scene in the book is where the protagonist recalls her wedding and, while able to describe in detail all her female relative and friends who attend, is unable to recall the names of two the four men who held the chuppah.Apart from the blatant misandry that dominates the book, what really bothered me is that, to steal from Gertrude Stein, there's no there there. I kept waiting to find out why the book was written. What did this person do that was worthy of preserving in print? At the end of the day, nothing. A pedestrian life of little accomplishment who has lots of friends, all of whom are teachers, givers, creators - Ideal Women. She never met a normal human, so far as I can tell.This is a Harlequin romance in evening wear.

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How To Ruin a Good Plot

Revisado: 05-06-15

Would you try another book from Murray McDonald and/or Adam Verner?

Probably not.

What was most disappointing about Murray McDonald’s story?

The writing. It's ... poor. How poor? At one point, he even uses the phrase "one of the more unique places..." Hunh? A professional writer using "more unique"? DIdn't we get that drilled out in high school? Apart from that, it's cliche-ridden. For example, all the women are "beautiful and dangerous". But the bad ones are "dark" and the good ones have sunny dispositions.The worst part is that there are simply no descriptions that bring the world to life. A day is sunny - that's it. Are there clouds? How warm is it? Is there a breeze? None of these details are, apparently, relevant. But, as we all know, those are the things that allow us to see the location in our mind's eye. They're important.

What didn’t you like about Adam Verner’s performance?

I don't think anyone could bring this stilted prose to life, but the voices just aren't believable.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The plot - the basis for the story offered a real opportunity. Too bad about the execution.

Any additional comments?

I am finishing the book, because I want to know how the plot lines end. But this is the first time in a long time that one of my audible books has gone days without me bothering to pick it up.

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