Timothy L.

Very Biased View of Guns in the World

Revisado: 02-11-20

The author starts off making an attempt to be unbiased in his report, but spent the entire book discussing the negative aspects of gun use, by criminals, by cops, and by military as a source of power. The author failed to interview anyone who used a gun to lawfully defend themselves or anyone who trains to. He fails to mention that females and minorities are accounting for a majority of the growth in the industry, and simply focuses on reinforcing stereotypes rather than attempting to remove his own bias.

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No New Material, Just a Compilation of Information

Revisado: 07-21-15

Saints and Dragons: Edward Snowden in His Own Words was not written in Snowden's own words. Instead, the book is a compilation of information gathered from Glenn Greenwald's No Place to Hide and other sources. Snowden's "own words" are a strung together series of quotes by Snowden obtained from many printed interviews. The author even cites Wikipedia as a source of some quotes.

The only new thought in this book was the comparison of Snowden to the legend of St. George slaying the dragon, which was weak at best.

Skip this book, listen/read the original instead. Read Glenn Greenwald's No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State. Outside of media interviews, this is the only book to date that Snowden actually had first-hand contact with the authors.

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Ironic to review a book about reviews...

Revisado: 04-08-15

What did you like best about Everyone's a Critic? What did you like least?

Everyone's a Critic provided insights gathered from multiple sources and how to apply them to a small business. However, the book was clearly written to the owner of a small business, but all the concepts can be utilized as an employee of a larger business.

What did you like best about this story?

The author utilized a lot of examples of how small business owners utilized some techniques to maximize the utility of online reviews.

What aspect of Sean Pratt’s performance would you have changed?

The narrator speaks well and is easy to listen to. However, some long pauses feel unnatural and have me glancing down at my iPhone to make sure its still playing. This can be distracting at times.

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Typical Robert Langdon, but a bit disappointing...

Revisado: 05-30-13

If you could sum up Inferno in three words, what would they be?

Twists and Turns -- typical Robert Langdon novel, where nobody is who they seem, and everything has a hidden meaning.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I really enjoyed the entire book until the ending; while the rest of the book was excellent, the end did not live up to Dan Brown's past performances. It was a bit of a let down in the end.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any chase scene where Langdon must think on his feet while evading the bad guys. In this particular instance, the entire portion of the book where Langdon fled from the police, knowing the ins and outs of Florence, including all the secrets that allowed him to evade his captors.

Any additional comments?

I felt the performance was really well done by Paul Michael. Each character had a unique voice that was easy to follow the story with, however, they were neither comical nor cheesy. Definitely a well performed story.

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The Intense Tale of an Incredible American Hero!

Revisado: 04-02-13

What did you love best about Fearless?

Most modern war stories leave out the human parts of war, and the people that fight for us. However, this book is exactly the opposite, telling the life of Adam Brown, with his life as a Navy SEAL only being a portion of it. The story tells the good parts of Adam's life, along with the bad. I love that there was no censorship of the content of this story.

What did you like best about this story?

Fearless is the story of Adam Brown, Navy SEAL Operator with a heart of gold. He made some mistakes in his life, and after finding religion, set out to right the wrongs he had made, working fearlessly to save the world from evil. However, despite his heroism, the story depicts Adam Brown in a very human manner, without hiding any of his flaws. I found it inspiring that someone with a checkered past could rise to become on of the greatest American war heroes of our time.

Which scene was your favorite?

I particularly enjoyed Adam Brown's uphill battle into BUD/S school, and throughout Hell Week and Green Team. This book showed Brown's determination to be the best he could be, despite his lack of size, which he made up for in heart and passion.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last two chapters had me on the verge of tears for nearly an hour. As both my parents, and my grandparents were military veterans, the death of military personnel is very emotional for me. The depiction of Adam Brown's funeral service, the things that were said about him were extremely touching. I was most moved by the reactions of Brown's children during the funeral. There's nothing quite like a kid to say what they mean.

Any additional comments?

At first I was put off by the Christian connotation of the book, however it became apparent that without Christianity, Adam Brown would not have been the warrior he was. I generally turn away from books with Religious undertones, however, the story of Adam Brown warranted overlooking the religion.

I would be elated to meet someone like Adam Brown. This book made me feel as though Adam was right here alongside, telling his life story.

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Ethics Without Religion -- a Fascinating Read!!

Revisado: 04-01-13

Simply put, this isn't the type of book I normally read. I prefer histories, biographies, and fiction, definitely not self-help type books on morality and ethics, especially those written by religious leaders.

That's where this book is different. In this book, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, sets aside religion and looks back into his long and well-traveled life, helping people better themselves . His Holiness the Dalai Lama stated something I have always firmly believed, that if a person is good, whether or not he or she believes in a higher power, they are still a good person.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is an intelligent man, with incredible insight on world religions, how they differ and how they are similar. However, despite the similarities, he states that ethics exist outside of religion.

A very fascinating read indeed. And Martin Sheen does an incredible job vocalizing the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So incredible, that I almost felt the words were coming directly from the Dalai Lama's mouth.

If you're religious or not, this is a fascinating, and thought provoking read. I will be listening to this again from time to time.

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If You Like 007, You'll Absolutely Love this Book!

Revisado: 04-01-13

While most people assume James Bond started in 1962 with Dr. No, it had started ten years prior when Ian Fleming sat down to write Casino Royale, which was released in 1953. However, it is fascinating that so many attempts to bring Bond to the big screen had failed, and that Dr. No wasn't supposed to be the first bond film. Ian Fleming by Andrew Lycett draws uncanny parallels between Bond and Fleming, and shows where each of those parallels came from in Fleming's own career in the spy game.

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Fascinating Stories from an American Hero

Revisado: 03-03-13

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend. As a military history lover, Chris Kyle's stories tell the tales from some of our most recent conflicts, ones that we have lived through via the news. Chris Kyle tells the inside, down and dirty story.

What did you like best about this story?

Chris Kyle tells his stories as a gentleman. Always praising his teammates, and owing his own successes to luck, Kyle is a true hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

I particularly enjoyed the story of Chris Kyle going through BUDS training and Green Team. As a civilian, such tough experiences were not part of my life. Hearing how SEALs survive hell week by making it to the next meal, I've been able to put my life in better perspective.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! I couldn't wait to hear what Chris Kyle had in store for the next chapter!

Any additional comments?

RIP Chris Kyle, a true American Hero

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Great points, but Keen likes hearing himself talk

Revisado: 12-23-12

I have particularly enjoyed Andrew Keen's past writings but was extremely let down by this latest rendition. I often recommend Keen's Cult of the Amateur to people who want to understand the fall of traditional media. However, this last writing seems to be a bit of an ego booster for Keen.

Keen simply likes to hear his own voice. His harsh voice detracted from me being able to enjoy the book. I feel as though every third word out of his mouth was "ubiquitous" and he harped on one single theme throughout the book. Despite having good insight into social media, I feel the audiobook could have been completed in an efficient two hours, as opposed to the eight that this book was.

I will not be coming back for another Andrew Keen book unless someone else is narrating.

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Story for scuba divers and history buffs alike!

Revisado: 12-23-12

Would you listen to Shadow Divers again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this book again as it paints a wonderful story of three men, John Chatterton, Richie Kohler, and Bill Nagle aboard the Seeker. The book explores the struggles of these men in their personal, professional, and family lives, while exploring their desire to do right by the families of the U-boat crew.

As a diver, the book got me interested in exploring local wrecks along the Jersey shore. I find it exciting that Chatterton and Kohler's lives parallel mine in so many ways.

What other book might you compare Shadow Divers to and why?

I would compare this to many military history books. You know the outcome, but want to understand the people that were part of the history, their thoughts and feelings. Despite knowing the outcome, there is always more to understand about the events that lead us to where we are now.

What does Michael Prichard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Prichard does a great job in adding character to each voice, helping to differentiate between speakers during conversational portions. He really helps to make the story easier to follow than on paper.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

While the personal struggles of Chatterton and Kohler were moving, I was mostly moved by the personal interviews at the end. I sat in the parking lot of my dive shop moved nearly to tears as Chatterton and Kohler discussed the memories of Bill Nagle.

Any additional comments?

This book is supposedly being turned into a movie for release in 2013. I will seek out the movie in theaters as the book was a fascinating read!

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