Alifa

Fine story, interesting characters

Revisado: 02-07-20

This is the first of several mysteries involving D C Smith. Underlying the investigation of a young swimmer’s drowning is the sense of tragedy in a wider arena, including the Troubles and the civil war that raged after the breakup of the Communist bloc. A solid, thoughtful story and a fine reader.

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The addictive brain

Revisado: 06-20-15

A wonderful and informative overview of addiction that covers drugs like opiates, amphetamines, alcohol and nicotine, as well as compulsive behaviors like gambling. Not only did I learn a vast amount about the neurological implications of addiction, I became more sensitive to the struggles of addicts to change their behavior. An excellent investment of my time.

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esto le resultó útil a 51 personas

Fall and Rise of China

Revisado: 02-20-15

Wonderful overview of Chinese history from the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. I would recommend this course highly for history buffs, news junkies, and for anyone involved in policy-making or international business.

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Fascinating tales; awful reader

Revisado: 04-25-14

I have long been a fan of Maugham, and looked forward to listening to this collection of some of his best short stories. Alas, the whole experience was dampened by the desultory and unemotional reader, who seemed so lazy or perhaps bored by the stories. Many readers found in Audible selections have a good ability to change their voices to indicate the various characters,but Davidson here only seemed to manage a hoarse and harsh tone. The choice of reader is really a pity, for these stories offer intriguing characters, and life choices with moral imlications relevant even today, when British colonials have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Thus, I can only offer a limited recommendation for this book.

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Without Remorse

Revisado: 12-06-13

This was a book highly recommended at the time of Tom Clancy's death. In some ways, it seems a bit dated, and I am unfamiliar with other novels about the main character (after he became a CIA operative). What makes this a valuable piece of literature is its examination of the moral issue of revenge, and the healing power of love. It was hard to shut off the audio when I needed to get to sleep, and the pace was good and the story line believable for the most part. I am guessing that anyone who has read other books by this author would greatly appreciate this one.

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Food: A Cultural Culinary History

Revisado: 12-06-13

I was at first very excited to begin listening to this course. I thought that Prof. Albala was a good speaker, and his selection of quotes from ancient writers was interesting and amusing. As the lectures reached the early Christian era, however, I began to have some doubts. His knowledge of Christianity and what it actually teaches seemed a bit limited. As we approached the modern era, I began to get truly annoyed, as he seemed to assume that everyone would be anti-colonial, anti-industrial, anti-American (fast foods! agribusiness! banana republics!). I did think that he presented a more balanced view of the genetic modification controversy than I expected. On that issue, he provided some necessary factual information and reviewed the problematic areas. Overall, it was an interesting set of lectures, but listeners should be a bit skeptical of the information presented and the progressive political take.

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The Life and Operas of Verdi

Revisado: 12-06-13

I came late to an appreciation of opera, and found this course to be a fantastic adjunct to my growing knowledge. Sometimes I think the professor was a bit snarky and tried too hard to be funny, but that is merely a quibble. He provided an amazing amount of detail about Verdi's life, and much valuable information about the major operas. I did think he dwelt too long on Verdi's last opera, Falstaff, but that is quite understandable, since it was a radical departure for Verdi (whose operas tended toward the tragic). Now I want to go visit Buzetto and see Verdi's home, and I can hardly wait until June, when La Traviata will be performed at Masada.

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McWhorter's Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

Revisado: 03-18-13

The history of the English language is always a fun topic for me, and the author provides a new take on it, noting the less-well-known Swedish and the Irish contributions to English. In a lot of ways, it was a fun listen, and the reader was excellent, but it should be understood that the author is promoting his particular theories about English development, and you can't help wondering what the academic critics of the book might have had to say in response. Unless you are very interested in linguistics, you are not likely to try to find out how the academic arguments went after its publication.

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Bryce Courtenay: Four Fires

Revisado: 03-11-13

I only recently heard of this author, alas, when he passed away. One thing that impresses me about him is that his writing career developed late in life, which can be an advantage, as an author then brings a lot of experience and wisdom to his work. Clearly he loves Australia, and has a deep understanding of how its people and environment "work" together.
Four Fires tells the story of the poor but extremely hardworking Malony's. It is told in the voice of Mole, the young son of Tommy, a war-damaged former POW of the Japanese, and Nancy, the plain-spoken and determined mother. The story is quite complex and follows the careers of all the Maloney children as a great Family Saga kind of story. What makes it of special interest to me was seeing how subtly the author showed how Mole grew to maturity, eventually coming to a greater understanding of his father's life and genuine good points, even though as a child he mostly thought of him as the village drunk and petty criminal. This is a story about love -- the kind that lasts through very hard times and bitter disappointment, not just for individuals but for communities. It's about people helping each other in surprising ways. It is, perhaps, about an era that is passing away as communities change so rapidly, but I am very, very glad that Bryce Courtenay caught that particular post-World War II moment.
A word about the reader: his Australian accent was not overwhelming and contributed to the story. If he had problems pronouncing the spattering of Yiddish words (one of the important characters is a Jewish refugee doctor) it is easily forgiven, for we are seeing life through the eyes of Mole, and he may well not have quite heard the words right, either.
This was a work that was hard to leave off until its end. It definitely encourages me to read other books by Courtenay.

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Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles

Revisado: 03-04-13

Sherlock Holmes, eternally popular, practically invites spoofing, and this is one of the greatest spoofs ever, especially fun if you enjoy that very English game of Literary References. If you've read a few thousand English books, you'll catch the many references, including, of course, the title itself. The stories also bring to mind George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series, but this is a lot more discreet about sex (and overall, Flashman was pretty discreet in his own jaunty way, too). The stories are intricate; the evil characters are evil, and Moriarty makes a perfect foil for the "thin man," and the book ends, as one might expect, at Reichenbach Falls. A ripping good read or listen. The reader, Tom Hodgkins, was excellent throughout.

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