Mike Dowling

Mr. Obama is a good traveling companion.

Revisado: 01-03-21

President Obama has a novelist's gift of painting the scene with words. In addition to chronicling his presidency's events, he also described the White House garden, the weather, his walks to and from the residence, what it was like to be in various parts of the building, and his interactions with the people who waited on him and his family.

More than any presidential autobiography I've ever read, Mr. Obama described his personal life. He was honest about the strains his ambition put on his marriage and he wrote at length about Mrs. Obama's frustration with his choosing his career over her. Despite his admitted inattention, Mr. Obama adores his wife. My favorite parts of the book were the many times he digressed from his presidency to talk about his daughters. I was particularly touched when he wrote that he had more time to work in the Oval Office at night once nine-year-old Sasha would no longer allow him to read to her.

I recommend listening to the book because in addition to being a brilliant writer, President Obama is also a talented narrator. I hadn't had any long drives the past few weeks, but Mr. Obama was a pleasant companion as I worked around the house, or on my rides to and from work.

The book covers the President's life only up to the capture of Osama bin Laden; another book will cover the rest of his presidency. When his next book comes out, I won't hesitate to listen again, no matter how long it is. In addition to learning history, I look forward to once again having the opportunity to spend time with someone whose company I enjoy.

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Wait a minute, that wouldn't happen!

Revisado: 07-17-17

What disappointed you about Special Circumstances?

The implausibility of so much of the story. As you listen along, it is a pleasant enough tale, but if you think about character motivation the entire story falls apart in many cases.

What was most disappointing about Sheldon Siegel’s story?

The characters were not clearly drawn.

How could the performance have been better?

The author's style was to include many sarcastic asides. That's a fun technique for a reader who can discern the lack of quotation marks. A better performer would have found a way to differential what the character said from what he thought.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Special Circumstances?

Deus ex machina All fiction requires a suspension of disbelief, but this novel asked far too much of the reader. I kept muttering, "that would never happen."

Any additional comments?

I though the backstory of Mike Daley would make him a great character. A former priest would bring interesting insight to his criminal defense work, but Daley's was mentioned in only the most superficial ways. I was disappointed in the superficiality of the novel.

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The title is apt; Barney is refreshingly frank

Revisado: 06-13-16

What did you love best about Frank?

We know Barney Frank as America’s most prominent gay politician, but it is easy to forget that he spent more than half of his life in the closet. The book is yet another reminder of what it is like to be a minority. The rest of us as can have as much or little empathy as we want, but a fourteen-year-old boy in 1954 didn’t have many options.

Barney Frank lays open his flaws bluntly and with the humor he is known for. I vaguely recalled a scandal involving a male prostitute, and wondered how Barney would narrate that portion of his life. He did so with honesty and a bit of self-loathing.

Barney frankly describes what it was like to be what he describes as “an LGBT person” in an era when it was mocked. Throughout the book, he describes both his role and his failures bluntly. I was impressed with his prudence. He described the three relationships in his life with affection but great discretion. It made me feel better that he shared my revulsion at the actions of the radicals in his community. Even the most die-hard traditionalist among his reader would have to admire Frank’s great affection for his husband, Jim.

Barney is intensely patriotic. He patiently walks the reader through the political battles of the last quarter century. Frank settles no scores and the only person he skewers is himself. (Okay, he nails Dick Cheney a few times, but he also speaks of Cheney’s surprising moderation on LGBT issues.)

His moderation was the biggest surprise of the book. Barney Frank has spent a lifetime working within the system to make the world a better place. He doesn’t mention Bernie Sanders, but his after reading his book, I understand Barney’s support of Hillary Clinton.

If he were twenty years older or younger another person would have played his role on the national stage. Barney Frank’s story is a snapshot of the thirty-year period that began with his election and that of Ronald Reagan in 1980. His book provides a unique insight to that era.

How could the performance have been better?

Frank’s graveled rhoticity can be endearing to those of use who admire him, but Barney frequently ignores his mother’s admonition to slow down. If you choose to listen to the audiobook, you will have to rewind a lot. Barney Frank makes Vito Corleone sound like Henry Higgins.

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Everything you would ever want and more

Revisado: 03-22-15

What did you love best about Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed?

Professor Barnhart in an expert and the research is up to date as of the spring of 2015. As with any Audible purchase of Great Courses material, you suffer from not having a study guide.

Professor Barnhart is engaging and easy to listen to. His personal stories and background in the field add color to his presentation. I did find myself fading away at times because he does take you deep into the weeds of every topic. His enthusiasm for the topic is infectious and brings to mind Bob Brier’s amazing “History of Ancient Egypt.”

These lectures are not designed for people with only a passing interest in the topic, but if your study of the word has neglected Mesoamerica, this is the definitive listening experience.

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Spend many hours in a place you will enjoy

Revisado: 07-02-13

Would you consider the audio edition of Paris to be better than the print version?

I listened to the book through a purchase on Audible.com and often read along on my Nook. Mr. Rutherfurd occupied me though several sessions of the elliptical machines. British actress Jean Gilpin was a talented reader, fluent enough in French for this American’s ears, though her American voices were an odd mix of lazy and sarcastic. Is that how Europeans think we sound?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paris?

Mr. Rutherfurd made the entire story so good that it is impossible for me to pick out once section.

Which character – as performed by Jean Gilpin – was your favorite?

This book has no star because the real star is the city itself--though I will say I like Edith a bit more than the other characters.

Who was the most memorable character of Paris and why?

Luc was the most memorial character, though an explanation would spoil the novel.

Any additional comments?

Like a great jigsaw puzzle, Edward Rutherfurd hop scotches back and forth through history, introducing us to families and stories that he neatly ties together in the end. Many reviewers complained that the book did not follow a straight chronology, instead the author introduces his readers to the various aspects of the characters of a handful of fictional families from the thirteenth century to 1968. The only criticism this reader had of past Rutherfurd novels is that a particular storyline can run on too longer and become dull. In Paris, the author keeps your attention to following a theme back and forth through different time periods. Some readers compare Rutherfurd to James Michener, but where Michener reports, Rutherferd weaves a magnificent story through time.

Only one minor criticism of the book comes to mind: Rutherfurd is not a romance writer, and his treatment of the characters in the 1920s become a bit vapid, though perhaps another reader might feel not agree.

At 38 hours of 712 pages, Paris is not an quick read, but take that as a positive, because the length of the novel with allow you to spend many hours in a place and with people you will enjoy.

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Compelling true crime story and very dark comedy

Revisado: 06-10-13

What made the experience of listening to Detroit the most enjoyable?

The narrator captured the voice of Charlie LeDuff. Sad a world weary in a shocking world of corruption and incompetence.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Monica Conyers seemed like a bad character on a late night comedy show. I had to go to YouTube to confirm that outrageous stories in the book.

Have you listened to any of Eric Martin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

Without giving the plot away, I will say that if this were a novel, I would have thrown it away because it is impossible to believe that any story could be this sad. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it get much, much worse.

Any additional comments?

Charlie McDuff tells parallel stories of life in Detroit, the history of the city and his own family and friends. I listened through in a few days.

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No better than a TV show

Revisado: 01-01-12

Any additional comments?

The story wasn’t very strong. Perhaps that’s unfair because I just finished the Steig Larsson trilogy, but I wasn’t impressed with Adam Mitzner’s first effort. One of the plot turns occurred to me within the first few pages. There was only one surprise, and I might have figured that out if I gave it some thought. The story is plausible, there isn’t a deus ex machine, but the story was anything but engrossing. Scott Turow can rest easy.

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Could have been great

Revisado: 12-31-08

This is an important book, but it was a bit of a trudge from time to time. I would have preferred an abridged version because Friedman tends to repeat himself. The reader’s affectation whenever he reads Friedman’s phrase “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” was annoying. If the book was read on television, I have no doubt that drinking games would be invented from the overused used phrase.

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31 years later I read it again on my Ipod!

Revisado: 04-07-07

I was a assigned David Copperfield in high school, and I wondered how I would feel about the book more than thirty years later.

Narrator Frederick Davidson captures many voices and presents the in an enjoyable fashion. Dickens is as I remember him, a stuffy crusader with an ability to create wonderful and unforgettable characters.

Invest in the long version. You'll get the houyse clean, organize your CD colledction, and maybe drive halfway around the country....but you will not be bored.

Mike Dowling
West Palm Beach, FL

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Good book, terrible narration

Revisado: 07-24-04

Daschle's writing is probably not as egocentric or hyperbolic as Stephen Hoye?s read, but the combined package often makes the Senator sound foolish. The book is interesting, but rather self-serving and oddly familiar at times. Daschle has a very important role in the events of 2000-2002, and his views are worthwhile. That?s the good news and it makes the book worthwhile. On the other hand, Daschle presents his role and his life as if the reader is completely familiar with all things Daschle.

This may be an unfair criticism because of the breathless and overacted read by Stephen Hoye. Hoye?s pregnant pauses and exaggerated intonations make even the smallest event sound as if it took place on December 7, 1941. Paul Harvey sounds monotone next to Hoye. The book would have easily earned an extra star if it were not for the narration.

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