J. Kirwan

A promenade along exhibits of high-energy physics

Revisado: 04-29-25

This book reminds me of a promenade down the hall of high-energy physics, stopping at each idea to consider, but with a sense of sadness throughout the walk.

What she writes made me feel that perhaps high-energy physics has dug itself into an evolutionary dead end, trapped between the towering peaks of general relativity and standard quantum theory, unable to escape. It’s like a species confined to a local evolutionary minimum—a theoretical landscape where path dependence has led us to a standstill. We are unwilling to backtrack far enough to explore alternative pathways, lacking both the ideas and the willingness to take the risks necessary to break free. The high cost and difficulty of new experiments further limit our ability to move beyond our current position.

Put another way, what she writes brought Richard Dawkins' Climbing Mount Improbable to mind. I can feel her angst in my heart and soul. (I’ve made one small contribution to one of the areas she discusses.) And I think she did a yeoman's job of making her point.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Dated autism ideas but done well

Revisado: 08-14-18

The story was engaging and the point of view of the autistic character was done well.
Warning - I bought the newest edition of this book by mistake because I like the author and this book was on sale and I didn't already own it. So I started listening and realized I owned the same book already from buying if years ago. My edition is gone from any search. The identical book is for sale. All that's different about this newest edition is the artwork.
So be aware, you may be buying the same book that you already own.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It Kept Me Listening to the End

Revisado: 08-14-18

Too often I'll get too bored to finish an audiobook. If one keeps me going to the end, it's a great book. I cared about these characters enough to see how their adventures turned out. I enjoyed the little anecdotes about Washington DC life that Baldacci put in at appropriate times.
However, I had to work hard to ignore the constant gasping of the narrator.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Five stars or one star? Depends on your sanity!

Revisado: 02-06-18

Warning - the story is hard to follow so you'll need to listen to it several times for it to make sense except I could be wrong since it still doesn't make a lot of sense even after a few tries at listening.
I've never before listened to an audiobook that made me think it was produced, written and directed someone who obviously overdosed on reading Mad Magazines as a kid or this book was secretly produced by the guys who did the Airplane movies. Oh, and became a Weird Al addict in his adult life! It was a fun listen!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Mundane Storytelling

Revisado: 10-11-17

The main characters were dull and not varied. The story mostly consisted of trying to stay warm and eat. However, it never get desperate enough for frostbite to threaten anyone or starvation to truly threaten them. There were interesting adventures around the pandemic and aftermath that were mentioned that the characters heard about but the author never told those compelling stories. Instead the story spend a lot of time on the adventures of moving one couch closer to the fire and then deciding to move another couch closer to the fire.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Good Romance But Dull for Suspense

Revisado: 06-15-16

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

The book was way too focused on romance, not so much on mystery and suspense. I was very bored.

What could Nora Roberts have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I wish she had had more suspense and reasons to feel tense about lurking danger.

Did Julia Whelan do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

The narration was great.

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

Nora Roberts is a great writer. I just don't go for books that are almost all about romance. I wish it hadn't been categorized as a mystery thriller.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It's Like Being In Mayberry!

Revisado: 03-06-16

What made the experience of listening to Dead As a Doornail the most enjoyable?

The writing of the characters was clever and well done. It reminded me so much of the Andy Griffith show.

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

At first, I couldn't get into the story. I was expecting a whodunit but it was a lot of amusing stories about some whacky people. The mystery seemed to not be a major part but after I figured out what to expect, I got my head around the book and listened for longer periods.

Any additional comments?

I received Dead as a Doornail at no charge in return for an honest review. I prefer mysteries to be more serious than this book was but that's my preference. The writing was well done for what the book offered. So any readers who want to chuckle as they listen, this is a good book for that.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Kept me Distracted Enough to Do Household Chores

Revisado: 02-10-16

What made the experience of listening to Pretty Baby the most enjoyable?

The characters weren't like any others I remember in recent books. They were down to earth enough to relate to but their problems were unusual enough to keep them intriguing.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the inner emotional thoughts of the two main characters and how it drove them to do what they did.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

When narrators convince me that the story is interesting and I should hear what they have to say, they're good enough. And these narrators did their jobs.

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

The homeless motherless girl was unable to feel safe enough to fully explain her problems so people who could have helped her didn't. Failed communication among vulnerable populations makes me sad.

Any additional comments?

I saw a lot of bad reviews but if a story makes me want to listen to the end, it's not bad, imo.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

If you love lots of pontification....

Revisado: 01-05-15

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If there were more action.

Has The Human Stain turned you off from other books in this genre?

I like books about this subject but once the characters and problems are extablished, the story needs to go forward at more than a snail's pace.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Dull Characters, Very, Very Slow Moving

Revisado: 12-24-14

What would have made The Jakarta Pandemic better?

The main character needs to have some kind of flaw. He's practically perfect in every way, except interesting. His reactions are dull and overly detailed, no matter how desperate the situation.

What could Steven Konkoly have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

A narrator who sounds interesting in the story he or she is reading helps a lot. This wasn't the case here. Get rid of have of those useless details and make the main character not be so much more brilliant and brave than everyone else.

How could the performance have been better?

Maybe the narrator needed a more interesting book to narrate. He sounded bored, which fit the book so maybe it was an appropriate narration.

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

The story idea was good.

Any additional comments?

I saw some other reviewers gripe that the main character shows his political leanings too much. When I read that, I thought maybe there would be an snarky personality when I listened. There wasn't. There was no personality, just a measured flawless character with a flawless family.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña