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Excellent (& Mr. Farrow is a great narrator!)

Revisado: 03-22-25

This entire thing was RIVETING! So interesting and multi-dimensional. Ronan really took a situation like a diamond and turned every facet over so you really understand EVERYTHING in a context, not just a piece here or a piece there. I think this is something many people will have entirely different reactions towards. Also, Ronan was a fabulous narrator through all of this! Sometimes when people try to do their own VA it's terrible, but he really gave this the delivery it needed. And, it was way more fun to get his reactions to her (lowkey crazy) provocations in real time! It was also cute in a way seeing that even though Cici is... well she seems extremely hateful, both of the general "others" of the world and of people she personally knows (and has attempted to kill, without like... even an apology). Even with all that hate, it was so cute to see she really did want Ronan Farrow as an individual to relate to her, like her, approve of her choices, and understand she did the best she knew how to.... it's just her best was WILD. Definitely right, this is NOT YOUR AVERAGE LIFE!

Spoilers ahead, Enjoy After Reading!

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Cici's personality isn't really lovable or hate-worthy, either. I think the thread I would have liked to see her connect is that when she is putting this much effort into hiding or concealing something, then that is some indicator there is a problem. It's consciousness of guilt. If she is the silent majority and so many people feel the way she does, why does she think random people will just hate her for her political views? Does she feel Ronan had some secret liberal army? And, if she genuinely felt there was nothing wrong with the way she treated her daughters, why is she trying so hard to not have them be heard? If everything with her husband was an obvious lie, why not read the articles and sue them? Sounds like he was... very close to a lawyer?

Moving on to the husband- he would be sympathetic but honestly I felt like he made his bed and chose to stay right there in it. The weird "only intellectual" totally not gay love affair he was having as a fifty-something year old man who was like... fully going out to dinners alone with a 20-something year old? They had a mutual respect for each other's intellects? And, now that guy is also married and firmly "straight"? I mean... now, come on. I can see why this black widow type of woman felt like he needed viagara. Honestly, at this point, if Cici knew (and somehow never forgot) ONE thing and it was that she did not and does not want that other man coming in between her marriage... I mean, well that says it all. Forgot half her life, but still mad at this "straight" married male home-wrecker! If he had just admitted to the gay romance affair, it would have at least established a motive for the police. I think a big part of the husband Jim's compliance was to make sure the police didn't start asking around or investigating things further. A victim? Kind of. His behaviors, in my view, are a mix of stockholm and self-serving.

Loved the daughter speaking to Ronan on her healing and growth. The fact she has been able to look at the situation and leave the villain/victim narrative alone but still acknowledge the harm Cici did to her and her sister as children, that's huge. Instead of being a forever victim, she chose to set boundaries and live in her truth somewhere else. I also completely understand that the crazy feeling she felt as a victim was probably really healed by having a third party come in, gather facts independently, and speak to her about what he (Ronan) found. While Cici probably gaslighted her to the moon and back, it is IMMEDIATELY obvious to any normal person this girl and her sister were seriously abused as children by this woman. It's not even like she's evil per say, just terrible. Unrepentant, callous, and just plain mean.

Sidenote- It genuinely shocked me to hear an excuse as to why Cece, an adult, even concievably thought of it as okay to BITE A 2 YEAR OLD! Like... she was worried about being a republican (which at least half the country is) but freely admitted to THAT? No.

Finally, her allegations against JB... Mmm, well they do seem true. I don't think they are anywhere near as dramatic as she's said on social, but the idea he was 30-something, drunk, and overly handsy in a public place... yeah, I believe it. I do think it's interesting she felt an adult groping an adult was crossing a line, but doesn't see an issue with literally biting a defenseless human toddler. Given Cici was violent the bruising her daughter had was probably because Cici was hitting her as a child. And of course someone literally being physically abused since before they could talk is going to grow up a rebellious, angry teen!

Overall, for me, she did a lot of terrible things but ironically the things that she actually got in trouble for were the least bad. She's allowed to be a republican all she wants. She had every right to call out JB. And discovering your 4th husband is having some kinda weird love affair with a man, and has for decades... well, of course, a lot of women would plot a lot of things. Also, as bad as she was, the first husband def seemed like an abuser who was hitting her as well as she hit him. Of course she might be a little... not so great with men after that. What she didn't have a right to do was abuse her children.

Oh, and the crime... I can see why the police would see she clearly did it but let bygones be bygones.... not because Cici is white, rich, and privileged... but in an attempt not to out the gays she tried to murder (i.e. Jim) and set up to have drugs in the other's house (Jim's "best friend"). It is hilariously homophobic actually- she just ASSUMES it's reasonable for that other man to be doing a drug that starts with C because he's (secretly?) gay. I can see the logic, from Cici's view. The issue is if he really did do drugs, he'd probably consume it all like it was a free gift. She is clearly not a critical thinker.

Oh and the alcohol.... Yeah, when you're plotting locations, aware of how far the nearest hospital is, identifying little pills, and frisking people down for wires..... you are NOT ALL THAT DRUNK. She's going to have to try another lie there, haha. I mean alcoholism is a serious issue but the pity party she's trying on for size with that isn't it. She seems like she can handle all the alcohol she's drinking, and could probably use a little more so she could be nice. Clearly she was hurt by Jim's homosexual affair and went out of her way to ideate the most hurtful things she could do to him, which she says she was pretty.... there. She was aware of everything, and plotted to hurt people the way she did. Clearly not a substance abuse issue.


TL;DR If she thought people would hate her for being a republican or attempting her husband's murder.... I'd personally tell her, no. TBH I get it on both counts. Wouldn't be my choices, but I personally see how she got there. And, she was clearly brutally robbed and probably was drunkenly groped 30-something JB. All that is understandable. What is just awful about her is how she treated her daughters.

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Excellent, Incredibly Kind, and Very Practical

Revisado: 12-23-24

I will probably listen to this many times in life! It is just enough biography and background to give context that the author Luz understands what we may be going through without taking the focus off our own healing and liberation. And, she really does focus on freedom and liberation- not a lifetime of bondage to a particular practice or set of medicines where your life falls apart as soon as you stop. It's very rare to hear people talk about full healing and restoration these days, but she's here delivering! It's an incredibly encouraging read, highly recommend.

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Have to be ready for it

Revisado: 11-28-24

First time I read this, I did think all the things the author says you might think about him. Unhinged [insert political position] trying to [insert ulterior motive]. However, over a couple of years I learned a lot and find myself coming back to his books any time the noise gets loud, a new get rich quick scheme is unveiled, or something happens in the world of politics and the economy that's supposedly ground breaking. He's really onto something that you just have to be ready for when you read it.

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Rarely Give full 5s, but They Earn it Every Time!

Revisado: 11-03-24

I'm very picky about everything from VAs to narratives to... Well, you know, don't we all feel we would do a better job than real people whose job it is to actually do something consistently? Anyways, this story is fantastic. The first season was PHENOMENAL and the second is just as satisfying! I was so concerned they were going to scrap this project after I listened to Season 1, so I'm thrilled to see they are continuing.

This has all the things that make a compelling story (character development, introspection, diverse POVs) and all the signature ingredients of Nightvale (far reaching conspiracies, danger, and exciting escape scenes). Absolutely recommend this as a quality listen that is bingeworthy- perfect for long days in airports, roadtrips, and commutes when you need your eyes and hands available, but can listen to whatever. The twists are surprising enough to catch you off guard even if you're a logical mind and a wee bit cynical, but realistic enough that you could... totally see someone doing this kind of thing. Hope they keep this going!

The ending is wrapped up well enough that I can wait, but I'd love for the wait not to be two years if any execs are reading. Go ahead and green light them for what's next in Season 3! Two years was waaaay too long.

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Not Nearly as Scandalous as It's Made to Seem

Revisado: 10-01-23

First of all, I always respect when an author wants to read their story from their own mouth because it takes a lot of effort. That said, the author must be quite old because it seems difficult for him to continue speaking and enunciating in a way that is easy to understand. I think a voice actor would have been a better decision if possible, considering the graphic nature of this story.

The actual scandal... where do I start but with the start. The book opens with an alleged cult of highly suspicious people posed with no evidence whatsoever, and that is what it is implied we'll be getting into reading deeper. However, the actual criminals are quite run of the mill and this is not at all the conspiracy it is alleged to be, in my view. Paris Hilton's documentary did not make waves the way this has, however she alleges essentially the same thing we now take as common knowledge which is that these schools for "troubled children" are quite cruel and unsafe. This is, again, far from a government conspiracy. This book essentially details how some nut from a bad family was soliciting sordid deeds from teen boys in Nebraska in exchange for money. Yes, a crime, but again not a "conspiracy that reaches to the highest level of government" by ANY means. The most credible accuser is essentially a man that accepted money when he was 16-17 for as people today call "gay for pay". Underage? Yes. But is that a rallying cry to 'save the children'? I think not. The other accuser is a troubled woman who, as a teen girl the same age, started attending parties, drinking illegally, got physical with a police officer who got angry and retaliated when they broke things off. Wrong? Again, yes. But a government conspiracy? Um, No! The victims he associates with ALLEGE that two children "must have been sold" but they did not see a sale or know the children, and they were all clearly quite paranoid and unstable from drug abuse. Lastly while a plane crash is suspicious, when you are pretending to be Amelia Earhart, it makes sense that things may go wrong. We do not have business flying planes if we are not pilots. Alleging an assassination and FBI coverup and a conspiracy that reaches "to the highest level of government" based on the evidence presented in the book is patently RIDICULOUS. At best, this was Nebraska in the 1980s. Closeted politicians, terrible foster homes, drugs, alcohol, and what cultural anthropologists now call "the satanic panic". Alleging SRA and disappearing children is up there with the mass hysteria of the salem witch trials. It is just fodder for already paranoid people.

This whole thing, in my view, just panders to the people who are already conspiratorial and distrusting of government. In reality, it was a handful of weirdos and seedy people in the 1980s who, shocker, went to prison for their crimes! We can argue about whether a sentence was the most fair or accurate, but that is the nature of the US justice system. Everyone has an opinion, but a jury is the final decision maker. I was a fairly open minded reader, and I continued reading until the conclusion of the trials several chapters in. However, the positioning of the scandals as more significant and nefarious than they are is I think where the issue lies. People today now know that children were not very protected in society in the 1980s and prior. Thankfully that has changed. But to publish that some woman, locked in a mental hospital, thinks she harmed a baby when she was on hallucinogenic drugs and could have, for all we know, been handed a cabbage patch doll with kool-aid on it... There's some MAJOR logical gaps here, and that is all I can say. Great book if you are already paranoid, but if you are balanced and fair then this was a bit of a snooze fest pointing out that teens left unsupervised could get up to some weird stuff in the 1980s.

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Riveting and informative

Revisado: 10-01-23

Excellent piece of sociological research, first and foremost, that really examines the world of models and bottles from the perspective of a scientist and a beautiful woman who has to contend with being effectively used as an resource by someone she would consider a friend. Definitely a great beach or holiday read for anyone who likes a great balance of entertainment and education.

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Great, as usual from them

Revisado: 12-18-22

This is great for roadtrips, plane rides, anywhere that you need immersive audio entertainment while your hands and eyes do something else. The story was compelling and the characters had such a unique charm that really makes you care about them individually. Could have used less of the history lesson about slavery, but it was a very unique way to actually work that content into a fictional story that isn't otherwise about the topic. It was almost like a 'land acknowledgement' woven into fictional story, which is definitely a unique concept but personally not something I really valued. For other people that may be a huge pro rather than a con though, so I'm staying value neutral on it. It seems like they left plenty of room to serialize this series further so I hope audible brings them back for a season 2. I'd love to hear what Lou gets into next and explore Molly's past a bit more!

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Very much oriented to Boomers...

Revisado: 01-23-22

This was shockingly bad. Basically they explain the concept of content marketing that you could google. You make content and post it online. Thats it. Somehow it's spread out into multiple chapters, with random stories from people who could be entirely fictitious to people the author certainly doesn't know to literally Biblical characters. The gag is that this book is content marketing, and they are using it to advertise its firms services and listing off past big name clients to convince you to hire them. If anything, the true lesson here is that.

If you are under 30, you can get better quality and more concise info on Youtube for free. If you've spent all your life wondering about Tammy from Wyoming though, enjoy.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Really really bad, and I'm not a hater

Revisado: 10-04-21

I don't use my credits just to bash books and I don't spend hours listening to things just to be negative or closed off or convince myself of why something wouldn't work. I want ppl considering reading this to know, genuinely, I felt this was a massive waste of time. Even if you are idle in traffic in rush hour, you'd get more from a podcast recapping the real housewives of orange county than you would from this 21 hour rah rah book on how some people who live long enough eventually see returns on investments. Compound interest is a very simple concept yet Tony managed by some miracle of marketing to turn it into a 21 hour audio book. Wow. The fundamental issue with the idea is that if you actually do ascribe any of the mindset stuff he discusses, and you do aspire to material wealth, well then what exactly is the point of living your life on a shoe string, investing the savings, and then collecting the money when you 82? The healthcare system can eat through a million dollars quicker than a 16 year old in a mall in 2006. Recommend skipping this book unless you like inspiring stories and cheerleader life coach style talk about how to not give up, commit, burn the boat, give it your all, blah blah blah. Now if humans lived to be 300 or 400 years old, the advise in here would be great, but most people's lives will end well before they make it to a million from compound interest.

For what its worth, while many people dislike suze orman for her no-nonsense style, she is seldom selling you anything in a book she writes and she's the first to tell you to go check out a copy from the library for free. Meanwhile this was... a 21 hour infomercial for Tony's seminars and high end coaching services. Don't do this to yourself and your time, just go open an IRA and bam you've taken the whole of the substantive advice in this book.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Phenomenal! I rarely give reviews at all, but...

Revisado: 04-17-21

This deserves 5 stars and more! It's rare that works that address the political and economic history of america that claim non-partisanship actually deliver on non-partisanship, but this did. This is a very objective look at how we got where we are today and the major changes in society that led us to where we are for better and for worse. I don't know anywhere else you actually could hear a background of the military industrial complex and not be inundated with either an onslaught of rightwing propaganda or the liberal anti-military sentiments. Additionally this work also addresses the re-organization of political party vs. governing style and economic viewpoints throughout U.S. history which some may find confusing because (surprise) things like 'party of Lincoln' are modern day marketing slogans, not meaningful statements of value. I don't even know where you could read about money these days without some far right inflation hawk predicting the economic doom of the US. This is pure, TRULY unbiased, non-partisan explanation based in fact and history. I learned so much that I actually want to listen to the entire 16 hrs again, take notes, and do additional research. This was excellent and I plan to look for other content by the authors as well.

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