Claire W

Good overview of Pelosi and the House

Revisado: 11-26-21

I bought this book after finishing Adam Schiff's "Midnight in Washington," which has my highest recommendation. "Pelosi" is also good though it lacks the intensity and personal perspective that makes "Midnight in Washington" not only important but enthralling.

This book gave me what I was looking for; broad insight into the House and its accomplishments and failures through Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump's presidencies, alongside an introduction to who Nancy Pelosi is and what she stands for.

It contains an awe-inspiring rundown of Pelosi's accomplishments although the author seems strangely baffled by it all. I related to Pelosi through the stories, but somehow Molly Ball did not. She often refers to how Pelosi "tastes power" with apparent glee and adoration for the power itself, yet can't figure out why Pelosi would also so patiently let power slip and herself be degraded for purposes of ending wars and children's health care. I dunno, maybe she's actually after power to do good things...?

Pelosi does make mistakes, and those are covered. In addition, Ball's occasional criticisms, or just wariness, of character are brief and direct, so they are what they are, and do not detract from the story. If anything, they help to illustrate the strange lens of suspicion that follows Pelosi everywhere.

Overall, I recommend the book. It's a vital overview of one of only a handful of great leaders of the House. The pace of the book is steady throughout. I found the narrator pleasant and consistent with the sample.

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Beautiful and moving!

Revisado: 09-11-19

I found this book fascinating! I love to gain a deeper understanding of the stories unfolding in nature around me.

I was at my grandparents’ home most of the time that I was listening, and constantly describing some new detail to them about what I’d learned. They enjoyed it too, and started asking me about it and telling their friends little bits, like, “Did you know trees communicate through their roots? And send each other support to care for each other when one gets sick?” There are some great conversation starters in here!

I also loved the voice and inflection of the reader, Mike Grady. Perfect for the topic and structure of the book.

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Alfre Woodward makes it worth a listen

Revisado: 07-07-19

Wonderful to listen to Woodard's voice. The story is a simple predictable fairytale...teaching children obedience and to fear brute strength. No mention of the gentleness and community that comes with wisdom, unfortunately.

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So relatable

Revisado: 07-04-19

Gabrielle Union is a great storyteller with an amazing expressive, lovely voice. Sometimes she embellishes her stories, other times she's brutally, painfully honest.

In the end, you feel like you just finished a deep and pleasant conversation with a dear friend.

And for me personally, a white girl who has spent most of her life in a rural white world, it's so important to hear what it feels like, from someone talking as a friend, about their experience of being black. Union is open about her feelings, mishaps and mistakes, making it easy to process and relate to situations that I've never experienced.

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Good fiction

Revisado: 06-27-19

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I don't read much fiction, it's usually too painfully contrived for me to get past the first few minutes/pages. But this was a pleasure to listen to. Historical details are accurate and enrich without drawing you away from what counts, the characters. The characters, especially Count Rustov, are alive with an awareness of their world and it's marvelous to observe them finding their way through it. Rustov, the narrator, and occasionally other characters make comments on the nature of humans, life,etc., that sometimes made me laugh and think, isn't that the truth!?

I think Nicholas Guy Smith was an excellent choice to read, The subtle changes in his accent and tone for each character were perfection. He even altered his voice to reflect the changing age of Rustov. Well done.

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Enjoyable conversation describing the development of modern English

Revisado: 06-15-19

Dr. McWhorter presents facts and ideas about how our language, especially grammar, evolved over time. He clearly describes his impressions, opinions, as well as precisely what we know and how we know it.
I especially enjoyed his specific examples comparing a variety of words and sentences from several related languages. His ability to smoothly switch between languages with effortless pronunciation made listening more interesting and added to my understanding of the linguistic analysis.
Some reviewers have suggested that he was a bit repetitive to drive home a few of his opinions, but I think he stuck to his purpose and points. Part of why we read is to be exposed to new opinions and differing priorities. I found it interesting to know what he felt strongly about.
A great listen for people with a curiosity about the development of language, especially English, and how society responds to changes in it.

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Great for Castilian Spanish learners

Revisado: 04-13-19

I’m happy with this audiobook because I plan to spend time in Spain and I want to learn the appropriate pronunciations and verb conjugations for my destination. Larraz has clear pronunciation and is pleasant to listen to. I’m too much of a beginner to judge how interesting the stories are or how appropriate the grammar and overall vocabulary may be for beginners, but I am able to pick out many familiar words and phrases. I was not enthusiastic in my high school Spanish classes 20 years ago, so I’m thrilled about that!
I’ve found the Kindle version of this book on Amazon, so my next step is to order it so that I can delve deeper into the vocabulary and comprehension. If you’re as much of a beginner as me, it will help to know that the summaries and multiple-choice questions etc. are in Spanish.
I wish there were summaries in English, or a key vocabulary list for each story, so I wouldn’t need to rely on literally looking up individual words and phrases. But I get really bored with language apps and I’m probably starting on stories with less skill than most people.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Impressed so far!

Revisado: 01-30-19

After listening to a few speeches and this book by McCullough, I'm impressed. I look forward to reading or listening to several more of his books in the future.
It seems that he is always mindful of the fact that history unfolded without the gift of hindsight; the characters of history moved through their lives as unsure of what the future will bring as we are.
So, he doesn't just interpret facts into a dramatic performance to entertain you, but presents the images and events in clusters that may explain the truth of what individual characters were thinking as the story unfolds. How did it feel when George Washington arrived at the siege of Boston to learn there was barely enough gunpowder for each of his men to fire 9 shots? What if Henry Knox had been too shy to suggest a daring attempt to grab 60 tons of artillery at Ticonderoga and carry it with wagons and boats over hills and streams and through swamps in the dead of winter?
I especially enjoy the quotes that McCullough has chosen. For example, we all know that our founding fathers risked their fortunes to defy British rule, but when reading that Hopkins signs the Declaration with palsy-stricken hands, and says, "My hand trembles, but my heart does not," it brought tears to my eyes.
They made some shameful, big mistakes, and achieved careful, clever, astonishing victories.
Probably what moved me the most was hearing about men who marched through snow leaving bloody tracks because they had no shoes. In battle, you are fighting to survive. But for these men to even show up at the battle required nerves of steel, incredible compassion for their future generations, and hope that liberty would prevail.
It makes today's troubles, for all our fussing and hollering, seem small, really.
There were some very small editorial choices that I would tweak. For example, each of Washington's defeats brought what must have been "the lowest point" or "worst moment" or "as bad as it had ever been" in his whole life, and I expect that is truly how he felt. But I feel that the reader needs a little more guidance and support to grasp how it felt to hit that side of the scale so often, instead of just being plunked there repeatedly.
But my overall feeling at the end of the book is those fussy little things really don't matter. Most of all, I want to thank McCullough for helping me understand, on a deeper level, the treasure that I was given to be born an American.

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