Raleigh Man

America, Unaware of a Looming Threat

Revisado: 07-04-19

Reading about the failures of democracies around the world that have failed was bound to turn me off. I had downloaded How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in a moment of weak decision-making, I thought. Generally, I tend to eat my mistakes so I began reading. It only took the Introduction to get my attention and make me sit up and think about the commonalities and the parallels to my own country today and I am profoundly concerned for the futures of those I care most about, my descendants.

The current political environment that we find ourselves in is one in which heretofore honorable senators capitulate wholesale to a really bad president who is making really bad decisions that damage our country’s standing in the world, trample norms that are the guardrails of our democracy, and treat the political art of forbearance (one of two keys that have made our democracy work in spite of an electorate that varies as night and day) as if it were a sign of weakness.

What is very clear to me now after reading parts of this book is that current events are not arbitrary or random but follow eerily familiar footsteps of previous fallen democracies. Please read this book. It will help you see how we can stand on a slippery slope and be completely oblivious to its treachery.
[So far, only published to Amazon reviews of books. Publish this revised 7/1 version to Audible reviews.]

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He Nails My Stereotypes About Politics

Revisado: 01-28-16

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend the audio version for those who like to read a book wile they are busy doing other things, and I recommend the written book for those who like to study what a good author has to write.

What other book might you compare The Party Is Over to and why?

This book reminds me of Who Stole the American Dream by Hedrick Smith, which is another good listen. It's a gloomy diatribe of some of the things wrong with our federal government but it's not written in a typical Republican anti-government vein. To the contrary, this book is written from valid perspectives and with political balance.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final chapter was a good summary of the book. Since I had read (listened to) numerous books since first starting to Play this one, the last chapter was a kind of refresher. The author is specific enough to make his points and informed from having been there so that my impression is that he assesses issues fairly and evenly. To this listener, Mr. Lofgren is a believable author.

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

This was not a one-sitting kind of listen. I like to turn to other books either as a diversion or simply because I fancy different information flows at different times. This does not keep it from being a great listen.

Any additional comments?

This is the kind of audio book that reminds me why I went audio in the first place. I can stay physically busy as I like without sitting down for hours to listen. During the gym, long walks, long drives, and even while shopping the isles of the bog box stores, are examples of how I put this technology to work for me efficiently.

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I am not a cow!

Revisado: 09-01-13

What disappointed you about Eat to Live?

Personally, I find the Furman Diet impractical. The thought of losing 30 pounds in 30 days is appealing but why not add just meat to the diet, reduce the vegetable requirement and lose instead 30 pounds in 60 or 90 days! There was no way I could ingest his prescribed amounts of steamed and raw veggies--it simply would not go down. I believe that humans are carnivorous animals by design because we don't graze all day like cattle and we don't regurgitate our food, using multi-track digestion like they do either. So it seems to me our one-track digestive systems are for ingesting moderate amounts of food with meats as our primary protein source, just like other carnivores. My belief is that the Furman Diet would enjoy more long-term followers with a few adjustments.

What could Joel Fuhrman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I have a problem with the diet itself: Too much raw and cooked vegies and too little meat. Otherwise, I personally would find it tolerable and would surely return to my highschool weight at 68.

Which character – as performed by Joel Fuhrman – was your favorite?

I purchased the book and watch the video broadcast on PBS but did not purchase the VERY EXPENSIVE DVDs that were being pushed heavily on PBS. Thankfully, I did not do that.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Some disappointment once I realized the diet's impracticality for me.

Any additional comments?

Americans, I think, are floundering in a sea of information--much of it misinformation--in their desperation to lose the fat. I believe that if Mr. Furman were not so radical in his approach to weight loss, many more could have been helped. Cutting out processed foods, low value grains, and dairy products would go a long way (possibly all the way) toward trimming the fat from Americans without fully restricting meat consumption.

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Impressed But Yet Not Totally Satisfied!

Revisado: 10-30-12

What made the experience of listening to A History of the Middle Ages the most enjoyable?

The reading of this audio book is performed well but this particular reading is a little difficult for me to listen to and stay focused on the information being presented. I don't really understand why!

What about Charlton Griffin’s performance did you like?

Griffin's performace was very good but I was a little distracted by his loftiness (or something else I can't quite identify). I am actually still listening to this book and enjoying it, but I think listening to the book by someone a little more into the story would have minimized the distraction I feel listening to this work by this reader. Again, his performance was quite good technically but I think it lacks feeling or involvement with the history being told.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It would have to be a documentary and its title would be somehing like "Shining a Light on the Dark Ages."

Any additional comments?

I wish the audio (Audible) version of this book were available by various readers (unheard of, I know). This audio book listener would have preferred a reader who puts a little inflection into the reading, like Nadio May who read Paul Johnson's "A History of the American People" or David McCullough who read his own book, "1776."

And, I don't know exactly why but I feel that these two named readers do a more down to earth heart felt reading as if they were involved with the story telling rather than a disinterested lecturer who had lectured this history one too many times.

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Great Washington Insights

Revisado: 05-28-07

A funny and enlightening listen. I learned things about the father of our country that history books simply didn't reveal. And what a hoot ole George was at first, during his initiation into the American Revolution. Great!

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