David Andrew Levy

Nothing beats an enthusiastic professor!

Revisado: 11-11-18

This is the first (so far: only) "Modern Scholar" title I've listened to... and I'm still only about halfway through... but I started on it because I'm studying public speaking on my own and reading and listening to books on it (and have joined Toastmasters and taken opportunities to speak publicly whenever they present themselves, etc.). What I really love about this book is that it is full of great information about rhetoric and the art of persuasion AND also that the author is so excited about the information he is sharing. His enthusiasm in infectious AND he knows that he may not be speaking to advanced students on the topic and provides definitions, background, whatever whenever necessary. I was excited to discover that (a) there is a part 2 to this course that Professor Drout also delivers and (b) that Professor Drout delivers other courses on related topics. Throughout this course, he talks about grammar so fondly that he practically salivates into the microphone and now he's got me interested in his course on grammar!

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Finally got this one off my list and it’s going right back on

Revisado: 11-06-18

Chock full of good advise and little fluff. I’m going to listen to this one again, and a bit more attentively. The info/tips in it have been repeated over the years such that the material may not be new to many listeners, but the examples and summaries after each section are effective at making (further) sense of the material and make this book tops in its category. The only unfortunate issue with the book is that the references and examples stem from different times and constantly call attention to how long ago this was written. Even so, it’s a testament to the usefulness of the information itself that this book is still quoted by notables to this day... and you might learn a thing or two about the Lincoln, Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, and other administrations while you’re at it!

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Definitely appeals to me as a middle-aged male.

Revisado: 07-17-17

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

Very funny in several unexpected ways. Definitely appeals to me as a middle-aged male. I loved how all the men whose heads we got inside were all weak in some way and never told each other certain things about themselves which actually could have brought some of them closer together (e.g., the 3 men who went out to smoke their customary cigarette, even though all 3 had quit, but were embarrassed or ashamed to tell the others).

What other book might you compare Throwback Special to and why?

Not sure. I don't normally listen to sports-themed books and I don't read (or listen to) enough short stories to be familiar with stories where the main characters are all pretty much the same at the end of the story as the beginning. Not sure who to compare the humor to, either. Carl Hiassen, maybe (sans the super-crazy characters).

Which scene was your favorite?

After all the build-up, I really like the depiction of the climactic scene!

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

Yes, although I couldn't. I did manage to listen to it all over about 2 days.

Any additional comments?

Very funny. Loved the reader and also the writing. Will probably examine other works by both.

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Sometimes less is more

Revisado: 03-30-16

Great hypotheticals. I feel like I needed to fall in love with Sadie more, but couldn't. Nice lady though. :)

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Stephen King Narrates!

Revisado: 11-18-13

What did you love best about Bag of Bones?

I love it when the author is the one narrating the book. That is especially true when that author is Stephen King! He has a great voice to begin with, but when you put these characters from Maine into his mouth, they come alive in a way that you can really count on someone who's spent most of his life in Maine to do it. As with most Stephen King stories, there's a point where a person is smarter than I think the details of the story should allow, but all in all, this is an interesting book with a nice supernatural tie-in as well as (as always) new insights into the writer's world that King has managed to avoid including in any of his many, earlier novels that include writers. Unlike some of his better novels, however, when all is said and done, a year later, I have vivid images of many of the scenes of the novel, but cannot remember certain key elements of the story. There's a certain amount of complexity to this story that goes beyond stories like "The Cell" and even tomes like "The Stand". I always love what King does or tries to do, however, because he's so unafraid to try anything he dreams up. In this story, he touches on single parenthood and race relations with deftness and sensitivity.

What about Stephen King’s performance did you like?

I simply love his voice and the Maine accents!

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