Jeff

Adequate but Overproduced

Revisado: 02-05-25

The story is fine. Maybe not quite as good as the first, but still entertaining. This production was not great. The main narrative was fine, but conversations were extremely muted and hard to hear without boosting the volume, which may the main narrative too loud. The background sounds (such as environmental wind or birds chirping) didn’t really add much.

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Stick with it

Revisado: 10-11-21

This is a very interesting book that I found rather challenging to follow because of the ancient names. I don't think it would have been easier to follow in written form. Besides, if I'd read it myself, I'd never know how to pronounce 'Suppiluliuma.' On the other hand, I was able to follow the gist which paid off at the end when the discussion turned to systems theory. I'm not a historian; I'm a system engineer. Dr Cline brings it all together in a coherent explanation -- challenging his own thinking with repeated "so what" tests. It's worth hanging in through all those difficult names.

New parents will attest that reading out loud is hard if you aren't used to it. Dr Cline doesn't start out reading as smoothly as a professional voice actor. On the other hand, he improves as he goes either from direction or just experience and feedback. So the first part of part 1 is a little bit rough, but by part 2 you get the benefit of listening to a fluent narrator passionate about the subject. And it's actually fun hearing Suppiluliuma flow off his tongue like it's "Smith" or "Jones".

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A good story well told

Revisado: 10-28-18

I'm a semi-regular listener of American popular history books. The two aspects of _These Truths_ that made it stand out for me were the end-to-end nature and the enthusiasm of the author's reading. Most of the history I've listened too (or read) has been focused on an event, while this is the whole of American political history. It is sweeping but naturally leaves a lot out. To chose what to leave in, Dr. Lepore uses the theme of the "self-evident" truths from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, most significantly "...that all men are created equal..." She walks us through the eras from founding to the present asking "who did we count among 'men' at this time and in what sense were those left out treated as equals?" I found it a useful way to think about the distinctions among the political parties (as the actual positions on issues shift from one party to another through time) and the divisions within the populace.

Dr. Lepore has a political point of view which she does not attempt to conceal. If it does not happen to match yours and you are uncomfortable listening to other people's positions, you might not enjoy this book. If you enjoy good story telling and deft prose, you will enjoy it listening to it whether you agree with her or not. It is informative and honest, by which I mean you may not interpret the historical situation as Dr. Lepore does, but you'll understand what it was and how she thinks it contributes to her thesis.

One of the most charming features of this audio book is that Dr. Lepore reads her own work. There is something atavisticly compelling about listening to someone talk enthusiastically about something they love, and she is obviously engaged in her subject. The pace and tone is that of a story-teller, not a reader. She does not merely narrate history, but engages the feeling of the time, shouting quotations from rabble-rousing founders and whispering in shocked despair about the atrocities of slavers. Her engaged reading and compelling subject matter make the 29-hours fly by.

Her editor is not her friend however. She inevitably stumbles over lines a few times and has to re-read them. An editor who was paying attention would cut those out. Some long passages appear twice: for example, in my download, the entire epilogue is repeated. It is noticeable, sometimes charming, sometimes distracting, always unprofessional, and absolutely the fault of the publisher.

Overall, I learned a new way to frame American history and the current issues facing the nation and was engaged the entire time. I enjoyed the experience of the book and I think you will too.

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At least it was on sale...

Revisado: 03-26-16

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I really tried to stick with this book but just couldn't make it. It was not the history-oriented tale I'd hoped for. And as several other reviewers have also noted, it has nothing in common with Bill Bryson's books. It was offered in the $5 bin, so I don't feel bad about spending a credit on it, but even at the bargain price, I found it neither informative nor engaging.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Rinker Buck?

Almost any other professional reader would be better than Mr. Buck. He reads like he's never seen the material ...before, stopping at the...end of the line instead...of the end of the sentence.I found myself reconstructing the sentence in my head as the author probably would have wanted it spoken. That Mr. Buck is also the author just baffles me.This can only be the fault of the director or producer who was clearly not listening to the performance.

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