John

This is a really good book that absolutely nails some key things that investors should remember (but seldom do): Events are rarely unprecedented. People often over-react to the noise on CNBC and the other business media and fail to consider historical precedent. Over time, it has paid to invest in the market and it has not paid to jump in and out. The authors also point out the flaws in some commonly reported statistics.

If there is one thing that I question in the authors' analysis (and this would not surprise them), it is their nonchalance regarding debt. The debt that has exploded in the last three years is -- in my view anyway -- truly unprecedented, and the demographic trends we are facing (an aging population more dependent on government programs) does not bode well. The only reason the debt is remotely manageable are low interest rates caused by Fed manipulation -- something that cannot last forever. When those rates increase, debt service will become more and more problematic.

The authors would probably disagree, and, frankly, I hope they are right and I am wrong. Still, the overall message of the book that things tend to work out over time and that we somehow muddle through is encouraging and has been historically valid. Let's hope we do it again.

This book was written in the 1940s by Lewis, a famous author, as a lay member of the Church of England. The book is written as an intellectual defense of Christianity in general without getting into the schisms that divide various denominations.

The book is incredibly well-written and the arguments are laid out in a logical and compelling manner. In fact, the book would be worth studying simply as a guide to presenting a tight and very cogent argument.

I found the book generally thought-provoking and inspiring. Remember, however, that this book was written about 70 years ago. Many of the author's statements, such as regarding women and gays, will strike many readers as old-fashioned at best. That said, the book illustrates how views in the mainstream Christian denominations have changed since the book was written.

The book remains a convincing defense of Christianity that is well worth listening to by believers and those who are on the fence.

This was a pretty enjoyable book that makes some interesting connections about the history of the English language. As someone who has tried (with only moderate success) to learn German, it helps explain why English, although a Germanic language, is so "un-German." I found some of the author's conclusions more plausible than others, but they are all presented in an entertaining fashion.

The narration is good. McWhorter comes across as a very opinionated and very capable college professor giving an impassioned lecture, maybe with just a little too much caffeine. If you don't like opinionated, then maybe this is not for you, but I give him high marks because he is not boring.

This is a great book about a very simple strategy aimed at preserving wealth and making a reasonable inflation adjusted return. The strategy is very simple, but the detailed advice about how to implement it is very helpful. I found the arguments in favor of the strategy very compelling.

As an audiobook, it suffers in two respects. First, the book has a lot of tables, which the narrator just reads. Kind of mind-numbing. Second, the narrator is just not that good. His voice reminds me of Don Adams playing Maxwell Smart, for those of you old enough to remember.

Maybe better purchased for a Kindle or as a hard copy book.

The substance of this book is great. It features stories of interesting people who have achieve mastery in their fields. It debunks the myth that masters are born and not made through hard work.

Great subject matter with interesting stories. What could be better? It would be better if it were eight hours instead of sixteen. The book simply needs a major editing (pruning might be a better word). The book is repetitive and needlessly lengthy, droning on like a politician's speech after the point has already been made.

Dale Black's story of his recovery from a terrible airplane crash is in itself inspirational. He fights through the rehabilitation and the experts telling him a full recovery is not possible.

Dale fully believes he went to heaven, and credits his Christian faith for getting him through. Dale narrates the story himself, and, although he is not a great narrator, his sincerity absolutely comes through. I would have preferred if the book had been organized differently (it bounces back and forth between events happening years later and the story of the crash and his recovery), but that's simply a matter of preference. Overall, it is a fascinating and inspirational book.

Listeners should be aware that this book is very evangelical. If that is not your cup of tea, this book is not for you.

This short book provides a very good basic framework for becoming better at sales. It is written as a story in the form of a dialogue between a mentor and student. The book is engaging, easy to listen to, and moves well. The story contains excellent principles regarding selling. The narration is excellent and the book is well produced.

This is a good book written by two authors who tag team the narration. The book provides an excellent introduction into how asking particular questions can lead to discovery of needs, a relationship as a trusted adviser, and, ultimately, sales.

The performance is not terrible. Sobel is basically very smooth. Panas has a really interesting voice (think "gravel"), but he occasionally just mangles words the text. The producers should have insisted that he re-record these obvious errors, which are distracting. Not well-produced for this reason.

I've listened to all of Chris Anderson's books, and they are always interesting and thought provoking. He also writes with great flow, meaning that the story moves forward in a logical and engaging way without a lot of unnecessary repetition.

This book is the logical culmination of taking the Long Tail from the world of bits to the world of atoms. Anderson's insights regarding new manufacturing techniques (mainly 3D printing) and their widespread availability to the masses are important. Anderson always approaches things from an open source point of view, and I don't entirely agree with that (neither for that matter would Steve Jobs). The methods of monetizing open source largely remain to be discovered and proven.

All that said, this is an important and very interesting book. Anyone who works in the manufacturing field should read it.

This book has a lot of great lists and tips on selling professional services, including some very useful examples. From that standpoint, it is a decent sales training book, although not the best I have read. I think the book also suffers from what could be seen as internal contradictions regarding sales techniques, but which could also be seen as trying to find a happy medium. The problem is that the listener is sometimes left with less than clear direction. Nevertheless, overall, the content is not bad. Nothing great or new here, but not bad.

As an audiobook, the book suffers from the style in which it is written (lots of lists) and the narration. Although the narrator is smooth, his lack of vocal inflection and variety just makes the book drone on and on. I listen to books most often when working out, and it was really difficult at times to maintain concentration because of the narration.

I spend most of my Audible "reading" on business books, but bought this book because the story sounded so interesting. This book is very compelling. The author, an accomplished neurosurgeon who was a committed scientist and religious skeptic (if not an outright non-believer) before he went into a coma that should have killled him or left him hopelessly brain damaged, made a miraculous recovery. That alone would be an interesting story, but Dr. Alexander absolutely believes that he visited heaven during his near death experience.

Dr. Alexander's prior skepticism, when combined with his scientific analysis of why what happened to him could not have been produced by his brain, makes his story extremely compelling, and, for some, will probably be life changing. The book has certainly caused me to examine my own beliefs, and has also added some comfort to my belief that there has to be something out there more than the day to day linear existence of our life on this small planet. At the same time, Dr. Alexander's story also makes you thankful for your life and blessings here on earth.

If you are buying this book because you expect a detailed description of heaven, you should know that it is a small part of a pretty short book. The book is as much about Dr. Alexander's life and family and his struggle to deal with the fact he was given up by his birth family and adopted as it is about his experience while in coma.

I do not want to say much more because I feel it will be spoiling the reader's experience. Read this book. It may change your life.

By the way, it turns out the doc is a pretty good narrator, too!