Pradheepa

Abundance casts the problems facing our world as technological challenges that must be overcome and shows us how much progress has already been achieved. After listening to this book, the most striking idea I retain is the one of adjacent possibilities. I.e. the invention of the carriage, the car, roller skates etc., became possible, once the wheel had been invented. And the second was how technology dematerializes and de-monetizes many things, for instance, a smartphone makes a camera, a watch, an encyclopedia and many other objects redundant. It was a great listen. The narrator was very good. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who wonders how humans will cope with the many challenges we face.

A quiet ghost/love story elegantly told by a man stepping out of the shadow of sorrow into the sunshine of hope. It has been beautifully written by Kate Mosse and perfectly narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt, whose sensitive performance allows listeners to thoroughly enjoy the sweet sadness of the tale. The story is about grief and loss, but it is no way gloomy. On the contrary, listening to it is an experience akin to viewing a beautiful winter scene through the window of a cozy, warm room. Sheer pleasure.

Ken Robinson has spent most of the book providing examples of how people have found the thing they love to do best. And that is good, for it is clear that many times the discovery is serendipitous. What I liked best was the fact that he agrees that what we are passionate about may not be what we should always do to earn a living. I grew up in India where a college education has never guaranteed a job. When I was a child, I once asked my father what I should do, if I didn't enjoy my job. He replied immediately that I should use the money I earned to do what I liked. I hope people love what they do, but being impractical won't always make people happy and finding the Element is about being happy. Also schools should try to provide more opportunities for children to learn using whichever way suits them best and customize lessons, but that is no guarantee that children will know what they wish to do for the rest of their life, when they leave school. They will have to see what kind of needs they will be best suited to fulfill, given their own interests and sometimes there is no obvious match. So, they will just have to take up what opportunities are available and keep looking. What I enjoyed most was how keen Robinson was that people should not be too quick to give up looking for a job that they would enjoy intensely. Good book, good narration.

A good biography of a great man who lived during interesting times. It was well narrated, but I kept listening to other more fast paced books rather than listening to this one, perhaps because there seemed to be too many direct quotes from Adams. Also, the events leading up to the declaration of Independence were the most fascinating, so much so, that Adam's subsequent activities as Ambassador, Vice President and President seemed less important in comparison, but this is not the author's fault. Abigail Adams was a fascinating character, and I truly enjoyed learning about her. I liked the book, only wished I had not found it slow going at times.

When I began reading this book, I thought it was about the conflict between the rational and intuitive aspects of the mind, in the guise of a ghost story. But, I wasn't exactly right. It isn't a love story either, for the lovers barely spend any time with each other, though they are both fascinating characters. It isn't a story of family life, domestic conflict and its resolution either. But all these elements blend well and the story moves along at a fast clip. The beautiful coastal village where the story is set, is lovingly described. The narration is excellent. I loved the fact that this is a happy story. Trouble hovers like gathering storm clouds, but the storm is exciting and enjoyable in its own way. Unlike 'The Thirteenth Tale', this is not a dark and gloomy tale. If I have any complaint, it is that the behavior of Cathy's husband is unrealistic. It is difficult to believe that he is not concerned about the children's safety at the end. Also, he does not deal with his disagreement with his wife like a man who has enjoyed a long, stable and happy marriage. His approach to protecting his wife's peace of mind isn't convincing either. But, l had a good time listening to this book and would strongly recommend it to others.

Very interesting story. I wanted to visit Evenwood. The narration was very good. The only part that I didn't like was the revelation about Mrs. Battersby. That was just one chapter in a long book. But, I particularly loved the language and the plot twists. Perseus and Esperenza were my favourite characters, but I also liked Esperenza's mistress, the Baroness. I finished this book very quickly.

I had heard that the author had been invited by Google to give a talk. That was why I thought this book deserved a look. The snippet I listened to intrigued me and I bought the book. I am glad I did. It blended some neuroscience, some humor, some practical ideas and anecdotes in a very interesting way. I also found the information very useful. Also, the narration was very good. I had just listened to 'The Ravenous Brain' by the same narrator and was very glad to listen to more brain related material read by him.

Nathaniel Philbrick admits that Moby Dick is not an easy read and his sincerity is one reason why his passion and enthusiasm for Moby Dick could be contagious. He provides a solid argument for why one should still attempt to read / listen to Moby Dick, a little at a time. I was thinking of buying a book titled 'Moby Duck' about little yellow plastic ducks, ocean pollution and the environment. It is on my wish list. I wondered whether reading Moby Dick was a prerequisite for enjoying 'Moby Duck' and why I would be interested in reading about a man obsessed with killing a whale. So, I listened to Nathaniel Philbrick's 'Why read Moby Dick?'. It was quite persuasive. I think I will dip into Moby Dick sometime. It certainly made me want to listen to Nathaniel Philbrick's books about seafarers and storms.

A good listen overall.

This was a very enjoyable romance, murder mystery, ghost story and historical fiction. I liked the fact that the author managed to bring so many elements together. The characters were very likeable too. The narration was good. This was the first work of fiction that I listened to, that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a fascinating book, well written and well narrated. The material is not easy to explain and hence the author should be congratulated for the fine job he has done in making it possible for readers / listeners to get a sense of the reasoning by which physicists reach the extraordinary conclusions that he describes in this book. The only point which I found difficult to follow was how entropy as hidden information is related to thermodynamic entropy. And given the nature of the topics that are covered, this only proves the point that a lot of thought has gone into making the material accessible to lay readers. Before, I purchased this book, I had come across a review that said Susskind had included Hawking's name on the cover, to get his book to sell. I want to say that the book is very good and does not require anything else to increase sales. I would strongly recommend this book to other readers interested in learning about current research in Physics.