Chris

How can anything be objective when the observer is part of the system he is observing? At best only a model can be offered. You can either buy into it, or not. As for religion and science; well, they both have their own priests, don't they? And yet, are they not ultimately trying to model the same thing? Is this not one of the things that thing that baffled the quantum scientists so much... Looking down into the very fabric of reality they "saw" what the ancient Hindu writers explained? So then, some scientists ask, what is religion and what is science in relation to the data obtain at the quantum level? ("Tao of Physics" is a good example). If they (religion and science) are both trying to describe the ultimate reality; should they not at some point cross?

Wolf is always fun to listen to, and reminds me of one of my old physics professors.
It is a good listen.

I wish they spent the extra money and got the narrator of Wicked.
But alas... :(
I think the reading of this work is a labor to listen through.
Interesting though... having the author read his own book gives me a insight on the way he thinks it is supposed to go. Applying that insight to Wicked makes that work much less appealing.
Hurray for John McDonough (Wicked narrator).
Please, on the 3rd book use John.. Please!

It is funny how much I am used to Nigel Planer reading Discworld books. This one at first was a complete turn off. I got 1/3 the way and started over because I had no idea what was going on.
I decided to throw away any expectation and assume that this was an alternate universe of the disc world... and that did make a difference.
I had built much of my concept of the world from Nigel's reading, and the difference in reading barred me from my expectation :).
Now, accepting the differences in narration, and allowing it to be, I am finding the book quite enjoyable.

This author is certainly one to watch!
However, this story is mostly borrowed from other stories. I understand that the "Hero's Journey" archetype is a classic tale; but you can *really* tell this author was influenced by Tolkein and even Lucas. I kept expecting a hobbit to pop up, or the shade to say "Eragon, I am your father..". Brom, the character has clearly been influenced Obi Wan Kenobi ... I found it a bit frustrating the similarities in names of characters and places the author used; they being too close to other author's works. (What were the names of the Nasgul like creatures?)
I do not expect Aria and Eragon to be brother and sister... but perhaps Eragon's father is Galbetroix... and you know what that means! =)

Anyway, I would still recommend this book... for you can get lost in the familiar grounds of a standard fantasy world.