Scott

The thesis: Monogomy is Bad for the Soul. The debators: British intellectuals with wit and gumption. It is presented like a Lincoln-Douglas debate with the proponents taking the position that monogomy is indeed bad for the soul and then the negators who argue that Monogomy is a good thing. I was laughing out loud throughout but the humor does no mask the seriousness of the question. Open your mind and do not accept monogomy simply because it has already been accepted for you. You may accept monogomy on your own terms or, with the help of this sarcasm and truth, you may find that it is more true to your nature to be polygomous. If so, give me a call. (just kidding). Enjoy.

This is book 3 of the Mitch Rapp series. I will list them below in chronological order as I know it is hard to figure out on audible. The story is good and consistent with Flynn's other work but the narration is terrible. I'm sorry to say it but the narrator almost kills the story. With inappropriate inflection and emotion, he makes Rapp sound cranky and impatient and he turns the smart and capable fiancé into a ditzy, rash girl. Anytime there is dialogue, I began to cringe. I would skip this one for three reasons ... you don't need it to move on the fourth one, it might ruin you for Flynn books for good and finally, vote with your choices so that maybe they will choose better narrators. Nick Sullivan, who narrates other Flynn books, would have been much better. Scott Brick would have nailed this book. Mitch Rapp series in order:

1. Transfer of Power
2. The Third Option
3. Separation of Power
4. Executive Power
5. Memorial Day
6. Consent to Kill
7. Act of Treason
8. Protect and Defend
9. Extreme Measures
10. Pursuit of Honor
11. American Assassin
12. Kill Shot
13. The Last Man

Enjoy them. Read Separation of Power, don't listen, or skip it entirely. I have notc hecked to see if Kilban reads other of the series. I hope not.

Isaacson brings Steve Jobs to life with an unsanitized account of his complex personality, inventions and cultural context. The book is inspirational and thought-provking in its account of Jobs constantly moving forward and pushing slowers, naysayers and B-graders out of his way. Isaacson puts all this in a historical context that can be appreciated even while we lived in Jobs' time. An excellent book for whatever mood you are in. Read this.

A string of pithy macho repartee with little action or intrigue. Scott Brick does an excellent job as usual but the story was lacking in substance.

This book is marketed to women but almost every word applies equally to men. Breaking up is hard to do if you do it right. This book gets you moving forward and feeling better as quickly as possible without dismissing the need to grieve. I found it especially helpful to listen to at night when my thoughts would otherwise wander to bad and sad places.

If you are plagued by the go or stay question, this book cuts through your own tortures and quickly gets to the point. It is fair to both staying and leaving. I found it very helpful.

I loved listening to this book. The Beatles' history comes to life in chapters which held me from beginning to end. The story starts at the literal beginning with the formative childhoods of each of "the boys" and goes straight through to the end of the Beatles in 1969. The last five minutes gives a retrospective "where are they now" finish bringing us right up to the present day. I especially enjoyed the candor of the book towards the interpersonal relationships. This book does not pussy-foot around the John-Paul dynamic, the Yoko-everyone dynamic and even "names names" in the Beatles introduction to drugs and counterculture. I did not know it was Dylan who first turned the Beatles on to pot. The book was filled with gems like that, bringing you into the hotel rooms and parties. The book also relates stories and origins for many of the Beatles' songs. "Hey Jude" started off as Paul's ode to Julian Lennon ... "Hey Jules ...." The reading was of a very high quality. I found myself wanting more. I highly recommend this book.

I have listened to over 100 audiobooks on audible.com and can say, without reservation, that this performance of Dune is in my all-time Top Ten. If you have never read (or heard) Dune before, understand it as a masterpiece of future fiction. It is comparable to Lord of the Rings in its detailed other-worldliness and its steady hold on the reader. The book is of a sand world populated by evolved humans and replete with political intrigue, religious overtones, love, death and battle. This performance is rich and theater-like. Each character has a voice. It never sounds contrived or overdone. I know you will not regret purchasing this book.

I feel guilty while reading most espionage thrillers because the books usually have little literary value beyond the pure escape. They ordinarily do not challenge me and I rarely am impressed with the writing. Still, I sometimes love the easy escape. Enter now Patterson's latest work, Exile. It is engaging and fun and an easy read while still causing me to stop every now and then because of a great phrase. This book shows why Patterson is a cut above Evanovich, Connoly, Demille, Forsyth, Clancy and others of that ilk. This book is closer to approaching Ludlum. Even without elucidating on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the book would have been engaging but the book boldly addresses the roots of the conflict. Patterson shows the Palestinian point of view and the Israeli point of view through the device of an open-minded Jewish attorney who has litte identification as a Jew but who is involved with a Palestinian woman. The reader is left thinking that both sides have merit and that each side's only sin is that of hubris and an inability to see the other's point of view and sense of history. I regret that the book gave only a passing reference to the fact that Israel has been forced into being an occupier. The Palestinians and the Arab states who have supported them did not accept the 1948 partition decree of the United Nations and it was they who invaded Israel. After Israel offered land for peace, the Palestinians and their supporters invaded again. Most Palestinians deny the right of Isreal to even exist while Israel has made several attempts to extricate itself from role of occupier to allow for Palestinian sovereignty. I therefore think it wrong to attempt some moral equivalency though I appreciated getting more context for the Palestinian world view. A very good book and well performed. Dennis Boutsikaris switches back and forth between character voices and brings you into the story.

I read Patterson for light diversion and I have never expected from him a literary tour de force, but this book was almost unbearable. Suspense and action novels sometimes call for a suspension of belief on certain matters but the good ones draw you into a world that is credible and interesting. Judge and Jury has no credibility. Every bad guy is superhuman. They can be old men and take a bullet in the shoulder, a three-story crash through a window, a fall in an icy crevice and still grapple like Hulk Hogan. The chapters are so short as to be annoying. The protagonist could be in the middle of a swing. One chapter might explain how he pulled back the arm and the next chapter begins with the punch itself. In print, this might be okay but on audio, it is as annoying as someone shutting off the TV and turing it back on every five minutes. You might still be able to make it through this book but I think you could do much better with your audible credits.

This book is a page-turner from beginning to end. Like other very engaging books, I was swept into another world -- this one a world of corporate greed and human foibles -- and I was upset when it was over. I highly recommend this book. The subject matter might seem dry but Eichenwald cuts through the complications and weaves a fantastic story. The story is all the more chilling in its truth. Well researched and wonderfully written, I give this book my highest recommendation. I only hope that Eichenwald writes a follow-up. The subsequent conviction and death of Ken Lay reminds the reader of the very real toll this true story took on people's lives.