JOHN

I have long looked for this title on Audible and was very pleased when it finally arrived. The story is told in the first person and Claire Danes performs it perfectly with the voice, I believe, that the author intended when she wrote this story.
The progression of the Tale is gradual and engaging, requiring the reader/listener to gather up bits of of carefully placed images and information to put together the picture of this repressive nation. Imagine the Taliban in control of the US government and one gets an idea of the society described in this story. It is very interesting to me that Ms Atwood wrote this book in 1985, long before the world became acquainted with the Taliban, as some of the images are eerily reminiscent of some of their tactics witnessed on TV after the 9/11 attacks.
The Handmaid's Tale comes to a conclusion and the book wraps up with a brilliant epilogue, answering many questions in a surprising and unique fashion.
Certainly not a happy story nor action-packed, but nonetheless wonderful and captivating. Claire Danes' performance is flawless.

Having an awareness in Information Security, I found this book to be entertaining. Certainly Kevin Mitnick, the author/protagonist is not by any means a heroic character. While he asserts he never hacked for financial gain in spite of the fact that he possessed huge amounts of credit card and other "personally identifiable information" the fact remains that he stole intellectual property, personal identities, telephone connectivity, etc. He needed to be caught and incarcerated, which in fact did occur. To him hacking was an addiction, an irresistible urge to beat the system, break through locked doors and unlock security measures designed to defeat him and people like him. Whether or not the listeners of this book believe he is rehabilitated or remorseful, the fact remains that he served time in prison and paid his debt to society.
For me, the value of this book is that it illustrates just how dependent we all are on information systems, and how vulnerable we are to the lax security at the gatekeepers of our most personal information. We need to do a lot better, and hopefully Mr. Mitnick is now helping us as opposed to hacking us.
I found the book engaging from a technical standpoint while it demonstrates just how easy it is for some to steal information, sometimes merely for the asking. As Mitnick stated, "like taking candy from a baby."

I found this book to be unremarkable and predictable. The prose was bland, the characters formulaic and the outcome foreseen.
The author sets this novel amid the recent Wall Street financial meltdown, opening the story with the apparent suicide of a major hedge fund manager on the eve of the long Thanksgiving weekend. The ensuing tale takes place over the weekend, filling in back story, painting the picture of the Darling family who are tied to this fund and its principal. Throw in a few crooked lawyers and SEC officials and you have pretty much the material upon which this book is constructed.
This book is not terrible, and I did find myself at times wanting to listen more just to see how it turns out. However there were no surprises. The writing was mediocre and I was unsatisfied with the ending.

Sam Harris left no stone unturned explaining his thesis that

This was an interesting book and of the genre that doesn't normally attract me. However, it passed the simplest true test for me - it made me look forward to listening more and more.

Although narrated in the third person, it is told as if the author is just over the shoulder of Tom Ripley. It is a subtle seduction where the reader/listener, observing this character soon gets the notion that something isn't quite right with this guy. He engages in some bizarre behavior, that at first might seem to be harmless mischief, but hints at some deeper psychosis. Before long, we are given glimpses into Ripley's thought processes, and any doubts about his sanity are erased.

Tom Ripley travels to Europe at the request of the wealthy father of one of his

I downloaded this book because of the good reviews and high customer ratings. I was not disappointed and was actually very impressed with the depth, humility, and intelligence of this memoir. Rob Lowe is so much more than just a pretty face. His writing is solid and articulate. His reading is perfect and I had no idea he was such a good impersonator. He nails every voice from Carey Grant to Robert Wagner, including spot-on mimics of Patrick Swayze, Christopher Walken, Matt Dillon, Bill Clinton, Francis Copolla and more.
This is a book that you do not want to stop listening to, whether or not you are a fan of Rob Lowe.
Highly recommended.

Rebecca Skloot spent ten years of her life researching and writing this book. At the time she had no way of knowing just what she was getting herself into.

The HeLa cell line is one of the most important and studied subjects in the world of medicine and biology, but practically nothing was known about the person from which these cells were named, Henrietta Lacks. In fact, for years even the name Henrietta Lacks was intentionally obscured by the fictitious names of Helen Lane or Helen Larson.

Skloot was a young student at the time she became interested in the mostly anonymous Henrietta Lacks, who died at the age of 31 from a terribly aggressive form of cervical cancer. Her cells were extracted, without permission or informed consent, becoming for all purposes the first line of "immortal" human cells living outside of the host body. The author decided to attempt to put a human face on the donor of the cells which played a vital part in such scientific advances as in the cure for polio, aids research, genetic discoveries, cancer cures, drug developments, to name just a few. However, learning the true story of the Lacks family two generations after the death of Henrietta turned out to be quite the daunting venture as Skloot tenaciously uncovers layers of family suffering, mistrust, ignorance and exploitation.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a real-life story of family and all that goes along with it, good and bad. It is in-part a tale of mystery that walks into real human drama, tackling many difficult issues of racism, bio-ethics, privacy and profiteering.

This book is perfectly narrated and is one of the best audio books I have encountered in quite some time. Do not miss this one!

Bill Bryson rocks! And, unlike many other authors, he is simply the best narrator for his own work.

I was captivated by the information Bryson provides, particularly the stories behind the inventions and items we take for granted in our homes - salt, pepper, telephone, lights, toilets, heat, running water.

Informative, entertaining wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone.

After scanning a few dozen reviews of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN there is no doubt this is a very popular and well-liked book. I suppose it was these same reviews that compelled me to add it to my library for a quick diversion from the more significant titles to which I am normally attracted.

I knew this was a story told from the point of view of a humanly articulate dog, so there was no surprise there. Actually there were no surprises at all, as most of the story was 100% predictable. The book follows the formula for a small tear-jerker:

A puppy is brought into the human family -

Puppy becomes a loved and loyal dog -

Human family grows and has challenges of its own -

Dog gets old and dies -

Fill in the story with some detail and plot, add some antagonists, sprinkle in some difficulty for the protagonists and you have this book.

The idea of a first-person talking dog is not unique by any measure. To be honest, I could have done with a little less focus on the urinary and defecation descriptions, particularly the practice of sniffing one's own "creations." In all fairness, I suppose this is what dog's do. But c'mon, how much of this does the story need?

This book is simple entertainment, but in my opinion far from some sort of piece of "stunning" literary greatness. Still, I did enjoy it as it gave me pretty much what I expected.

"Disgrace" - That pretty much says it all, and such is the fate of the main character, professor David Lurie.
I read this book years ago, before it was available on Audible. Brought to life by the reader Michael Cumpsty this audio version is just as satisfying, if not more than the written version.
It is virtually impossible to empathize with David Lurie, who's narcissistic and selfish behavior make him his own worst enemy. Yet J.M. Coetzee offers no excuses for Lurie. He is simply a very flawed man, aging against his will, resigned to act according to life's forces that direct him to his own demise.
On it's face, the story is simple. However there are many complexities that weave throughout: Lurie's relationship with his daughter Lucy, his avocational project on Byron, his checkered past with females, his interaction with Lucy's neighbors, his reluctant volunteering at an animal clinic.
The story and writing are as stark as the arid South African landscape where it is situated. This concise book is brutally straightforward and masterfully crafted.
Highly recommended.