Alex

Ringworld is my all-time favorite sci-fi audiobook for both story and narration. I was looking forward to listening to this because I wanted more of the same.

Unfortunately I could not finish this. The narration makes the story hard to follow, or the story is hard to follow, or both. For me it was a disappointment.

The author does an excellent job of bringing subject matter from the realm of math and physics PhD's to those of us who can grasp the concepts but lack the training and tools to apply them. I enjoyed the narrator's performance and thought the dry wit of the author hit the right tone.

I especially enjoyed the historical connections and practical examples that were not difficult to visualize even without looking at text.

This is an enjoyable bio of Jobs - but you get more than that. You get the history of Apple, all the major Apple products and background on the other people besides Jobs that had major parts to play. I like history and computer history especially, so I really enjoyed these aspects of the book.

There were a few parts of the book where it was difficult to tell which person was being quoted. This is only a minor complaint. I expect the written book was probably more clear.

Anyone interested in jobs, Apple, Apple products or the history of computing will find something interesting here.

A special story told with the perfect voice.

The characters are so well developed I felt like I knew them. The love story is tender, sensual, and passionate. I had so much invested in these people the climax had me on pins and needles.

Usually I would enjoy a book like this over at least a week if not two. I could hardly bring myself to stop listening to this. I had to know what happened next. I finished this book in 2 days.

This is without a doubt my all time favorite sci-fi book. Tom Parker's narration is done well and has a natural flow. The story is interesting and I really enjoyed several novel concepts that are explored as well as the characters. Your understanding of the characters grows as they grow to understand each other.

I have probably listened to this audiobook in its entirety dozens of times over the past 10 years, and every time I listen to it I discover something new. Originally I listened to it on my commute to and from work and before bed. Then I found myself coming back to it to lull myself to sleep if I could not unwind. It is not boring, however I have heard it so many times it does not hold enough suspense to keep me awake, but it is interesting enough to distract my mind from the every day stresses that would otherwise keep me from going to sleep. I am amazed how I still sometimes notice something new in the story. If you've never heard it before I do not think it will put you to sleep.

I am not going to go into details about the characters or the story because I do not want to reveal any spoilers. I hope everyone finds as much unexpected enjoyment and wonder in this book as I did.

I have read criticisms about the book and the characters but for me this is #1 in sci-fi.