fred

An insightful look at the classic rock star arc: poor, some success, a bunch of excess then immortality after losing touch. Some B-side and bottom of the album references were meaningless but a real, heavy-duty fan of the bands would understand. There is a bit of innocence throughout and a ton of sex/drugs...did they really not know the long-term effects or did they not care? Well, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll had to start somewhere. I was not aware of the inter mingling between the groups and that made the book even more interesting. Not a short book. The reader does not imitate the singer's voices but does an admirable job of reflecting the intonation. Hard core, classic rock lovers will love it. Casual fans with an interest in history will like it. You'll still enjoy it if you like to hear about rags to riches to not-so rags stories.

If you've been following stock market news in the 21st century then you're well aware of the massive swings that have been happening. After listening to this book you'll be well aware that an individual stock investor is gonna get creamed. Written much like the Big Short, Patterson chronicles a handful of quant characters through their careers. Some technical street and computer jargon but not enough to turn me off. Even though people have life vests, flippers, oxygen masks, etc. they're not getting back in for a reason...maybe not even with a bigger boat.

It is tough to be an adult because adults live in grey areas...there is no black and no white, everything is in-between. The future is not bleak and future is not rosy, but the future is very complicated. This is a serious book that examines the new and old world order with different lenses. Certainly not for the faint at heart, but we are adults afterall, it's just we may not want to make adult decisions right now, so we'll pay for it later.

I did not know much about Argo prior to seeing the movie. I really enjoyed the movie. But I figured there was more to the story, and boy is there a lot more to tell. Mendes is one of those outstanding American characters that seems more fiction than fact. Now granted everyone likes to pain themselves in a positive light but I get a feel that he is for real. So if you liked Argo and want to know the details inbetween then definitly listen to the book. If you have not seen Argo then listen to the book and you will get a treat that sheds light on the evergoing complicated world of espionage, government and the Middle East.

Game of Thrones was great. A Clash of Kings is very good, but not as great as Game of Thrones. The reader once again does a great job of differentiating the characters. Certainly don't miss this one, but realize that it is a bridge book.

Over the last few years there have many fantarsy books oriented towards kids that have sold tremendously. The royalty does not live in Hogwarts and the swords, battle axes and arrows are not delivered by boys and girls. Instead you have real adults who battle it out across a geographically diverse land. It is a long book because the plot entails three main themes that are all interesting. The reader is wonderful. He does a tremendous job of voicing many characters, both male and female in a energetic and fun way. Good enough for me to download the next title...now I just need that really long car ride.

Oil is a very dirty business. The stuff is dirty when it comes out of the ground. Exxon's business locations are dirty and out of the way. Sure, every business has its dirty little secrets, but the oil industry affects all of us. A rather long book does not seem so long because the industry is very complicated. Two-sided arguments throughout show that morality can trump business and sometimes business trumps morality.

The most interesting people in this book have the smallest egos. The ones with big egos come off as brutes and bullies...including the author. If you like sports and can remember some notable games and or stars from the last 20 - 30 years then you should like this book. If you dislike boastful athletes, coaches AND journalists then you might want to pass on this book. It is somewhat evident that one needs to be singularly focused to achieve a lot. Whether sports, JOURNALISM, politics or business, often the "stars" do not actually have it all but do achieve the pinnacle in their chosen endeavor. So if you like in-depth sports stories from the 80's and 90's and you can put up with some spoiled brats then you'll like this book. PS: don't miss the epilogue because that is where Feinstein redeems himself. By the way, I am a Bob Knight fan and really like the direction that they're taking under Crean.

Wonderfully read by Caroline Lee, this fairy tale come true encompasses three generations of women across three continents; hence broken down into three sections to make the download easier. Telling the story (and read in multiple dialects) of British aristrocracy and their descandents in Australia. The story jumps back and forth in time plus across continents. You will find the shortish chapter easy to listen to. Weaving in wonderful fairy tales that mirror the charater's ups and downs. Bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to those who wait...it is rather long after all.

This book will be interesting for science fiction lovers. This book is good for buddy adventure lovers. This book is good for history (1980's) lovers. And if you like all those combined then you will really like Ready Player One. It is not the finest literary work out there, but Cline does an admirable job of weaving a relatively believable sci-fi adventure in the not so distant future. So in about 20 years the energy crisis has transformed the landscape into an actual wasteland. City dwellers are doing poorly and those further out are doing worse. There aren't a lot of jobs. The virtual world is the most popular form of entertainment. Part Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, part Harry Potter, a group of youths find their way through classic 1980's pop culture on a quest for the virtual world prize. The reader is very energetic and does a good job of distinguishing an ever-growing cast of characters. I got the majority of references to the 1980's and chuckled at the paralells to tech icons like Jobs, Wozniak, Gates, Allen and more (if you want to read into it). Well done, fun and entertaining.

I cannot recall the last time I read an Agatha Christie book but this one is a good reason to read more. The reader is wonderful. He does a great job of switching from character to character with very specific accents for each one. I did notice a hint of tongue in cheek as the story goes along but that makes it all the more fun. Versus more modern mysteries this story is not gross and over the top.