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Laura

La Grange, IL, USA | Member Since 2000

135

HELPFUL VOTES

12 reviews
104 ratings
783 titles in library
19 purchased in 2013

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Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker

ABRIDGED
- by James McManus
- Narrated by James McManus
Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker

ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 37 mins)

By James McManus

Narrated By James McManus

Overall
(186)
Performance
(17)
Story
(17)

In the spring of 2000, Harper's magazine sent James McManus to Las Vegas to cover the World Series of Poker. But when McManus sets foot in town, the lure of the tables is too strong: he proceeds to risk his entire Harper's advance in a long-shot attempt to play in the tournament himself. Only with actual table experience (he tells his skeptical wife) can he capture the hair-raising subtleties of poker that determines the world champion.
Dave G. says: "Ted Binion, World Series of Poker, Strippers"
"Hypertechnical"

Overall
Performance
Story

If you are obsessed with poker and know all the lingo, this might be interesting. It's not enough to know what a full house is versus a flush. This book talks in a vocabulary where most card combos have their own name and the author does not explain.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The Lean Body Promise: Burn Away Fat and Release the Leaner, Stronger Body Inside You

ABRIDGED
- by Lee Labrada
- Narrated by Lee Labrada
The Lean Body Promise: Burn Away Fat and Release the Leaner, Stronger Body Inside You

ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 23 mins)

By Lee Labrada

Narrated By Lee Labrada

Overall
(12)
Performance
(1)
Story
(1)

The Lean Body Promise holds the ultimate fat-burning solution that will help you release the lean, strong body inside you. In just 30 minutes a day, in as few as 12 weeks, Lee Labrada will show you how to make profound lifelong changes in your body.
Laura says: "WASTE of money"
"WASTE of money"

Overall
Performance
Story

What a waste! First of all, the first 45 minutes of this 3 1/2 hr audio book is spent talking about how great the program works without providing any details. I know all self-help books have some upfront portion of selling, but the percentage of this book devoted to the pre-sell is ridiculous. The nutrition guidelines are fine, but they're nothing special and nothing you haven't heard from any responsible nutritionist or Oprah for God's sake. The biggest flaw in the book is the exercise portion of the program. Lebrada's approach to exercise is founded on weight training, with 30 mins cardio thrown in every third day. With so much focus on weight training, you'd think the audio book would describe actual exercises. No. This abridged version abridged out every single description of the actual exercises. Instead, he refers to the supplemental materials, where the reader can learn about what actual exercises (that he's been touting for almost 3 hours at that point) to do. Such a waste of time. To top it all off, the book ends with an exortation to become a Lean Body Promise "evangelist," recruiting your fat friends and relatives to join up. Give me a break. And give me my money back.

19 of 19 people found this review helpful
My Big Fat Greek Diet

ABRIDGED
- by Nick Yphantides , Mike Yorkey
- Narrated by Nick Yphantides
My Big Fat Greek Diet

ABRIDGED (5 hrs and 51 mins)

By Nick Yphantides, Mike Yorkey

Narrated By Nick Yphantides

Overall
(48)
Performance
(4)
Story
(5)

"Dr. Nick" shares the amazing eating plan that helped him shed 267 pounds, and keep them off. As a medical doctor who has personally struggled with his weight, Dr. Nick Yphantides can empathize with the plight of the overweight and offer a proven, medically safe plan for losing weight. In My Big Fat Greek Diet, he teaches readers the powerful 7 Pillars of Weight Loss.
Nil says: "The perfect motivation you need!"
"Pfft"

Overall
Performance
Story

The story of Nick's (or DR Nick as he absurdly refers to himself at restaurants and on his t-shirts - big deal, he's a doctor) liquid diet weight loss was interesting. The majority of the book is filled with bland and not that motivational advice for losing weight. Nick is obviously a bit of a narcissist. I lost count of the number of times he talked about how media and fat people everywhere are interested in interviewing/emailing with/being inspired by him. At one point, he asked whether he might be addicted to the attention. You think? His advice is often overly simple and not particularly useful. To the question of how can you afford to work out 1-2 hours, 7 days a week, he offers "How can you not afford to do it?" To the question of how one can decide not to leave your job and focus on weight loss, he offers, again, "How can you not afford to do it?" His more specific advice isn't very new or innovative: cut down calories, limit carbs, work out, etc. In the end, this book is about Dr. Nick, and the advice part is really just window dressing.

22 of 27 people found this review helpful
Oryx and Crake

UNABRIDGED
- by Margaret Atwood
- Narrated by Campbell Scott
Oryx and Crake

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 29 mins)

By Margaret Atwood

Narrated By Campbell Scott

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1048)
Performance
(266)
Story
(273)

As the story opens, Snowman is sleeping in a tree, mourning the loss of his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake, and slowly starving to death. How did everything fall apart so quickly? Why is he left with nothing but his haunting memories? Alone except for the green-eyed Children of Crake, he explores the answers to these questions in the double journey he takes - into his own past, and back to Crake's high-tech bubble-dome, where the Paradice Project unfolded and the world came to grief.
Doug says: "Very Scary Stuff"
"Near Miss"

Overall
Performance
Story

This book contains a lot of very interesting ideas, but they are not woven together into a compelling story line. The end in particular left me feeling annoyed at having spent hours waiting for the book to develop on its early promise. With a good editor, this book could have been exceptional.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Lost in America: A Journey With My Father

UNABRIDGED
- by Sherwin B. Nuland
- Narrated by Sherwin B. Nuland
Lost in America: A Journey With My Father

UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 3 mins)

By Sherwin B. Nuland

Narrated By Sherwin B. Nuland

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(22)
Performance
(1)
Story
(1)

National Book Award winning author Sherwin Nuland introduces his father, a Russian immigrant who dreamed of a better life in America but found the opposite. In this memoir, we see what it cost Nuland to admit the inextricable ties between father and son and to accept the burden of his father's legacy.
Marilyn says: "Exploring intergenerational legacies"
"Not worth the time."

Overall
Performance
Story

Eh - not horrible, but I wouldn't recommend anyone invest the time. A whole lot of navel-gazing without much insight. Or, more accurately, without insight beyond alternating self-flagellation and criticism of his father. And Nuland violates the rule that no book should use "sui generis" and "hegemony" more than three times each.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Stones from the River

ABRIDGED
- by Ursula Hegi
- Narrated by Ursula Hegi
Stones from the River

ABRIDGED (5 hrs and 16 mins)

By Ursula Hegi

Narrated By Ursula Hegi

Overall
(41)
Performance
(2)
Story
(3)

Trudi Montag is a Zwerg - a dwarf - short, undesirable, different, the voice of anyone who has ever tried to fit in. Eventually she learns that being different is a secret that all humans share, from her mother who flees into madness, to her friend Georg whose parents pretend he's a girl, to the Jews Trudi harbors in her cellar. Hegi's timeless story weaves together a profound tapestry of emotional power, humanity, and truth.
Victoria says: "unbearable"
"Narration is torture"

Overall
Performance
Story

I started reading this book and thought it was beautifully written. When I bought the audio version, I was looking forward to finishing the story. But 3 minutes into listening, I was clawing at my headphones to stop the terrible narration from scarring my brain. Just thinking about it now causes physical discomfort. Trust me, even if you think the short sample clip is bearable, hours of it is FAR worse. What a waste.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful
Digital Fortress

UNABRIDGED
- by Dan Brown
- Narrated by Patrick Cohen
Digital Fortress

UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 30 mins)

By Dan Brown

Narrated By Patrick Cohen

Overall
(184)
Performance
(21)
Story
(20)

Chillingly current and filled with more intelligence secrets than Tom Clancy, Digital Fortress transports readers deep within the most powerful intelligence organization on earth - the National Security Agency (NSA), an ultra-secret, multibillion-dollar agency, which (until now) less than 3 percent of Americans knew existed.
robk72 says: "Good premise, weak characters"
"Tedious, Obvious, Trite, Boring"

Overall
Performance
Story

This book is mildly interesting at best, painfully tedious at its worst. Any half-perceptive reader will see the twists coming from miles away, and believe me, there are MILES to travel. At severl points, I startled my dog by saying "Come on! It's so obvious! Figure it out so we can move on!" out loud. And for some reaon, the narrator seems to think that all Spaniards have debilitating lisps. I honestly cannot remember a less suspenseful suspense novel.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Anthony Robbins' Personal Power II: The Driving Force!

ABRIDGED
- by Anthony Robbins
- Narrated by Anthony Robbins
Anthony Robbins' Personal Power II: The Driving Force!

ABRIDGED (1 hr and 40 mins)

By Anthony Robbins

Narrated By Anthony Robbins

Overall
(48)
Performance
(3)
Story
(3)

In this exciting, best selling audio guide, Anthony Robbins shows you how to control the force that directs your life, shape your destiny, and unleash your Personal Power. This download contains the first four days of Robbins' 30-day Program for Unlimited Success.
Browse more Robbins.
Mike says: "Read the description carefully!"
"Lots of filler"

Overall
Performance
Story

This program contains some good ideas, but much of the 3 hours is spent on filler. For example, there is more talk about how the program will fix your life than there is talk about what you should actually do to change your life. In addition, this audio program contains only the first 4 days of a 30-day program. The remaining days are not available on audio.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Get with the Program! Getting Real About Your Weight, Health, and Emotional Well-Being

ABRIDGED
- by Bob Greene
- Narrated by Bob Greene
Get with the Program! Getting Real About Your Weight, Health, and Emotional Well-Being

ABRIDGED (2 hrs and 2 mins)

By Bob Greene

Narrated By Bob Greene

Overall
(20)
Performance
(2)
Story
(2)

We all know that losing weight is the easy part. It's keeping the weight off that's hard. In Get with the Program!, Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, Bob Greene, gives you the keys to losing weight and staying fit for a lifetime.
Laura says: "Rehash of Keep the Connection"
"Rehash of Keep the Connection"

Overall
Performance
Story

Same advice (often word for word) from Keep the Connection. Not worth the money if you have already read the Connection books.

19 of 20 people found this review helpful
The Protein Power Lifeplan

ABRIDGED
- by Dr. Michael R. Eades , Dr. Mary Dan Eades
- Narrated by Dr. Michael R. Eades , Dr. Mary Dan Eades
The Protein Power Lifeplan

ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 9 mins)

By Dr. Michael R. Eades, Dr. Mary Dan Eades

Narrated By Dr. Michael R. Eades, Dr. Mary Dan Eades

Overall
(44)
Performance
(15)
Story
(15)

The authors of the New York Times best seller Protein Power are back with an expanded nutritional program. Now the Drs. Eades have amplified their theory to show how the Protein Power Lifeplan can help fight diabetes, high blood pressure, auto-immune disorder, and more.
Levi says: "A great intro to low-carb eating."
"Bad logic; crazy recommendations"

Overall
Performance
Story

Some good ideas (insulin resistance, for example) buried under weak logic (Eat meat because it is more nutrient dense. You'd have to eat 20 heads of lettuce to get the same amt of protein.) and crazy recommendations (Don't use sunscreen. Sunbathe every day.) Other suggestions include elminating dairy, all grains, all beans, and all alcohol (under the most restrictive version), or just all corn and wheat under the least restrictive version.

7 of 28 people found this review helpful