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Allen
Larchmont, NY, USA
- 16 reviews
- 18 ratings
- 162 titles in library
- 0 purchased in 2013
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![In Bed with Susie Bright, 1-Month Subscription | [Susie Bright]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ImiuBT8wL._SL175_.jpg)
"Too Many Encores..."
Susie is fun, witty, exciting and entertaining ... for about 6 months. Then she goes on vacation and leaves you with "encores." After a few encores of encores you begin to wonder whether your subscription credit would be better utilized somewhere else.
17 of 20 people found this review helpful -
![God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything | [Christopher Hitchens]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zF4EyqKtL._SL175_.jpg)
"Hitchens Is Not Great Either"
As an atheist I rather looked forward to Hitchens discourse. As someone educated in Physics and a fan of Einstein, I was greatly disappointed by chapter 6 in which Hitchens claimed that a 1913 observation of the bending of light around the sun proved the theory of General Relativity. This is not correct on several levels. While a 1913 observation had been proposed, events in WWI interfered with their being carried out. Had the 1913 observation been made it would have disproved Einstein. This was due to a simple mathematical error in Einstein's calculations - he was off by a factor of 2 - which he corrected a few years later. At least Einstein was humble. The first expedition to attempt an observation of light bending was undertaken in 1919 by Sir Arthur Eddington. Although, historically, this 1919 observation has been taken as the first evidence of Einstein's theory, recently the 1919 observation has been cast into doubt. It seems the portable telescope used to make the 1919 observation was not sufficiently accurate to produce a scientific confirmation. Later observations, though, were able to confirm Einsteins theory. Since, in chapter 1, Hitchens makes a big deal about how well-read he is on the subjects of his discourse, I am taken aback by this easily checkable falsity that survived into the audio edition, one hopes facts are better substantiated in the print edition.
Other than the above I find Hitchen's prose was overly stuffy and his narration has the annoying tendency of trailing off into a mumble at the ends of sentences. I found I had to rewind frequently to get the full pomposity of the verbosity.5 of 18 people found this review helpful -
![The Kite Runner | [Khaled Hosseini]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U0CnqsIWL._SL175_.jpg)
"Ear vs Eye"
I have listened to this book and just now saw the movie. I have to vote for the spoken word in this case. Mr. Hosseini's accent is lyrical and adds a unique quality to this material that would be missing in the film or print. I hold this in the same high regard as Frank McCourt reading Angela's Ashes.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful -
![The Future for Investors: Why the Tried and the True Triumph Over the Bold and the New | [Jeremy J. Siegel]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GTboY1HmL._SL175_.jpg)
"US Large Cap Value"
The basic message of this book: US Large Cap Value stocks w. dividends are the investments to park money to create long-term wealth. The book supports why this is so and will continue to be so even as the Chinese economy grows AND the US economy levels off.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
![The Pirate Hunter | [Richard Zacks]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QMSr5kE3L._SL175_.jpg)
"Better Than Fiction & Great Narration"
If you like the Captain & Commander novels this is the real thing and the tale is far more interesting. Michael Pritchards newsreel style of narration really works with this fascinating work.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
![DNA: The Secret of Life | [James Watson, Andrew Berry]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GZci72OSL._SL175_.jpg)
"17 Hours & ALL RELEVANT."
I would not have believed that there was 17 hours worth of relevant material in this topic but there is. Watson recounts the history of genetics from Mendel to gene splicing and gives you the insiders scoop. It is all fascinating.
The narrator does an excellent job of keeping it fresh and intelligible on my Muvo in format 3. I really felt he was engaged in the subject matter.5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
![Napalm and Silly Putty | [George Carlin]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PAP2ZyzjL._SL175_.jpg)
"ROFL"
Great listen, comes through clearly on my MuVo. Be warned, if you are devote you may be offended by certain brief passages where Carlin does not pull punches on organized religion.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
![Memoirs of a Geisha | [Arthur Golden]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JFDHDVE8L._SL175_.jpg)
"Fascinating Listening"
A fascinating look into the Japanese culture of a bygone era. Excellent job of narration. The narrator comes through clearly on my MuVo which seems to favor higher pitched voices. This is a must listen. Some of the content is for a mature audience although is never crude.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
![It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life | [Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518765f4ygL._SL175_.jpg)
"Good Use Of A Book Credit"
Lance's story is totally engaging. I was shocked to learn that he beat stage 3 cancer in which the cancer had spread to his lungs and brain. The chances for his survival were very small - less than 3%. The inside scoop on the bicycle racing world is engaging to anyone who has ridden a bicycle.
There was just one issue that I think Lance is not forthcoming about. That is the extent to which his choice of profession may have been responsible for his illness. I think there is, perhaps, a tacit presumption that Lance's testicular cancer may have had something to do with the amount of time he spends on a bicycle seat. The failure to address this issue would seem to answer in the affirmative (i.e. that there is a link) and casts a pall over the whole sport.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful -
"Some Things Don't Work In Audio."
I force myself to listen to most of this audiobook. Some of the narrators, I think Laurence Fishborne was one, were very hard to listen to on my MuVo because the reproduction of his wonderfully bassy voice just came out muffled. Sam Waterson's narration was more listenable. However, I found that the stories were just not engaging to my ear. Maybe the material is just too dated or not written well for being read aloud but I found that 30 or 40 minutes of audio would go by and I would have lost the thread of the story and have to back up and relisten. I give this only 1 star and that only because of the famous actors that contributed to the narration.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful