Anthony

As a long time listener of this show, I can't stress enough how wonderful it is to be able to take it along with me on long commutes, exhasperating drives, and even a walk through the park. Everything You Want to Know about being a Mac user in the present age and more is presented in an informative, casual, friendly way that can quickly become highly addictive. The knowledgeable hosts,guests, and crew speak to the Mac user in all of us. Learn about the latest products. Preview some exciting applications. Learn the story behind some of the newsbreaking events in Apple history, as it happens. And how many other downloadable shows actually give you the opportunity to win great prizes? Your Mac Life is a show about the community of Mac users and how we use our Macs in our daily lives. And the community extends to a wild and fun interactive forum, a mailing list that can answer even the lamest sounding question, and a weekly "Shout Out" section in which the audience is named and congratulated. You can't get more interactive than that. Highly recommended for the new Mac users out there, the ones that think they know it all, and the ones that are simply wondering what all the fuss is about.

Dan Brown's best selling thriller has become "the book" that everyone is talking about. And with good reason. With taught suspension, narrow escapes, exotic locations, fascinating history, and a believable premise Brown has delivered a novel that is sometimes so detailed and textured that one can forget it's just a novel. A work of fiction. An "Indiana Jones" story set in modern times.
Many may find the theories set forth in this book to be offensive, since it could seem Brown's aim would make one think of the possibilities that the bible stories were not exactly as accurate as many believe them to be. In my opinion, Brown has presented his theories well, and has created a Harrison Ford-like central character that is easily identifiable and likeable from the start. Like an "Indiana Jones" movie, Robert Langdon's life goes from one trial to another, making both History and Art seem like the most exciting topics of discussion ever. Mix Religion into the mix, and you have a novel designed to grip and educate even the most casual reader.
Listeners should take note that while Brown does offer an alternative view of the religious events many of us have grown to accept, his ultimate tale is about faith, and about exploring it, and he goes through great factions to actually prove its validity. This is not an anti-religious book. It's an adventure story about faith and its extremities. It's strengths and weaknesses. It's simply a novel that is meant to be pure entertainment. Informative, provocative, dare I say, "illuminating".
What's not to like about an archeological hero who watches Star Trek and wears a Mickey Mouse watch???

I love audobooks that are actually read by the author, and this one in particular was fun to listen to because the narrator actually lived through the story he is telling about. While I was at first dubious about the title, I found Bryson's delivery engaging enough and was soon imagining mysef out there in the woods with him.
This book is perfect for listening on long walks and sitting outside somewhere. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately looked to find others written by the same author, only to find that I had already owned one ("A Short History of Nearly Everything") that was in my "to listen to again" pile.
A tell-tale sign that a book is a good read is when you find it in the store and are tempted to actually purchase the hard copy for your actual bookshelf.
I look forward to reading another Bryson book as soon as this one is done.