Carl

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's based on a good premise, and the first couple of chapters do a good job at setting up the plot. After that, it's not quite downhill, but it is rather flat. As I listened to this book, several things really bothered me. Food was constantly mentioned -- specific foods. In fact, food was mentioned at least 2 or 3 times in every chapter. Great detail was put into things that you really didn't need to know. But there was virtually no character development. I didn't feel like I knew the lead character -- instead, I knew the things around him. True, it's a first person story, but I'd rather know more about what the character is thinking instead of what the character is seeing or eating. It never put me to sleep, but I did find myself drifting off once in a while. The last two hours were really painful -- I couldn't wait for it to end, unfortunately. I don't recommend this for a commute. It had a good "radio show" quality, but it just needed to be a little more entertaining.

I thought this would provide a good history of Alexander, insight to his thinking, and then provide direction on how you could use similar thinking in today's business world. Unfortunately, although it provides a historical account, the parallels between his accomplishments and today's business worlds are stretched to the maximum. At one point Alexander is compared to a "rock star", which isn't all that insightful. As I listened, I got the impression that the author just reached out to any business examples, and found a way to tie them together. In essence, it's like search engine results. Businesses don't conquer through war, and anybody who thinks they can run a successful business based on lessons learned through military conflicts isn't running a respectful business.

The parallels were almost circular. History of Alexander were provided, then a company was picked (seemingly at random), and then the author explained how that company's strategies are similar to Alexanders. I expected direction on how I could use similar strategies today. Instead, I got examples of things that companies did in the past. History teaching history...

I learned nothing new from this. It was a painful listen, and the narrator's voice was annoyingly boring -- too soft spoken, and too song-like. The narrator would be good for a TV voice-over of a similar show...but without the visuals, it just falls flat.

Aaron has a great voice, and it sounds like he's just sitting in your living room, telling his story. He really seems like a laid-back guy, the writing isn't difficult, and this is a very easy listen. The story is so engrossing that I listened to the entire book in two days.

There are valuable lessons in the book -- always be prepared, never take things for granted, look at things from a different perspective, and keep on living. Aaron appears to be a religious individual, but he doesn't push his religion or beliefs on the reader at all. It's just one of those minor threads that runs throughout the story. I was slightly bored with the accounts of his friends and family organizing a search effort, but it's a good diversion, and provides a contrast to his loneliness in the desert. It provides a different perspective on the situation, from the views of his friends and family.

I really feel like I know Aaron after listening to this book. I wish there were more of it!

I found this title somewhat more enjoyable than the other available titles featuring the character Q. John is not only a great actor, but a great voice actor as well. The story is quite enjoyable. Q manages to go off on his many tangents throughout the story, moving from thought to thought, much like his character did in the TNG series. The story is full of important social commentary, which I found very appropriate for this day and age. It isn't amazing, and the pivotal points and climax are not extraordinary, but at the end it left me saying "Hmmmm...". An enjoyable story, and well worth the 3 hour investment.

This is not a science fiction book. It is a book that focuses on people -- will, desire, emotion, motivation -- set against a science-fiction back drop. I think it therefore will appeal to more people that just "science fiction" enthusiasts. If you listened to "The Time Traveler's Wife", you will also love this book, as I did.

The plot is very linear, as there really isn't too much going on at the same time. I think this is what draws you in, because the focus is really on this excellent, well-developed character "Ender". You really get to know this character. There was a HUGE surprise in this plot -- there's a revelation that I just did NOT expect, but it was acceptable and believable.

This is simply one of those "books" that, if I weren't listening to it, I felt like something was "missing". If I had the book, I'm certain I wouldn't have been able to put it down.

This has always been one of my favorites. I've been using Audible.com for well over a year now, and although I sometimes take a break from this particular series, I find myself coming back to it again and again. These little stories are short and sweet, but always entertaining. The short duration is perfect when you want something light-hearted and refreshing. It makes me want to move to a little town!

This is an excellent story. The author does a great job at looking at things from both perspectives -- the wife's and the husband's. At first, it seems a little confusing, but as the author continues to provide "time references" for each section, you can slowly piece together the timeline. I often find myself thinking about the timeline even when I'm not "reading" the book. The audio content itself is quite good -- the narrators are excellent and bring a lot of enjoyment to this. This is probably the best book I have yet "read" from audible. This will definitely get a second listen.

This isn't a science book, this is a work of fiction. It is an excellent work of fiction, too. It provides the reader with a different perspective -- in fact, training the reader how to look at things from a completely different perspective. It also contains very relevant social commentary that can teach us valuable lessons about ourselves. If you're expecting a "science lesson", skip this. It is a work of fiction written in a refreshing style providing a glimpse into things that "may be" or "could be". Keep an open mind!!!