Chris Reich

When I first started this book I didn't think I would like it. Kurlansky can be a little long winded. But it gets better and better as it goes along and I really loved it.

I not only found the history of the man and frozen foods to be very interesting, but also motivational. Birdseye really dug in and made his ideas a reality.

There's a great lesson for us all. Ideas are great but action makes things happen.

Great story, well read, fun and motivational.

Get it all right here!

Chris Reich, TeachU

OK, I really wanted this collection but the way it's arranged, without a pdf file for where stories begin and end, it's completely useless. Some stories have multiple parts so as you start listening to a story, it may be 30 minutes or a couple hours and spread over 5 parts. And if miss a section, there is no way of knowing which part of which story you are in.

As an audio book, it doesn't work. I asked audible for a program---anything. They haven't got one. So you haven't even a list of titles (in order) to guide you. And, as it comes in several large files it's impossible to find anything.

That's a shame. If only there was something that indicated that X story is in Part 3, second section, you could find it!

No, sorry. I have to ask for a refund on this as it's really not useable without a program.

Chris Reich, TeachU

The total review averages have me stumped. This book isn't that good. In fact, it's a pretty dull listen. Just when it seems like it's going to start moving it goes flat again.

I really didn't care for this book---but you can tell.

Now here's the thing. Sometimes I'll write off my dislike for a book as a difference in taste. In this case, I think it's just low level, dime store pulp. Obviously some people are okay with that. I can't recommend this book.

Chris Reich, TeachU

I am embarrassed to report that I did not particularly care for this book though there were parts I found interesting.

But books like this, books of different stories that all come together, are very dangerous territory for a writer. It can become very easy to be trite in the joining of stories. This book doesn't join the disparate stories except to use the big event as a sort of shutter release to grab the time frame. For that, I give the author credit. Thank you.

The guy on the wire is the camera and the wire the shutter release. Cameras do no judge. Cameras do not know they are taking an image. They just do it.

I liked the stories somewhat but did not find them particularly deep. Deep material but not deeply explored. Okay, not THAT deep.

But here's the difficulty with this book. It demands to be in a better league than all the vampire trash being cranked out today. Next to most books, it's a 10 star read out of a possible 5. Keep that in mind. I'm grading on a steep curve here.

So if you put this in the class of literature, it gets a solid C grade. But then, very little writing is literature. In the class of all books, give it a B+.

That's why I'm torn. I want to encourage literature and I do recommend the book. But I cannot rank it with Updike or Heller.

You decide. And tell me what you think.

Chris Reich, TeachU

I have listened to nearly all of the physics books listed in the Audible library and this one is my favorite. It could be that as I learn, these books get easier, but I really think this book is the easiest to grasp.

The book makes some of the most difficult concepts easier to understand. Things like particle spin have had me spinning but now I get that electrons don't really spin, they have spin. They have angular momentum even though an electron is a wave---

The book is very interesting if you like quantum mechanics. The comic tie-in gives amusing and interesting side bars to the topic.

If you are really into physics, you'll love this book. If you don't, you probably will have a hard time with this book.

Chris Reich, BizPhyZ

This book should be required reading/listening. The book seems to be very even handed in that, even in the closing words, the author balances his findings with a response from the organization.

Still, in spite of Church of Scientology denials, there is just too much evidence of very dangerous behavior. Germany got it right.

You know, I am a little fearful in posting this because Scientology strikes me as so dangerous and vindictive.

This is the Audible book I had to stop frequently because it is just so disturbing.

I don't like this question. I probably will not listen to this book again---but not because it's not brilliant. It's ugly and I don't want to go through it again. But it is a great work.

Tristan's meeting with his father before shipping out to war.

Does a great job of bringing the characters to life.

It sickened me. Man's inhumanity can be overwhelming.

I like the book and recommend it but it's not for everyone. You'll gain insight into human suffering but there is nothing uplifting in the book. If you need "happy endings" this wouldn't be for you.

So, I recommend it with a caution.

Chris Reich, TeachU

Oh yes. The story is riveting and nuanced. There are lots of twists and we have a bit of an unreliable narrator. Brilliant.

Crime and Punishment---While Crime and Punishment is better, of course, this book is loaded with tension.

Couldn't say. Great book start to finish.

Stupid question.

The reader, Grover Gardner is superb---he could be reading his own story. Perfect read.

Maybe.

Nope

The narration was fine.

I didn't find anything even interesting in this book.

I read a lot so this probably was simply redundant for me. You might like it.

A classic dull piece.

I think this was a shocker in its day and for that reason, its a classic today. I hated it. I didn't like the performance (narrator) at all. The story seemed like a loop of deception, gain, punishment, repeat.

There are some amusing characters and some insight into human nature. But this book was not my cup of tea and I could hardly wait to finish it.

Can't recommend.

Chris Reich