Lucie

This is one of the best-written and most powerfully moving books I have read in a long time. Unfortunately, the narrator does not meet this high quality, reading so fast and with so little emotion that I imagined her in the recording studio rushing to finish her task before lunchtime. In spite of this challenge, this book unquestionably deserves five stars.

This book lacks the intellectual brilliance of Michael Pollan's work, and the reader is slow and ponderous. Still, there are a number of interesting historical perspectives on the history of food.

If you're looking for a clear introduction to modern China, this isn't it. Instead, it's an academic paper about the esoteric question of whether China can be called "modern," whether it has now achieved "modernity." That being said, if one can get passed the constant references to "modern" and "modernity," this book provides an overview of China's history during the 20th century. Conversely, for a fascinating introduction to modern China, listen to Rob Gifford's "China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power" here on Audible.com.

The strength of this book is that doesn’t merely provide a narrative of two families’ lives ~ the Jeffersons and the Hemingses of Monticello ~ although it certainly does that very well. Equally important, it explores the underlying issues that frame the story of these two families, especially in terms of race, class, gender, and the condition of being enslaved as opposed to free. For some, these underlying issues may seem tedious; for others (and I’m among these), they greatly enrich the narrative.

Expert Philippa Gamse talks likity-split in a Brit accent about how to increase traffic to your web site. This topic is quickly out of date, so she updates the information with numerous articles on her web site. They are free to download and free to share with others. An excellent resource.

An excellent teleseminar for keynote speakers at conferences. Covers all the details listed in the Audible "Publisher's Summary." The central theme is: build relationships with meeting planners before trying to sell your expertise to them.

This is the best resource I know for speakers who wish to build relationships with potential corporate sponsors. The additional web-based materials (handouts, supplemental resources) are also excellent. Highly recommended.