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The best scientific biography I've read

Revisado: 02-11-18

This is a most unusual biography, revealing so much about how physics and scientific research work and what it is like to participate.

It also accurately describes the unusual educational and research environment at the University of Chicago (my alma mater).

Highly recommended, without reservation.

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Well-written, effectively organized

Revisado: 12-17-17

A welcome addition to the best books about Angleton and the CIA, with a fair amount of new material about these subjects.

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A most insightful book, the "1984" of this century

Revisado: 10-18-13

What did you love best about The Circle?

The insights into the purposes and harm being caused by the big internet companies (Google, Facebook, etc) are nothing short of profound and are very moving.

The author's insights into how big companies work also remind me of the book "The Organization Man" from the 1950s, and his fiction-based warnings of where we're so rapidly heading are both shocking and very well-written.

As someone who worked in R&D for a major multi-national company for his whole career, I found this books' insights to be very compelling and nearly overwhelming in both their accuracy and depth. Google is different from other companies, but not *that* different.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mae Holland, the central character, is very convincing and illustrates how a big company can take a new employee and remake him/her in their own image. This process is similar in many respects to my own development working for my corporate employer - I retired a few years ago after a successful career.

What does Dion Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration was very effective in developing a better understanding of the book's content, much more so than a traditional text-based book format.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

SECRETS ARE LIES

SHARING IS CARING

PRIVACY IS THEFT

Any additional comments?

I can't recommend this book highly enough - it is must reading for everyone in these rapidly changing times. But where do we go from here, and how would we get there? It may already be too late to change direction.

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The realities of war, as seen by a young officer

Revisado: 09-03-12

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book, unusual for its infantry Lieutenant's perspective, should be required reading for learning why we must not resort to war except in the most threatening circumstances. Vietnam certainly was no threat to the US, and so many of our young soldiers died or were wounded for so little.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Rumor of War?

The descriptions of what it was really like to invade a poor village are impossible to not remember indefinitely.

What about L. J. Ganser’s performance did you like?

The voice of the narrator represented the author's persona very convincingly. Also, it was not fatiguing in any way.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I understood for the first time some of the reasons why some soldiers violate the USA's war-fighting rules and ethics. Yet this type of conduct is still inexcusable but is rarely prosecuted.

Any additional comments?

I was in college during the early years of the Vietnam war, and this book brought back many memories of those times. Many of my friends fought in the war, as did my high-school ROTC teacher (who was killed by a land mine).

Based on the USA's history since Vietnam, it's now clear that as a country we simply do not learn from involvement in a pointless, immoral war. Our soldiers and their families and friends bear the burdens.

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Spectacular Siuthern American novel

Revisado: 08-06-12

A beautifully read, haunting audible book, teaching us how close we are to our wilderness ancestry, and how easily many of us can be forced by circumstances to kill in self-defense.

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First-Person History of Delta Force

Revisado: 08-06-12

Would you consider the audio edition of Inside Delta Force to be better than the print version?

Yes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Inside Delta Force?

Delta Force selection and training experiences, especially the final test, a very long cross-country march.

What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?

Positive and convincing tone in the narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The inside story of Delta Force

Any additional comments?

It was most enjoyable to listen to a credible inside story of the founding of Delta Force.

I wish our government was as competent and honorable as these people.

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Multi-generational space flight challenges

Revisado: 07-09-12

Where does Orphans of the Sky rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Ranks in my top 10%

What was one of the most memorable moments of Orphans of the Sky?

The difference of opinions that occurred after viewing the universe outside of the spaceship was very dramatic and tells much about how easily people can choose not to accept clear evidence when it contradicts their tradition-based religion/beliefs.

What does Eric Michael Summerer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A good narrator, like Eric Summerer, brings as much to a book as the cast of a play would bring to their script.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I often felt a strong urge to listen to more, simply to learn what happened next.

Any additional comments?

An interesting novel about the challenges of very long voyages to the stars. Assuming we can't work around the limitations of the speed of light and that we survive long enough as a civilization to reach the stars, the difficulties presented in this novel (and more) may be formidable. I can't personally imagine how a few people could survive in a long trip to Mars and back!

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One of the best classic sci-fi novels

Revisado: 07-09-12

What did you love best about Tunnel in the Sky?

This novel brought back a flood of memories about my enjoyment of sci-fi via the public library, in the early 1960s. Tunnel in the Sky was one of the most enjoyable sci-fi novels I read as a pre-teenager.

What did you like best about this story?

The difficulties of establishing a basic, functional civilization under primitive conditions, without the support of modern "conveniences" are shown to be very challenging.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final scenes where only a few people remained on the alien planet were especially revealing and almost overwhelming.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it was also enjoyable in installments.

Any additional comments?

This is surely one of Heinlein's best novels, and was more enjoyable since it doesn't overwhelm the reader with his personal political views.

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Classic Sci-Fi, by a great astrophysicist

Revisado: 06-11-12

What made the experience of listening to The Black Cloud the most enjoyable?

As a (retired) scientist, I especially enjoyed the realism of the description of how scientists work and think and interact.

It was also interesting to reflect on scientific leaders are controlled by their funding agencies, and Hoyle's fictional rants against politicians should appeal to a universal audience.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the primary characters were convincingly portrayed. They were also as interesting and as diverse as real scientists.

Any additional comments?

Climate science, as known at the time of this book, played a key role in helping earth survive the arrival of the Black Cloud. Interestingly, their research and knowledge soon became highly politicized and was declared secret by the government, reminding me of the Manhattan Project.It was interesting to consider the author's speculations on the nature of highly advanced life forms, and how limited our own minds may be in comparison to more highly evolved life forms.

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Exceptionally enjoyable classic sci-fi

Revisado: 05-14-12

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Unusually believable characters in an unusually engaging story.

What about Eric Michael Summerer’s performance did you like?

Convincing voice and acting, well-tailored for the role.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

A philosophically stimulating and thought-provoking book, representing the best of classic sci-fi.

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