Paul Otto

Inspirational, beautiful, soothing, and melodic

Revisado: 02-03-23

First, if you are, or have ever been a fan of U2 and/or its music, no need to read my review any further - you will love Bono's book, and his reading of it. Full stop.

I have been a fan of U2 since I was 8 years old (1986), when U2 War was given to me as a birthday present. Joshua Tree sealed the deal for me, I was hooked for life - have bought every album since. I am not usually big on autobiographies or memoirs, so Surrender wasn't on my wishlist - until I heard Bono's interview on the Smartless podcast. Bono's presence was endearing and authentic, and his stories left me wanting more ...so I jumped on Audible and bought the audiobook.

Within the first 15 minutes, I was mesmerized by this book. Bono's words are eloquent and often poetic - his speaking voice in the book is calm and soothing - he could easily be a guest meditation leader on Calm. If he simply read his book, it would have been more than enough...but Bono went and made this into an entire experience - it has music (some original performances by Bono, as well as live performance recordings of various U2 concerts) and even sound effects. The production level of Surrender is on par with a studio LP, I'm not exaggerating - I found myself consistently asking, "Did I really only pay $17 for all of this??". The Surrender audiobook really is a work of art, and it has all the touches of a piece that has been lovingly crafted by an artist.

Bono has always been someone who I wish I could meet and to really know in this life. He's an amazing artist and philanthropist. Now at 47, I have no illusions that will ever happen, but, after experiencing Surrender, I feel like I really have met Bono - his sincerely feels genuine throughout his performance of the book - and I am glad to have gotten to know Bono, even if he doesn't know me.

Now that I've finished listening to Surrender, I think I'm going to go listen to it again now. It's that good - enough said.

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Riveting story; deliciously frightening premise

Revisado: 11-13-20

Several years ago, I read the entire Hyperion Cantos from Dan Simmons - an absolute masterpiece in Science Fiction. For years, I've longed for a similar experience...when I happened across Carrion Comfort, I decided to plunge headlong into it. I'm glad I did. Simmons does a superb job developing his characters, whether good or evil. I found this to be a deeply satisfying read with a masterful end.

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Enlightening, while frightening

Revisado: 10-03-20

Gives real perspective into Snowden, the human, contrary to the "understanding" I thought I had about him previously. He really did a great job making his case, not just for his motives (his personal bio and his changing viewpoint as seen through his lens), but for the difference between country and the State. I've been a technologist since my preadolescence, and this thing even surprised me. Thanks, Echo.

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As entertaining as it is inspirational!

Revisado: 09-17-19

Dave does a fantastic job describing his thought processes, how they differed from the expectations of others, and how steps he's taken to bridge that divide. By the end of the book, I felt like I really knew Dave and Kristen. I also came away feeling hope as a husband and father coming to terms with this new identity myself. Thank you!

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A Masterpiece!

Revisado: 08-16-19

When I started on this book, I was fascinated by the level of detail and storytelling surrounding the spiders. I then found myself thinking, "get on with it," believing that they were just an evolutionary prop that would lead to the ultimate story... something I've seen in some Sci-fi stories. I was gravely mistaken, and found myself unable to decide whether I liked the Humans or the Spiders more, as the story flip-flops between their narratives.

I went from curious, but ambivalent towards the spiders, all the way to intensely interested in their characters and feeling empathy for them. I truly cannot comprehend how the author managed to spin the intricate web of this story (pun intended). And the ending is very satisfying, beyond my wildest imagination. Thank you, thank you, for this book!

Also, the narrator is excellent, I really enjoy her voice and inflection.

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Even better than the first book!

Revisado: 03-04-19

I can't wait to get started on the next book. The characters Jemisin created are fascinating and I love them. Miles does an awesome job reading, with so many voices and accents.

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Epic adventure in a strange future Earth

Revisado: 02-22-19

I loved the writing style of this book! Flipping between timelines and narrator styles keeps you on your toes, and really emphasizes the split the protagonist has undergone. Jemisin is an amazing author and Miles does a superb job of bringing the story to life. I cannot wait to read the sequel!

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Insightful and transformational

Revisado: 07-25-18

First, the only reason I didn't give 5 stars for performance was because Marshall takes a little while to get used to. His speech has a lot of mouth clicks and saliva sounds, especially towards the beginning of the book. Some reviews I read panned this audiobook because of that, and I am glad I pushed through that initial reaction. I didn't even notice it after a while, the brain adapts, and it was wholly worthwhile; hearing this book in Marshall's own voice delivers a level of depth and empathy that the pages cannot convey.

The book is amazing. Marshall describes a way of thinking, acting, and speaking that is both foreign AND natural simultaneously. It resonated with my being, while making me wonder how I could possibly get rid of the way of speaking and thinking that Western culture has programmed us to operate in. I will be reading this again, and plan to investigate other materials from Marshall's program. I regret that I did not discover this while he was still alive.

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Great story, exceptionally read by Whil Wheaton

Revisado: 07-27-16

Stewie was right to be obsessed. Whil Wheaton rocks. A spot-on performance. How he managed not to chuckle during the numerous Star Trek:TNG references is a mystery to me. All jokes aside: I'm a geek, this is a geek novel, and Wil was the ideal choice for anyone entrenched in the geek subculture.

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