Mark

Honest advice

Revisado: 12-31-15

What made the experience of listening to How to Win at the Sport of Business the most enjoyable?

Straight to the point and evidenced by the man's own life.

What other book might you compare How to Win at the Sport of Business to and why?

Think and Grow Rich. Mark Cuban brings in real world experience and offers blunt advice that you can take or leave. They both love life and take advantage of living the best life possible.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked his admittance that he eschewed his boss and went for the sale and got fired. He didn't blame his boss nor himself. It was a revelation to his true values and it led him to make the right decision.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The man knows what he wants to accomplish and can see the opportunity offered in any situation. He is obviously passionate about what he does and lives life honestly.

Any additional comments?

I only wish it was a longer work and would love to see another work by Cuban in the near future. This is what every high school student needs to hear to go for it and apply one's passions to the great opportunities that we have in this great country at this great stage of history.

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We need more visionaries like this

Revisado: 09-03-15

What did you love best about Elon Musk?

Most people would say that Elon Musk would be difficult to work for or get along with. That is more of a reflection on how soft we have become and how ineffectual we have forced our business leaders to become. To join the military, one must go through boot camp to toughen up and get ready for the world they will face. Too many college professors are training the students to believe that the government and their employers owe them instead of training them to have an entrepreneur's spirit and drive.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elon Musk. I have never read a biography where I immediately want to read another book on that individual. I would love to read a book just on the money side of his deals and how they were negotiated and worked out. It is good to see that there is someone actually earning his huge ego.

Which scene was your favorite?

Elon's email regarding acronyms was brilliant and should be applied to all industries.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Each chapter moved me. Each chapter was a lesson on moving forward in life and staying the course.

Any additional comments?

The narrator did a great job. He did the various voices of those interviewed with nuance and told the story with just the right amount of passion and pacing.

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Concise and on point

Revisado: 05-29-15

Would you listen to Power again? Why?

I will listen to Power again. The points are clear and useful. I was disappointed that other books by Jeffrey Pfeffer and narrated by David Drummond where not available on Audible.

What did you like best about this story?

The book has valuable advice regardless of how much power you really want. It is great advice for anyone to better understand how to remain in good graces with your employer, and we all have employers.

Which character – as performed by David Drummond – was your favorite?

The narrator is perfect for conveying business ideas in a professional, listenable and upbeat way. He sounds like he believes in what he is saying and keeps the listener engaged. I wish that he would do more books related to personal growth, business and finance. Those books don't always get a top-shelf performer.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really liked going over how to handle self-promotion as well as how to handle mistakes. There is a great section at the end of the book that deals with the costs of power. That is a great section when considering any job or position change. The culture and societal obligations of many jobs has changed tremendously over the last decade. This section is a great reality check for any job with responsibility. The societal obligations may not be fair, but they are what they are at this time of life.

Any additional comments?

There is no filler in this book. I will read it again in six months and go back over the principles. There is great advice on when you screw up, and all people that want to impact change will do that.

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Focus on passion=Less stress and more success

Revisado: 05-04-15

If you could sum up Mastery in three words, what would they be?

Clarity of purpose

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Being great at something and to truly arrive at being great takes 10,000 hours or more. This is a message that is not being presented in today's age. Students think that they can cheat their way to greatness or be distracted by their phones and think that they can delve deep enough into a subject matter to earn a great job. Shortcuts are preached by many in education and politics. We are not meant to multi-task. Success is not a quick-fix away.

What about Fred Sanders’s performance did you like?

Fred Sanders is the best narrator of a Robert Greene book. He tells the stories well and with just enough passion to keep the listener engaged. I wish that the other books were also available unabridged and read by the same performer. The reader of the abridged Power and Seduction books was too smarmy and took away the credibility of the text.

If you could give Mastery a new subtitle, what would it be?

Master your passion, or be mastered by others.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book and I will read it again. I also purchased the print copy. It is easy to become sidetracked by the media and all of the various forms of entertainment and news that is "so important." Even at work, it is easy to major in the minor things and fall prey to the tyranny of the urgent. This book encourages a person to focus on one thing. To do that separates you out from the 99.999% who dabble and waste their potential and their lives never accomplishing anything worthwhile. What sounds like sacrifice actually is a gift of time and clarity of mind. It takes less time to prioritize when there is a singular goal and less time is needed when the goal is so clear.

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Healthy perspective on building sustainable wealth

Revisado: 11-22-14

Would you listen to MONEY Master the Game again? Why?

Yes. I actually purchased the hardcover after I started listening. The pdf file was a great addition, but I found that there is so much here that the audio helps me plow through tons of great information and I am reinforcing that information through notes in the text. I have already taken steps that will save me on my taxes this year and dedicated more to my tax deferred plan with lower fees.

What was one of the most memorable moments of MONEY Master the Game?

I need to read the fine print of financial plans and that I will only get what I tolerate. The author does not assume that the reader knows the definition of the terms and takes the additional step of clearly communicating the ramifications of those terms. I honestly feel that this last week was a semester course in finance. It isn't just dry financial charts and terms. It has a healthy blend of applicable finances blended with crystalizing examples plus the author's take away insights from a variety of people that have been successful for themselves and their clients. He doesn't just tell the listener that "success leaves clues." He goes to the source of success and distills those clues.

What does Tony Robbins and Jeremy Bobb bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I prefer Tony's voice. He delivers his words with greater passion and humor than Jeremy. Jeremy was "suitable" (to borrow a term from the book). At first, Jeremy sounded like my Kindle's male voice. His voice does pronounce the financial terms well and delivers at a speed that is easy to hear and understand. Am I glad that this is available in the unabridged version? Absolutely! I wish that Robbin's other books Unlimited Power and Awaken the Gian Within were also available unabridged even if that meant an outside reader.

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

No. I did listen to and from work and then in the evening. The audio helps to push through financial scenarios and terms in a way that helps me get through more information that if I sit with a financial book. I am then going back over the text, which is easier to comprehend since I have already been through it once and can now deepen my comprehension and make notes and plans on my own finances.

Any additional comments?

After 2008, I became too conservative with my finances. This book helped me to take immediate action and take advantage of a tax-deferred program offered at work. It passed the litmus test that the book laid out and was actually more conservative than my approach with much more upside.

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Reading Gatsby as an adult reveals its greatness!

Revisado: 10-06-14

Would you listen to So We Read On again? Why?

I recently returned to The Great Gatsby and was shocked by its greatness and relevance that I did not appreciate when I first read the novel as a younger man. Like the author states, The Great Gatsby reveals something new every time that a reader reads it again.

I will return to this book again after reading Gatsby again.

What did you like best about this story?

The author brings in her own experiences of reading and seeing Gatsby performed on stage, as a movie as well as a teacher. This brings a dimension to the analysis that is usually lacking in literary analysis.

Have you listened to any of Maureen Corrigan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I did not know Maureen Corrigan before purchasing this audio. I was surprised by the enthusiasm of the performer and checked who she was. Ah, the author is the performer which is absolutely perfect because the enthusiasm and delivery is so pitch perfect for this book. It is rare to find a commentary on a work to be as lively, intelligent and insightful as this. (Other great commentaries on classics: Professor Drout's work on Tolkien and Chaucer are great, Harold Bloom's "How to Read and Why")The passion of the performance comes from the passion for The Great Gatsby. The research done on Fitzgerald, the 1920s and the novel itself were all obviously done out of a love of the book, so it never feels like an imposed dry and didactic thesis paper.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The portions of Fitzgerald's life story that reflect elements of the book make the book even more poignant.

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This is more than a book about Vietnam....

Revisado: 11-06-13

Where does The Things They Carried rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is in the top ten. The stories circle back and are retold with new details, new perspectives, new perspectives that reflect on life, death, friends, relations, and memory. It is not just a Vietnam/war book. It is a book on life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tim O'Brian: both the fictional one and the real one.

Have you listened to any of Bryan Cranston’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Bryan Cranston has the perfect world weary voice that reflects the humanity of the primary character as well as being adaptive to perfectly bring the other characters to life. He is a great actor. I do hope he narrates more books. Wow. I would give him more than five stars if possible.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Everything. The end was so perfect. I didn't see it coming as the end, but it hit home.

Any additional comments?

The final hour is the author speaking. This is the most honest and raw reflection on life that only makes the novel more powerful and real. Everything reflected in the book about truth and story are manifested in Tim's brutal truth and reflection. I am going to listen to this book again.

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I didn't know C.S. Lewis has such a dry wit.

Revisado: 09-07-13

Would you listen to The Four Loves again? Why?

Yes. Love is a mystery and Lewis is able to make the subject tangible and relevant. By breaking the concept into distinct categories, he gives the reader ways to enhance their participation and appreciation of this distinctly human experience.

What does C.S. Lewis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is knows for his scholarly approach to spiritual topics. His reading brings in the humanity and really makes me wish that there existed more of his recordings.

What did you learn from The Four Loves that you would use in your daily life?

Realizing that there is a lot to love in this life. I liked his reference to recognizing love in just hearing your dog wag its tail and appreciating the sound of it hitting the floor. In this life, sometimes I miss noticing how much I am surrounded by the things I love because I am too consumed by the demands of the day.

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Defense of dumbing down America

Revisado: 09-07-13

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The core philosophy is wrong. He finds an excuse for undermining finding a unifying way to communicate. Yes, language changes, but we, as a diverse culture, need to find common acceptable rules to communicate. McWhorter's philosophy is one that will give reason to those that do not wish to participate in elevating their language and communication skills and only widen the achievement gap between socio-economic groups.

Has Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage turned you off from other books in this genre?

The Great Courses refer to workbooks and come with them in the CD editions. Audible has provided the PDFs for other productions, but not for The Great Courses series.

What aspect of Professor John McWhorter’s performance would you have changed?

He makes statements without connecting the dots and then rambles on with bullet lists of historic information. It is clear that his tactic is to overwhelm the audience with so much information that they will submit to his greater knowledge of linguistic facts and then buy his thesis that we really should look the other way with essential communication standards and skills. His shotgun approach to gathering and distributing linguistic slugs works if the audience doesn't apply any critical thought to them. He would be more effective if he took the time to connect his examples to commentary and connection to his thesis. He does not scaffold the particulars into an organized framework very well.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I will look for some.

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All I remember is "Joseph J Mistovich" because...

Revisado: 06-29-13

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This isn't a reading of the text, but a bunch of quizzes. Each chapter is a reminder of the author which is drilled into you more than content.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing by VangoNotes. They have so much potential for today's student that is needing to take advantage of all down time to go back over important content.

How could the performance have been better?

Present the text and give more information.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from VangoNotes for Prehospital Emergency Care?

Each chapter does not need to be a reintroduction to the name of the audiobook and author. The chapters are so short already and are made even choppier by the production.

Any additional comments?

There needs to be more complete textbooks on Audible. I read texts, but spend time on the go and like to hear the text. I purchased this hoping for a more complete refresher course.

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