David

Slightly Tamer but Still Thrilling

Revisado: 11-02-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Ryan Green writes True Crime books that don't just report on gruesome murders or a psychopath's life of horrific acts. He has a way of pulling the listener deeper into these dark stories of murder, psychological degradation and mayhem, often from inside the killer's head, rather than telling the story from a reporter's 3rd person remove. No author I've read does that better, and it makes every book of his a new experience that I found to be just as compelling as his many other books.

"Buried" tells the story of a deeply disturbed woman who slowly becomes a serial murderer, committing her crimes with a psychopath's intellect and total lack of remorse, while showing the world around her a surprising likability, charity and social charm, What is most interesting to me about this particular murderer is the horrible intelligence she brought to her task, setting herself up as a caregiver to dozens of the most vulnerable and least connected humans available: homeless alcoholics, drug addicts and mental patients. She found them at bars and hospitals, offered them a place to live and a caregiver to help care for them, and one by one they would move in with their killer. Then, at a leisurely pace, she would drug, rob and murder them before burying them in her garden. Nobody in the outside world missed most of them --- she was actually celebrated as selfless and charitable for taking society's discards in and caring for them. Once a room or two were "vacated," more and more victims just walked into her doors, often assisted by government agencies and legit homeless or rehab charities. It was striking and quite sad how most of her victims genuinely liked and appreciated her, right up to and including the moment when the drugs knocked them senseless so Dorothea could kill them. As with some of Green's other subjects, she even recruits an accomplice who helps her move and bury the bodies as she gets older and more frail. The story of a killer's willing and worshipful accomplice -- who isn't a murderous psychopath but openly assists one --- is always fascinating to me.

Because Dorothea mostly murdered with drugs, this story isn't as violent or gruesome as many True Crime stories, but even though I've come to appreciate those more shocking true stories for what they are, this one didn't suffer from the lack of it. The narrator is one of the handful Green uses to read all his books, and he did an equally good job with "Buried." That professional narration, coupled with Green's propulsive writing style and an unusual and fascinating subject, makes "Buried" a True Crime book that just about any fan of the genre should enjoy.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

A Fluff-Free Account of 2 Very Disturbed Murderers

Revisado: 10-15-16

This brief but compelling account of a murder spree by two deeply screwed-up Brits reads almost like a feature magazine article or Dateline America story. And that's a very good thing in this case. There's no filler, no padding, and no meandering backstories about every year of the killers' childhoods. Just the fascinating story of their crimes, their victims, the investigation and trials, and the childhood abuse that helped form their twisted psyches.

The author does a good job of providing some historical and psychological context to their crimes, and he manages to do it in a concise, reporter's voice rather than the overly-dramatic tabloid voice that too many true crime writers fall into. He describes the horrific acts this couple committed, but he doesn't linger on the grisly details, a restraint that I always appreciate when reading about crimes like these. The narrator was excellent, mirroring the crisp, professional tone of the writing perfectly,

My only complaint is that it is fairly short, and I wanted more. But the lack of excess padding is also one of the book's best attributes, so I can't fault the author for letting the story determine the book's length rather than some predetermined page count goal.

All told, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, but after gulping it down in one sitting the first time I do plan on reading it again. I've listened to two other true crime books by this author (The Kurim Case and Columbian Killers), one given to me in exchange for an unbiased review and the other one I bought myself the day I finished the first one. Both of those were excellent, too, and I'm really looking forward to reading his other work. If you like concise, compelling true crime books, I'm guessing you will feel the same way.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Mix of Serious Insight & Sharp, Convivial Humor

Revisado: 08-19-14

Not Cool is full of sharp, witty insights on lots of topics, all roughly related to his "What is Cool Today and Why it Sucks" theme. After reading all 3 of his excellent books, I am convinced that Gutfeld has successfully carved out a position in the Conservative/Libertarian world that is similar to the one John Stewart has created for himself within the liberal precincts. Like Stewart, he manages to serve up important messages in a thoroughly entertaining way, without losing credibility for unfair bias with all but the most virulent, unreasonable members of the opposition party.

If he wasn't funny, I'd still be interested in his serious take on the issues of the day. If he wasn't actually a sharp, incisive commentator on those same issues, I'd still read him for his curmudgeonly sense of humor. But he is actually an unusual amalgam of both, and that is a delightful anomaly in the field of political and cultural commentary. To those of us who don't care all that much about "cool," that combination of intelligent seriousness and wit is kinda . . . well, cool.

Highly recommended for listeners of all political persuasions, and John Stewart's audience should make a point of reading it twice. Steve Kramer does a very good job of narrating, but I wish Gutfeld had narrated "Not Cool" like he did for his first book. He has a self-deprecating style of speaking that really sells the comedic elements and leavens the edgier barbs. And that kind of convivial comedic seriousness seems like the best recipe for delighting his fans, while at the same time gently prying open the minds of detractors so that his well-reasoned, intelligent arguments can slip in and start making logic babies in their brains. Read this one, for sure.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

The Most Entertaining Book of the Year

Revisado: 10-24-12

This was simply the most entertaining, engaging audiobook I've listened to in years. It's not just for MTV fans, or just for the demographic that currently watches it in droves. Personally, I never enjoyed watching MTV nearly as much as I enjoyed reading this book about it. If you are even slightly interested in music, popular culture, television, the entertainment industry, or musicians themselves, you will probably love this book too.

It's a remarkable story, of course. This scraggly little video jukebox of a cable channel literally changed television, music, motion pictures and popular culture. More than once. But the key to making this so much more than just a factual recreation of a game-changing cable channel's history lies in a single, brilliant idea: they don't just tell the story, but let the participants themselves tell it in their own words. Culling choice nuggets from literally hundreds of interviews with rock stars,video directors, executives and the scores of people who surround them, the authors then edit and compile pieces of those interviews into a tightly woven narrative. They provide some backstory and context to each part of the music channel's history with concise chapter introductions, and let the rest of the story unfold through the words of the people who created that history. It's messy, honest and human, and the perspectives of the different parties are often contradictory. Just like the real world. Unlike "The Real World," the story-lines are always interesting,

Seriously -- if this sounds even a little intriguing to you, get this book. It's like being invited to the largest MTV reunion ever, full of rock stars and directors and executives, and getting to listen in on each of them as they tell the story of their involvement. It's pure entertainment, flawlessly executed.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 25 personas

Historical Horror

Revisado: 08-22-08

One of my favorite books of the past few years (and I've never been a Simmons fan before, although I sure am now). A totally unique, compelling mix of historical fiction and horror, with some nautical adventure and shipboard life thrown into the pot for seasoning. Moves really fast, and the characters, events and even the scares are believable. I absolutely loved it --- give it a try, even if you don't usually like books in the historical fiction or horror genres. Simmons does such an amazing job creating a new, third genre out of the traditions of the other two, fans of NEITHER should love this book just as much as fans of either one (or both).

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Fast, Fun Post-Apocalypse Thriller

Revisado: 07-26-08

This is about as much fun as a book about the destruction of most of the world's population by a devastating earthquake and tidal wave can be. If you like post-apocalypse fiction (and thankfully there aren't any NON-fiction books in that genre yet), you should enjoy this one. It is different enough from the other great books in the genre (On the Beach, The Stand, On the Road, Swan Song, etc.) that it's interesting to see how the author destroys the world and maneuvers his characters through the brutal gauntlet of post-disaster survival to (hopefully) find their reduced version of paradise. OK, maybe it's not Shakespeare in the prose department, but who'd want to read Shakespeare writing a post-apocalyptic thriller anyway? And some would say the characters are a bit "stock," and even a bit unlikely. But somehow the author manages to move them through their trials and tribulations in such a way that you just don't care about those things (you HAVE to know if they MAKE IT!!). So don't read this book because it's literature. Read it because it's fun. Read it because it's fast and compelling and makes you think. Even if what you might be thinking about is how the author came up with such an unlikely cast of characters and managed to maneuver them into the same boat. What ever your reason, though, read it. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours, and worst case you'll be a few critical steps ahead of your neighbors if a massive tidal wave ever strikes.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Incredible

Revisado: 05-19-08

Absolutely perfect. This was quite simply one of the best books -- sci-fi or otherwise -- I've read in a long time. Yes, there's a fascinating sci-fi plot involving the creation of digital simulations of the protagonist's brain, and they stir up a fascinating mess that will delight any lover of intelligent science fiction. But it's the complex, fully fleshed-out characters, lightning fast pacing and genuinely compelling writing that got to me the most, which is why I strongly recommend this book to lovers of great novels as well as to lovers of great sci-fi. While not a deeply devoted sci-fi fan myself, I do enjoy science fiction novels, and I think the few dozen best books in the genre are as good as the best books of ANY genre. But sci-fi gets a bit of a bad rap among mainstream readers, because it does seem like far too often the "sci" gets in the way of the "fi," particularly in the hands of less skilled practitioners, making some of them feel more like interesting textbooks than thrilling novels. But The Terminal Experiment manages to do both, and I find that to be very rare. When it all DOES come together in one book, like it does here, it more than repays your time spent reading it, re-reading it, and writing long recommendations to fellow readers in hopes that they, too have been looking for just such an ideal book. Very highly recommended.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 32 personas

Travel 5 Hours Into the Future . . . Instantly

Revisado: 11-02-05

This one is FAST. We're talking TIME TRAVEL fast. Turn the thing on, start listening to the exceptional voice of the narrator, and WHAM! - next thing you know you're 5 hours in the future, with very little idea of how you got there besides a slightly elevated heart rate, a slightly sore rear end and a somewhat dazed appreciation for the way this Coben guy managed to make you keep reading page after page without even thinking about the passing of time. OVERALL RATING: 5 solid stars. NARRATOR: Creme of the crop - 5 stars. STORY/PLOT: He took a little creative license, but he used it well - 5 stars. PACE: breakneck - 5 stars. CHARACTERS: 3 1/2 stars (OK, so they're not all fully fleshed out characters, but who cares? You just want to find out what happens to them next). DIALOGUE: Clever, well-written and extremely zippy. Excellent dialogue is the propellant that makes this book go so fast - 5 stars. WILL I REMEMBER THE PLOT OR CHARACTERS A YEAR FROM NOW? It's a bit disposable, not terribly deep, so maybe not. But in a thriller that isn't so bad: I figure I can enjoy it all over again in a year or so because I'll have forgotten what happens. WILL I READ OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR? Absolutely -- he's got a new raving fan, and I can't wait to see how he's going to top this one.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 19 personas

A Conservative Liberal - Go Figure!

Revisado: 10-07-05

There is definitely something fascinating happening with this book, based on just the reviews on Audible: half the people are angry about his right-wing agenda, and the other half are angry about his left-wing agenda. And amidst all these partisan dismissals there are very few people who seem to understand the real point of this book. To me, it's about how we as a culture tend to wallow in the negative(!), and despite most things having gotten significantly better in the world, we remain cynical and unhappy. Sure, the guy puts some of his own opinions in the book, some leaning a little left and some leaning a little right. That's what authors of books like this are supposed to do, IMHO --- and I for one was impressed by the fact that he didn't seem to follow any one party line but spoke up for things he felt were right regardless of whether it was right or left. I wish more of us did. But his strongest points were not his opinions but the factual data on so many things that most of us have taken for granted as "getting worse," when the data shows they are all getting better. And I think it is fascinating that the primary response to a guy who writes an extremely positive, optimistic book is full of such hostility, vitriol and indignation. Mr. Easterbrook may be onto something more powerful than he thought --- perhaps he could follow up with "The Positivity Paradox." In any case, I highly recommend this book, because it seems you will either a)get something positive and enlightening out of it, as I did, b)feel better about your liberal beliefs by dismissing him as a tool of the far right, or c)feel better about your conservative beliefs by dismissing him as a tool of the far left. There's truly something there for everbody!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 14 personas

The Best

Revisado: 06-01-05

Exceptional. I have read (or listened to) most of the other books on this subject, many of them quite good, but "America's Secret War" was by far the best of the bunch in every important way. It is perfectly clear, concise and forthright. It is full of "I didn't realize that!" moments, and even readers who know a lot about this subject matter are likely to find nuggets of truth and perspective that will surprise them (if only because the concepts are so well explained and put into such clear perspective that you find yourself grasping concepts with a depth you might not have otherwise). It takes no political stance, but instead outlines and analyzes events as they happened without partisan spin (something that I appreciate all the more in this age of increasingly whiny, partisan, adversarial screeds by authors with openly political agendas and a total lack of shame flaunting them). Moreover, this book is truly interesting, fast-paced, and novelistic: I found myself compelled to continue listening to it not just by my desire to learn more, but also by the same "can't wait to find out what happens next" story-telling that the best adventure novels benefit from. That is partly due to the writing, of course, but the narrator was also among the best I've heard. He was one of only 2 narrators that were so good that I looked up their other books and purchased titles I would never have bought otherwise (most of which turned out to be excellent as well, so the narrator really can make or break an audiobook listening experience). This is simply one of the best books I have ever listened to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 18 personas