James C. Poland
- 76
- reviews
- 39
- helpful votes
- 100
- ratings
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Backyard Starship
- Backyard Starship, Book 1
- By: J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,024
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,471
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,461
When Van Tudor returns to his childhood home, he inherits more than the family farm. His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction; they were real. Hidden beneath the old barn, Van’s legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world. With his combat AI, an android bird named Perry, Van takes his first steps into the wider galaxy. He soon finds that space is far busier and more dangerous than he could have ever conceived.
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5 out of 5 stars
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holy smokes
- By Tod on 12-14-21
- Backyard Starship
- Backyard Starship, Book 1
- By: J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
There's a new sheriff in town
Reviewed: 03-13-25
He may be green but with his faithful deputies, he hits the ground running showing up more seasoned law officials. At least that's how I felt the book comes across. I'm glad I got it from the free selections. If there was a sequel, I wouldn't bother even if it was free. I was also a bit struck by how the author doesn't understand farming in Iowa.
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Stranger in a Strange Land
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,931
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,613
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,642
Stranger in a Strange Land is the epic saga of an earthling, Valentine Michael Smith, born and educated on Mars, who arrives on our planet with “psi” powers—telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, teleportation, pyrolysis, and the ability to take control of the minds of others—and complete innocence regarding the mores of man. After his tutelage under a surrogate father figure, Valentine begins his transformation into a kind of messiah.
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4 out of 5 stars
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We live in the world this book made
- By W. Seligman on 02-26-04
- Stranger in a Strange Land
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
Dated
Reviewed: 02-21-25
Be prepared for very paternal treatment of women, which I'm sure was typical for when it was written. Overall the story felt meandering and I tired of listening to a main character's southern twang. All the so-called clever witticisms were overboard. On the upside, there are some good thoughts around social norms.
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1632
- Ring of Fire, Book 1
- By: Eric Flint
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,644
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,395
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,403
New York Times best-selling author Eric Flint has received glowing critical praise for his Ring of Fire alternate history series. In this first installment, a West Virginia town is transported from the year 2000 to 1631 Germany at the height of the Thirty Years’ War. Thrust into conflict, the town residents must also contend with moral issues such as who should be considered a citizen.
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3 out of 5 stars
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NOT ALL THAT BAD
- By Randall on 11-26-18
- 1632
- Ring of Fire, Book 1
- By: Eric Flint
- Narrated by: George Guidall
Rather corny
Reviewed: 02-08-25
I understand this book and it's sequels have quite a following but I don't understand why. The characters aren't relatable, the setting is over-simplified, and the plot is dull. The performance perhaps drags it down more. If it hadn't been free, I would have asked for a refund.
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The Eye of the World
- Book One of The Wheel of Time
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 29 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68,362
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58,479
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58,390
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Your first step down a very long and winding road.
- By Lore on 06-29-12
- The Eye of the World
- Book One of The Wheel of Time
- By: Robert Jordan
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
Disappointing
Reviewed: 12-13-24
I know I'm in the minority and though I had high hopes of enjoying the story given the number of positive reviews, I barely made it to the end. The plot seemed to drag and the characters seemed to be stuck without development. I also felt like it relied too much on well used tropes. At about 3/4 of the way through it got interesting enough to finish but I won't continue on with the series.
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Why the West Rules - for Now
- The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future
- By: Ian Morris
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 24 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 282
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 221
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 222
Sometime around 1750, English entrepreneurs unleashed the astounding energies of steam and coal, and the world was forever changed. The emergence of factories, railroads, and gunboats propelled the West’s rise to power in the nineteenth century, and the development of computers and nuclear weapons in the 20th century secured its global supremacy.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Compelling and infuriating take at World History
- By Skeptical on 09-11-11
- Why the West Rules - for Now
- The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future
- By: Ian Morris
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
Thought provoking
Reviewed: 09-26-24
Lots of interesting insights while diving deep into a complex question. There are lots of references to graphs and charts so you may get more out of a print version.
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Nothing to Fear
- Demystifying Death to Live More Fully
- By: Julie McFadden RN
- Narrated by: Julie McFadden RN
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 200
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 189
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Story5 out of 5 stars 189
What if we didn’t consider death the worst possible outcome? What if we discussed it honestly, embraced hospice care, and prepared for the end of our lives with hope and acceptance? In this compassionate and knowledgeable guide, TikTok star Julie McFadden—known online as “Hospice Nurse Julie”—shares the valuable lessons she’s learned in her fifteen years as an RN in the ICU and in hospice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful
- By pratt426 on 07-13-24
- Nothing to Fear
- Demystifying Death to Live More Fully
- By: Julie McFadden RN
- Narrated by: Julie McFadden RN
Very informative
Reviewed: 09-26-24
I picked this up because my mom is 94 and she certainly isn't going to live forever. It has a lot of details about the process of dying. My only complaint would be it can be a little redundant at times.
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I, Asimov
- A Memoir
- By: Isaac Asimov
- Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom
- Length: 24 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 90
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
Arguably the greatest science fiction writer who ever lived, Isaac Asimov also possessed one of the most brilliant and original minds of our time. His accessible style and far-reaching interests in subjects ranging from science to humor to history earned him the nickname "the Great Explainer". I. Asimov is his personal story - vivid, open, and honest - as only Asimov himself could tell it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This great book is now an unabridged release!
- By NM on 12-16-20
- I, Asimov
- A Memoir
- By: Isaac Asimov
- Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom
One of the greats of SF
Reviewed: 08-09-24
I've always considered Asimov to be my first introduction to serious SF. It was interesting to get his perspective on how writing field developed in conjunction with his own life. He's not shy about tooting his own horn so that's a bit redundant. He also has a penchant for providing a lot of very specific dates which seems to be superfluous. The performance felt almost like Asimov were reading it.
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Slaughterhouse-Five
- By: Kurt Vonnegut
- Narrated by: James Franco
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,270
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17,219
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17,194
Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralfamadorians, who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).
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4 out of 5 stars
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Don't Quit Your Daytime Job, James
- By Keith on 11-20-15
- Slaughterhouse-Five
- By: Kurt Vonnegut
- Narrated by: James Franco
Time bound?
Reviewed: 07-03-24
Maybe this book was culturally relevant in the 60s but I found little to enjoy in listening to it. The circuitous and episodic telling didn't keep me interested.
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See No Stranger
- A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
- By: Valarie Kaur
- Narrated by: Valarie Kaur
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 509
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 443
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Story5 out of 5 stars 441
How do we love in a time of rage? How do we fix a broken world while not breaking ourselves? Valarie Kaur - renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker, and civil rights lawyer - describes revolutionary love as the call of our time, a radical, joyful practice that extends in three directions: to others, to our opponents, and to ourselves. It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say: You are part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A beautiful memoir and powerful compass
- By Eric Parrie on 06-16-20
- See No Stranger
- A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
- By: Valarie Kaur
- Narrated by: Valarie Kaur
Interesting but slow
Reviewed: 05-19-24
I thought the author did a decent job of narrating her story but yet I struggled to get through this. Admittedly I prefer succinctness and sometimes it felt like the message wandered or repeated. I did learn a bit about the Sikh religion so that was a plus.
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The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,379
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,191
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,181
In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
- The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
Deep dive on Roman religions
Reviewed: 03-14-24
Consider whatever you learned in HS about ancient mythology to be just a inkling on ancient worship. The speaker presents a great deal of detail around Roman practices and less so on earlier religions. That's to be expected given the details available. The speaker tried too hard to be entertaining and I found it off putting.
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1 person found this helpful