Greg

The back story that didn't make it into Vasari

Reviewed: 11-20-22

I think if you like the subject matter but don't take things too seriously you will enjoy this romp through history. Sometimes a bit trivializing, sometimes repetitive, but also sometimes a "you were there" feeling that makes it all worth it. The narration takes getting used to- at least it is varied for the different characters. What a melting pot of characters all working next to each other!

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1 person found this helpful

Interesting take on a very specific aspect art

Reviewed: 09-15-22

This is the commercial history of modern art in the early 20th century America centered on Picasso. There are a few main characters: John Quinn- which probably few have heard of; and Alfred Barr first head of MOMA and perhaps the one who really brought this art to the public. Sometimes a bit too much "inside baseball" - but on the other hand a really valuable perspective along with all the books about the art itself. This book is not about art- it is art dealers, artists and the market. Well written and well narratted.

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Great title- great series- very hard to put down

Reviewed: 03-12-22

I started with the Mistletoe book when it was featured last Christmas and then went back to go through the series. It is really rare to see this many books line up with unflagging quality. They strike a nice balance between the too sweet and the horror of most crime stories. There is just something engaging about the characters. As you go through the first few books there are those repetitive tropes (blue eyes, light tread, etc) that re-create the situation, but after a half dozen or so books that lessens.

The language is mostly very proper english to suite the character but there is an occasional sparkle of description or word use that keeps ones attention- these books were not "phoned in".

The only other series I can think of with this sustained quality is Phryne Fisher books though they are much darker and less proper. The closest comparison might be the Royal Spyness series though that didn't, to me, maintain its interest past the first few books.

Ms Dunne is a superb reader- the others not so much - but the quality of the writing makes this series a joy- and what an unexpected bargain.

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Delightful look at medieval science and technology

Reviewed: 07-16-21

The book got a very good review in the recent issue of Science and it turns out to be a great audible book as well. There are numerous references to illustrations but I never felt their loss detracted from listening. The author is the reader and he has an enjoyable voice and communicates excitement over the subject.

I've done some reading on the period and I was vaguely aware that there were significant technical advances during the middle ages but this book really opens up the range of discovery and the breadth of sharing that occurred and situates it- why was knowing time so important?

A not at all "dry as dust" history.

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Audible version of the Kubernetes online docs

Reviewed: 09-23-20

I have to wonder if any of the 5 star review are real- all 100%???

I need to quickly get up to speed on Kubernetes and started with their docs which are pretty good. I was going to spend some time in the car so got this to make use of the time. Lo and behold the exact text I'd just read forms at least the first few chapters. This isn't terrible- but it isn't really a "book".

The chapter on building contains a readout of the build commands which was unlistenable.

The reader is OK and has a good voice- it's not really fair to compare this to a real performance (like say the Harry Potter books).

Someone needs to take a look at the review process..

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1 person found this helpful

A serious spoken approach to language learning

Reviewed: 10-13-18

I've tried to learn several languages off and on with some progress in French so I have tried a number of language courses. Most of them are terrible and are really just designed to say a few words on vacation. Until now I thought that the Assimal courses were the only ones with an education theory behind them. They are a mix of recorded and written and require the constant use of a booklet along with the recorded part.
I recently tried Babel and liked the way they are based on the phone but I was troubled by the use of writing (e.g.spell "ciao") which didn't seem like a good idea in early language learning.
Pimsleur is audio only. This is a real challenge and I am sure it is slower at first than a mixture of aural and written. But they are trying to develop the sounds of the language without the overlay of an English pronunciation to written Italian. It is based on 30 minute lessons which is a big chunk to devote to it.
If you really want to learn I think this may be the best approach I've seen.

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The social scene in the 1920s

Reviewed: 10-18-17

I thought this was a book about economics, but it is really a social history of the American early 20th century. If you are looking for economic analysis look elsewhere. I found it somewhat interesting but not what I was looking for.

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4 people found this helpful

Excellent book, well read

Reviewed: 10-18-17

One of my favorite authors, too bad the books are so short. The reading is very sensitive, it captures the great depth to the narrow range of the actions.

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2 people found this helpful

Fun art stuff, OK story

Reviewed: 10-18-17

I didn't finish the book, not sure if I will. I enjoyed the art stuff but found it a bit vague- the Da Vinci portrait done all prima was a stretch. I thought the vocabulary jarred a bit and the story was somewhat dull. The reading was also uneven, the main characters were OK but some of the others seemed forced. Not the best on any account.

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2 people found this helpful

Good book, very much enjoyed the author reading it

Reviewed: 12-17-16

This book is an honest, searching account of the authors life. It is not a perfect book, the sociological asides felt patched together at times, but it deserves the praise it has received. Most importantly for this review I was really happy that Mr Vance read the story. His performance was fine, his voice and tone set the stage.

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1 person found this helpful