Audiobook Books

I am ashamed to admit that I have never read anything by Douglas Preston until this novel. I've been meaning to read his Pendergast series, and I have the entire thing for my Sony Reader, but I haven't gotten around to it quite yet. Since this is a non-fiction book, I wondered if my lack of Preston knowledge would inhibit my enjoyment of The Monster of Florence. I'm glad to say that wasn't the case.

This review is concise simply because I didn't want to risk too much summary, and giving too much away. The book is contingent on its suspense; giving knowledge in advance would ruin the book in many ways. So I decided to take the easy (and safe) way out.

One thing I didn't like about the book was the ambiguity of the ending. I'm not going to say any more about it because, again, I don't want to ruin the book, but if you read it, I think you'll understand my issue.

This book reminded me of Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Both are novels recounting the exploits of two serial killers, both are true stories - however, in Devil in the White City, the story is told in third person and is in some ways from the serial killer's point of view. In The Monster of Florence, we are outside looking in, with Douglas Preston as the narrator.

Overall, The Monster of Florence, while horrifying, is very interesting (though not captivating) and well-written. I was surprised that I hadn't heard about the case before reading the book, especially with the high profile Preston claims that it received. I would recommend it to any fans of Douglas Preston, Thomas Harris (you'll see why when you read the book), non-fiction, or mysteries.

This book reads as a docudrama. It is a chillingly complete review of the historic serial killings and of the bumbling backwardness of the Italian legal system. I was shocked that the craziness was going on up to 2007 (and presumably to this day)! Although the judicial system sometimes sorted out the truth, the injustices perpetrated by the police and military police are truly frightening. We loved our trip to Italy recently but I will think carefully before planning another. We found the country quite pleasant, friendly, and very clean. This book gives a startling view behind the scenes into the corruption and idiocy that the citizenry evidently lives with and accepts. It is impossible to put the miscarriages of justice down to cultural differences, ingrained corruption is the more likely cause and THAT makes this a very scary book.

Admittedly, this was a really hard book to get into. The writing style was somewhere between dry non-fiction and wildly spiraling thriller; it had a slow, plodding timeline with a lot of seemingly non sequiturs tossed in to confuse the issues. There were bits very much thrown in out of left field, which seemed out of place at that moment but would later have some relevance. Continuity issues, I suppose you'd say. And that made it hard to really get immersed in the book.

The second, rather disappointing bit (for me) was the lack of a lot of speculation and general information about serial killers. Certainly, the facts and evidence of the case were presented, as well as one sketchy supposition, but a lot of the psychology behind serial killers was notably absent. For example, the fact that most don't just stop for no reason. Most investigators suspect certain people on the Jack the Ripper case because they were incarcerated or killed about the time the killings stopped. There's no hint of that in this book, and on one hand, I see that he's trying to leave the supposition out of it and let the facts speak for themselves. On the other hand, it's kind of a let down to not have much of anything in the way of speculation.

Still, the facts and personal anecdotes of the case were very interesting to read. I did not follow the case at the time (either the original or the revisited case in 2006) so all the news was new to me. And I cannot vouch for the accuracy of any of it, as this has been my only source of information on the case.

I'd recommend it to people who enjoy unsolved crime and police procedurals (though in this case, it's a primer on how not to).

I agree with one of the early reviews. This book tended to peter out somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed the information about Florence and the area around that city. I did find that the story itself tended to get a little convoluted. All in all....not one that I could not put down easily.

Sensational, horrible, serial murders in Florence. The lead investigative journalist comes under suspicion. Stunning, riveting story. Yes? Not as told in this particular book. I found this book tedious to get through. The second half was really a slog. I can't say exactly why. Perhaps it was the writing. Perhaps this particular team written effort just did not work for me. Perhaps both of the authors had written too much already about these murders and this version just came through stale.

With 900 other reviews, I'll keep this one short. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is an enormously interesting read. It tries to answer the question why and how certain ideas 'tip'. How they spread and become popular. Malcolm uses a huge amount of interesting stories from different domains to try to make his points. For me, the collection of stories was probably more interesting than the points he tried to make. The stories were well written.

Related to tipping, he argues that there are three rules related to an social epidemic. The law of the few (a few people can have a huge impact), the stickiness factor (a message can be constructed to be more sticky) and the power of context (the context can influence the message which is being spread enormously). The rest of the book contains chapters related to each of these rules. Every chapter summarizes the rules and tells stories of where the rule applied.

Tipping Point is extremely well written and easy to read. The bunch of amazing stories make it fun and it's no wonder that it's one a major best sellers in the world. I found the message the author tries to communicate less interesting, though. Never the less, I'd recommend the book to everyone for the sake of the stories and the learning that can be taken out of every individual story.

I've heard Malcolm Gladwell speak, and he's superb! In this innovative book, whether he's referring to the Maven, or the Connector, it's relatable to all individuals. If you're looking for a light leadership book that brings up very INNOVATIVE topics, this is it! For additional tips on leadership, I'd also recommend taking a course at www.corporatetrendsetters.com.

With social networking and user generated content (UGC) flooding the web, businesses are struggling to find ways to harness and direct this power. There exists an extensive collection of blogs, books, news articles and podcasts that offers advice about techniques to jump-start user adoption and gain stickiness, but these tend to focus on execution and not on concept. The dialogue generally advocates creating new communities, controlling messages within existing communities, and monetizing concepts, but fails to answer the fundamental question, "Why do people adopt certain ideas and not others?"

Enter Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point. This is not a new book. It was published in 2002 and doesn't mention a single Internet technology or concept, instead focusing on how "epidemics" spread - From Paul Revere's success in his midnight ride to why kids love Blue's Clues to syphilis' spread in Baltimore in the mid-90's. Gladwell dissects the masses and exposes the population segments that serve as the kindling for raging success.

Connectors - The people that know everyone and revel in making mutually beneficial introductions. These are the catalysts or accelerants that help bring the key components together.

Mavens - The experts. These are the people that know everything about certain topics. Everyone has friends that they trust when it comes to food, music, sports, electronics, etc., the friends that are almost freakishly knowledgeable and passionate about their interests.

Sales people - These are the people that sell ideas and visions - the evangelists. They get people excited and spread the word - like the sales person mentioned in the Holiday Inn commercial that once had a heart attack and within an hour had sold the paramedics 12 sets of steak knives.

If you can come up with a great product or offering that has amazing value for those that take advantage of it, you're off to a good start, but the challenge is just beginning. The Tipping Point presents some of the foundational relationships and interactions that must occur to be successful. Coupling the above personality traits with a discussion of the various adopter types - from Innovators to Late Adopters - and you have a powerful recipe. Blending together the right mix of Connectors, Mavens, and Sales People with Early Adopters sets the stage for success... then all you need is a phenomenal idea. Easy right?

I recommend the book.

Marcel Crudele
innerEcho - Atlanta, GA

"The Tipping Point - How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell gave me insight into trends as seen through his eyes. I loved it!

Gladwell caught me off-guard when he discussed the racial tipping point that affects the real estate market of a neighborhood. But that was not the most surprising. What surprised me the most was how low a percentage of new property owners could influence the change from a sellers market to a buyers market.

There were many times when he seemed to veer off his subject and I started wondering where he was going with the point of the story. Then he would pull it all together and I could see exactly why he said something the way he said it.

Gladwell points out common traits in typical public interest/popularity and how that relates to sales and marketing.

In each example, he explains the patterns that show the slow beginnings, the steeper climb, to the sharp growth in popularity to the hesitation at the top, then the crash and (except for a few examples) a sudden end of all growth.

His intention is to provide enough information to duplicate or create a path towards a tipping point in your business. And, with the proper actions, manipulate how long your business is able to remain at the top of the sales chart.

I was surprised that Gladwell used stories about the popular children's show Sesame Street in his examples. But, once I read his in-depth, behind-the-scenes stories, I realized how complex and how much innovative thought went into producing that very successful television show.

Now, I find myself paying closer attention to eye, face, and body position and movement when I discuss business (and personal) matters. And, I am noticing the signals I (un-intentionality) send to others.

Gladwell is able to describe and chart the same patterns of tipping points in every example he gave. He investigates the how, why, where, and when of his research. Then he presents it to his readers in easy to digest pieces.

His description of Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople is clear and fascinating. It is easy to visualize how the traits of connectors, mavens, and salespeople live in each of us.

One of the most interesting viewpoints Gladwell shared, was that there are only three elements that create change. The first element is "The Law of the Few." You'll have to read his book to find out Gladwell's other two agents of change.

By the way: It was fun taking Gladwell's Manhattan Phone Book Test. I scored eighty-seven points the first time around. After thinking about it, I believe I could add another ten to thirty surnames to my known contacts list.

I strongly recommend you read and then use Gladwell's information to create your own (series) of tipping points for your business' growth.

And while you're at it, get involved in replacing broken windows, painting walls and cleaning up areas in need. (Read the book and you'll understand.)

Little things can make a huge difference when properly executed/initiated.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

The concept behind this book is what makes it such a phenomenon. It was not only great concept-wise, but it was an engaging read. I wouldn't call it pure entertainment (some portions could be dry) but it was definitely easy to get through the whole thing and actually enjoy it. I recommend this book to anyone looking for more info on the idea of how things that seem obscure, go on to gain enormous popularity and spark trends or fads.

The World is Flat brings the reader up to speed with what a global economy really means and highlights how far we as a country have fallen behind in regards to education, innovation and other areas critical to the future. The author travels the world and collects true real-life information that would be eye opening for just about anyone. There are other countries who believe that the age of the United States as the ecomomic leader is over and the author explains with facts, not opinion, why they may be right. Freidman goes on to outline what has been suggested, by knowledgeable people from all sectors, to help Americans maintain their leadership position and standard of living. This is a non-partison review of the world and if it was required reading for our politicians the presidential race might be a useful discussion of issues that would truely help our citizens.

Thomas Friedman has truly outdone himself with this one, this is a fantastic description of how the world has/is evolving. It has truly sparked my interest in outsourcing and provided me with numerous interesting tales to add to the occasional conversation.

This book is very well done. Thomas Friedman has put in alot of time in analyzing this book, it contains alot of information, that definitely get one stimulated and should force one to go on nice long thoughts about how the world is changing. All in all this is a great book though long, it contains some excellent information, i would recommend reading it slowly. Pace urself and u will find it enjoyable.

This book has made me afraid to stay in America. I read the book and now I want to move to china or india so bad.

this book got tedious after awhile. I had to keep my eyes from closing and my mind from running somewhere else while I read. In a sense, he kept retelling what he already said in the beginning and almost all of his interviews are from Indian CEOs or Chinese CEOs. Some of the facts I learned from this book are quite surprising.

While I was reading this book, I was overcome by a really big urge to go up to Pres. Bush and slap him.

Overall I liked this book for only the new facts I learned, but other than that it was pretty tedious.

This is an absolutely fantastic book on globalization and the frightening and inspiring realities of its growing potential. A great piece.

I ordered this particular set for a friend who was facing surgery for the very first time in her life. She was extremely apprehensive. The change in her after using these tapes/cassette was remarkable. She was much calmer and has had a fairly comfortable post op recovery.
I still use the relaxation tapes even tho my own cancer surgery was 5 years ago.
I used both these tapes and Bellaruth Naparstek's during chemotherapy! It helped immensely! I find these tapes soothing and a very positive way to bring calm back into your life. I have shared these tapes and books with several people over the past five years.
My thanks to Peggy Huddleston.

This CD helped my 80 year mom overcome her fear and enter into a colon cancer surgery which was extremely successful. Without the CD and book she may have not been so lucky.

This is a great CD encouraging the listener to view & think of situations from a positive perspective making our decisions and throught processes pro-active for our own betterment. Have recommended & giifted this CD & accompanying book to people who have truly benefited from them! Thank you Peggy!!!

Excellent work, easy to follow instructions. Just what my wife needed before an emergency, very serious surgical procedure.
I highly recommend it to people facing challenging situations in their lives.

I happened to come across this book in a bookstore in 1998. I bought it, knowing that I would probably be having brain surgery one day. When the surgery was scheduled for Feb 99, I sent for the audio tape & began using it twice a day for 2½ months prior to the surgery. I believe in being an active participant, so I began to get myself in the best possible shape physically, mentally, emotionally, & spiritually.

The surgery is called Deep-Brain Stimulation surgery, which implants a device in my body, similar to a pacemaker, to control the tremors I have from essential tremor. You are awake throughout most of the surgery so the surgeon can determine if s/he is placing the electrodes in the correct location of the thalamus. ET patients do not tremor when asleep; therefore, the need to be awake.

Peggy, her book, & her CD are fabulous. I have since given it to everyone I know having surgery, from simple foot operations to major brain, neck, or back surgeries. Each person has benefited tremendously, as did I. I then began giving it to everyone I know dealing with cancer, whether surgery, chemo, radiation, or whatever.

Realizing what a powerful mind-body tool this is, I have used it for a variety of things such as walking down the aisle for my daughter's wedding so I wouldn't be sobbing with joy (I'm too emotional), preparing for public speaking events, ...

I thank God everyday for leading me to Peggy's book in the bookstore. And I'm thankful to be able to pass it on to everyone that needs it.

Shari Finsilver

Robert Crais' CHASING DARKNESS receives James Daniel's smooth voice and is especially timely considering California's latest fire season. Set in a L.A. summer, it tells of evacuation, murder, and an unsolved case that comes back to light three years later. A riveting murder mystery excels under audio treatment.

Reading some of the already submitted reviews, it seems Crais fans and detracters alike expect a certain continous style of writing and storyline. I started reading Crais in the middle sequence of his books, went back to the start of the Elvis Cole novels, and have now read the latest. To be sure, Crais has grown in his writing style with more emphasis on enhancing prose than character personalization, which at times had become rather tedious. I was impressed with every aspect of this novel. Each time I thought I had it all figured out, a previously dismissed clue surfaced and propelled the book along. The old Elvis and Pike are now developing deeper personalities, a must for continuing characters in a series and I'm glad to see it. If I were to compare Elvis to a tv character, it would be Michael on Burn Notice - fun, kind-hearted, smart and up to the minute on the latest in detection methods which are shared with the reader in an amusing manner. How any detectives spell out the tricks of the trade? This series can, in my opinion, only continue to get better, but there's really no rush to improve. Crais is now at a most enjoyable level!

I listen to these Robert Crais books as audible books and they are great that way. Strongly recommend.

Very enjoyable book - why then a two star? Because this book does not compare to any of Crais' past writing - the characters do not have the depth of previous books - there is nothing really puzzling to try to unravel.

Robert Crais is one of the best writers ever - hope he keeps writing. This novel just does not meet up to the high standard Crais has formerly written at.

Robert Crais has created another mystery novel that fans of reading won't want to miss. Chasing Darkness once again brings forth Elvis Cole to solve a mystery that could only come from the mind of Crais. It seems a few years back Elvis Cole made a career mistake: a serial killer was exonerated of murder charges that he may have been guilty of. Now with the discovery of a body, this man may have killed again. Was Elvis Cole fooled or was his defense flawless and accurate? Chasing Darkness has an apt name as this novel really does expose the darker side of Crais' imagination. Well-written and impeccable character development lead to a mystery novel hat one shouldn't miss.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: The Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)

Purchased this product for a christmas present for our daughter. She has tried different books and such trying to learn Japanese. Within the first hour of listening she has already mastered a few sentacnes. I would highly recomend this product to anyone who is interested in learning it.

The best part about these CD's is that there is no pressure- just follow along and it is amazing how much you will learn. It's not automatic but it is pretty fun.

I picked it up for $23 with shipping and handling but still good under $35. I picked up the Russian, Italian, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese in the store years ago for $50 a piece. Cool to see the price is down here at amazon. I picked up nice greetings and casual conversation in about a week. I listen to it when I walk each day and it is nice as my skills grow in a nice easy manner without the need of a book. Great job Pimsleur.

I tried this system first for Russian, and I was surprised it was pretty effective because I'm not a particularly aural person. But I did find that tracking down transliterations of the language (in this case Japanese) made it a lot easier to figure out what was actually being said. So the "better" part would be to provide those transliterations in a workbook.

DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT-IT IS DEFECTIVE. It is a set of 8 CDs, each of which contains two language lessons. Lesson 14 on CD 7 of the set was defective; specifically, the last 2-3 minutes of the lesson would not play properly (it skipped, popped, and was generally unintelligible). Per Amazon's recommendation, I first called Pimsleur directly and spoke with a customer service rep, who would not replace the CD without charging me a $20 shipping fee--not acceptable, since the CD was defective. I then called Amazon and spoke with a customer service rep, who sent me a replacement set free of charge, but lesson 14 on CD 7 of the second set was also defective. Since this appears to be a problem with an entire run of this product, I do not recommend buying it.

The book started off with a very full cast of unique characters - but then it got hard to separate them - they were all unhappy - they all wanted something different - most were impervious to the feelings of others (of course except for Nan - Super Goddess.)

As the book progressed the characters became shallow - and some of the storylines were hard to give any credibility to - and Nan in the midst of all of this just did not have the "Mary Poppins" magic to pull it off.

The author has a very good imagination - and started off with a complicated plot line - the charactes as presented were just too flat and not compelling.

I loved it!! This is my first book that I have read from Jane Green. I just ordered 2 more books of hers. I can't wait to get them. This book had a lot of little twists. A great read!

Wherever Nan Powell goes, whispers seem to follow. At 65 years old, she is one of the older residents of the `Sconset area of Nantucket and has quite a reputation around the island. Everyone thinks of her as the eccentric older woman who has lived alone for far too long. While not quite as crazy as she seems, Nan has indeed been alone for a very long time. Her beloved husband, Everett, committed suicide after racking up an enormous gambling debt, leaving Nan to pay his bills and care for their young son, Michael. Now, Michael is living in New York and has trouble finding the time to visit his aging mother.

One day, Nan's financial advisor comes to her with some dire news: all the money she put in a hedge fund is gone. Her best option now is to sell her property on Nantucket (called Windermere), which is worth several million dollars. As Windermere is the only thing she has left of her dear Everett (she had to sell off the rest of the property in order to pay his debts), she can't bear the thought of losing the house. Therefore, she comes up with a brilliant plan: she will rent the rooms and run a B&B for the summer, inviting people into her home and slowly watching them become a part of her family.

While The Beach House's central character is Nan, there are multiple storylines that slowly weave together to form a coherent whole, much as the various persons in the novel gradually come together to be Nan's family. There are Bee and Daniel, a married couple with two beautiful young daughters who are having marital issues, though it is hard to determine exactly what the problem is. And then Daff and Richard, and their daughter, Jess, who has difficulty coping with what her parents are going through. And then there's Michael, Nan's son, and his complicated relationship with his married boss, Jordana. Green tells all these stories seamlessly; there is no jarring disconnect, as happens so often in novels with multiple storylines.

Green's talent is evident, and shines through in her writing of the characters in the story. By the middle of the book, the reader is invested in each of these characters; it is important that they work through their problems and find a happier place. And at the end of the book, the reader is sad to leave these characters, to not be able to enjoy more of their stories.

The Beach House is the perfect beach read. It is a drama, and is very serious in some places, but it is never a heavy book. It never drags the reader down or makes the reader feel as if he/she has an added weight on their shoulders. Instead, even at the most dramatic moments, it is hopeful and uplifting - a breath of fresh air. It helps to redefine the genre of "beach read;" these books are no longer complete fluff with a lack of depth. Instead the nuances in The Beach House serve to give us a new view of beach reads (and women's fiction in general). It is Green's best work to date.

Originally published at Curled Up With a Good Book

Thought this book was to me a ladies book and I found it interesting and very easy to read

A good summer choice for vacation time. Easy to read. There are some issues surrounding homosexuality that I think are handled well. I liked the book.

I highly recommend this book (which was recommended to me) It points out destructive patterns of speech and interaction we have with our children (of all ages) and how to improve our parenting skills. Awareness is the first step to doing better, but not only does this book tell you what you can improve, it gives plenty of stories/anecdotes, visual examples in the form of cartoons and a QA-like section for each chapter. It's really easy to apply to real life!

This book is an invaluable resource and every parent should read it. We all say that a child should come with an instruction manual - well, this book is just that! I would highly recommend the active listening and talking techniques to anyone with children. The skills that are taught can transform a bad behaviored, ill-tempered child into a good kid with little effort. Wonderful Book!

"Describe, don't evaluate."

That was probably the most helpful information FOR ME in the book. If I could have given this ten stars I would have. It really forced me to examine how I was speaking to my children. This is definitely the kind of book you want to buy and not borrow---it's easy to slip back into old habits and you'll want to reread some sections frequently.

My son has gone tantrum free for days now. Un-freaking-believable!

Note that this book will not tell you how to discipline or punish your child. Nor will it teach you how to "make" your child "mind you." This book WILL teach you how to engage cooperation without disrespecting your child. The skills taught here will take a lot of practice. It may be several weeks before results are apparent. My son is not an "easygoing" child, but this book has changed our relationship. I now have read it several times and continue to re-read it whenever my son goes through a transition. The skills taught are simple but they really work!

when you start using the methods your life changes! I did it with my 6 year old and so far it changed our lives! a must read!

Insightful, enlightening and well presented. Although there is some redundant information between the sets, it is all good!

I STUMBLED ONTO GREG BRADEN'S WORK BY ACCIDENT. I LOVE THIS GUY, VERY WELL DONE CD. HE'S VERY INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO. I WOULD BUY ALL HIS STUFF.

This is a solid boxed set although it tends to be verbose at times. Offsetting this opinion is Braden being an excellent speaker. The ideas are exciting and I especially appreciate it when he backs up his facts. This set has me on the precipice of my core beliefs, emotions and feelings...all unseen energies that take form sooner or later.

Gregg Braden has a wonderfully silky voice (and not bad to look at either). I can listen to his CDs for hours. And his message is thought provoking and inspirational, especially when taken together with other "new thought" products... The Secret, Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley, The Attractor Factor, etc. The only comment I will make in listening to many of his CDs is that he repeats selections of his messages over and over again - but maybe its good to hear things numerous times packaged/surrounded in slightly different messages with each CD title. I definitely recommend Gregg Braden and any number of his CDs.

I've only listened to "The Isaiah Effect." There is lots and lots of "filler." He repeats the same vague generalities many times. I was hoping for something more specific. Haven't listened to the others yet.

I would have to say that all of Wayne Dyers Books & CD's have had a great impact on my life. I highly recommend this Cd collection.

Sincerely,

James Bunn

Not much I can say about Wayne Dyer that hasnt already been said. I've been reading him, watching his PBS specials and now listening to his audio books for over ten years. His message is always consistent. "Believe it and you will see it". I've tried other motivational speakers and I keep coming back to Wayne. He appeals to all people, even my 7-year old daughter has his children books and SHE loves him.
I listen to this audio book when Im in my car, on my way to work and it really jump starts my day! (Helps eliminate any road rage too!)

This CD set took me to a new place in my spiritual experience without me even really realizing it. I began to step into peace and joy thinking it was all my own doing. However when ever I seem to go off kilter, I go back to the CDs and listen to the wisdom over again. I have gifted this 3 times now and recommend for anyone who is open.

You will enjoy this audio collection to listen to as you drive down the road. He continues to inspire others with his great sense of humor as he helps others to face simple realities.

This is a great comprehensive collection of Wayne Dyer's work. I think that I have l listened to and read most everything that he has created. This CD pretty much sums up his philosophy. By listening to him I have taken away a few things that have changed my life. If you are nice to the universe it will be nice to you. You teach people how to treat you. Be grateful for what you have. Make sure you know that your thoughts become things. Never forget about the Law of Attraction. Pay your attention to your intentions. And finally, when you change the way you look at things,. the things that you look at change.