Audiobook Books

I am only rating this book 1 because there is no zero rating.

I have read and enjoyed the 7 habits and First Things First; however this book one ways or another is repeat of same concepts and materials in the 7 Habits book.

Way too long, badly written and too many irrelevant details. In brief I think it's a new many making attempt by S. Covey.

Good summary of the book. Return to the road after years of read the first Covey book.

This audio book was great. I needed to read this book for work and since I'm pressed with time I thought getting it on CD would be great. I would play it in the car while I'm driving to work. I would also listen and read along with it before I go to sleep. I would definitely by another audio CD again.

You may think that the 8th Habit is simply a marketing ploy to wring more money out of a society desparate for someone to show them the way.

That is what I thought when I first heard of the 8th Habit. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was more than that.

The 8th Habit is a philosophical mindset focusing externally on service and how one can serve ones own inner needs by serving the needs of others.

It is a message thousands of years old, whoever desires to lead should be the one of who serves the most. It is a message many modern companies with their focus on profits would do well to heed, especially in an economic downturn.

The story is full of anectdotes of men and women with humble beginnings who became great by putting the needs of others before their own.

A considerable amount of time is spent on the stories of Anwar Sadat and Gandhi, men who paid the ultimate sacrifice, with their lives.

Not the easiest of reads, and if possible, listening to the audio edition can make things easier.

Recommended.

Cheers!

I can't recommend this book to anyone.
I was completely disappointed with it.
After "The 7 Habits" and "First Things First" this was a real let down.
I feel the publishers probably goaded the author to finish this and put it out so they could make money on his reputation.

I cannot read this book without being charmed over and over again; at my age it is a quick and delightful read that instantly shuttles me back to the golden age of elementary school and that one kid that just had to egg everyone on.

Certainly, there is a lot of teacher-praising going on in this book that might be a little self-fulfilling, but I don't think that lessens the magic much, and what remains is a wonderfully clever tale of the power of determination and creativity.

And over the most mundane of things: what used to be called a pen.

Besides the wildly interesting story, Clements keeps up great character development as his lead wonders just what the price of fame is--gladly, it all ends happily and justly without any forced morals.

No wonder this is a modern kids classic.

Frindle is one of the most entertaining kids' books out there because it encourages kids to be bold and creative and wait for big results. I love the way the fun premise turns out to be a sneaky way to teach kids about etymology and the evolution of language. This one goes to the top of the class!

This book should be a classic, it demonstrates how a child can rebel against his teachers and yet do it in a positive way. Nick Allen is a bit of a troublemaker in school; he has many "good" ideas and is always trying them out. He reaches fifth grade, and the only language arts teacher is the elderly Mrs. Granger. When one of his ideas goes astray, Nick is required to develop a presentation to the whole class. In typical Nick style, he develops a long presentation that effectively uses up the entire class period.
In response to Mrs. Granger's statements about the meaning of a word being based totally on how it is used, he starts calling a writing pen a frindle. The idea catches on with the other students in the school, over the opposition of Mrs. Granger and the principal. Children are required to stay after school and write one hundred times: "I am writing this punishment with a pen."
The punishment becomes a badge of honor among the students and it draws the attention of the local paper and then the news media. Once the national news media picks it up, Nick is a star and the school is forced to back down. A local businessman starts to market pens engraved with the phrase "frindle" as well as t-shirts and other merchandise. Nick becomes wealthy and the story closes with two points. The first is that Nick donates a large sum of money for scholarships and he learns that Mrs. Granger was in fact rooting for him all along.
The story is charming because it is similar to many of the biographies of successful people. Even when young, they were different, often rebellious and their teachers had a difficult time with them. They were inquisitive, puzzled and always trying to do new things. By presenting this story with a very successful and happy ending, Clements gives heart to all children who are like Nick.

This is a great book. This book is about a scheming kid named Nick who loves to waste class time. So he comes up with schemes to distract teachers from their subjects. In fifth grade he gets a teacher with staring mean eyes. So he tries to trick her, it doesn't work. That trick ends up giving him a long paper to do. I have trouble finding books, but this book was great! You may think it's too short but this book packs a lot of action.

My daughter read this. Basically, some kids start a movement to call pens "frindles." That's the point. The sort of annoying behavior we see in real life is also annoying when depicted in pointless fiction like this. My 10-year old avid reader is a sharp and qualified critic, and she didn't like this one.

We absolutely love this cd. Our kids LOVE it too. So inventive and fun to listen to the amazingly told stories. Great voices and a wonderful alternative to watching TV or movies for sure. Our kids want to go to bed listening to the CD and it is working wonders to get them settled and happy in the evening. We listen to it in the car too and the kids alwasy ask for it. A must have!

This is another delightful collection of seven folktales from around the world, which can be enjoyed by all ages. Written by Amy Friedman, and directed by Lori Ada Jaroslow, the music was composed by Laura Hall of "Who's Line is it Anyway?" The beautiful and colorful illustrations on the CD jacket are by Jillian Gilliland.


1. The Tortoise & the Magic Drum
Narrated by Glenna Forster-Jones (Sierra Leone): Broadcaster, Performer, Actress
Setting: Nigeria

[The secret of a magic drum
Makes a tortoise rather glum]


2. The Poet & the Dragon
Narrated by Peter James Smith: Actor (Ed, from The West Wing)
Setting: China

[Poems soothe a noble beast
In this fine story from the East]


3. Kerplunk
Narrated by Gideon Emery: Actor, Voice credits on games including Final Fantasy XII
Setting: Australia

[Just like the Chicken Little tale
You should let common sense prevail]


4. The Elephant's Reward
Narrated by Meera Simhan: Actress
Setting: India

[Even though you may be small
You may be useful after all]


5. The Talking Cat
Narrated by Len Cariou: Performer, Actor, Academy Award winning Narrator
Setting: Canada (French)

[A woman living with her cat
Is startled when it starts to chat]


6. Coyote's Gift
Narrated by Arigon Starr: Award winning singer, songwriter, musician, actor, artist and playwright
Setting: Native American

[Stolen fire from the sun
Has animals working as one]


7. The Cricket's Song
Narrated by Giselle Achecar: Actress
Setting: Guatemala

[The little yellow cricket's songs
Show her where her heart belongs]




Also of note is the use of musical instruments from the countries of origin of the stories. Listen for the African xylophone (balafon), ganjukoi bells, bongos, gamelon, koto, Tibetan bowl, penny whistle, dulcimer, sruuti box, tabla, melodica, marimba, maracas, flute and shaker.

Very interesting stories narrated by a talented group of performers, this would be another age appropriate gift for that budding storyteller on your list.




Amanda Richards, August 1, 2008

As long as humanity had a language, there existed storytelling where people exchanged myths, history, philosophical musings, etc.

In every culture and corner of the world there are storytellers who amuse, educate, entertain, spread knowledge, preserve their traditions and values, and in some cases even mislead with false facts.

Amy Friedman's second in her series Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic has once again reflected this art of storytelling as she presents in CD format with music composed by Laura Hall eight international tales from all corners of the world. As summed up by the CD's cover, "The multicultural rhythms and tales of Tell Me A Story: Animal Magic reflect the spirit of these words offered in 1854 by Chief Seattle: ...if all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit..."

Read by some of the most gifted screen and stage actors, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic contains tales even the most TV addicted reader can listen to into without distraction. In addition, as pointed out to me by Friedman, one element that distinguishes this CD from the first one is that all the actors (or their families) hail from the story's land of origin.

Listeners are swept away to all corners of the globe where we can be enchanted with the Nigerian tale, The Tortoise and the Magic Drum, the Australian Tale, Kerplunk, the Chinese tale, The Poet and the Dragon, an East Indian tale, The Elephant's Reward, a French Canadian tale, The Talking Cat, a Guatemalan tale, The Cricket's Song, and a Native American tale, the Coyote's Gift.

As is the case with all stories, each one reflects a different theme, some may be humorous, perhaps inspirational or educative. For example, The Tortoise and the Magic Drum explains the origin of one animal's uniqueness-why it often lays hidden in muddy waters.

In the Chinese tale, The Poet and the Dragon, we learn that according to the traditional Chines calendar, Duanwu Jie-or the Dragon Boat Festival in English-takes place on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month. The origins of the festival are told in this tale of the poet, Qu Yuan, a great patriot, loved by his people and who warns his king, King Chu, of his impending removal from power.

Moreover, what all of these stories have in common is their knack of providing just enough clues to capture our imagination, intellect, and emotional response involved in figuring out what is going on in the story.

Children thrive in their need to hear a good story-something that will ignite their imaginations, and no doubt, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic will delight many attentive listeners, both young and old.

As the American novelist, poet, dramatist, Reynolds Price stated in his book A Palpable God, "A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens--second in necessity apparently after nourishment and before love and shelter. Millions survive without love or home, almost none in silence; the opposite of silence leads quickly to narrative, and the sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives, from the small accounts of our day's events to the vast incommunicable constructs of psychopaths."

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic is an audiobook on CD comprised of fantastic retellings of classic folktales about animals. The stories have diverse origins from around the globe, and each revolves around a different amazing beast. The narratives are The Tortoise and the Magic Drum, a Nigerian Tale (5:38); The Poet and the Dragon, a Chinese tale (9:15); Kerplunk, an Australian tale (8:07); The Elephant's Reward, an East Indian tale (7:52); The Talking Cat, a French Canadian tale (10:36); Coyote's Gift, a Native American tale (8:52), and The Cricket's Song, a Guatemalan tale (11:28). Adults as well as children are sure to enjoy this engrossing audio anthology.

This is a good CD. My son is very sensitive to "conflict" in stories. He's only three and not ready for the content. It's creative listening for older children.

for such a long time. I have no clue how I missed out on this classic, but the story certainly stands the test of time as one of the best science fiction stories published. I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to the series with the 20th anniversary edition audio book, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, and other narrators including Harlan Ellison. Having multiple narrators perform the story made this a special listening event.

If you are new to this series or story, I would highly recommend you listen to the audio book version, as it is an exceptional story form the author has taken great effort and pride to make this presentation his best work.

So many reviews, not much more to say! What a great book/series this is. This title ranks up as my number one favorite book of all time. If I ever meet anyone new and we talk about books, this is the title I mention first and recommend the most.

I've read the book so often now that the pages are all dogged and frayed, but I actually love listening to the AUDIO book even more, if you can imagine that. Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, Stefan Rudnicki and the rest of the cast bring these characters to life. So much more so than a movie ever could for me. I highly recommend the audio book on top of the written book. The emotion and power of these voice actors pulls you even farther into Ender's Saga. I get tears in my eyes every time I listen to this story and experience Enders triumphs and tragedies.

I can't count the number of times I've been listening to this book and the time just melts away. I never want to stop until I get to the end. If this were the only book I got to read for the rest of my life, I'd die happy. No joke!

What a great book. Interesting, literate, and just wonderful. I finished it then started to buy more Orson Scott Card books. Ender is a fascinating Character. The book is great for adults and children. I totally recommend it.

Sadly, this took me ages to read. But when I finally got around to it, I was amazed and touched beyond words.

On the surface, this is a fairly typical sci-fi novel, but what makes it stand out as the modern classic that it has become is the deeply felt emotion. This remembers to be a book that is about people and how we treat one another.

A war is occuring, an attack on an alien species affectionately known as the Buggers who have attacked Earth twice before. Understandably Earth is sick of it and doesn't want to be wiped out this time. So they twist the Golden Rule and begin an army to make this aforementioned attack. To do this, they train young shoulders to be commanders, pilots, whatever. This is where the boy genius Andrew "Ender" Wiggins comes in.

We get to watch Ender go through incredible and heartbreaking training that forces him to be more than the little kid he needs to be. On top of that, we see intriguing perspectives of other characters that surprise us in their effects on the plot.

This is a well-written story that manages to be driven equally by both character and plot, with plenty of emotion and philosophy in both.

Basically, I bawled through this. It was that good.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is definitely not your typical science fiction novel. At first glance, I was reluctant to read it, "Oh boy, another version of Star Trek or Star Wars with a cheesy plot." I was wrong with Ender's Game! Although the book includes science fiction entities, it goes beyond them. What lies beneath is a book with a story filled with foreshadowing and twists and turns.

The plot of Ender's Game is filled with many climaxes and incidents. As we follow a young boy that is definitely not like the rest through Battle School, we experience the high points and low points of his life. This young boy, Ender Wiggin becomes the outcast of his peers due to his intelligence. "Ender noted quietly that this was the first time another Launchy from his own class had sat with him at a meal." (P.56). Ender is constantly caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and his unintentional antics result in him becoming the loner of his launchy group. As we watch Ender develop through his trials and tribulations of Battle School, it is quickly determined by the many that he will be the one capable of saving the human race from the aliens. Will Ender be able to live up to his potential while trying to live a typical life at school? You will have to see for yourself.

Ender's life at Battle School demonstrates his excellent abilities and potential. He immediately becomes the favorite of the teachers. This creates many enemies for Ender. In what becomes a good v. evil battle, Ender is forced to make decisions he may later regret. "You took him apart. I thought you were dead meat, the way he grabbed you. But you took him apart. If he'd stood up longer, you would have killed him." (P. 232)

The most intriguing aspect of Ender's Game is the foreshadowing. Each cadet at Battle School is constantly monitored by the teachers. Each decision and move they make can be scrutinized or praised by the teachers. If they do not meet the standards of the teachers, they can be sent home immediately. This is especially challenging for Ender. Every game he plays, his loneliness, his decisions are all observed. Even more so because the teachers believe Ender is the chosen one. He must be prepared to beat the aliens and save the human race. "But going for the open eye - like that - this is the one we want to put in command of our fleets? (P. 171)

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a must read for anyone looking for some unexpected twists thrown into a science fiction theme. You are drawn into the main character, Ender within the first few pages. You personally experience Ender's ups and downs at Battle School. As Ender becomes the chosen one to save the human race from the aliens, will he rise to the occasion or will he crumble under the pressure? The lives of the human race are at stake and you can see the outcome by reading this book!

By definition, a "raving fan" is a customer that is so happy with your company that they praise your actions to anyone who might possibly listen. They are the best form of advertisement and the hardest to acquire. Changing your customer service strategy so that you have raving fans rather than customers is the point of this book and the story is told in parable form.
The two main characters are Area Manager and Charlie, his male fairy "godmother." Using the magic that all fairy godmothers possess, Charlie takes Area Manager to several companies that generate their own raving fans. The strategy is common and ubiquitous across industries; treat your customer as a coveted and valued asset rather than a source of revenue to be squeezed.
Another very important point is that to be successful in the area of customer service, you must first decide what you want to do. A fundamental component of this is to realize that not all potential customers are desirable ones. The fact is that some people are simply unsuitable as customers. Decide up front that they are not what you want to do and don't do it. Focus on what you can and want to do well.
Ken Blanchard has once again been an author of a book that points the way to success in business. The path to success is by providing quality service that appears costly, but that is a mirage. Good customer service is one of the best ways possible to make money and save time by spending money and using time to provide it. This is one of the best management books ever written, made even better by the simplicity of the presentation.

This is one of the most informative and fun-to-read books I've ever read. There is so much to be learned and to think about. Really gets your energy and mind going.

I'm excited by the concept of Raving Fans, but the author uses a storytelling approach with a fairy god mother (no kidding) to talk about a few simple principles.

I bought this in lieu of buying th book and am glad I did. We slipped it in and played it while on a day trip on the road. We are Amazon booksellers and found the information very helpful in our applying it to our bookselling business. The narration is story form which helps keep it interesting as well.

This book has a rather flimsy message. Simply stated it is that you can smash your competition and achieve exceptional success in sales by adhering to a deceptively simple formula: Know what you want; know what the customer wants, deliver beyond the client's expectation, and never stop enhancing your service. The message is delivered in a writing style known as "mystical realism" in the fiction world, and which doesn't work quite as well in the non-fiction world. There is some real magic here, though, and it's on the cover of the book, "More than One Million copies sold." This probably relates to the fact that the target audience is, in fact, probably not all that literate, that it reduces an MBA in Marketing to a 75 minute read, that the print is large, and of course the whimsical and all too frequent references to the game of golf. The fact is that salesfolk periodically need to have their batteries recharged, and this book is a quick-charge. It gives the reader the feeling that he has learned something new, and that the business world is really much less complex than appearances would suggest. I read it as mandatory preparation for a Xinnix seminar, and if they thought this book had exceptional value, I'm worried about how simplistic their seminar might be.

As a marital therapist, I highly recommend this book for those who have gone through an affair!

This says it was an unabridged version. The product that was sent to me was clearly marked "abridged." I bought the book too so I noticed how much was cut out of the audiotape. Book is excellent. Too much was missing from the tape.

It works at all stages. If you are trying to rebuild your marriage or just trying to rebuild yourself, read this book. The author helps you understand what you may be going through and how the other person may feel. I also strongly recommend the author's other book I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't

After the Affair is the most balanced and helpful book I've read on the subject of affairs.

I actually read the author's second book, "How Can I Forgive You," before reading this one. I thought *that* book was spot-on, and her views on forgiveness rang very true with me. She basically says that genuine forgiveness must be earned by the other party and can be achieved when the victim no longer has to hold the wrongdoer accountable for his / her actions, but when the wrongdoer holds themselves accountable for them. While that book applies to many other situations besides infidelity, she really seemed to understand where the betrayed party was coming from.

Having read other books on infidelity, I read this book to see if it would be as helpful. This book was rather disappointing to me, and after reading several other reviews on this board, I'm glad to know that at least I'm not the only one to feel that way.

First of all, I take issue with what Dr. Spring says in her introduction, "I don't make blanket judgments about whether affairs are, in themselves, good or bad"......WHAT???? I'm really not sure why we can't all agree that affairs are bad. It often doesn't go over well when you tell someone who was sexually betrayed, disregarded, disrespected, and lied to that what was done to them "wasn't necessarily bad." Should we also try to say that stealing isn't necessarily good or bad too?

She then says, "What may be enhancing for one of you may devastate the other, and destroy the relationship." Uh, yes- but this is THE MAIN REASON WHY affairs are bad- it's one partner putting his/her own self-gratification first at the expense of the other partner, despite promises made NOT to do this. Cheating, no matter what form it takes- whether it's "cheating" as in infidelity or whether it's "cheating" at a game of Monopoly, you are denying someone else fair treatment. So, in what universe is this "not necessarily bad?"

The tone of her book didn't seem to place enough responsibility on the betraying partner. This book may serve to help the betraying partner feel better about what they did, but it sure won't help the betrayed partner feel as good about what was done to them.

If there are some cases where both partners do contribute to the affair happening, there isn't really much cold, hard evidence of that. I certainly don't believe that to be the case in ALL affairs, so I was really put off by her common "one-size-fits-all" approach to this. I feel that therapists all too often use this approach to make their jobs easier, but it often isn't helpful to both parties, which I thought was the goal.

She does say that the cheating spouse is ultimately responsible for their actions, but assumes that the faithful spouse helped to create the atmosphere in the marriage that contributed to the affair. Sometimes, this just isn't the case. How about when the faithful spouse sees their partner acting differently in the relationship, and makes many attempts to reach out to them, but the cheating spouse refuses their help?

There are many betrayed partners out there that never turned their partner down for sex, and did everything to make them feel special, needed, loved and secure, yet still had this happen. Affairs can happen in marriages that were otherwise happy.

Sure, both parties may have valid grievances in the relationship, but how is it that one partner is able to confront theirs honestly and fairly while the other dealt with their issues by sneaking around, lying and cheating? How about when one feels entitled to seek their fun elsewhere because they believe "men need it more" or holds other similar double-standards? The betrayed party didn't cause the other spouse's feelings of entitlement or lack of integrity. There may be blame on both sides for things gone wrong, but to assume both parties share blame *equally* is a mistake.

I also don't think it should be assumed that the betraying partner dealt with most of the pain in the relationship, "causing" them to do what they did, or that the source of pain necessarily was the spouse of the betraying partner. We all experience stress in our lives, and it comes from many sources, not just from our spouse. And often, it is the betraying partner that has issues that cause most of the pain / problems in the relationship.

I do think this book still has some good points. When she describes the "normal" range of feelings of someone who has been betrayed, it helped me understand that I was not alone. I took what she wrote to mean that these feelings are "normal" for someone to experience under the circumstances, as a result of the damage caused by betrayal. I also liked that she shared stories of many other couples who went through this.

All in all, I think you should take what you can from the book, but the all too common "two parties contributing" theory with a grain of salt.

A not perfect, but better read on the subject I can suggest is: "Private Lies" by Frank Pittman.

As we Boomers are pushing our kids out of the nest, we are finding time to write. And what better topic to write about than ourselves? Bill Bryson adds his personal, perceptive and funny reminiscences of an Iowan boyhood in the 50s in the form of "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir," a fast-paced romp through a typical 50s childhood. Bryson combines solid period research, mature reflection, genuine memories and (too often?) outrageous exaggerations of fact into a memoir of a his wild childhood. He touches all the generational bases -- polio, the Red Scare, Sputnik, A-bomb drills, TV and comic book heroes as well as the personal ones about clueless parents, trying to get in to see the strippers at the fair, petty theft at the candy store, local brands of soda, hocking looeys in the Tunnel of Love and harassing managers when the lights dimmed at the movie house. Given the title of his memoir, it's surprising that his alter-ego -- The Thunderbolt Kid -- makes so few appearances in the book and seemed added almost as an afterthought or marketing ploy.

Nevertheless, I got a kick out of The Thunderbolt Kid, and it made me think back on my own childhood at the end of the 50s. Bryson's comments as funny and often on the mark. His short takes on 50s for black Americans, on the Army-McCarthy hearings and on the US's hapless late-50s space shots were educational. I found that Bryson's fictional swings actually diminished the effectiveness of the book -- it was sometimes hard to tell where reality left off and mendacity-as-entertainment began. No matter. An age in which kids spent their summers outside and unsupervised, in which neighbors were invited over to see the new fridge, and in which church suppers and county fairs were the major means of entertainment, and in which causal racism was pervasive and barely noted is increasingly difficult to recall. Bravo to Bill Bryson for helping us remember.

As always, Bryson is informative (the Thunderbolt Kid is really an excellent history of the 1950s and '60s in the U.S.) and wonderfully amusing (as in laugh out loud).

He's also an excellent narrator of this audio book.

Just one caveat. While the book is funny and interesting throughout, from my vantage point, at least, little about Bryson as a teenager was appealing: he essentially opted out of high school life, chose to spend minimal time with his family, was a petty thief, and starting at age 14 smoked like a chimney and drank a lot of alcohol. If you can't tolerate hearing about a kid like that, don't get this book.

Bill Bryson is by far the funniest, most insightful, travel writer today.
Here his travels are temporal, instead of spacial as he takes us back to his childhood - and what a childhood it was. His writing is so personal and open that you can't help but feel that this book was written specifically for you.


It is both a very middle class North American tale, set in the fifties and a Calvin archetype (as in Calvin and Hobbes) visioneering a rich and adventurous landscape, that none of the adults could see.

May The Thunderbolt Kid ride again.

David Cale

Bill Bryson's story of growing up in Iowa is a terrific book. I bought it in large print for my mother, who can read only large print, and who has difficulty hearing too, so this is the only way she could enjoy the book. She too adores Bill Bryson. We love his facility with language, and his many ways of making us laugh. He's a marvelous storyteller.

This was a wonderful book, which also deviates here and there into politics and general history.

I really came to enjoy Bryson's observations about how "the good old days" were also fraught with some significant downsides, which we've gratefully grown beyond.

One carp: Bryson himself reads the audio edition, and he's not the most gifted reader I've ever heard. He's so laconic that the material really has to carry itself.

H'mmm - maybe that's not such a bad thing after all...anyway, you'll enjoy this book in any form.

PS - if you like this, you'll love the writings of Jean Shepard, too.

Anyone familiar with the ancient Greek myths will wonder "Why so skimpy on the details." The myths told here simply don't come to life. The music tries to push some life and excitement in the storytelling, but unfortunately it follows a Wagnerian playbook -not well suited to Greek mythology. All-in-all this is a bland retelling of some really great stories.

Wonderful stories. Good choice for anyone looking to introduce the Greek legends to children, and good for those who just love to hear a good, enthralling story.

We started off getting one of this series for a vacation. Now we have collected eight more for any and all trips in the car, and for our enjoyment at home. I put this in when asking the kids to help with chores and clean their room. We love the Greek Legends one. I have a very old set of the Junior Classics books that I got at a Half-Price Books many years ago. Listening to this has made my kids want to read the Myths and Legends volume (Number 3). I think they are learning and enjoying learning.

I bought this audioook for our girls (aged 7 and 9) to listen to on long journeys. We enjoy listening to it also and it certainly does make the journeys more bareable. Our 7 year old particularly loves this audiobook, in her words "it's brilliant. I love Jason and the Argonauts best."
I feel it's better than simply watching a DVD all the time. At least they are using their imaginations to visualize the images and they are often inspired to sit and draw what they have imagined. I heartily recommend this audiobook. We also enjoyed The Groovy Greeks by Terry Deary from his Horrible Histories series. Although Deary has a much more comical and irreverant take on history, he's still very informative and educational.

I bought the Tales of the Greek Legends for my children when they were only 5 and 7. They are now 14 and 16 and they still love these stories. I highly recommend this version of the Greek Myths.

I love Marianne Williamson but this product should have never hit the shelves. The sound quality is very poor and I can barely hear most of it on a couple of the CD's. I am disappointed.

My first thoughts of this book were, I won't be listening to this one more than once. Then as I listened further and began to try to really get what she was saying. Most of it was about getting rid of attachments I had a hard time with this one at first but now I realize she was saying, get rid of the physical and attach yourself to your Spirituality and that is the most important thing in our growth. When you go to work, you don't do it for money you go to work to grow and be what God needs you to be and create. In fact everything in our life should be dedicated to spreading joy from the depths of our soul. She talks alot about women and our the empowerment that we have and how to use that power.
The bottom line is that you rule your life with the constant aide of the universe. It is up to you what you do with the aide. I listened to it three times to make sure I got it.

I keep this in my car and listen to it over and over,on long drives. Never boring and it is always an inspiration.. I end up feeling better off for having listened to it.

This is a good mix of spirituality and one that includes a meditation. This reminds me of the daily Meditation that I use every day from Marianne Williamson. It's just that good!I'm sure that if you like the meditation CD, you would definately like her CD on Letting Go and Becoming.

I enjoy listening to the message that Marianne Williamson gives. She is inspirational, shares her insight & thoughts based on her life experiences and education. She always gives me a new perspective to think about regarding life, love, change, growth. I enjoy listening to her on the road, which is a time for reflection for many of us. Her philosophy has enriched my life and made me a better person.

Dr. Frankl was already a psychiatrist at the time that he was a prisoner in Auschwitz, and some other camps, during WWII. It's the most interesting description of concentration life I've heard that I found bearable to listen to. He's very good at describing how being in a concentration camp affected the minds of the prisoners and also the guards and others who were in charge. The prisoners were all different psychologically. Some of them were destroyed mentally by the prison life. I common trait was becoming absorbed in the past to escape the unbearable present. Of course, I've seen this happen in everyday life with people who were not in concentration camps, which I think the main value of this book. His discription of psychology under these horrible conditions, one can recognize in the psychology of men one meets and knows in everyday life. He describes, too, how people acted when they were released, which was for many as difficult or even more so than adjusting to life in the camp. People often seemed indifferent to what the prisoner had just gone through, which affected different released prisoners in different ways. The strong men, like Dr. Frankl, used the concentration camp experience to grow spiritually and psychologically, but those kinds of men are few and far between.

After the War, Dr. Frankl became a practicing psychiatrist, and developed something he calls logotherapy. It's based on his idea that he developed while in the camps that man is searching for meaning in life above everything else. The men who could find some meaning in their concentration camp experience survived the best.

This book is especially wonderful if you are really interested in psychology and how people react under the most sever of circumstances, which, according to Dr. Frankil, is ever which way.

It has been many years since my original read of this book, and I won't let it happen again. This thought provoking book is a must read for everyone interested in the study of human behavior. Exceptionaly insightful!

This is a must read for all those "woe is me" people always complaining about everything. Man's Search for Meaning will enlighten you to what "having a bad day" really means. I applaud Viktor Frankl for his inner strength to survive such an ordeal and come away with such dignity and inner peace.