Audiobook Books

I admit openly and before everyone now: I did not read the entire book. Whatever that means to you, to disregard this post or not is certainly up to you. But doesn't everyone read a little bit before purchasing a book? I sat down at the local bookstore and cracked this book for 30 minutes and since I speed-read well enough was able to digest enough of the book to know it wasn't going to get any better. I skipped around to other chapters and wasn't any more enthused.

From what I gathered, I won't say the man is uneducated because he seems to be well aware of world history and at least an overview of the Bible. Yet I could not find any real strength in any of his arguments. I did find a man strongly opposed to God and perhaps if I had read longer I would have understood why. I imagine he has some sort of chip on his shoulder.

It is my goal to provide an honest review of this book, as seen from my perspective. I appreciate what Dawkins says, from the viewpoint of his arguement. Dawkins also, surprisingly, admits that the existance of God is a 50/50 chance. He does, however, provide arguments for why he believes God is improbable. The book is split into two parts. The first half of the book is Dawkins' argument against religion. The second half is a scientific history of religion and a hypothesis for why it began.

Regardless of if you are Atheist or Theist, I think both sides can appreciate (not neccessarily agree with) Dawkins' arguments. For Atheist's, Dawkins provides a central scientific argument for Atheists beliefs. Saddly enough, Atheist's are persecuted everywhere, simply because of what they believe. This is eerily reminiscent of the persecutions of jews and christians elsewhere. Theist's should not look at this book in disdain, but see it as a resource. Challenge makes people stronger, and "The GOD Delusion" is definitely a challenge.

This book was written for the Atheist, not the Theist or Christian. Dawkins states repeatedly that its not his intent to convert people, but to provide his arguments to those who share his belief. I found his arguments well thoughtout, a bit over explained, and quite stimulating. For the Athiest this book is a true breath of fresh air and a source of solace.

While I have no doubt, that because I said positive things about this book that my review will be terribly rated, I felt compelled to share my view. As an Atheist living in the christian dominated American society, I'm often smothered by the religious beliefs of others. While the Constitution provides freedom of religion, it does not afford freedom FROM religion.

Mr. Dawkins, Thank you sir. Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone in my beliefs, and thank you for your richly inspiring arguments.

Dawkins is highly skilled master of terminological inexactitude whereby he briskfully overlooks the employment of primary sources in his documentation outside of the science arena.

A master revisionist historian/scientist with a finely tuned sense for highly biased selective observations. The problem is, he knows next to nothing about history, theology, or approaching life as an entity other than a robot. Naturally, this catapults him into the revisionist category.

I could easily write a book in response to Dawkins. FTR, I believe in a Creator and I am a scientist. Go figure, I am a scientist with emotions and a sense of existence persisting of more than just logical, robotic thought-processes. I am the exception, not the rule.

Dawkins is clearly not a historian. I heard a debate at Oxford University, where one of the scientists claimed Stephen Jay Gould knows next to nothing about a plethora of scientific subjects in discrediting his "popular science" theories. Upon further investigation it is undeniable that Dawkins chooses, I hope it is purposeful, to understand next to nothing about history, and his use of secular quotations are disturbingly out of historical context. A difficult question is posed in regards to where I should begin in shredding his interpretation of history.

My recommendation to Dawkins is stick to science. Remain the example of what a person should not be outside of the laboratory.

I heard him speak in a public forum. His understanding of the biblical claims are so rudimentary, it would be like a Rabbi or Pope debating an astrophysicist, whereby the Rabbi or Pope starts his argument against science, "I do not know much about astrophysics, but..."

I am not making any claims about the biblical texts, because I am not yet qualified to assess their validity. One thing is unequivocally true, Dawkins is surely not qualified to provide an evaluation regarding the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible.

I would like to see Dawkins debate Gerald Schroeder. Dawkins is wise enough not to box the heavyweights. Schroeder not only knows more about science, he knows more about the Hebrew Bible than Dawkins.

To write a book about God not existing is completely morbid and sad in a way I can't describe. The pics above also are sad. That people actively try to discredit God blows my mind. What is the point? To try to take away people's hope? God is hope and love. Without God everything is completely meaningless. Might as well kill yourself now cause there's no point in living if you believe this stuff. God is real people, open your eyes and look around you.

All you need to know is: Richard Dawkins knows everything thats possible to know, he dismisses the idea of God, and you better do it, too if you know whats good for you. He especially dislikes the Judeo-Christian God, and walks meekly around the Muslims; they likely wont turn the other cheek to him.

When you know it all, there's nothing else to discover. When youre a famous scientist like Richard Dawkins you know and can dismiss every permutation and combination of ways God might occur. You certainly know why there is something rather than nothing in our universe.

Gringrich cites American's responses to polls on topics that are very important such as health care, how to handle terrorism, taxes, competitiveness, etc. The results of the poll show a preponderance of Americans believe in common sense solutions yet our elected representatives cannot agree on anything. He identifies a series of solutions that address these important topics and shows how the left is out of step with the poll responders. This is a good read with more balance than you might expect as Republicans get their fair share of blame.

Absolutely excellent; really brings you up to date on the issues that Government (Congress, et al) needs to take to get America headed in the right direction.

I wish more people especially politicians knew more about history and the lessons we need to learn from history. Being a history professor makes Newt especially talented in seeing the historical perspective of the problems and solutions. His book offers change we can believe in for real American Solutions. I took notes and have contacted politicans and the media about my concerns. We, the people, need to be heard and this book plus his Ammerican Solutions site helps us be heard. One clear result is his help with increasing interest in drill here, drill now, pay less.

In this great country - the U S A - I feel we do not have a good choice for PRESIDENT!!! There has to be some one more qualified to run our country than the 2 men running!!! OBAMA thinks he's great and McCAIN is acting like a wimp!!

The book is a compilation of dreams of a man in suspended reality. Newt had a mess on his hands in 1994 when he took over as a speaker, and now in this book you can find out why the House Speaker's job during the following years became even more of a disaster. How can a man whose personal life is so shattered by his own deceitful ways, try and tell people in this book, "How things should be"?
I gave this book 3 stars because an intelligent person can read it and use it as a guide for his or her political thinking, by taking what Newt endorses and then following the near opposite path. But please buy the book used from the Amazon.com Marketplace. And I think the epitome of hypocrisy is for Mr. Gingrich to let the words truth, or Christian anything come out in his writing.....yeech!

Although I have only read the first one hundred pages or so, I found myself chuckling out loud at points. The only other author who has illicitted that affect on my is Davis Sedaris. A basic knowledge of christian theology is helpful to understand the "inside jokes" but not necessary to enjoy this book. The recount of Jesus (Josh) as preteen acting out biblical stories, the likes of Lot and the Sodomites is absolutely hysterical. In addition to the biblical satire, such humane issues like adolescent love (and lust) are addressed in an authentic, charming manner. I look forward to finishing it and would recommend a read.

Entertaining, provocative, fun to read. The story of Christ told in a very different and amusing fashion, still escaping sacrilege.
Have given several as gifts to friends who have also thoroughly enjoyed the book!

Will you enjoy Christopher Moore's LAMB, the story of Jesus Christ's lost years as told by his bosom buddy, Biff (a.k.a. Levi)? That is the question, and a lot depends upon your sense of humor. First of all, if you take your religion seriously, maybe you shouldn't even start the book. Second of all, what makes you laugh? Toilet humor? Sexual humor? Monty Python-style humor? Saturday Night Live-type humor? Lay it on with a cudgel humor? If the answer to many of these questions is "yes," then I say go for it and give Moore's iconoclastic romp a ride.

For me, the book had many strengths and weaknesses. As a strength, I see Moore using humor as a vehicle to promote tolerance in Christianity, a device I liked. Also, the book covers some of the basic tenets of Buddhism and Hinduism by having Joshua (Jesus) and Biff (Levi) travel to China and India. Moore did his research not only on this, but on the historical setting and history of Christ's lifetime under the Roman occupation, and good information can be gleaned underneath all the jests. Finally, many, many lines in this book are genuinely funny.

For weaknesses, I'd start with the book's unevenness. Certain narrative arcs are dwelled on for too long, while others (most notably the ending) are inexplicably rushed. Also, the same humor which serves Moore so well can betray him at times. That is, he goes over the top and perhaps grows too insistent now and then. For instance, use of profanity for shock-value humor (say, coming out of the Lord's and certainly out of Biff's mouth) lose their shock value once the card is played too often. And the plot begins to collapse when Moore introduces monster chases and the abominable snowman. Monsters and yetis? It's just too much and probably would best have been deleted so he could focus on his main plot.

This review is conflicted. I surely do not want to dissuade you from reading it, I just want you to gauge the style of writing and humor you like before taking the plunge. If you like a breezy read and savor Adam Sandler/Will Ferrell movies, you'll probably be 5-starring this book. If you're like me and have your limits with all that frat-boy fun (yes, you like to indulge, but moderation is your byword), then proceed with caution.

I absolutely adore this book! This is one I can read over and over again, and still be able to laugh! Even though it's a fictional book, it makes Jesus (Joshua)human and you enjoy following Biff and Joshua on their search for what it means to be the Messiah. The angel Raziel is hilarious, too, with his aspiration to become Spider-man! This book got me hooked on Christopher Moore!

It has been a while since I read this book but it is really really good. It is not meant to be taken literally for those of you out there that can't tell that. Christopher Moore is a hilarious writer but this book seems to let the humor seep in slowly and less obviously than many of his other books. This is a super quick easy and fun read. It really gives a humorous insight to the time period of Christ's life that is left out in the Bible.

Highly Recommended for any one.

I appreciate Dr. Dobson's insight into children. This book has absolutely helped me not to be a "screamer" anymore and to be a more confident parent to my two-year-old. He is not as strong willed as some of the examples in the book, but my husband and I can definitely already see a positive difference in his behavior. Even if your children aren't all that strong willed, I'm sure they enjoy testing the boundaries. Please, please read this book.

This book by Dr. Dobson is another great read from a godly expert. I appreciated his no-nonsense approach to correction and his specific instructions for dealing with childhood behaviors. My almost-2 year old son has been throwing tantrums and displaying typical "terrible 2's" behavior. Dr. Dobson showed me how to deal with it in firmness and in love. Dr. Dobson always directs the reader back to God's love for us, and the connection between a parent's love for his child and God's love for us. An excellent read!

I have a 3 year old that I have had trouble dealing with from the time she was born. She held her breath out of anger when the nurse gave her a bath and put that tiny shirt on her just one hour after birth. She cried for the first 4 months from a combination of colic and wanting to be able to do whatever she wanted to do, like walk. I thought after she learned to roll, then, sit, then crawl, then walk, etc that she would be less cranky; well that didn't happen. She continues to be fussy, demanding, and insists on getting her own way. She wants to control the people in her world. Discipline and punishment have been difficult and have yielded little results; at home and at preschool. I have suspected for some time that she is strong willed and her teacher this week, after a full week of time outs from not listening, stated she did not know what to do with my daughter. I have read Dr. Dobson's book. It has great insight into how these children think. I don't fully understand how they think because I do not think that way. Dr Dobson opened my eyes on some issues and brought to my attention the fact that my daughter seriously needs direction, before her teen years. I liked the book, but wish he had been more specific and listed more detailed ideas/tools to use when punishing/disciplining besides spanking. I am not opposed to spanking but I find most discipline, including spanking, timeouts, taking privileges away, and offering rewards, do not work for my daughter. My daughter wants to do what she wants to do and that is the bottom line for her. This book has opened the door for me into her world and I have since been researching the subject online and have ordered 2 more books to help teach me how to deal with her. All the opponents to spanking, that I have read, use inflammatory words to get their point across. I was spanked as a child. I very vaguely remember maybe one of them. What I found harmful and hurtful to me was the yelling, screaming, being put down, controlled, belittled, and being worried when I would have to endure any of those things again; not being spanked. I can understand their passion, but controlled spanking needs to be put into perspective. All children need to be punished differently according to their temperament.

First, before purchasing the book, don't be surprised when Dr. Dobson throws in his faith/religious beliefs into his parenting style. That is part of being a Christian. Allowing God to direct your actions in every aspect of life. I've read several 1-2 star reviews that don't like that....well, you should have researched the author a little more before purchasing....or read a few more reviews.

Second, MANY of the 1-2 star reviewers forgot the title of the book....The Strong-Willed Child. It seems that they think Dr. D's approaches are to be used with EVERY child. NOT SO!!! When you read the book, keep reminding yourself of the title of the book and what kind of a child his strategies are meant for. You obviously wouldn't use these strategies with your average or compliant child. In all sincerety, I believe that Dr. D's wisdom in the book is flying right over the heads of numerous 1-2 star reviewers who forgot the title of the book while reading or who aren't thinking deeply enough about the things he's trying to teach.

Here's my final note and my disclaimer.....After saying all of the above....no one approach or style works with every strong-willed child; I'm a 6th grade special education teacher....I've got several years of proof. There are however several ingredients that help strong-willed children through to success; many of which do not involve the child directly. I was one of them myself and I had several teachers tell my mother I'd end up in prison; so you can imagine how I must have behaved....well, look how the Lord used my difficulties to strengthen my heart for my profession and Him. There IS hope in Him! Happy reading.

I was given this book by a helpful relative. Please read with a grain of salt - some of the ideas, like hitting a child with a small belt or paddle if they do not stay in bed, and then telling them you love them, are really off the wall. Bedtime is one of the most precious times in the world, and the idea that you would hit a child with anything as you send them off the sleep has to be wrong. We have had to deal with this on occassion and find the "Nanny way" works best, little talk, be firm and put them back in bed.

would not recommend this book to anyone.

This recording is just sheer joy. It is very clever and full of gentle humour. It has some amusing observations about cat behaviour and should be enjoyed by all and sundry, including non-cat lovers. It sits with my classical collection.

G. Keillor has once again proven, in the style of his 'Book of Guys', that American pessimism is alive and well. I liked some of the songs, but too many were inherently sad. I hate sentimental portrayals of cats, but more texts inspired by admiration for cats would have been welcome.

This CD is a great tongue-in-cheek re-write of some famous and not-so-famous music, from classical to western and lots in between. The word plays and send-ups are hilarious, with excellent orchestration and voices. von Strade obviously enjoyed herself, and Keillor evinced his usual sincere not-so-straightforward persona. It may not be great music, but it's great fun for folks who love their cats (or other people's) but don't take them too seriously.

If you love cats or have a sense of humour you will love these songs. I wasn't too keen on the first one (The cat came Back) as the owner was a bit drastic. The song My Grandmothers cat, who is spoilt rotten, contains a bit of advice for all pet owners. Other songs that reflect the whims and fancies of my own cat abound. e.g. I wanna go out.
Some of the cat stories are parodies of some of the popular songs of the 50's and 60's and also a delightful use of some famous classics in the story of the dog and cat.
I can really recommend this CD. It is a laught. My Friends all demand to listen it in my car and think it is great.

If you like Garrison Keillor, you'll like this CD.
If you like cats, you'll like this CD

If you like Garrison Keillor AND cats, you gotta have this CD.

Nora or JD, the lady can write and I think the IN DEATH series is her best yet.

I love this series and have read all of them todate.I purchased this first one for friend to start her reading them.Bravo J.D.Robb (Nora Roberts) for writing this series.

Wonderful ! This is the first book where Eve meets Roarke.. GREAT !

I really enjoyed this book. I will continue reading the series since it is so much fun. However, I was frustrated that I couldn't easily find the order of the other books in the series from my kindle. So, I am adding it here for myself and for others.

Naked in Death

Immortal in Death

Rapture in Death

Ceremony in Death

Vengeance in Death

Holiday in Death

Silent Night "Midnight in Death"

Conspiracy in Death

Loyalty in Death

Witness in Death

Judgment in Death

Betrayal in Death

Out of this World "Interlude in Death"

Seduction in Death

Reunion in Death

Purity in Death

Portrait in Death

Imitation in Death

Remember When

Divided in Death

Visions in Death

Survivor in Death

Origin in Death

Midnight in Death

Interlude in Death

Bump in the Night

Memory in Death

Born in Death

Innocent in Death

Dead of Night

Creation in Death

This is not a romance novel. It is a mystery. I don't like the mystery genre, and I try not to read them. The only reason I read this was because it was written by Nora Roberts, a romance novelist. I really liked two of her romance novels, so I thought I'd try this. It's not for me. Readers who like mysteries would probably like it and would rate it much higher than I did. Since almost all of my reviews are for romance novels, this 2 star review is meant to say that this book will not satisfy readers looking for romance. There is a subplot of a romantic relationship that begins, and apparently, will continue to move forward in future books. A few sex scenes were good. During the reading, I wanted the book to be over, but that may be because it is a mystery and not a romance. I'm not sure.

Story brief: Three prostitutes have been killed by a serial rapist/murderer. Eve is the cop investigating. The first victim is the granddaughter of a senator. The senator exerts political pressure on her. She meets Roarke, who is a suspect in the case. He is attracted to her and helps her.

Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: around 2058 New York City. Copyright: 1995. Genre: mystery.

For a listing of my reviews of other Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb books, see my 4 star review of "Angels Fall" posted on 6/30/08.

This is an excellent book and I wish that I have read it much earlier in life. I think that this book should be read/listen by everyone even if you are not in sales.

This book was a total waste of my time....Og Mandino spent almost the entire fist CD talking about himself before even touching the story of greatest salesman... I kept waiting and waiting to get something from the story until I just couldn't take anymore. I turned it off!! It was awful!!

This is an awsome cd and the author is the best. The shiping was great as well. I got this shipment 2 days before I expected it.

I purchased the CD 'The Greatest Saleman in the World' and I have to say not only is it lessons on becoming a great salesperson, but how to be a great person in life. A must for anyone looking to improve their success in life, work and leisure.

I now know why this book has sold so many copies. This is a timeless book that will help you understand your place in the world. I wanted to read it for professional reasons but wish I had it long ago to help me with life in general. This is a great book for anyone. No matter where you are in your life.

Rich Dad, personal finance- my last purchase was a total of 11 Rich Dad books, I am living in the Philippines and have just received the books shipped through an agent in the US. I find all of the series to be interesting and informative, well written for simple minded people like me. I am pleased with my purchase.

These books are a must for everyone!! He writes so well, and you can see that what he says is so true however, it doesn't seem to occur to you before you read the book. My whole life and way of thinking has changed since reading this set of books and I am buying the rest of his books as I can.

A must read for those who want learn to manage their personal finances; Robert does not provide all the answers, but his books get you thinking...once you begin to think you can find the practical solutions that will work for you to improve you financial situation today. The new idea may be as small as forgoing using your visa to pay for that outfit because you now know the difference between good credit and bad credit or as big as purchasing your first postive cash-flow rental property.

I highly recommend these books, especially to teens. Mr. Kiyosaki points out why most people are in debt and a very few are on their way to becoming wealthy. It is a matter of attitude and personal discipline that makes the difference. His second book, Cash Flow Quadrant, does a fine job of putting in simple terms the four ways that people make money. Different personalities, ambitions and fears determine which quadrant you will gravitate to. The author points out the pros and cons of each quadrant and urges his readers to become knowledgible in all four. His continuous hammering of the difference between an asset vs a liability, good debt vs bad debt, and positive vs neagtive cash flow help the reader form a firm foundation upon which to build one's finances. I am now reading these books together with my 15 year old, and have bought copies for my older 20-something children.

I agree with the person that said it lacked details. You come away knowing that you're supposed to acquire assets while reducing your liabilities, and eventually somehow begin and sell corporations for profit. The author didn't explain how an ordinary person goes about this process...mostly it seemed like him bragging that he was able to do it.

What I take away from this audio-CD could probably have been reduced down to 4 tracks on 1 disc. Sad, but true.

This is a great book to kick start your personal relationship with self. Dr Phil uses his personality, experience, and education to help others learn the valuable lessons of life. I could totally relate to his book.

Great addition to finding a healthier life, while keeping it simple.

Merna

Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!

Self Matters is Dr. Phil's self-help guide to achieving awareness of ones true self, which he believes will lead to a more rewarding and fulfilling life. Dr. Phil postulates that we are ultimately responsible for the way we are, what we think, feel, and how we behave. Even if we are living with a fictional self-concept of ourselves, it is because we have chosen to do so. The problem is that we tend to make these choices based on the expectations or influences of others, or based on external events for which we have no control.

Self Matters tends to be simplistic in its approach and also in the real-life examples Dr. Phil uses to illustrate his points. Of course, it has to be if the average person is going to use this book as a guide to practicing therapy on themselves. However, Dr. Phil does provide some key insights into the nature of relationships and personal behavior, and uses a number of interesting labels to describe the determinants of our thinking and behavioral processes.

This book will be of benefit to people who meet the following criteria (per Dr. Phil): You believe in God, and that God has a plan for you. You believe that you have a purpose in life, and if you dont realize that purpose, your life will be unfulfilling. You have had one or more profoundly negative experiences in your childhood that has altered your thinking and behavior in a negative way. As a result, you have developed a fictional concept of your true "authentic self", and this "fictional self" causes you to make bad choices/decisions in life. You tend not to be aware that you are living a life that is based on this fictional self.

Dr. Phil then outlines a lengthy process of self-awareness exercises, that involve you recounting your significant life experiences, choices, feelings, beliefs, self-concepts, and their related consequences. Through the process of reviewing, uncovering, and understanding your life's key moments, you become aware of their signifance and value, which will be either positive or negative. With this new awareness, you can create an action plan for changing your thinking and behavior, in a way that will eliminate your fictional self-concepts, and restore you back on track with your authentic self. Or so the theory goes. The older you are the harder it will be to effect this change.

Whether you are successful with Dr. Phil's guide seems to depend on whether you really want to change, your honesty and sincerity with your self, your level of commitment, and your faith in God. Some may be wondering how God fits into the science of psychotherapy, or whether psychotherapy alone, or religion alone, could achieve the same result. Finally, I found it interesting that Dr. Phil would quote Carlos Castaneda in this book. Is Dr. Phil practicing psychology or shamanism, or a little of both?

This book changed the way I look at myself and the way I look at the rest of the world. One of the best books I've ever read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to change their perception and get the most out of their life.

Good if you are willing to do the work. I like the inspirational talk at the beginning, but wasn't interested in the rest. Tried reading the book first and had a hard time getting to the end...now I know why.

Overall, I don't think this was really what I was looking for personally but this was still an easy set of tapes to listen to. Dr. McGraw is an excellent speaker and kind of funny at times. It's worth the money if you are looking for positive thoughts on changing your life or changing habits in your life. Give it a try!

If you are searching for inner truth...This CD can be the tool that guides the process. It has certainly helped me.

I have been practicing meditation since my college days in the 1970s. I ordered a copy of Deep insight from BRAIN SYNC, and I absolutely love it. I use it when I am too keyed up for my normal meditation sessions. I am visiting amazon.com to buy another copy. Need I say more?

This, Deep Learning and Instant Creativity are my favorites in this series. I have been listening to this CD solidly for three months and I have noticed great improvements in my overall performance on the job and in other aspects of my life. I use it mainly for auto programming. It works.