Audiobook Books

Even though this book meets my criteria for having `fluff', this is still one great introduction book to NLP. The language is down to earth, the exercises are well explained and the authors give a lot of thoughtful advice to beginners.

I do like the author and have heard him on tape and CD before, but this CD set was originally a tape set (we repeatedly hear "on this tape" spoken), and should have been re-done instead of edited.

Some (only some) of the basics of NLP are included here, and if you've ever opened a book or heard a tape about NLP, you probably already know all that's offered on this CD.

Three of us here listened to "NLP," and we all found the constant reference to "tapes" annoying, along with the voices of two people who do a lot of speaking on the second CD. They both sound like they're trying to do cartoon voices, and my husband couldn't stop laughing. Yes, the voices are that distracting.

The author co-wrote a better introduction to NLP years ago, called "Success Mastery With NLP." It's usually available used on tape. Having used NLP since 1976, I really do recommend it as a more useful introduction to the subject.

This book is great in that it not only explains some of the basics of NLP but it also includes 43 different exercises to do while you are reading the book. Most of these exercises can be done quickly and have been, for me, generally quite effective. These exercises are not easy to find online, so it's nice to have them compiled in one place here. For the price of a paperback it's hardly a question as to whether or not you should buy this book, especially if NLP is something that interests you.

This is a great book on how to improve your performance in any area of your life. I've only just started applying some of the ideas and already I notice that I am able to focus better when I study and dragging myself out of bed in the morning is not as difficult as it once was.

I am giving this book two stars- but I begrudge it the second one. It has to be two because it DOES contain the information I bought it for. But I wish I could in good conscience give it one single star- or fewer- because on nearly every page, there's something that makes me want to reach through the book and slap the writers.

I don't enjoy books that effuse with frothy enthusiasm so trillingly that it undercuts the information it's supposed to deliver. And I don't enjoy books where the authors seem to be addressing me and my curiosity about the topic in a sugary voice as if I am a Kindergartner.

So I am not enjoying this book. At all.

I wish that before I'd purchased this book I'd seen the dedication page. It reads: "Dedicated to the joyful heart and soaring spirit of every child reaching for a greater world, especially in yourself."

Now, friends- I sincerely hope your heart is joyful and that your spirit soars. But that sugary prose in the dedication would have tipped me off about what was ahead- and I'd have run for the hills. To get to the information, you have to deal with the authors achingly precious hopes for this book to change your life.

Ever have a cappucino that was all foam with only a little sip of coffee at the bottom of the cup? Remember how you raised the paper cup to your lips and there wasn't anything to swig? Remember the sense that you'd just been ripped off?

Yeah. It's a lot like that.

If you like non-fiction delivered to you like a bed-time story, maybe you'll like this book. But if not-- don't buy this book. Run very fast to the next selection.

If I can stop even one person from buying this book, it was worth my time to write this review.

Anytime Jayne writes about the planet Harmony, I will buy it. I like the ambiance of the tunnels and the psi powers. There are alot of similarities between AFTER GLOW and this novel I still enjoyed it. I read to be entertained and I was. The mystery was good and the story was OK, I liked the romance. I really enjoy the dust bunnies and their antics. I also find that we learn more about the governing of the Guild's with every new book in the series. I will still buy each and every book set on Harmony. Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz is able to take me on a journey every time I read one of her novels.

Sierra McIntyre is a reporter on the "Globe" of Harmony. Wild stories and wilder headlines, but she is seriously writeing about the Guild. She has very intense intution and has picked up tales of an alien lab being found in the jungle under Harmony. She is also worried for the burned out hunters, who are winding up on the street addicted to the new drug, ghost juice. Sierra comes from a very rich, prominent family. She is from a family of over-achievers.

John Fontana is the Guild Boss of Crystal City. He is the new boss. The old boss was corrupt and Fontana can't trust anyone in his new administration. He is also born out of wedlock. Which is not a usual thing on Harmony. The ability to enter into a Marriage of Convenience or an MC, instead of a Covenent Marriage or CM, has virtually eleminated the birth of out of wedlock children. But Fontana is nothing if not driven. He has pulled himself up the Guild ladder to his new position.

Finally Sierra manages to get an interview with Fontana. Both feel the sizzle when they meet. He convinces her he needs her help to find out what is happening in the Guild. He has been sent here with one other guy to staighten out the mess. He needs at least one more person he can trust. Sierra is friends with many of the hunters on the street, and many of her stories come from them. Fontana needs access to her informants.

I like the way the story reveals each of the main charactes intermost feelings and thoughts. It opens up the romance and gives you a better understanding of these complicated people. I really did enjoy it and I am willing to spend the 8 dollars to be able to visit Harmony again.

Sierra McIntyre is an investigative reporter who is determined to uncover the Ghost Hunter Guild's secrets. Sierra has reason to suspect that homeless hunters are being kidnapped off the streets for criminal purposes, and she is determined to find out the truth. John Fontana is the newest guildmaster. Granting Sierra an interview, Fontana is immediately overwhelmed by the strong feelings he has for Sierra and offers her a business arrangement marriage in order to give her access to the guild, and at the same time woo her. Together, Sierra and Fontana, face numerous dangers to uncover the conspiracy that is going on in his guild.

This latest offering of Castle on her imaginary world of Harmony is easily the weakest yet. Castle assumes that none of her readers have discovered her previous books and spends about 100 pages retelling the history of Harmony, the ability to work amber, the different psi talents, the alien artifacts, etc. etc. I was never so bored with a book in my life. Finally, we get past all the tedious background and get to the story, which really wasn't much better. The chemistry between Fontana and Sierra seemed forced at times, the other characters seemed one dimensional and the mystery/suspense was really flat. The romance was only good in spots. Naturally one can't help loving Jayne's dustbunnies, but even this one was overdone and over the top. Do we really have a heroine who dresses her dustbunny up like Elvis and characters who make lame jokes about "Elvis has left the building"? Yes, we do. One last beef, the hero's name was John Fontana. Throughout the entire book - even in the love scenes, the heroine calls him Fontana. I don't know about you guys, but when I am in an intimate moment, I don't call my lover by his last name, even if he goes by it a lot. I waited eagerly for this book, as I truly enjoy Castle's Harmony series. Most of the books are 4 to 5 star reads. Sadly, this one stunk.

Great addition to the Ghost Hunter series. I could not put this book down! It was a fun read cover to cover. I liked the primary and secondary characters. Plot moved along well, had some nice twists along the way. Gotta love those dust bunnies.

I must admit that when I first began listening to this audiobook I did not care for the narrator's voice. After I made it to the second disk I began to more fully realize what a talented voice actor he actually was, and the remaining 28 disks or so were a great joy. His narration is delivered in a clear and warm manner and each character is given an unique voice and inflection. I will never be able to imagine Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov sounding any other way (Father Zossima as well). As far as the content of the book is concerned, The Brothers Karamazov is hands down one of the finest novels ever written. If you have never read it, this audiobook is well worth your time.

This is a rambling critique of Roosevelt's response to the Great Depression that seems to have a theme and coherence apparent only to the author. Seldom have a I felt that I wasted my time reading a book, but this is one of those rare occasions... and I say that as a conservative who believes that FDR's economic response to the Depression is not only overrated, but in many respects has been detrimental to the country. Shlaes, however, simply does not make a persausive case. Her research is thin, perhaps non-existent. She spends little time explaining substantive responses to the Depression, but went on for pages about Andrew Mellon's art collection and his donation of it to the nation. While I do not mean to denigrate Mellon's donation of the art and the National Gallery that houses it, Shlaes' swooning over this act within the context of the Depression brings to mind Marie Antoinette's legendary response to the severe shortage of bread among starving Parisians with her comment "have they no cake, let them eat cake!" It perpetuates the worst stereotype of Republicans. I expected more from a former member of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board. For a well-articulated and supported critique of the New Deal, your time is better spent reading Jim Powell's "FDR's Folly."

This excellent, well-written, well-researched book by Amity Shlaes should be mandatory in college courses on American history. It balances the extravagant claims of New Deal enthusiasts with the reality of the Great Depression, clearly showing how FDR's experimental programs deepened and lengthened that unhappy period, contrary to the myths. Shlaes shows convincingly that the "forgotten man" was the taxpayer, not the man in the unemployment line.

This is an outstanding book with a clear description on the events that caused the great depression.

Overall this is a valuable book with some very interesting insights into the era of the great depression, but I felt it didn't go deep enough into the subject, wrapped up in a hurry and jumped around a lot. A definite contrast to FDR as hero mythology. A warning tale for out time. It could have been better but was valuable none the less.

I found this book to be a not-very-balanced overview of the New Deal and the Great Depression. The author seems to think that current New Deal scholarship is universally positive and that someone desperately needs to break ranks and criticize it. This is obviously not the case.

When you first listen to this, it takes a while to get into it. The first speech at the 1964 democratic convention has a poor audio quality and RFK takes a while to get warmed up before we hear the famous Shakepearean ode to his recently deceased brother JFK. Some editing would have helped that one. Then we hear RFK give a heartfelt, but sincere speech on the need for young people to repudiate bigotry at Ole Miss in 1966. Still pretty relevant. The 1967 speech on ghetto conditions shows amazing insight for a White man who was born rich.

But the tour de force here is the improvised speech to Black Indianapolis residents upon the assassination of Martin Luther King. I've heard excerpts of this before, but to hear it in what appears to be its entirety is extremely moving and one of the best recorded speeches I've ever heard aside from MLK himself and Nelson Mandela's CD. To hear how RFK was able to speak so sincerely and hopefully on such a tragic occasion will really make you beleive in the nest of human nature and that alone is worht the price of admission.

Next we hear a more measured and formal speech on the aftermath of the King killing recorded a day later. Still worht a listen about the futility of violence, all the more ironic considering that RFK himself would soon become the victim of such violence.

I've read books that complied RFK's speeches, but that does not match actually hearing them. Do youself a favor and get this. Now all that needs to be done is to release a DVD of the 1988 documetnary RFK in His Own Words.

This is a single CD approximately 50 minutes long that provides highlights of some of RFK's best, and most memorable speeches. There are 12 tracks including RFK's speech at the democratic national convention in 1964 and his speech announcing the assasination of Martin Luther King.

This is an excellent introduction to the RFK's political beliefs, and reminds the listener why he continues to captivate the nation's hopes. The CD jacket provides a brief historical background to each of the speeches and is helpful for those with less knowledge of the current events of that time. I would also recommend a compilation of speech excerpts put together by his son Maxwell Kennedy entitled "To Make Gentle the Life of this World." Neither source provides the complete text of his speeches, but they distill the essence of what he offered America in his time.

RFK: In His Own Words gives the listener a taste of the atmosphere during the turbulent and dynamic times of the 1960s. It depicts RFK as one of those rare leaders who had the ability to inspire an entire generation not only in the United States but around the world with his eloquence and appeal for a better life for all. He challenged the way we think about ourselves and each other and sought to close the gaps between rich and poor, black and white. RFK: In His Own Words begins with his memorable speech in tribute to his brother at the 1964 Democratic National Convention and contains several speeches addressing the many societal issues of the 60s, mainly the divisions resulting from racial tensions and the public opposition to the war in Vietnam. You begin to get a grasp of RFK's political views and you witness his maturation as a politician and statesman. From his statement announcing his candidacy for president to his touching and largely impromptu announcement of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to a stunned audience in Indianapolis and his appeal for compassion and love and not hatred and division. It concludes with an emotional eulogy at his funeral by his brother Senator Ted Kennedy that leaves you with thoughts on what could have been if not for the tragic loss of yet another Kennedy brother who has been taken from us at a time when his leadership was most needed.

I was hesitating between giving this collection 3 or 4 stars.

It was great to hear Robert Kennedy giving voice to these words, some of which have become quite famous in the years since they were spoken. And it is quite interesting to hear some of the speeches selected--such as the one he gave stepping off the plane after Martin Luther King Jr was assasinated.

However, I think this collection could have been better. There are too few speeches here (I believe 9 of Robert's and Teddy's eulogy) and they are spaced very close together. Would have been interesting to hear some of his speeches over a more extended period of time to see how his thinking about issues or his speaking style evolved.

Also many of the speeches are just presented as excerpts. The only part presented of the famous "GDP" speech is that excerpt--I would have liked to hear the rest of that speech.

Finally, the production quality of the insert is not very good. Brief notes on the context of the speeches are given but the references to the speeches are often erroneous. It would also have been nice to have the text of the presented speeches.

In the end there are not many alternatives to this CD and it does present an overview of the great RFK speeches, as superficial as that overview may be.

This book is an excellent compliation of Robert Kennedy's speeches. The speeches give an excellent overview of the times and issues Robert Kennedy was living in and his responses to same. His frequent references to classical literature not only serve to augment his points, but to include the listener/reader in his knowledge base. Robert Kennedy was a man who was universally recognized as a diligent worker and one who not only set, but met personal goals. His determination was evidenced from the football field (where he played with a broken leg in college to secure the coveted Harvard letter) to the presidential platform, where he held his own with some rather formidable competitors/opponents. His knowledge of and appreciation for classical literature is a true nod to his intelligence. He became self-educated in adult life classical works. He also became self educated and personally involved in the lives and issues of minorities and persons living below the poverty line. The contrast between these areas of his self education further emphasize the complexity of this man. Robert Kennedy comes across as sincere in his efforts and his work record will certainly support that finding. Robert Kennedy was by far the most interesting of the brothers of his generation and his work record was exceptional in his tenacity and dogged determination.

Spoken Swedish isn't rocket science. It's a living language with ancient roots. Like learning about new people, there's no quick fix for learning languages. It takes time. Lots of it. Listening well, speaking back. Repetition. No way you can learn an entire language in just a few hours.
So - why am I recommending this set? Well, I'm a linguist. I can get by in most of the countries on this planet. "Get by" being the operative phrase here.
This set lets you have an authentic taste of a foreign language - maybe 50 words by the end (plus or minus, don't quote me), and phrases to go with them. That's almost enough to get by, certainly enough to let you know whether or not you want to continue learning that language to its next level.
I've purchased Pimsleur exclusively for this purpose. I've had a glimpse into several languages, Spanish before this latest one. And even after just those first 6 CDs, my Spanish has been enough to astound my housekeeper, who was totally shocked, and then insisted that I must have been taking many lessons without telling her. Well, I was. On my car CD during commutes.
Can't wait until I meet someone from Sweden.

The Pimsleur method is great for learning the basics and sounds of a language. You very quickly learn to say and understand a few things. It feels amazing at first how quickly things start to fall into place. It is good for working on your pronunciation. But... it really doesn't go far enough. In only 10 lessons, you really can't learn enough. This course teaches you how to ask someone if they understand English, how to ask how someone is and how to respond, how to ask where something is (and understand the answer only if it is "here" or "over there"), and then mostly goes on about saying you'd like to have something to eat or drink, when, where and with whom. Finally they teach how to ask what time it is. It oddly teaches the numbers up to 9, except 6 and 7, so you can only understand some of the answers (and only if it's right on the hour). It kind of felt like it was aimed at teaching you to pick up a member of the opposite sex. Perhaps they think that that is the primary reason why someone would bother to learn Swedish, since almost all Swedes speak English very well. ;-)

It includes some very basic reading instruction/practice, which I thought was a good complement. It gives you a basic idea how to pronounce things you might see written down (such as a street name, the name of your hotel, etc.) Reading Swedish is tough for Anglophones, as the vowel sounds are all quite different. They do a decent job of explaining when one vowel might have two different sounds, though I did not find that I got enough practice to really remember it all.

I think that Rosetta Stone makes a good complement to Pimsleur. It adds a fair bit of vocabulary, but it is nowhere near as good as Pimsleur at really testing your knowledge and helping you to remember things. I'm still working my way through Rosetta Stone, but I feel like I'm only remembering a small percentage of what I learn. Because you answer everything in RS via multiple choice, it is easy to get the right answer without really knowing what the words mean.

Overall, I would suggest Pimsleur to any complete beginner at Swedish. It is a great way to get started, though it won't get you very far. I might also suggest that you look at the reviews of the 2003 version of this product, which I believe is nearly identical (but way more expensive), and has a lot more reviews.

I'm totally new to Swedish, so I used these CDs to get me started on the language. I listened to them on my way to work every day and learned a lot quickly. My favorite aspects of the teaching technique are the repetition of phrases, the breakdown of words, and the interactive style of the lessons. It feels like you have a personal Swedish tutor working with you one on one. I supplement with Rosetta Stones, which helps build vocabulary, but this program really helps you learn to speak quickly. I recommend this product for beginners.

This is the best language tool i've tried. The pace is much slower than other programs so its easy to absorb the material. The conversation is also much more relevant. Very happy with it

the story line is great, but the reader didn"t have enough voice range to do the voices. it was hard to follow who was who and if it was the woman or the man.

I love this story, however, not as captivating as the Circle Trilogy with all the action but really good and would recommend it to anyone. I'm starting on the Key Trilogy now and heard it was very good. Nora Roberts is an excellent versatile writer. I love her spiritual supernatural hero/heroine triologies.

This CD kept me througly engrossed during my recent car trip. I didn't even want to arrive at my destination until I had heard the last sentence.
The story of witchcraft, romance, and relationships is compelling. The characters are enchanting with their quirks, personal histories, and involvement with each other. The narrative is easy to understand.
I definitely recommend this for entertaining listening.

this set of stories were execellent. so open and easy to follow you can't miss what is happening. the three of them with their speciality and love is so heart warming and romantic.

This series is very entertaining. You like all of the characters right away, and somehow, even though it is a fantasy storyline, you can relate to and with all of the characters, both women and men. The only thing I did not like was the narrator deepening her voice and using different tones to be three different men. Otherwise a good listen and escape.

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!

i love shiva rea's work and this is a good cd for relaxation, yoga nidra and shavasana, good to use before going to sleep at night.

I am amazed by the tranquility and relaxation I enjoyed after following the Yoga nidra instructions. Believe me, the background music, the soft voice of Shiva and the soothing instructions will put you in a totally relaxing mood and the entire body, mind and spirit gets rejuvenated. It is worth buying the CD for this track alone.

This CD set is a must for anyone handling stress in their life. And who among us is not? There is only so much room in anyone's budget for therapists, massages, etc. At some point we have to use our own devices to deal with stress on a regular daily basis, or succumb to the ills it causes.

Shiva Rea comes to the rescue with this jewel of a CD set. It has been adequately described, I'll just add that the Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations) on Disc 1 are gentle and accessible to most people. There is a booklet included that describes the asanas (positions). Most of the material offered involves the motion of your mind rather than body. Light a candle, unplug the phone, make a nest with some blankets rolled under your knees and over you, and indulge in Disc 2 with its invocation, assortment of guided Savasanas, and healing Yoga Nidra. Then head straight to bed for a lovely night's sleep without the aid of pharmaceuticals. Highly recommended.

I'm new to whole world of yoga and decided to purchase this CD collection based on amazon reviews. I use this CD everyday for meditation and relaxation. Shiva Rea has a very soothing voice with beautiful music in the back ground to accompany her. If you are looking for a very well rounded collection, this is a good bet. Once again, I'm always so pleased with Amazon - they're so helpful in making an informed decision on new purchases!

I can't put into words how truly wonderful this c.d. is.
So much to inspire,relax, and rejuvenate.
The moon salutation is too beautiful for words. Just a really
good c.d.
I would recommend this to anyone. Buy this c.d. set. You won't be sorry.