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The Biology of Belief Audiobook By Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D. cover art

Absolutely worth the time. Game changer

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-26-21

If you really want to understand why nothing works, why all your efforts to improve yourself dont work. If you want to understand why you are who you are. Read this book.

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Heartrending illumination of a night of the soul

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-25-20

Let me say first off, I am happy that I read this book, and will no doubt read/listen to this book several times.

It is not your typical sci-fi book at all, is not a fast-paced adventure and it certainly is not an off-world fantasy tale.

It is however, an extremely rewarding listen, well performed, and educationally enriching story.

If you enjoy beautifully crafted writing, well rounded research, multidimensional characters, intriguing plot lines, you will find all of that in this story.
What I did not expect to find was the depth with which I identified with some of the characters, the windows into my own soul that it opened and the exposure of so many unanswered questions in my heart.

Having just completed my first listen, this is all I can currently say...

Words fail me as I have just completed listening to this book - I fear I will have to come back to this review at a later time to complete my thoughts, when my heart is not so raw and my soul not so besieged.

However, I'll write that which I'm able to at this time.

Beautifully written with a gentle gift of wordsmithing, by an author broadly exposed to excellent literature covering centuries of the written arts, and an acute understanding of the Jesuit soul. Her talent feeds your soul while at the same time destroying your heart as you live through the suffering of the characters you come to love and appreciate.

The raw sorrow mingled with hope I feel right now is evocative of another book I read in the mid 70's, (coincidentally also sub-named after the sparrow, "when a sparrow falls"), the English title of a French book, "The Ice People" - also about a space ship, the Antarctic and an advanced sentient species.

As someone raised deeply and devoutly religious, and having later turned away from all concepts of religion, due partly to deep suffering and unanswered pain, much like the main character in this story, I find myself re-examining the thesis of my previous conclusions.

I will today begin listening to the sequel to this book, "Children of God", and hopefully I will glean greater understanding of, or at least adequate answers to, the questions raised in "Sparrow".

I suspect that both of these books aught to be packaged together in one volume, as they cannot be read separately from each other.

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Enjoyable story

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-23-19

Light reading, and but sweet and enjoyable...
Certainly not in the plane of Tolkien or Neal Stephenson... But a nice interlude.

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The first of the Dodge stories

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-16-19

This story is basically Book one of the Dodge stories, the next being Reamde, and also the 2nd of the Waterhouse Saga, but is as different to those as night is to day - and I loved it even more than the four STEPHENSON volumes previously read.

These characters have become my friends and family and I'll miss them dearly if I don't meet them again.

This author continues to blow me away in astonishment at the depth of his imagination and the uncanny "programmers" ability to track various threads in the multi-dimensional world, or "code", he has created.

As an old - time programmer from as far back as punch card days of yore, thru the time of 3rd generation languages like Pick, Revelation and Universe, buoyed up by such as Linux and Unix, and with incantations like WYSIWYG and GUItize, and then on to the "New" coding tools of C++, HTML, RedHat, etc, and so far from where we began, I wonder whether Neal Stephenson may not have trodden a similar path to mine?

I almost feel as though the writer is myself, and I'm creating a new world, vicariously, through HIS amazing gifts and talents.


THANK YOU, NEAL STEPHENSON, for this gift!
I'm now moving on to my next book in your stable, my Horse number 5, as I ride your imagination to a visionary world that has always existed in my soul, but is brought to life by yours.

I must add a word for the Narrator, who truly can make or break an authors work... OUTSTANDING!
A vast array of voices that never confuse or tire one - without the Narrators talent, all of NEAL STEPHENSON's stories could become a labyrinth of characters, fast leaving you behind in a quagmire of confusion.

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Cryptonomicon Audiobook By Neal Stephenson cover art

Prequel to the Dodge and Waterhouse Saga's

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-16-19

This story is the prequel to the novel, "Reamde", and "Fall, or Dodge in Hell" .
It is also, in my experience so far, the start of the Waterhouse Saga, but is as different to those volumes as night is to day -
These characters have become my friends and family and I'll miss them dearly if I don't meet them again.

This author continues to blow me away in astonishment at the depth of his imagination and the uncanny "programmers" ability to track various threads in the multi-dimensional world, or "code", he has created.

As an old - time programmer from as far back as punch card days of yore, thru the time of 3rd generation languages like Pick, Revelation and Universe, buoyed up by such as Linux and Unix, and with incantations like WYSIWYG and GUItize, and then on to the "New" coding tools of C++, HTML, RedHat, etc, and so far from where we began, I wonder whether Neal Stephenson may not have trodden a similar path to mine?

I almost feel as though the writer is myself, and I'm creating a new world, vicariously, through HIS amazing gifts and talents.


THANK YOU, NEAL STEPHENSON, for this gift!
I'm now moving on to my next book in your stable, my Horse number 8, as I ride your imagination to a visionary world that has always existed in my soul, but is brought to life by yours.

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Prequel to the Dodge and Waterhouse Saga's

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-16-19

This story is the prequel to the novel, "Reamde", and "Fall, or Dodge in Hell" .
It is also, in my experience so far, the start of the Waterhouse Saga, but is as different to those volumes as night is to day -
These characters have become my friends and family and I'll miss them dearly if I don't meet them again.

This author continues to blow me away in astonishment at the depth of his imagination and the uncanny "programmers" ability to track various threads in the multi-dimensional world, or "code", he has created.

As an old - time programmer from as far back as punch card days of yore, thru the time of 3rd generation languages like Pick, Revelation and Universe, buoyed up by such as Linux and Unix, and with incantations like WYSIWYG and GUItize, and then on to the "New" coding tools of C++, HTML, RedHat, etc, and so far from where we began, I wonder whether Neal Stephenson may not have trodden a similar path to mine?

I almost feel as though the writer is myself, and I'm creating a new world, vicariously, through HIS amazing gifts and talents.


THANK YOU, NEAL STEPHENSON, for this gift!
I'm now moving on to my next book in your stable, my Horse number 8, as I ride your imagination to a visionary world that has always existed in my soul, but is brought to life by yours.

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Book 2 of Reamde, 3 of the Waterhouse Saga

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-11-19

This story is basically Book Two of the previous novel, Reamde, 3 of the Waterhouse Saga, but is as different to those as night is to day - and I loved Fall even more than the two volumes prior.

How I wish for A Book Four? (... I suspect that as I explore the remaining unread volumes, I'll find they're all related?)

These characters have become my friends and family and I'll miss them dearly if I don't meet them again.

This author continues to blow me away in astonishment at the depth of his imagination and the uncanny "programmers" ability to track various threads in the multi-dimensional world, or "code", he has created.

As an old - time programmer from as far back as punch card days of yore, thru the time of 3rd generation languages like Pick, Revelation and Universe, buoyed up by such as Linux and Unix, and with incantations like WYSIWYG and GUItize, and then on to the "New" coding tools of C++, HTML, RedHat, etc, and so far from where we began, I wonder whether Neal Stephenson may not have trodden a similar path to mine?

I almost feel as though the writer is myself, and I'm creating a new world, vicariously, through HIS amazing gifts and talents.


THANK YOU, NEAL STEPHENSON, for this gift!
I'm now moving on to my next book in your stable, my Horse number 6, as I ride your imagination to a visionary world that has always existed in my soul, but is brought to life by yours.

I must add a word for the Narrator, who truly can make or break an authors work... OUTSTANDING!
A vast array of voices that never confuse or tire one - without the Narrators talent, all of NEAL STEPHENSON's stories could become a labyrinth of characters, fast leaving you behind in a quagmire of confusion.

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A philologist of the first degree.

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-04-19

Very Tolkien - like world creation... Stunning philology!

If you start this book and struggle with boredom for a while... HANG IN THERE! You soon hit a point where the plot opens up and does an about face, blowing you away!

I've listened to three of this author's works in the last three weeks (100+ hrs) and have been stunned by his world creation, so similar to Tolkien - high praise indeed!

A philologist of the first degree.

I'm posting the same review on all three... Be patient - it's worth the wait.

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Very Tolkien - like world creation... Stunning

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-04-19

Very Tolkien - like world creation... Stunning philology!

If you start this book and struggle with boredom for a while... HANG IN THERE! You soon hit a point where the plot opens up and does an about face, blowing you away!

I've listened to three of this author's works in the last three weeks (100+ hrs) and have been stunned by his world creation, so similar to Tolkien - high praise indeed!

A philologist of the first degree.

I'm posting the same review on all three... Be patient - it's worth the wait.

I must add a word for the Narrator, who truly can make or break an authors work... OUTSTANDING!
A vast array of voices that never confuse or tire one - without the Narrators talent, all of NEAL STEPHENSON's stories could become a labyrinth of characters, fast leaving you behind in a quagmire of confusion.
KUDOS to you all!

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Anathem Audiobook By Neal Stephenson cover art

Very Tolkien - like world creation... Stunning

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-04-19

Very Tolkien - like world creation... Stunning philology!

If you start this book and struggle with boredom for a while... HANG IN THERE! You soon hit a point where the plot opens up and does an about face, blowing you away!

I've listened to three of this author's works in the last three weeks (100+ hrs) and have been stunned by his world creation, so similar to Tolkien - high praise indeed!

A philologist of the first degree.

I'm posting the same review on all three... Be patient - it's worth the wait.

I must add a word for the Narrator, who truly can make or break an authors work... OUTSTANDING!
A vast array of voices that never confuse or tire one - without the Narrators talent, all of NEAL STEPHENSON's stories could become a labyrinth of characters, fast leaving you behind in a quagmire of confusion.
KUDOS to you all!

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