Jeanette

Couldn’t get past two things

Reviewed: 01-16-23

This book may have lots of helpful information… for someone else. Two things persistently bothered me, until I just gave up and quit the book, about a third of the way in. First, the audio quality was poor - sounded like it was recorded in a tiled room. And second, although cursing doesn’t bother me in the least, the author’s verbiage and flippancy were just too irritating. It’s as if, because she titled it what she did, the author felt she needed to throw in unnecessary, excessive cursing and “cool talk” in order to live up to the title. Just wasn’t for me.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fabulous book for everyone

Reviewed: 12-23-22

This was an excellent book, full of wisdom, wit, and endlessly helpful examples across all areas of your life. I think everyone probably benefit from reading something like this!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Pierced my heart then broke it open

Reviewed: 12-19-20

My father died, after a long battle with Alzheimer's, 7 months ago. My mother, aging but still living on her own, is not at the point Ms. Lopez describes with her own mother. But being present as my father faded, being present the day he died, and trying to be present for my mother, all made this story and performance resonate with me. On top of that, I too have grappled my entire life with the good daughter/bad daughter dilemma - and never more than as my father became sicker and sicker, and my mother continues to age. There are no easy answers. No one teaches you how to do this big stuff, indeed. The empathy in this piece, from this author - for all the love we feel, all the ways we try, all the ways we fall short, all the ways we succeed, all the ways we just show up and love - was something that came through loud and clear.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Had to stop listening

Reviewed: 06-20-19

I wanted to like this book, but I had to stop listening. The narrator’s style was just too grating for me. She overdramatizes things that don’t need to be overdramatized, and it felt manipulative - like she was trying to force the listener to have a particular response to what she was describing, almost like the way a person reading in front of a children’s group would try to emphasize reactions. I’m not saying she intended to do that - no idea what her intent was - but that’s how it came across to me. I gave it until chapter 5, kept hoping she’d stop, but nope, there it was. Her style just kept interfering with her message.I finally gave up.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Ugh

Reviewed: 04-25-18

I couldn’t finish this book. The author’s voice was smug and so snarkily impressed with himself that I just had to stop.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Trite and somewhat misinformed

Reviewed: 02-06-18

Full disclosure - I only listened to Half this book before I gave up (which is why I gave this two stars, not one - gave him the benefit of one more star in case it got better). So, maybe it got better. But in the first half, there was little in the way of new, unique, or groundbreaking information. I’ve found far more value in books like “Essentialism”.

But what really put me over the edge with this book was his completely inaccurate assessment of “minimalism”. He claims minimalism is “wanting the most result with the least effort”. That’s not minimalism, that’s laziness. Minimalism is the approach of eliminating from your life the unnecessary and unimportant in order to focus your life on that which is most important. The fact that an author of a book on “work-life balance” so badly misunderstands that philosophy just convinced me that the author doesn’t really have much in the way of expertise on this subject.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Couldn't finish it

Reviewed: 07-16-16

I can't comment on the content of the book (thus the 3 stars for story), because I was so negatively distracted by the narration. Sorensen has a very nasally voice. That alone isn't the problem- but when you have a nasally voice, if you're not careful you sound like you're whining. And unfortunately, Sorensen seems to intentionally choose to drawl out so many words, in virtually every sentence, that the drawl/nasal combo made him sound like he was constantly whining. I gave it about 45 minutes but just couldn't take it any more.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wow

Reviewed: 11-27-15

What a (mostly) comprehensive examination of many of the great thinkers and traditions of faith and philosophy, explained in an engaging way that makes complex ideas clear without underestimating his listeners. I truly enjoyed and learned from this, and would love to have given this 5 stars across the board, but for two items. First, this exploration is really more accurately an exploration of "How to live a meaningful life", not "What is the meaning of life" - those two concepts intertwine but are not identical, and most of this series explores the former more than the latter. And second, I am surprised that he included no Christian thinker or philosophy. He looks at Job from the Old Testament, but to leave out Jesus (and the radical philosophy he brought to the time), seems to be a significant omission. I would have liked to hear Garfield speak on that, and to set that thought tradition alongside that of Buddha, the Bhagavad-Gita, Gandhi, Tolstoy, Kant, and others.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

23 people found this helpful

Starts out promising

Reviewed: 10-20-15

... With some genuinely insightful, laugh-out-loud comedy. But the one-note neurotic schtick gets old, and the longer pieces in particular become grating. Eisenberg is too smart to keep to this one type of character.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

Love this series

Reviewed: 07-25-15

This story regains some of the mojo I thought it lost in the last book. The heart of the story is Atticus, his beloved Oberon, and their comical, serious, exciting, and touching exploits. This book delivers on all of the above. And as always, narrator Luke Daniel is superb.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!