kirvesrinta

Interesting, but

Reviewed: 08-12-24

I wish she didn’t try to pronounce the Spanish and Arabic names of people and places. Just say them in English. Every time she tries she pronounces them differently. For example first she says “puertosina” then repeatedly “puertosi” but it’s actually “potosí”. Or “al andaluz“ with Spanish zeta. Or “Cortes generates” with the wrong emphasis. Or Cadiz.

Also, she presents bold conclusions of things that are generally not so clear cut.

The weirdest thing is when she tries to define what Rromani culture is. She boils it down to two beliefs, the fear of the dead (mullo) and Rromani hygiene practices. Rromani culture is so visible and easily identifiable in Spain. And she repeatedly uses the derogatory term for the Rromani and really accentuated the negative.

But, there’s a lot of information here and I found myself researching some of the topics deeper because they were just shortly mentioned. But having lived in Spain it was fun to listen to many familiar references about places, food, and culture.

This book gives good general background, for example, she explains how Islam started before explaining how it arrived to Spain and what its influence was.

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I hate history, however….

Reviewed: 06-08-24

This audiobook is absolutely great. I struggle with history but I’d like to understand it. Most books are just a shotgun blast of events and people with very little insight to the actual human behind the events and people, and their relationships and influences to each other.


This book is different. It gives a peak to these people’s lives in a way that I feel like I am starting to know them. The authors is genuinely interested in the topic.

It made me wonder how much and what will be available of our lives for future generations. It made me think of trying to preserve my own story.

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1 person found this helpful

The worst story I’ve ever heard

Reviewed: 03-11-24

Even worse that the worst telenovela. I don’t have words to even describe it and I have to write 15 words about it

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It is a condescending, confusing shotgun blast

Reviewed: 12-10-23

The author tells the same events three times (so, far, I stored about half way through). It is very hard to form any real image of what happened. On top of it the author uses expressions that degrade the native Americans. Like so many history books it repeatedly lists events and there is very little consideration of secondary meaning of those facts.

I could not finish it.

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Teenage girl story

Reviewed: 11-25-23

This is not the kind of book I would usually read/listen to. It was recommended to me.

It is written from the point of view of a teenage girl, spoiled one, and there are strange details like “I swallowed [spit]” in between of two sentences. Or “he stepped on the gas pedal”. And then there are a couple disjoint rants about Pakistani political situation that in no way add to the story and are written in a voice that’s too mature for the main character. They are out of place.

The reader was fantastic and she made it fun and engaging enough for me to finish the audiobook.

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I wish Arnold read the whole book

Reviewed: 11-04-23

Arnold only reads the first and last chapters. It is very unfortunate. The alternate reader comes off very very cocky, proud, obnoxious, etc. it actually changed the story.

As for the writing I wish Arnold had gone into describing how he changed, how things really affected him. Although, the last chapter (read by Arnold) is a glimpse of that. It sounds more personal than the chapters read by the other reader.

Maybe I would have heard more vulnerability if Arnold read the whole thing.

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Shallow

Reviewed: 07-24-23

Disappointed in this book. It is shallow, written like a gossip column, and bastardizes Christianity with Wicca witchcraft. Even in the last chapter it introduces new concepts that don’t contribute to the story.

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Masterpiece in beating around the bush

Reviewed: 07-01-22

This book never gets to the point. By the end of book 1 you will not know why they are in that predicament, when the women are going to do, and what the hell happened with the Russian submarine.

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Not a good audiobook

Reviewed: 09-16-21

I think I heard her stomach growl.

the quality of the recording, reading, and the editing is so bad that the only positive thing I take from it that if she can do this bad of a job, maybe I should make an audiobook too.

She seems to be one of those people who think that reading fast means reading well. it sounds like she is reading it to herself. it ends up being just a bunchk of lists.

I think she recorded in her office with the computer mic. You can hear cars, traffic, chair or something, and I think I heard her stomach growl.

there are so many artifacts in the recording that it is distracting. You hear the cue of the director. You hear overlapping retakes. They increase towards the end making it painful.

How did the publisher approve this? did anyone listen to it?

On top of all that, her language is terrible. She dropped so many f-bombs that they triggered all kinds of anxiety attacks in me. Luckily, I was listening to this book so I could learn how to deal with it. It makes her sound so angry. Who hurt you? Did you read your own chapter about anger?

If you think you should read this book, buy a text copy, not the audio version

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Shotgun blast

Reviewed: 04-13-21

I think it's mainly about history and then a sprinkles of music here and there.

He is a bit hyper, but he's funny sometimes.

I started enjoying it about half way through. maybe i just don't care about France and French revolutions. it got interesting at Wagner.

The downside of listening to this is that you won't have a list of works cited. i listened to it while driving or doing other things and i could take notes.

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1 person found this helpful