Bill Maney
- 12
- reviews
- 2
- helpful votes
- 238
- ratings
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The Heart's Invisible Furies
- A Novel
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
- Length: 21 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,158
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6,511
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,480
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery - or at least that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding. A Must listen.
- By Keith G on 09-04-17
- The Heart's Invisible Furies
- A Novel
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
incredible story
Reviewed: 04-05-23
A story full of heart, humor and sorrows so deep that swallow us whole.
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The Master Algorithm
- How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World
- By: Pedro Domingos
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,677
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,432
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,426
Under the aegis of machine learning in our data-driven machine age, computers are programming themselves and learning about - and solving - an extraordinary range of problems, from the mundane to the most daunting. Today it is machine learning programs that enable Amazon and Netflix to predict what users will like, Apple to power Siri's ability to understand voices, and Google to pilot cars.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book, irritating narration
- By N. G. PEPIN on 09-24-15
- The Master Algorithm
- How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World
- By: Pedro Domingos
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
Reader is painful, bad analogies ad infinitum
Reviewed: 01-16-18
I couldn't finish it. Recommended by a friend in the field. Perhaps it's better if you understand the material before starting!
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The Hike
- A Novel
- By: Drew Magary
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,734
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,172
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,155
When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Kafkaesque novel that went on way too long
- By Ketil on 01-06-17
- The Hike
- A Novel
- By: Drew Magary
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
Random nonsense, like a kid's improv
Reviewed: 03-09-17
My kids and I tell stories where we alternate sentences. This book is like those rambling pointless stories. Avoid it.
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1 person found this helpful
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The Sword of Summer
- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book One
- By: Rick Riordan
- Narrated by: Christopher Guetig
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,086
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 7,092
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,080
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he barely knows - a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday.
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4 out of 5 stars
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First I was disappointed, then I was angry
- By Jeanie on 10-08-15
- The Sword of Summer
- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book One
- By: Rick Riordan
- Narrated by: Christopher Guetig
Can't wait for book 2!
Reviewed: 12-06-15
another fun read by Rick Riordan. we can't wait for book 2. reading up on our Norse myth now.
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The Art Thief
- By: Noah Charney
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Story4 out of 5 stars 69
Three apparently unrelated art thefts in three separate cities have more in common than anyone imagines. As a renowned art investigator, a police inspector, and a Scotland Yard inspector take up their separate investigations, a trail of bizarre clues and intellectual puzzles reveals forgeries, over-paintings, and double-crosses in an ever-deepening conspiracy.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Let some else steal this one
- By auditor9157 on 11-01-07
- The Art Thief
- By: Noah Charney
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
lots of fun, and fun characters
Reviewed: 10-08-11
While this book is not high art by any stretch, I enjoyed it from cover to cover. There were parts that were a bit weak or pedantic, but for the most part, it was quite enjoyable. I laughed quite a few times and there are wonderful turns-of-phrase throughout. The characters are characters in more than one sense of the word.
Enjoy.
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5 people found this helpful
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The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, Book One)
- By: Suzanne Collins
- Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54,463
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43,217
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43,638
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
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5 out of 5 stars
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One of the Best in Fiction
- By Holly Helscher on 01-08-10
- The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, Book One)
- By: Suzanne Collins
- Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick
great book except suicide is not a good idea
Reviewed: 09-22-10
I loved this book and would recommend it to my 11 year old son, except that suicide is treated as a reasonable thing to do at one point in the narrative. That rubs my morals the wrong way.
The story is gripping and the setting believable.
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Packing for Mars
- The Curious Science of Life in the Void
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,554
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,488
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3,481
Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know - and More
- By Roy on 09-22-10
- Packing for Mars
- The Curious Science of Life in the Void
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
You like reading about masturbation, urine, vomit?
Reviewed: 09-07-10
I don't think I can finish this book. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it and I've read about astronaut masturbation, urine, vomit, space sickness, mental instability. These are not the topics that intrigue me about the space program. The interesting facts are too far apart in this book.
Her attempts at being funny (listing two relevent items and then one that's completely irrelevent) fall flat most of the time. I did laugh once.
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The Planets
- By: Dava Sobel
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 168
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 64
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Story4 out of 5 stars 62
The sun's family of planets become a familiar place in this personal account of the lives of other worlds. Sobel explores the planets' origins and oddities through the lens of popular culture, from astrology, mythology, and science fiction to art, music, poetry, biography, and history. This intimate account is filled with fascination, beauty, and surprise.
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1 out of 5 stars
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This book should be categorized as fiction
- By Think B4 Eating on 10-07-05
- The Planets
- By: Dava Sobel
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
I'm into astronomy: Couldn't read it
Reviewed: 08-27-10
This book was agony. I was so looking forward to it. I read Longitude and loved it. I couldn't listen to this at all. I only got about 1/3 of the way through before I gave up. It was all fluff and not much science. Nothing I found interesting.
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5 people found this helpful
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Dinosaurs Never Say Please and Other Stories
- By: Bill Harley
- Narrated by: Bill Harley
- Length: 40 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 147
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
If you were big and ugly, had a ton of sharp teeth, and a truly enormous appetite, you wouldn't need the "magic word" either! These stories for kids, from acclaimed storytelling songster Bill Harley, center around the theme of being small.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Mrs Jones 1st grade class loved it!
- By Dan on 04-10-03
- Dinosaurs Never Say Please and Other Stories
- By: Bill Harley
- Narrated by: Bill Harley
not as good as Town Around the Bend
Reviewed: 10-16-05
There are some funny parts to this but it's not nearly as good as Town around the bend.
I did not like the language: phrases like "I hate your song" and "It's stupid", and the implication that the boy eats his parents was disturbing.
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4 people found this helpful
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Science Friday, 1-Month Subscription
- By: Ira Flatow
- Length: 2 hrs
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
The first national call-in program to broadcast live over the Internet, Science Friday rarely misses an opportunity to present science news and information in an inventive way. Get the latest issue or subscribe!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Always Interesting
- By Kenny on 12-20-02
- Science Friday, 1-Month Subscription
- By: Ira Flatow
interesting but poor sound quality
Reviewed: 09-12-05
I like the content. It is usually thought provoking.
But as an audio engineer, I am amazed at what Audible considers passable sound quality. One wonders if anyone has listened to it. All of the NPR shows sound like this, like they've been compressed with two different algorhithms that are interacting. They sound this way regardless of the selected quality level.
Audible books sound fine, so I'm left wondering who dropped the ball.
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3 people found this helpful