Ben
- 6
- reviews
- 3
- helpful votes
- 6
- ratings
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When Prophecy Fails
- By: Leon Festinger
- Narrated by: Ellis Freeman
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance2.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That Predicted the Destruction of the World is a landmark work of social psychology by Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter which was published in 1956. The book examines the case of a UFO cult in Chicago called the Seekers, their expectation of an imminent apocalypse, and their coping mechanisms after the event did not occur.
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3 out of 5 stars
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HORRIBLE reader for an important book
- By Michael Lisa on 11-18-21
- When Prophecy Fails
- By: Leon Festinger
- Narrated by: Ellis Freeman
PLEASE Do Not Buy!
Reviewed: 07-13-24
The writing itself is fascinating, important, and really grabs your attention. However, the reader is uneven, inarticulate, and usually has an audible sneer. It is the worst audiobook reading I have ever heard and I cannot believe a human editor signed off on it.
There is another version of this book, which I will have to try, but that only makes me angrier that I wasted money on this one.
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The World of Biblical Israel
- By: Cynthia R. Chapman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Cynthia R. Chapman
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 424
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 374
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Story4 out of 5 stars 368
From Genesis to Job, the Hebrew scriptures contain some of the most influential stories in Western civilization. But what do these stories tell us about daily life in ancient Israel? And why do they still speak to us today? In 24 captivating lectures, Professor Chapman introduces you to the stories of the Judeans in exile and grounds them in their historical context, giving you a grand vision of history as presented in the scriptures.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Interesting, if you can stomach the bias.
- By Selah on 05-24-15
- The World of Biblical Israel
- By: Cynthia R. Chapman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Cynthia R. Chapman
Direct & Informative
Reviewed: 12-14-22
What a breath of fresh air!
I was hesitant even to try this course. Any subject of study adjacent to the Bible has to contend with constant attempts by the faithful to undermine honest enquiry. You can see them here in these reviews railing against the course for not conforming to their presuppositions. Most coverage of this material is made by and for such people, with little interest in the truth.
Fortunately this professor takes the Bible much more seriously than they do. By comparing the Biblical record to itself, archeological evidence, and the records of other ancient cultures, she assembles an impressively detailed picture of the world that produced it. Her voice is always steady and clear, if not especially dramatic. If you actually want to learn, this one is for you.
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1 person found this helpful
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The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes
- The Ancient World Economy and the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia and Han China
- By: Raoul McLaughlin
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 150
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes investigates the trade routes between Rome and the powerful empires of inner Asia, including the Parthian regime which ruled ancient Persia (Iran). It explores Roman dealings with the Kushan Empire which seized power in Bactria (Afghanistan) and laid claim to the Indus Kingdoms. Further chapters examine the development of Palmyra as a leading caravan city on the edge of Roman Syria and consider trade ventures through the Tarim territories that led Roman merchants to Han China.
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4 out of 5 stars
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An arduous trek through Eurasia
- By Eternl Rayne on 12-27-19
- The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes
- The Ancient World Economy and the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia and Han China
- By: Raoul McLaughlin
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
Truly Awful Vocal Delivery
Reviewed: 01-11-22
This is by far the worst performance I have had the misfortune to encounter on Audible. I barely made it through the introduction before I had to take a break to relieve my headache.
Most English speakers instinctively figure out how to modulate their tone throughout a sentence to help listeners understand the structure, but this guy just holds the same rising tone throughout. The effect is punishing in a way that I didn't even know was possible. It's like a horrifying mix between a computer-generated voice and the shepherd's tone. I'm very interested in the subject, and the bits I managed to catch were fascinating, but I doubt I'll ever make it through the torturous experience of actually listening to it all. What a shame!
Edit: I stuck it out, and the content of the book is indeed excellent. It doesn't hold your hand and tell you a bedtime story like a lot of pop history, but it's crammed with dense, interesting information. I'll be very happy to never hear this voice again though.
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2 people found this helpful
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The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Ancient Greece
- Ancient Warfare and Civilization Series
- By: Jennifer T. Roberts
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story5 out of 5 stars 18
In 431 BC, the long simmering rivalry between the city-states of Athens and Sparta erupted into open warfare, and for more than a generation the two were locked in a life-and-death struggle. The war embroiled the entire Greek world, provoking years of butchery previously unparalleled in ancient Greece. Whole cities were exterminated, their men killed, their women and children enslaved.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping Historical Narrative
- By Ben on 06-21-21
- The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Ancient Greece
- Ancient Warfare and Civilization Series
- By: Jennifer T. Roberts
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
Gripping Historical Narrative
Reviewed: 06-21-21
This is a full and cohesive retelling of the events in Greece between the Persian Wars and the rise of Macedon. It's a difficult period to wrap your head around, with 150 years of constantly churning governments and shuffling alliances, but it rewards you with an incredible panorama of human drama.
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The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,374
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,186
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,176
In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
- The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
Fascinating
Reviewed: 06-11-21
A very interesting and animated exploration of religion, especially Mediterranean polytheism. The lecturer really draws out the ironies and oddities, especially of Roman religion, to entertaining effect.
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The Horse, the Wheel, and Language
- How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
- By: David W. Anthony
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 705
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 593
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 587
Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
- By Anthony on 08-09-19
- The Horse, the Wheel, and Language
- How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World
- By: David W. Anthony
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
History Without Emotion
Reviewed: 05-20-21
Most people seem to demand that history be fed to them in the form of an exciting narrative, regardless of how close it holds to the facts. Personally, I would rather learn about what's true, and the only way to get there is to stick to the data, which this book is chock full of. Yes, it's dry and it demands more work from you, but it also rewards you with some genuine insights into who we humans are and where we come from.
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