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Audiobooks for Postal Employees!
Archives: July 2008 - November 2008 [Audiobooks
Home] |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
November 2008 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 John
le Carre is known for his spy thrillers, often intricate character
studies more focused on motives and inner conflicts than on bombs and
chase scenes. In his new novel A MOST WANTED MAN, the paranoia of the
post 9/11 world comes into play in a story about a boxer named Melik
Oktay who takes in a Russian man claiming to be a Muslim medical
student. Melik and his mother, who are Turkish Muslims living in
Germany, are unaware that Issa is a wanted terrorist whose mysterious
father hides a secret portfolio at a Hamburg bank. When a
representative of Issa attempts to claim this portfolio, Tommy Brue
enters the picture as an investigator on behalf of a failing British
bank. He and an idealistic civil rights lawyer named Annabelle,
together with Issa himself, get involved in a love triangle, while the
spies of various agencies look to score another bravery medal in the
war on terror. This largely cosy mystery is narrated by the author,
who can't be faulted for his accent, or anything else, in a believable
and understated performance. While readers of many American thrillers
may be bored to tears by the lack of intense action sequences (a la
Ludlum), this is a more realistic and human approach to the genre.
Incidentally, British humor isn't as focused on bathroom and bedroom
activities as American humor, either. (Simon & Schuster Audio; 6 hours
abridged)
Recall the rash of burglaries perpetrated on Las Vegas casinos circa
2000? Former Miami Herald columnist John Huddy spills open the money
bags taken from the armored car heists in detailing how much was taken
(and how spent) in STORMING LAS VEGAS. What is most surprising about
this true story is the audacity of the robbers, who once planned an
assault by stealing a fleet of rental cars in broad daylight,
pretending to be a company carrier exchanging models between lots. The
heists themselves were often carried out in daylight too, on busy
streets with carefully timed and choreographed maneuvers. Las Vegas
was just advertising itself as a family-friendly vacation destination
when Jose Vigoa arrived in town. As a Cuban-born veteran of the Soviet
Army, Vigoa and his crew then hit the MGM, The Desert Inn, Mandalay
Bay, and even the Bellagio, although it was not as glamorous as Oceans
11 (or 12). Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, who could probably be a gun
wielding criminal mastermind himself, the audiobook delves deeply into
Vigoa's background as a village raiding commando in the Soviet's
Afghan war. (Blackstone Audio; 13 hours unabridged)
Author Philip K. Dick was an imaginative seer who enjoyed playing with
alternate realities and perceptions. In his SF novel THE THREE
STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH he explores the subjective nature of
reality. In this future age the Earth is hot, but escape to the
colonies is not a pleasant alternative, although you could be drafted
to go there against your will, in which case you may want to hire
someone to help you fool the required psych exam (including, for one
enterprising resister, the acquisition of epilepsy). As in another of
Dick's stories, made into the Tom Cruise movie "Minority Report,"
pre-cogs exist who can see the future, or at least the possible
derivations. However, here most are not cops, but "pre-fash" cogs,
meaning they can anticipate what will become fashionable. Enter Palmer
Eldritch, who has returned from deep space with a new designer drug
that he claims can open one's eyes to the ultimate mysteries, if not
immortality itself. Except then we learn that Eldritch is dead. Or is
he? Everything is not spelled out here, even in Dick's typically
muscular prose, all of which gives the reader a disconcerting yet
oddly satisfying sense of the miraculous. Remember the director's cut
ending of "Blade Runner," (based on another Dick story), where
Harrison Ford's eyes seem to glow in the dark for a second, causing
speculation among viewers as to whether he too was an artificial
human? Sometimes it's good to leave a few question marks lying around.
This new recording of "The Three Stigmata" is by actor and voiceover
talent Tom Weiner, whose delivery embraces the ethereal nature of the
text while evincing yet another sign (or rather stigmata) that Dick
still lives in the imaginations of readers.(Blackstone Audio; 7 1/2
hours unabridged)
Dog lovers, your attention please. Here's a new first novel that Oprah
calls a masterpiece. Whether it is or not, one thing is certain: it's
definitely worth reading, or listening to. Especially since, on audio,
it is narrated by actor Richard Poe, whose appropriateness for the
telling is as evident as it was in Poe's rendition of the masterpiece
"Independence Day" by Richard Ford, or in Will Patton's reading of
"Swan Peak" by James Lee Burke. THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE is set In
the backwoods of Wisconsin, where Edgar's family breeds and trains
dogs. Edgar, mute from birth, can communicate with the unique breed of
intuitive dogs, and in particular one named Almondine. When the
menacing Uncle Claude shows up, and Edgar's father dies, Edgar
suspects murder, and goes on the run. What happens next is fateful,
original, yet not unlike the story this is being compared to: Hamlet.
Dogs are actual characters in this novel, on par with the people who
inhabit the story, and in moral aspects they are clearly superior.
Obviously the same cannot be said of cats, who would probably lick
their paws and look around for the dinner bowl right after you've been
burned alive in the kind of fire that culminates this epic, by
newcomer David Wroblewski. (Recorded Books; 21 hours unabridged)
Highbridge Audio has a deal with Penguin to remaster and repackage
some of Stephen King's novels on CD for the first time, including Four
Past Midnight (narrated by James Woods, Willem Dafoe, Tim Sample, and
Ken Howard), Gerald's Game (narrated by Lindsay Crouse), Delores
Claiborne (narrated by Frances Sternhagen), Insomnia (narrated by Eli
Wallach), and Needful Things (narrated by King himself). Of these
performances, I like Ken Howard's best. As you may recall, THE LIBRARY
POLICEMAN was one of the four tales included on Four Past Midnight,
one of those stories whose plot at first seems ridiculous, but of
course King loves to take a nonsensical idea and turn it into terror,
as he did in the story about the "Chattering Teeth." Here the plot
involves a middle aged businessman named Sam Peebles, who finds
himself holder of some overdue books, and must face a malevolent
monster of a librarian. Ken Howard evokes a kind of breathy and
subdued creepiness for the policeman, which contrasts nicely with the
familiar businessman character represented by Sam. Sam has a memory
that will save him, and the story, from an otherwise inevitable
designation as camp. As in campfire. (Highbridge Audio; 9 hours
unabridged) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
October 2008 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 London.
Nov. 1, 2006. New York Times bureau chief Alan S. Cowell, although he
doesn't know it yet, is about to cover the events leading up to the
poisoning death of a former KGB intelligence officer known for his
criticisms of President Vladimir Putin. Sound like a spy thriller? It
is, but it's not fiction, and now Cowell has gone on to chronicle the
entire back story in his new book THE TERMINAL SPY, which follows
Alexander Litvinenko throughout his insider career in the 1990s with
other spies and sanctioned Russian thugs. Cowell explains why a rare
radioactive isotope known as polonium was the preferred weapon of
assassinations by the Kremlin--primarily for its resistance to
detection and short half-life. One speck in food will kill within
days, then be flushed from the body, while inflicting excruciating
pain. It was only by accident that Litvinenko's dose was discovered,
while his approved killer escaped prosecution so that diplomats could
save face. Narrated by the always engaging actor John Lee, whose
accented performance is especially appropriate here, the audiobook
confirms suspicions that sometimes, at least, real life can be just as
intriguing as those spy thrillers on the big screen. (Random House
Audio; 6 1/2 hours abridged)
Next, John Keller is a hit man who collects stamps. Odd, you might
say, for a man you might associate with being a sociopath. But is
Keller really without scruples? In HIT AND RUN by award winning
mystery writer Lawrence Block, the case is made for a hit man
possessing endearing qualities. For the purposes of reader
identification, this is a useful presumption, too, since it would be
more difficult to root for someone who might slit your throat for no
good reason. Keller usually has a good reason, and not just because
he's being paid. The victims usually "deserve" what they get. That is,
they are usually killers themselves. In this latest installment,
Keller has been set up by his employer to take the fall for a
political murder he didn't do, and must disappear before the police
find him. He eventually travels to New Orleans, where he attempts to
live a normal life with a construction job and even a girlfriend. With
his stamp collection presumably stolen and his intriguing secretary
"Dot" out of the loop, Keller bides his time until the expected moment
of revenge presents itself, when his old life may (or may not) resume.
Has Keller finally retired, as he intended? Judge for yourself. Your
guess is as good as mine. The plot is not the important thing here. In
fact, there's not much plot at all. The attraction is in hearing about
the day to day mundane activities of a man with a job we wouldn't
consider doing. Unless we were sociopathic. Block walks that tightrope
even more believably with the talents of narrator and actor Richard
Poe, who gives the understated performance required by the text, and
who crosses into dramatic accented speech only at those moments
involving confrontation, whether droll or action oriented. Poe is
good, and he has Keller's mindset down pat, and that conveys to the
audience. Is there a John Keller out there somewhere in real life?
Perhaps, but he's certainly not the norm. You wouldn't be as curious
about him if he was typical, either. (Recorded Books; 8.5 hours
unabridged)
CROWDSOURCING was coined by journalist Jeff Howe in the June 2006
issue of Wired magazine to describe the phenomenon of non-professional
contributions to formerly professionally dominated industries.
Although no one expects those who frequent social websites, (endlessly
swapping photos and songs and videos), to put doctors and lawyers out
of business anytime soon, Howe makes the case, in his book subtitled
WHY THE POWER OF THE CROWD IS DRIVING THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS, that the
contributions of ordinary citizens to the creative side of free
enterprise is already putting many professionals out of work. His
primary case study is iStockPhoto.com, a company which licenses stock
photography via the internet at a much cheaper rate than professional
stock photographers, or Getty Images. Anyone can submit their photos,
and if accepted, can begin to earn royalties on them. The same is true
for Threadless.com tee shirts, whose designs are crowdsourced, voted
on by peers, and then sold to the very people who frequent the site.
Of course the biggest model for crowdsourcing is Google, which ranks
pages by how often people quote or link to them. And while Current.com
collects news stories from amateurs, YouTube attempts to bypass
mainstream media altogether by making anyone a "reporter." Certainly
these trends are commendable in many ways, opening doors to innovation
and increased productivity, since not even scientists have time to
sift through all the data collected by giant telescopes, looking for
asteroids or signals from intelligent civilizations. But if this new
meritocracy were to expand, would it not give false hope to those
considering whether or not to attend grad school? If I've got an
advanced degree in thermodynamic engineering, and I'm driving a cab,
I'll have a better chance of contributing to an alternative energy
startup company (that crowdsources) than someone who has been washing
dishes in a diner all his life. Rather than seeing this trend as
empowering the masses, it is therefore better to view it as an
opportunity for unrecognized talent to come forward. Still, an
interesting discussion all around, as narrated by actor Kirby Heyborne,
who is moonlighting here from feature films and television series.
(Random House Audio; 10 hours unabridged)
Michael Moore, having witnessed the defeat of Al Gore and other
Democratic Presidential contenders in the past, is understandably more
than a bit paranoid about the prospect of losing an election that
should be "a slam dunk." In his new, short audiobook (that he narrates
himself with both self-deprecating humor and real emotional urgency)
Moore wonders aloud how Democrats will manage to blow it this time. He
even offers the party advice on how to blow it again, just before
advising Obama what to do during his first weeks in office. Is he
serious? You bet. About as serious as a fat man on a high wire over a
river filled with piranha can be. The humor here may be gallows in
MIKE'S ELECTION GUIDE 2008, as he provides prefabricated statements
"to be taken out of context by the press," but while the audiobook is
mostly an audio blog, Moore is also unafraid to ask the un-askable.
For example, he asks McCain about whether he thinks bombing targets in
Vietnam "where civilians were present" was the courageous thing to do.
"Mr. McCain," he says, "your answer, please." (Hachette Audio; 3 hours
unabridged)
Finally, the epic SF classic DUNE ended with Paul Muad'Dib in control
of spice mining on the desert planet, having defeated the forces of
House Harkonen. Frank Herbert's sequel, DUNE MESSIAH, takes up years
later, after Paul's armies have conquered the galaxy. The period
between these two books has been left unexplored, until now, with PAUL
OF DUNE, by Herbert's son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The duo have
previously explored other timelines surrounding Dune, but here they
focus on the reign of conquest in which Paul leads his legions from
victory to victory while both self doubts and internal conflicts
threaten to undermine him. Attempts are here made on Paul's life, and
loyalties are questioned, leading to harsh consequences that bring up
the old question, "Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?" Read by
Dune universe insider Scott Brick, who is quite familiar with all the
requisite pronunciations, the novel is a must for Dune fans, and
anyone else into space opera. For those whose suspension of disbelief
doesn't extend to Star Wars, and the clash of epic egos in space so
vast that even Darth Vader is a grain of sand on some distant beach,
might I suggest the clash to be resolved on Nov. 2? Perhaps not, but
at least things will be in better perspective after hearing this
audiobook. (MacMillan Audio; 18 1/2 hours unabridged)
(These audiobooks may
be rented from AudioAdventures.com. Jonathan Lowe's anti-TV author
website is JustSayNoWay.com.) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
September 2008 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 After
hearing Christopher Ciccone read his autobiography, one cannot help
wondering why now? Could it be that Christopher has once again
hit hard times, due to lack of work and drug use? Or could it simply
be that his sister, arguably the most famous woman on Earth (at least
to the 80s and 90s generation), has just turned 50, and there has been
a secret pact that he couldn't write a book like LIFE WITH MY SISTER
MADONNA until now? We are not told the reason for the timing, except
in a brief opening statement the author assures us that it was written
to sort out his thoughts about his sister, and served as a catharsis
in finally breaking free into his own identity, because, as he puts
it, "I was born my mother's son, but will die my sister's brother."
Christopher shared most of his life with Madonna, from a Michigan
childhood to a turbulent and emotional struggle in New York, then
finally as Madonna's art director and backup dancer on the Blond
Ambition and Girly Show tours. In between it all, he worked
for Madonna as dresser, decorator, and personal assistant, and became
friends with many of her famous friends, including Kate Moss, Gwyneth
Paltrow, and Demi Moore. Never able to break free from Madonna's
controlling influence into an independent dancer or designer in his
own right, Christopher fell victim again and again to mistreatment and
verbal abuse, as his sister underpaid him, doling out just enough to
keep him tied to her, while she lavished extravagant sums on houses
and art. Christopher's battle with drugs was soon to follow, as this
behind-the-curtain narrative unfolds with flagrant detail, tarnishing
his sister's carefully constructed mythology. A gay man with a deep
masculine voice, Christopher adopts an unemotional, matter-of-fact
tone in reading the book, which was coauthored by Wendy Leigh. Photos
of their life together appear in PDF on an enhanced CD, just as they
appear in the print book, but one doesn't get as vital or real a
picture reading the print version as in hearing Madonna's own brother
dish back as well as he's taken since the narcissistic, homophobic,
and macho Guy Ritchie effectively ended his relationship with the pop
icon. Now Madonna is ironically falling out with Ritchie, yet striking
deals to do concerts in Dubai for $25 million. Not without serious
flaws himself, the poorer Christopher Ciccone tells a story about the
cost of fame from an angle seldom seen, or rather heard. (Simon &
Schuster Audio; 5 hours abridged)
As a genre, romance has tended to fluctuate between the sappy and
steamy, taking stock characters on a predictable roller coaster ride
that ends with either a wedding or some twist on revenge. In recent
years, romance has strayed into mystery and suspense in a crossover
attempt to win a wider audience. Working mothers or career women whose
hopes for advancement included snagging the resident Adonis are no
longer typical of this new wave of novels populated by serial killer
investigators, ghost busters, and even vampires. The boring has turned
into the ridiculous. So it was with pleasant surprise that, having
ejected the first disk of a new (and vapid) Danielle Steel novel, I
next inserted TRAIN TO TRIESTE by first time novelist Domnica
Radulescu, a literate romance that breathes spontaneous life from its
opening paragraphs. In the memoir-clarity of first person, the story
of Mona Manoliu is told, circa 1977 in Ceausescu's Romania, as she
falls in love with a young man who is later seen in the uniform of the
secret police. Fleeing the country for Chicago, Mona goes on to live a
quite different life with another man, but can never forget her one
great love. Indeed, twenty years later, when she finally returns to
Romania to learn the truth, the moment is rendered with exquisite
detail, something that is simply absent in most of today's less
believable manipulations. The reason I haven't reviewed much romance
in the past is, (I now realize), not because I am not romantic, but
rather because I could never get past the first CDs. This audiobook
kept me through all nine disks, however, thanks to the well drawn
character of Mona, whose hauntingly original voice is honest, brave,
witty, and most of all passionate and alive. Thanks also to narrator
Yelena Shmulenson, whose ability to empathically inhabit the character
is matched by her masterful delivery and authentic accent. A
must-hear. (Highbridge Audio; 11 hours unabridged)
Next, have you ever wondered why the most seemingly sedate and
innocuous people can suddenly act recklessly demonic behind the wheel?
According to Tom Vanderbilt in TRAFFIC--WHY WE DRIVE THE WAY WE DO
it's because there's an anonymity inherent to the closed passenger
compartment similar to a chat room on the internet. So while John Q.
Public might never cut you off in conversation, he hesitates not at
all to cut you off in traffic. Safe and anonymous behind tinted glass,
many drivers feel a sense of invincibility--especially those whose
physical smallness or emotional insecurity is suddenly enhanced by a
huge or powerful vehicle. Vanderbilt explores the many ramifications
of human nature in driving, as well as our misperceptions in judging
how to avoid accidents. How traffic actually works can be both
surprising and scary, too. Hundreds of decisions are made every minute
on the road, and the chances for one mistake to snowball only
increases with speed, distraction, fatigue, and a variety of X
factors. Where and when do most accidents happen? On dry, sunny days
on rural, two-lane roads. Where a false sense of security pervades. It
was where Stephen King was struck by a pickup truck, just over a rise,
walking by the side of the road. As read by David Slavin, this
audiobook is best listened to while stuck in traffic. It might just
save your life. (Random House Audio; 6 hours unabridged)
Finally, an update interview with Brad Meltzer, author of six previous
New York Times bestsellers, his seventh and latest now being THE BOOK
OF LIES, narrated by Scott Brick. A graduate of the University of
Michigan and Columbia Law School, Meltzer was once an intern on
Capitol Hill, and currently lives in Maryland with his wife and son.
JONATHAN LOWE: Just finished listening to your new novel "The Book of
Lies." Until I heard it, I was wondering how on earth you'd link up
the premise about finding the first murder weapon used by Abel to kill
Cain with the real life murder of the father of the creator of
Superman. Congrats on an enjoyable journey of following clues
bolstered by the father-son theme.
BRAD MELTZER: Thanks. My editor asked the same question when I
started.
LOWE: Am curious about your research. Did the premise arise
organically from your boyhood love of comic books, and your curiosity
about their authors? And how did your investigations proceed within
your usual two-year time frame to write a novel?
MELTZER: Every writer has a story they've been waiting their whole
life to tell. This is mine. I know this because I first pitched The
Book of Lies over a decade ago. When my first novel, The Tenth
Justice, was published, my original pitch for the follow up was a
story involving Cain. Exactly. My editor at the time smartly told me:
"You've just established yourself as a bestselling author of legal
thrillers. Do you really want to risk it all by suddenly switching to
kooky things like Cain?" It was a moment I'll never forget. I caved
right there. I was twenty-seven years old and barely had paid off my
student loans. I caved in no time at all. In fact, I set the record
for caving. But it took me until now to come back to it.
LOWE: It really is still partly a mystery--the murder, and the genesis
of Superman--isn't it?
MELTZER: Absolutely.
LOWE: There's a website to explore about this?
MELTZER: It's all at
bradmeltzer.com , including a video ad for the book.
LOWE: I see that Dennis Kao was producer and director of the audio
version. I've met and interviewed Dennis in the past, regarding how
audiobooks are made, and about one of my favorite thrillers with sound
effects, "The Breathtaker" by Alice Blanchard. He's worked his magic
here on your book as well, with the unobtrusive Mahler and Elgar
clips, and the PDF of illustrations included on the final disk. Have
you heard the companion soundtrack to your audiobook?
MELTZER: Those are directly from the soundtrack we did for Victor
Records. It's on iTunes and Amazon — and we actually scored the key
chapters of the book so you can play certain chapters and hear exactly
the song that conveys the emotion of that chapter.
LOWE: Scott's dramatic performance alone is reason to listen, of
course. Are any of those character accents a result of your throwing
him a curve ball, like he claims you sometimes do?
MELTZER: Scott is my hero. It's why I actually asked him to come back
and rerecord my first two books. If my name is on it, so is Scott's.
He makes me sound handsome. Plus, I'll get him with an accent he can't
do sooner or later.
LOWE: You grew up reading comics, too, and graphic novels, like from
Alan Moore and Warren Ellis and Frank Miller. Any more graphic novels
of your own in the works, like "Identity Crisis"?
MELTZER: "Last Will & Testament" should be out as people read this.
How's that for service?
LOWE: What can we expect from you next time, in two years, or haven't
you considered that yet? And where you going on book tour?
MELTZER: Working on the new one now. And the book tour for The Book of
Lies kicks off September 2nd to 20 cities. See them all at my website.
(Jonathan Lowe's anti-TV website is
JustSayNoWay.com) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
August 2008 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 The building of
skyscrapers is a perilous but heady endeavor. For the site of the
World Trade Center, a Freedom Tower is now being designed by the same
architect who drafted the Burj Dubai, the current world's tallest
building. And a futuristic mile high tower, (once envisioned as
theoretically possible by Frank Lloyd Wright), is also being proposed
by a rich oil sheik in Saudi Arabia. So the skyscraper race is "on"
once again, just as it was almost a century ago. To hear how that
first race was conducted, I recommend the audiobook
HIGHER by
former agent and editor Neal Bascomb, as read with documentary aplomb
by veteran stage actor Richard Davidson. It details the rivalry
between two architects, William Van Alen and Craig Severance, as they
plotted to outdo each other in the construction of the Chrysler
Building and the Manhattan Company Building in the late 1920s in New
York. Ultimately, both men were defeated by William A. Starrett, an
architect on the Empire State Building in 1931. (That building
remained highest in the world until 1972.) As Starrett put it,
"Building skyscrapers is the nearest peace-time equivalent of war,"
since many trades are involved in what consists of building a vertical
city on a timeline requiring utmost coordination, while safety is
granted the narrowest of margins. One misstep, one unexpected strong
breeze, and hoisted steel could launch an unwary worker off a girder,
if not crush him. Bascomb's account is embellished with the color of
the times, including the Great Depression, which didn't stop
construction, but rather goaded it on to quicker completion. Both
corporate financiers and their competing designers and engineers are
profiled, while the experience of the trades people actually doing the
grim work for low pay is conveyed as though their toil possessed
grander purpose than simply to erect monuments to the egos of their
employers. A few facts: A secret 185' spire was hoisted and placed
atop the Chrysler Building near the end of its race with Severance, to
claim the title for the 77 floor building whose facade is reminiscent
of a car's radiator grill. (Exactly 391,831 rivets were placed in the
building's framework.) The 70 floor Manhattan Company Building was
struck by a Coast Guard plane at the 58th floor in 1946, when four
were killed. The building was sold to Donald Trump in 1995. Another
plane, this time a B-25 bomber, also struck the 102 floor Empire State
Building in 1945 at the 79th floor level, but the building was only
closed briefly. Originally, the building was designed to have a
landing dock for airships, but after a trial docking maneuver in
strong cold winds at the 1250' level, those plans were scrapped.
Although Faye Ray doesn't look cold with King Kong at the summit!
(Recorded Books; 11 hours unabridged)
Next, if your only aspiration is to be a beach bum, it helps to have
either a tidy investment portfolio featuring energy futures, or maybe
a rich uncle whose real estate isn't owned by Fannie Mae. In THE
DAWN PATROL by Don Winslow, the beach bum hero Boone Daniels is a
sometimes P.I. like Magnum, with a benefactor to support his surfing
lifestyle in San Diego (rather than Honolulu), and an occasional job
to keep him in fish tacos. His sidekicks include five friends
affectionately known as the "Dawn Patrol" because they like to get up
early to scout for waves. Although the waves in southern California
aren't as big as those on the north shore of Oahu, neither are Boone's
ambitions, although he does have a hidden need for redemption
involving an abducted and abused girl named Rain, whom he wasn't able
to save while a San Diego cop. In the climax at the end of the novel
Boone is given a chance to "make up" for that obsessed moment in his
life, but in the meantime there's a lot of character studies and
observations to be made about everyone he knows and everywhere he
frequents. This is as much a people and place novel as it is a mystery
or thriller, centered around Boone being hired by a sexy attorney
named Petra to find a stripper whose testimony she needs to defend her
law firm from a sleazeball nightclub owner. Wry observations are made
at every turn, in a not unsuccessful attempt at endearing you to the
characters, although why we need to be tour-guided in the history and
evolution of Boone's environs at times seems questionable. Winslow is
obviously not writing according to formula in the way James Patterson
does, which oddly works to his favor, since the book slowly begins to
work on you. Just don't expect the unexpected twists, false turns and
relentless plotting of your typical mystery. These are just some laid
back beach bums with an attitude, a bent toward territorial defense,
and a creed known as loyalty. What happens is similar to real life,
not pulp fiction, and in the voice of actor Ray Porter, whose
skeptical tone and in-the-know style also presented "The Four Hour
Work Week," it's a marriage made in heaven. Boone and his buddies
don't want to work a forty hour week, they'd rather catch waves.
Gather Magnum, Boone, Winslow, Tim Ferriss, Porter, and the editor who
bought this book, and you'll probably discover they all hold that
philosophy, either outwardly or secretly. Workaholics--or serial
killer fans--need not apply to the Dawn Patrol. (Blaclkstone Audio; 9
hours unabridged)
Finally, Peter Senge is an MIT lecturer whose book "The Fifth
Discipline" was called one of best business books of all time. His new
book is THE NECESSARY REVOLUTION, which embraces change as the
model for the 21st Century by proposing that what America needs now is
quite different than what we expected it would back in the 20th. Our
past strategy of compete-to-dominate is over. With the new world more
and more a closed system, we share the air with many new consumers and
markets, who are also new polluters. According to Senge, we cannot
afford to continue to perceive the world in the same way that we did,
because change is being forced upon us, and it is much better to
anticipate and plan for that change than to dig in and wait for some
giant dinosaur to collapse on top of us. In an increasingly
interdependent world, what is most necessary is to cooperate. Ways to
achieve cooperation for a sustainable business environment are
outlined here, with examples of what is already happening around the
world. Inspiring and insightful, the audiobook is co-authored by Bryan
Smith, president of Broad Reach Innovations; Nina Kruschwitz, manager
of the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook project; plus Joe Laur & Sara
Schley, cofounders of the SoL Sustainability Consortium. The book is
narrated by actor Patrick Frederic, while author Peter Senge is also
featured. (Random House Audio; 6 hours abridged)
(These audiobooks may be rented from AudioAdventures.com. Jonathan
Lowe can be found blogging at
burjreview.blogspot.com. His author website is
JustSayNoWay.com.) |
BOOKS TO READ WHILE WORKING
July
2008 - Audiobooks reviewed by Jonathan Lowe |
 Forget
the Ark. Indy is looking for something even more mysterious and
dangerous in INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE
CRYSTAL SKULL. The novelization of the screenplay by David Koepp
(based on the story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson) is by
bestselling author James Rollins. Rollins is a good pick here, as is
L.J. Ganser as narrator for the story, since both writer and actor
have a knack for wisecracking humor. In real life, Rollins is an avid
spelunker and scuba diver, too, besides being author of Excavation,
Deep Fathom, Amazonia, Map of Bones, and Black Order. For his Lucas
Films adaptation, the time is 1957, and Indy is fired from teaching by
his McCarthy-era superiors, suspected of being a spy. Russian soldiers
have plundered a top secret government warehouse, looking for a
powerful relic, and after foiling the attempt with a narrow escape,
Indy is on the run to rescue a colleague in the Amazon jungle, and to
solve the mystery of the Crystal Skull. Faithful to the film version,
the audiobook has the same science fiction turn at the end, which is
unlike previous Indy adventures. I recommend the audiobook only if you
haven't seen the film. It has a similar feel that--by necessity--is
quite different than other (scarier) Rollins titles. It may also be
the final Indiana Jones adventure committed to film and audio, and so
if you haven't yet heard a book on CD, that may also be reason enough
to give it a try. (Random House Audio; 8 1/2 hours unabridged)
The rising middle class of India and China want their turn at the good
life. With economics veering in their favor, they will have it, too.
What this means for Americans is sharply rising prices for fuel and
food, as demand increases for commodities. What it means for the
environment isn't pretty. In writing about the success of "the rest of
the world," Fareed Zakaria in THE POST AMERICAN WORLD, points to
American culture and past affluence for setting an example for the
world. Decades of American influence has made many nations eager to
obtain the same pride and power. ("We will be the next Superpower," a
young man on the streets of Delhi recently boasted.) What Zakaria
argues is that Washington needs to radically shift its foreign policy
focus, before it's too late. Because change is already happening, and
we can either fight it and lose, or create coalitions and join the
world community as an equal partner instead of a superior force (ie.
policeman of the world.) "Globalization is unstoppable at this point,"
reiterates Zakaria, as editor of Newsweek International. What
threatens everyone now, he says, is Nationalism, which is
unfortunately another path toward which America has also pointed (ie.
US VS. THEM, "we're #1.") Indeed, where Nationalism is strongest, more
weapons systems are required, and as Einstein once put it at the
advent of the atomic bomb, "Nationalism is the measles of humanity."
In the end, though, Zakaria, as narrator here, presents a thoughtful
and comprehensive assessment of the future that is not without hope.
He cites America's educational system and diversity as its greatest
assets, and rejects the idea that we will ever become a so-called
"third world" nation. "The Post American World" is therefore not an
anti-American book, as the title may suggest, but a wake-up call in
the form of an examination of what is actually happening in the rest
of the world. (Simon & Schuster Audio; 8 1/2 hours unabridged)
Next, have you ever wondered how strippers become jaded and
disillusioned? Wonder no more in listening to NO MAN'S LAND, a memoir
with a cynical bent, narrated by its author, Ruth Fowler. Fowler was
subject of a New York Times piece on stripping, and decided to pen a
book on her experiences. Unusually well positioned to do so, (she's a
Cambridge grad and UK freelancer), Fowler first arrived in the Big
Apple with high hopes for becoming a writer. . . ambitions that were
subsequently dashed. Then, after a stint working on cruise ships, and
using the pseudonym "Mimi," she began stripping to make ends meet.
Chronicling her life from that point, along with those she meets,
Fowler seems to lose her own identity in the underworld nightlife of
anonymous sex. The memoir is oddly disconcerting and defiant, both raw
and literary, like a wilting flower in a waste dump. It's also
poignant and revelatory, if self indulgent. (Penguin Audio; 9 hours
unabridged)
Is no one immune to invisible influences? Not according to SWAY--THE
IRRESISTIBLE PULL OF IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR by Ori & Rom Brafman. Whether
you're the veteran pilot who made the disastrous decision to take off
down a foggy runway without clearance, or the President (Johnson or
Bush) who made the decision to continue fighting without an exit
strategy, there are hidden forces at work. SWAY, as read by John
Apicella, outlines these forces with examples of why we are influenced
against our better judgment. Fear of loss is one strong motivation,
which can lead to exponentially greater losses if we don't recognize
it early. Another is our inability to reevaluate our initial
impression of someone or something, even given glaring new evidence.
Or to assume the value of something based on its popularity or
celebrity endorsements. (Oprah said what?) Why are we more likely to
"fall in love" when there is danger involved? Why is a virtuoso
violinist completely ignored when playing in a subway, although given
a standing ovation in Carnegie Hall? Hidden psychological forces are
swaying us all the time, and this audiobook, in the tradition of
"Blink" and "Freakonomics," provides many intriguing examples. (Highbridge
Audio; 4 3/4 hours unabridged)
Finally, Brad Thor is not averse to taking risks. He does so with his
latest thriller THE LAST PATRIOT, about a Homeland Security operative
named Scot Harvath, who goes on the hunt for a secret final revelation
made by the Prophet Mohammed just before his assassination. This
revelation, if disclosed, will end radical Islam's violence against
non-believers without another bullet or bomb required. Naturally,
there are those intent on never leaking this secret, and who are
prepared to kill in order to prevent that. In this fictional thriller,
and in the tradition of Robert Ludlum, the target includes Harvath,
who is also a former Navy SEAL. But in real life, one might ask if the
target might include author Brad Thor himself, as a former Homeland
Security operative. Narrated by actor Armand Schultz, the novel is
part spy thriller and part DaVinci Code puzzler. For more about Thor's
previous novels, see his website BradThor.com, which is hands-down the
most slick, high-tech author website out there. The audiobook also
includes an enhanced CD with bonus chapters and a video trailer.
(Simon & Schuster Audio; 6 hours abridged)
(These audiobooks may
be rented from Audio Adventures. Check out Jonathan's interview with
controversial author Brad Thor at JustSayNoWay.com) |
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Audiobooks are a great way to pass the time during those
long (and often boring) work hours at the postal service. To find the latest audiobooks
of note check out Jonathan Lowe's Audio Books Review (left). Lowe is a 15 year postal veteran
(Window Clerk).
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Postmarked for Death
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