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Aidan

New York, NY, United States

45
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 5 reviews
  • 22 ratings
  • 157 titles in library
  • 6 purchased in 2013
FOLLOWING
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FOLLOWERS
1

  • All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 24 mins)
    • By Stephen Kinzer
    • Narrated By Michael Prichard
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (543)
    Performance
    (166)
    Story
    (171)

    In a cloak-and-dagger story of spies, saboteurs, and secret agents, Kinzer reveals the involvement of Eisenhower, Churchill, Kermit Roosevelt, and the CIA in Operation Ajax, which restored Mohammad Reza Shah to power. Reza imposed a tyranny that ultimately sparked the Islamic Revolution of 1979 which, in turn, inspired fundamentalists throughout the Muslim world, including the Taliban and terrorists who thrived under its protection.

    alan says: "Fascinating & Insightful View of US/ Iran History"
    "The most important book you will download"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is the story of how Iran became the country it is today, how the American government overthrew a popular, moderate democracy there because of the fear of Communism and greed for oil. It was the first time our government covertly deposed another one, and began a long dark chapter in our history which still haunts many countries, particularly in South and Central America. This is vital history to know and understand, and fortunately the characters involved are fascinating enough to make the dry unfolding of events completely engaging.
    WARNING - the audio quality of the the type "4" download was terrible. I am not sure if the "enhanced" file is better, but don't bother with the normal file.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 37 mins)
    • By Jon Krakauer
    • Narrated By Scott Brick
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1409)
    Performance
    (426)
    Story
    (426)

    At the core of this book is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers and their fanatical brethren with a clear-eyed look at Mormonism's violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the most successful homegrown faith in the United States, and finds a distinctly American brand of religious extremism.

    Elysabeth Cummings says: "Interesting @ arm's length"
    "An incredibly vivid, disturbing picture"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This book weaves together a variety of narrative strands to present an interesting and detailed picture of Mormonism and Mormon fundamentalism. The implications are all really provoking - the book has a lot to say about people, about fundamentalism and religious violence of any kind, about Mormonism, and about the United States itself. The narrator is somehow totally endearing and occasionally totally terrifying. Very highly recommended.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • A History of the American People

    • UNABRIDGED (47 hrs and 57 mins)
    • By Paul Johnson
    • Narrated By Nadia May
    Overall
    (216)
    Performance
    (74)
    Story
    (73)

    Johnson's monumental history of the United States, from the first settlers to the Clinton administration, covers every aspect of American culture: politics, business, art, literature, science, society and customs, complex traditions, and religious beliefs. The story is told in terms of the men and women who shaped and led the nation and the ordinary people who collectively created its unique character.

    Mike From Mesa says: "A British conservative's view of American history."
    "Fights conventional wisdom a little too hard"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This lengthy overview is astoundingly informative, but cannot be anything more than an overview. I recommend it highly to get a broad picture of American history. Johnson has two biases about which he is relatively frank: he is slightly snobby and traditionalist, and he is relentlessly revisionist. I don't agree that America is lessened by its departure from older norms of elitist education and religious morality. His attempts to disprove modern historians, while usually enlightening - it is nice to hear the other side of the story about heroes and villains alike - can be outright deceptive. I make no claim of expertise on American history, but I can cite one outright lie in this work: he claims that Nixon's Whitehouse engaged in no more spying and wiretapping than his predecessors'. Isaac Walters' biography of Kissinger clearly states the changes made in the FBI which expanded domestic spying operations, and specifically names the few people Kennedy and Johnson spied on, and the much greater number of people Nixon spied on. I am for exposing the intellectual weaknesses in typical scholarship, but wonder how many things were twisted in areas I knew nothing about. That said, these inconsistencies are a tiny flaw in what is otherwise a magnum opus on our great nation.

    33 of 44 people found this review helpful
  • Management: Revised Edition

    • ABRIDGED (19 hrs and 55 mins)
    • By Peter F. Drucker
    • Narrated By Sam Tsoutsouvas
    Overall
    (186)
    Performance
    (68)
    Story
    (66)

    The essential book on management from the man who invented the discipline. Now completely revised and updated for the first time.

    Aidan says: "Not just management, but really good advice"
    "Not just management, but really good advice"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    No matter what you consider your role in the workplace to be, there will be something in this book to improve it. The personal insights and wisdom which come in the last few chapters are particularly enlightening, and are astoundingly good advice to anyone who will listen.

    7 of 8 people found this review helpful
  • The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    • UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 57 mins)
    • By Junot Diaz
    • Narrated By Jonathan Davis, Staci Snell
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1957)
    Performance
    (703)
    Story
    (706)

    Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fuku: the curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.

    Kathleen says: "Fabulous listen"
    "More than just a book on tape"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The performances are superb. This is a wonderful story, but the narrators become just as important as what they are saying, and really bring it to life. Your internal monologue will become colored with their quirks and vernacular. The book itself is littered with references to all kinds of things - not just nerdy stuff, although there is plenty of that - that will make you laugh and feel pretty smart when you pick up on them.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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