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Paal Skjetne

Trondheim Norway | Member Since 2012

4
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 10 reviews
  • 28 ratings
  • 1 titles in library
  • 6 purchased in 2014
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  • The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 14 mins)
    • By David A. Price
    • Narrated By David Drummond
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (618)
    Performance
    (353)
    Story
    (357)

    The Pixar Touch is a lively chronicle of Pixar Animation Studios' history and evolution, and the "fraternity of geeks" who shaped it. With the help of visionary businessman Steve Jobs and animating genius John Lasseter, Pixar has become the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with a short special effects shot made at Lucasfilm in 1982 all the way up through the landmark films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and others.

    Cameron says: "If you like Disney, Pixar, or Apple..."
    "Interesting "pixels""
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What other book might you compare The Pixar Touch to and why?

    Steve Jobs biography.


    Any additional comments?

    Interesting book about the dawn of todays best storytelling group - how technology, talent, individuals and percistance has payed off! Interesting info on the behind scenes of each film!

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Vikings

    • ORIGINAL (17 hrs and 58 mins)
    • By The Great Courses
    • Narrated By Professor Kenneth W. Harl
    Overall
    (207)
    Performance
    (182)
    Story
    (184)

    As raiders and explorers, the Vikings played a decisive role in the formation of Latin Christendom, and particularly of western Europe. Now, in a series of 36 vivid lectures by an honored teacher and classical scholar, you have the opportunity to understand this remarkable race as never before, studying the Vikings not only as warriors, but in all of the other roles in which they were equally extraordinary - merchants, artists, kings, raiders, seafarers, shipbuilders, and creators of a remarkable literature of myths and sagas.

    Peter says: "Good Informational Listen"
    "Broad view on viking age"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    It certainly broadened my view on the vikings, especially on the norman and slavic fronts. I think the author maybe devaluated the Icelandic achievement of making land fall in Newfoundland, but maybe this was purposley done to put more emphasis on the importance the vikings had on Carolingian empire and the birth of the russian identity? Very good story line I was never bored! Recommended! I might listen to it again!

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs)
    • By Brad Stone
    • Narrated By Pete Larkin
    Overall
    (792)
    Performance
    (708)
    Story
    (715)

    Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.

    Brock says: "An amazing company with an amazing story!"
    "Will change your view on amazon.com"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Very interesting. Both in terms of Bezos's personal career, and in understanding how much work, persistence and sacrifice has gone into building amazon.com. It also exposes how big money makes the playing field uneven. It also gives a glimps on how business models can be changed. Facinating!

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 55 mins)
    • By Nick Bilton
    • Narrated By Daniel May
    Overall
    (26)
    Performance
    (24)
    Story
    (24)

    Since 2006, Twitter has grown from 100 obsessive users to more than 500 million today - over 32 million of those in the UK alone. But how did such a radical transformation happen in just five years, and what does it mean for business, politics and the internet?

    Kris says: "Intriguing & dramatic"
    "The random walk that payed off"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Very interesting to see the winding path of chance, circumstances, personalities and how exponential growth and fame can change or bring out different sides in people and groups. Very good and entertaining story!

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Bottled & Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs)
    • By Peter H. Gleick
    • Narrated By Stephen McLaughlin
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Bottled & Sold shows how water went from being a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the last 100 years - and why we are poorer for it. It's a big story and water is big business. Every second of every day in the United States, a thousand people buy a plastic bottle of water, and every second of every day a thousand more throw one of those bottles away. That adds up to more than 30 billion bottles a year and tens of billions of dollars of sales. Are there legitimate reasons to buy all those bottles?

    Paal Skjetne says: "Interesting topic but boooooring read (listen)"
    "Interesting topic but boooooring read (listen)"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Nothing new, the author has done some work on energy costs of bottled water, and yes like most packaged and long hauled bewerages it is not very environmentally friendly. The book is extremely US centric show casing some of the absurdities of the US system compared to e.g. the European perspective with respect to at least the regulatory part. The fact that advertising is deceptive and that there are quaks out there peddling miracle water should not come as a surprise (maybe the US regulatory impotence should), but it is worth three chapters in a book. Water is an interesting topic and the book could have been much more interesting than it turned out. Common sence: stay off the bottled water unless you need it for convenience or if in areas where safe tap water does not exist. Try one of the other books on the topic, I gave up about an hour short of the end.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America

    • UNABRIDGED (24 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Russ Baker
    • Narrated By Oliver Wyman
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (72)
    Performance
    (63)
    Story
    (64)

    French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre said that "words are loaded pistols". In the hands of Russ Baker, they are hydrogen bombs. On each and every page of his masterpiece, Family of Secrets, he explodes the myths and lies that powerful forces have perpetrated on the American consciousness. He digs beneath the surface in a form of journalistic archeology to reveal the hidden history of one of America's most powerful families, leaving no stone unturned.

    Cletus van Damme says: "Still Relevant, Impossible to Put Down"
    "Don't know why I'm shocked"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Read/listen too it and make up your own mind.

    I think this book exposes a couple of inconvenient truths about democracy and power:
    - democracy needs powerful backers, not only populous but financial wise too
    - democracy might not be as democratic as we would like to believe it to be
    - why should the American rise to fame and superpower saga be anything different from the rise of any other "empire" in earlier history?

    It is a tough world out there, but we the people must put our faith in our institutuions, political systems and the rule of law. The sad fact seems to be that we cannot expect the people at the helm of these institutions to be so, and the media which is subject to the same rules of economy and short sighted quarterly earnings doesn't seem to be helping much.

    I felt shocked, but upon reflection, that was probably because in everyday life you don't like to reflect on the reality of the game.

    3 of 3 people found this review helpful
  • The 7 Habits for Managers: Managing Yourself, Leading Others, Unleashing Potential

    • ABRIDGED (1 hr and 17 mins)
    • By Stephen R. Covey
    • Narrated By Stephen R. Covey
    Overall
    (111)
    Performance
    (47)
    Story
    (45)

    This audio is a synthesis of Stephen R. Covey's two-day interactive and intensive workshop on leadership. In this audio program Dr. Covey teaches managers and leaders how to define their contributions, develop greater influence, leverage hidden resources, give constructive feedback, and unleash the full potential of their team against critical priorities.

    Daniel Y L says: "Covey Got Nothing New To Say"
    "Good enough for a short synopsis"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    It was maybe not so enlightening as I had hoped, but that might be due to my own background and maybe to the editing of the abriged version. It's short enough to listen to twice if you miss out on one of the points ;-)

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 59 mins)
    • By Kevin Mitnick, William L. Simon
    • Narrated By Ray Porter
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (3305)
    Performance
    (2933)
    Story
    (2943)

    Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world’s biggest companies—and however fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. He spent years skipping through cyberspace, always three steps ahead and labeled unstoppable.

    Mikeyxote says: "Great listen for tech fans"
    "Reads like a detective story - wait it is one!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    I don't know why I liked this book exactly, maybe it was the suspence, the thrill of "will he make it", "can he get away with it", or maybe it was to hear how a perfectly "normal" kids facination can grow into a major problem for himself and society. But it also shows how society's fears can infringe on the individuals rights. I guess this story is slightly one-sided but what the hack - ehh - heck its a very good story. Having knowledge of some of the systems mentioned in the book I feel it gets an important message accross; technology is only as "fail proof" as the humans put in charge of it.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • A History of the World in 6 Glasses

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 38 mins)
    • By Tom Standage
    • Narrated By Sean Runnette
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1333)
    Performance
    (1131)
    Story
    (1131)

    Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.

    Stoker says: "Fun and Informative"
    "Makes you thirsty ..."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What made the experience of listening to A History of the World in 6 Glasses the most enjoyable?

    Some basics trivia about what you imbibe can't hurt especially when you can get for free some insight into how these drinks have influenced or have come to reflect society during certain crusial periods of time.


    Any additional comments?

    There could perhaps been some more technical detail for some of the drinks, as I'm particularly into fizzy drinks myself, I would have loved a chapter on bubbles in anything from beer, champagne or softdrinks/carbonated drinks. Lots of lovely physics to be explained there ;-)

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Winner Take All: China's Race for Resources and What It Means for the World

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 5 mins)
    • By Dambisa Moyo
    • Narrated By Ken Perlstein
    Overall
    (21)
    Performance
    (20)
    Story
    (20)

    Winner Take All is about the commodity dynamics that the world will face over the next several decades. In particular, it is about the implications of China’s rush for resources across all regions of the world. The scale of China’s resource campaign for hard commodities (metals and minerals) and soft commodities (timber and food) is among the largest in history.

    Barton Berg says: "Reader is Terrible"
    "Nothing new - 101 markets mixed with political ops"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What would have made Winner Take All better?

    Something else than is obvious and that has not been in the newspapers for years.


    What was most disappointing about Dambisa Moyo’s story?

    It doesn not spend enough time on China and Chinas way of thinking, probably the author does not have any deep insight into the Chinease way of thinking (maybe nobody has) but to take people on an exended 101 commodity markets mixed with typical moral highground punchlines without giving any deep insight that might actually be usefull, ahh waste of time! A one hour abriged version might have sufficed!


    You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

    It is a really interesting topic so it should be possible to rwite a thrilling book


    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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