Book Review - How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition by Robert Greenberg

I've always loved music and thought I knew quite a bit from a decade of piano lessons and several music courses in school plus my time around music experts picking up tidbits from them. Then I read this book and realized I had a lot to learn.

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition by Robert Greenberg is a nonfiction book that covers the history of Western music from Greco-Roman days (what little we know about their music) to the early 20th Century and its structure and development. It is available as an Audible Exclusive Audiobook.

The Good

Information. This book has so much information from the history of music to the structure, the people, the cultural influences, and everything in between. There's a reason it's over 35 hours long, but every minute is filled with information.


Clarity of Explanation and Illustration. The author does an excellent job of explaining music theory and musical instruction and presenting several examples, again well explained, to illustrate the point. Even someone with next to no knowledge of music could follow the information, and yet even a music expert would not become bored or feel insulted.

Author's Excitement. The author is the reader, and he has so much enthusiasm for the material that is contagious and makes the reader equally as excited about the material.

The Bad

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What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author had spent a little more time in the 20th Century and the development of music to the present day. The 20th Century produced an incredible amount and variety of music with as much development as the centuries that had come before combined.

Overall

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition by Robert Greenberg is a nonfiction book that covers the history of Western music from Greco-Roman days (what little we know about their music) to the early 20th Century and its structure and development. This book has so much information from the history of music to the structure, the people, the cultural influences, and everything in between. There's a reason it's over 35 hours long, but every minute is filled with information. The author does an excellent job of explaining music theory and musical instruction and presenting several examples, again well explained, to illustrate the point. Even someone with next to no knowledge of music could follow the information, and yet even a music expert would not become bored or feel insulted. The author is the reader, and he has so much enthusiasm for the material that is contagious and makes the reader equally as excited about the material. I wish the author had spent a little more time in the 20th Century and the development of music to the present day. The 20th Century produced an incredible amount and variety of music with as much development as the centuries that had come before combined. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Audible Original Review - The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel by Erin Macdonald

One of the many fun things about science fiction is its ability to explore and inspire. So many of the common, everyday technologies we use today were dreamt of and explored in science fiction of the past.

The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel by Erin Macdonald is a look at the science behind popular science fiction. It is available as an Audible exclusive Audiobook and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Explanations. The author does a great job breaking down concepts in an understandable way without sacrificing the science.

Scope. This book covers some of the more useful and popular subjects of science fiction such as transporters, warp drive, and time travel. She uses more up-to-date scientific theories than most books on this topic and covers several experiments that have actually been performed that may lead to making this science fiction science reality.

The Bad

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What I Would Like to Have Seen

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Overall

The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel by Erin Macdonald is a great look at the science behind science fiction: what fits current theories and what doesn't; where science is in its progress to achieve science fiction dreams; and what science fiction shows provide the best examples of new and old theories. The author also narrates this book and does a really good job. She's fun to listen to and breaks down concepts in an understandable way without sacrificing the science. She uses more up-to-date scientific theories than most books on this topic and covers several experiments that have actually been performed that may lead to making this science fiction science reality. I highly recommend this audiobook and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

Audible Original Review - Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw

I love science fiction, but it's really hard to find something you haven't read a dozen times before.

Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw is a science fiction, space opera, comedy about how starship pilots deal with the introduction of new technology and find a new future for themselves. It is available as an Audible exclusive Audiobook and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Concept & Execution. While the disruption of technology has been explored in many fiction and non-fiction books, it's rarely been explored so personally and without a political agenda.

Comedy. This is a comedy more in tone than laugh-out-loud jokes. It takes itself very seriously, and the characters face serious situations with consequences, but there is a tone of humor that makes this story really enjoyable.

The Bad

Convenient Resolutions. All the problems in this story are resolved quite easily and cleanly. While that fits with the humorous tone of the book, it doesn't fit with the realistic world with realistic consequences the author has established.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

The world set-up was great, but the author didn't always follow thru in the story.

Overall

Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw is a fun science fiction space opera comedy. While the disruption of technology has been explored in many fiction and non-fiction books, it's rarely been explored so personally and without a political agenda. This is a comedy more in tone than laugh-out-loud jokes. It takes itself very seriously, and the characters face serious situations with consequences, but there is a tone of humor that makes this story really enjoyable. I recommend this audiobook and give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.

  

 

AudioBook Review - The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent by Larry Correia

I'm not the biggest fan of political satire or comedic social commentary, because it tends to be really obvious and negative. It's rare to find something clever and not mean spirited. But every once in a while...

The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent by Larry Correia is an Audible Original scifi comedy. It is available only as an Audiobook.

The Good

Comedy. This book is very funny using insurance to make a lot of really funny jabs at the bizarre things going on in the world and with the government. And it leans slightly conservative which is really refreshing.

Story. The story is pretty simple and straightforward, but takes a unique approach and does a good job exploring several different angles of that approach.

Characters. Most of the characters are very likable being slight variations on classic troupes.

The Bad

Villain. The main villain was a little too "classic black moustache" and could have used a little more originality.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

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Overall

The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent by Larry Correia is a fun, clever comedy that uses insurance as the vehicle to make a lot of really funny comments on society and the strange things the government has done recently. The characters are variations on classic troupes but are still enjoyable. It's a short story that covers a lot of ground in under three hours. I recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.