Audible Book Review: Dodge & Twist by Tony Lee

This is a fun production listen.
Dodge & Twist
An Audible Original Drama
By: Tony Lee
Narrated by: Matt Lucas, Stephen Mangan, Michael Socha, Kara Tointon

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 12-12-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

It’s rumored that Dickens wanted to return to his classic novel Oliver Twist—to bring Oliver back as an older character—but never managed this before he died. If Oliver had returned, what would he have been like? Would the scars of his childhood effect the man he would become? And what of ‘Dodger,’ sent to a land halfway around the world, his friend, mentor and master dead because of Oliver?
Dodge & Twist is that story. The tale of two boys, 12 years later, returning into each other’s lives—for both good and bad.
This Audible Original production of Dodge & Twist is fully dramatized with an immersive SFX soundscape and is performed by a full cast including Stephen Mangan as Charles Dickens (Green Wing, Episodes, I'm Alan Partridge), Matt Lucas as Fagin (Little Britain, Me, Bridesmaids, Alice in Wonderland), Kara Tointon (Eastenders, Mr Selfridge, The Sound of Music Live) and Michael Socha (Being Human, This is England). Will Howard and James Joyce portray Oliver and Dodger.
©2018 Audible, Ltd (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Review:
Oliver returns to London after twelve years. He is once again penniless and seeking the withheld funds which should be his inheritance as the adopted son of Mr. Brownlow. He doesn’t want the funds for himself, but so he can pay the servants and take care of Mr. Brownlow’s properties. Oliver is surprised to run into Dodger. Their meeting is tense since Oliver remembers this boy tried to trap him into a life of crime in Fagan’s gang. Dodger remembers that Oliver’s escape brought the death of Fagan. Dodger directs Oliver to the solicitor’s office but tells him to contact him later. When the lawyers deny his claim, Oliver is so desperate that he allows Dodger to convince him to join him in a major heist.

Although reluctant, Oliver, still rather naïve, finds himself making plans with a small team that includes Nancy’s sister and Noah, one of Fagan’s bullies. Oliver struggles with his conscience while trying to dodge abuse from Noah and slowly learning that Dodger has input from a strange voice.

Other characters from the past (original story) make appearances and some have a surprising role. Charley Bates, once a pickpocket for Fagan, is now a police officer. He is trying to save Dodger from his demons and Oliver from Dodger.

I haven’t read Oliver Twist in years but I did recognize many of the characters. I am not such a student of Dickens to be offended by Mr. Lee’s efforts to create a sequel. Mr. Lee wove the past of the characters together to help remind the reader/listener of the events of the original story. The squalor of the city continues. The ‘twists’ of plot continues. There is banter, suspense, and danger. The pacing is good and I found myself listening to find out what would happen next. I recommend this to fans of historical adventure and mystery as well as fans of Dickens.

Audio Notes: This is a full drama production which added to the enjoyment of the work. There are different voices for each character as well as background noises that enhance the scenes. I enjoyed the audio production and recommend this as a fun listen.

Source: 2/23/19 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Caffeine by Michael Pollan

This is fascinating, quick history about coffee.

Caffeine How Caffeine Created the Modern World

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins

Original Recording Audiobook

Release date: 01-30-20

Language: English

Publisher: Audible Originals

Categories: Home & Garden, Food & Wine

My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world—and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat. Pollan takes us on a journey through the history of the drug, which was first discovered in a small part of East Africa and within a century became an addiction affecting most of the human species. Caffeine, it turns out, has changed the course of human history—won and lost wars, changed politics, dominated economies. What’s more, the author shows that the Industrial Revolution would have been impossible without it. The science of how the drug has evolved to addict us is no less fascinating. And caffeine has done all these things while hiding in plain sight! Percolated with Michael Pollan’s unique ability to entertain, inform, and perform, Caffeine is essential listening in a world where an estimated two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. ©2019 Michael Pollan (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review: This work starts with self-deprecating humor that charmed me into a comfortable listening mood. Mr. Pollan choose to stop drinking caffeine to observe the effects as part of his research. According to him, this contributed to being unfocused and having to struggle to get the book on track. In spite of this proclamation, Pollan does a great job of delivering a lively history of the origins of caffeine and how it came to be a staple of working people everywhere. The description of the influence of caffeine in man’s development, work, politics, economics, and even war, is fascinating.

Pollan presents the position that caffeine does have scientific support showing a “pick-me-up” and focus effect. It is addictive to insects and addictive to humans. I was feeling fine accepting myself as a caffeine addict until Pollan mentions the negative impact on sleep patterns. Then I had to consider my afternoon consumption and remind my office staff to switch to decaf after noon.

The book is not an exhaustive history of caffeine and doesn’t’ purport to be a scientific tome. It is a light history in a quick, easy listen. The author moves among his themes which help to keep my interest. I recommend this especially to caffeine lovers and to others who would like a short history.

Audio Notes: Michael Pollan narrates his own work. He does a nice job delivering the work with a light humor. I totally enjoyed this quick listen.

Source: 2/8/2020 Free Member Audible Originals. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook and nonfiction goals.

Audible Book Review: Differently Morphous by Yahtzee Croshaw

This is fun and a bit zany whodunnit.
Differently Morphous
By: Yahtzee Croshaw
Narrated by: Yahtzee Croshaw

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 03-06-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Genre: British-Irish Humor, Fantasy, Satire
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
A magical serial killer is on the loose, and gelatinous, otherworldly creatures are infesting the English countryside. Which is making life for the Ministry of Occultism difficult, because magic is supposed to be their best kept secret.
After centuries in the shadows, the Ministry is forced to unmask, exposing the country's magical history - and magical citizens - to a brave new world of social media, government scrutiny, and public relations.
On the trail of the killer are the Ministry's top agents: a junior operative with a photographic memory (and not much else), a couple of overgrown schoolboys with godlike powers, and a demonstrably insane magician.
But as they struggle for results, their superiors at HQ must face the greatest threat the Ministry has ever known: the forces of political correctness....
Differently Morphous is the latest and greatest tale to emerge from the mind of writer (and narrator) Yahtzee Croshaw.
©2018 Yahtzee Croshaw (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Magic is supposed to be hidden from the public with the help of the Ministry of Occultism. Then an alien species from a side dimension arrives in the countryside to seek asylum. It seems that whenever the gelatinous, slimy masses came into the country alone they were quickly killed. Now a group of the Fluidics have gotten into the public eye and become popular, but not with everyone. The aliens are a hive group, all with the name Shoggoth, and someone is continuing to track them to murder them.

Now that the Ministry of Occultism has been exposed, they are separated from their original mysterious leaders, the Hand of Merlin, and moved into a new department. The handful of quirky agents are tasked with finding the murderer and saving the image of the magical community. It isn’t easy with the stumbling agents. The ever-controlling office manager pairs Alison, a young, brand new agent who has a photographic memory, with a mistrusted insane magician, Diablory. The other pair of agents has been a long-time team, one with enhanced senses and the other with fire powers, who banter like immature schoolboys.

The new director adds another cog when he introduces a social-minded phycologist, Dr. Pavani, to work with Adam, a young student who is possessed by an Ancient. Dr. Pavani insists that the Fluidics and the “Dual Consciousness” must be treated with political kindness, although much of the time her attitudes are ridiculous too.

Alison does her best to use her memorized facts to help Shoggoth, her ‘own’ aide, and the group generally. She is also trying to protect Adam’s sister so she won’t get returned to the ministry controlled schools for the magical. Alison, the twisted Diablory, and the other agents pursue each lead with a few red herrings to keep the searching interesting.

The story is full of humor and satire. The Fluidics/Shoggoths are a likable species for slime creatures! There are clues to the identity of the killer, but the truth hides until close to the end. The listen didn’t move along as quickly as I thought it might which I contribute to some level of disorientation and fatigue I am experiencing with the stresses of coping with the times of coronavirus. If you enjoy fantasy, magical zaniness with a good whodunnit, I recommend this story to you.

Audio Notes: The author, Yahtzee Croshaw, serves as the narrator and who better to capture and portray the quirks of the characters? The narration is engaging and fitting to the characters. I enjoyed Shoggoth even though you have to listen closely to understand his/their lisping speech. I enjoyed the audio experience which enhanced the reading for me.

Source: May 2018 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Evil Eye by Madhuri Shekar

This is a quick story with an ironic twist.

Evil Eye
By: Madhuri Shekar
Narrated by: Nick Choksi, Harsh Nayaar, Annapurna Sriram, Bernard White, Rita Wolf

Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
Performance
Release date: 05-02-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.25.

About This Audible Original
Usha is convinced that the Evil Eye, a curse that brings continuous misfortune, was cast upon her daughter, Pallavi, in the womb. What else could have possibly left her driven, career-oriented daughter edging closer and closer to 30 without a prospective husband? Determined to set Pallavi on the right path, Usha arranges date after date with potential suitors—but after yet another setup fails, it seems her efforts are proving fruitless. But in an unexpected turn of events, Pallavi becomes her own matchmaker when she meets—and quickly falls for—Sandeep, a young Indian-American entrepreneur. And though she expects her mother will be elated with her finally finding a man, Pallavi is distraught and confused to find her mother growing increasingly suspicious of Sandeep’s motives…and his true identity.
Told through a series of phone calls and voicemails, this Audible Original penned by award-winning rising star playwright Madhuri Shekar transitions seamlessly from a light-hearted family dramedy to an unexpectedly supernatural thriller. With an endearing cast of well-rounded characters, sharp, natural dialogue, and a shocking edge-of-your-seat climax, Evil Eye is a can’t-miss tale about cultural miscommunications, family secrets, and the lingering echoes of trauma.
Playwright Madhuri Shekar was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop Evil Eye.
Please note: This audio contains strong language, distressing situations, and descriptions of abuse and violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.
©2019 AO Media (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Pallavi is a young Indian woman living in America where she enjoys pursuing her career. Her mother, Usha, has returned to India and is concerned that Pallavi is nearing 30 without a good Indian husband. Usha has tried setting Pallavi up even from a distance. Her concern is increasing as she fears that her daughter has been cursed by the Evil Eye. Pallavi has no knowledge that her mother’s own past is driving this fear.

Pallavi is excited when she stumbles upon a handsome Indian-American businessman from a well-established family. She thinks her mother will be thrilled to hear she is dating, and that the relationship is moving quickly. Instead, her mother becomes suspicious causing confusion and tension in the family. This escalates with Usha expressing increasing panic. Finally, Usha flies off to America with her husband trying to catch the next flight behind her hoping to protect his daughter and his wife.

This story has a good development to an exciting climax. I enjoyed the telling through phone calls and texts back and forth. I found it engaging to ‘observe’ the generational and cultural issues between daughter, mother and to a smaller degree, the father. There is some foul language, even early in the story but it moves off quickly. This is a good, quick listen that I recommend for fans of family drama with mystery.

Audio Notes: The narrators, Nick Choksi, Harsh Nayaar, Annapurna Sriram, Bernard White, and Rita Wolf do a grand job of bringing the characters to life. The voices match the people and the dialogue exchange. The performance is engaging and I'm glad I was able to pick this as a Audible Original when I might have missed out. 

Source May 2019 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Jukebox Joyride by Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowitz, The Pop Ups

This is a very fun travel adventure with music as a plus.
Jukebox Joyride
By: Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowitz, The Pop Ups
Narrated by: Jason Rabinowitz, Jacob Stein, Cara Samantha, Susan Bennett, Noel MacNeal, Carly Ciarrocchi

Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
Performance
Release date: 06-06-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Genre: Children, Kids, Ages 8-10
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

About This Audible Original
If you could go back in time to witness any concert from all of history, what would it be? Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock? Mozart in the Salzburg court? The Beatles’ rooftop farewell?
Jukebox Joyride follows 12-year-old twins, Jules and George, on a wild adventure through time. Their Uncle Bob, a renowned ethnomusicologist (he studies music!), has discovered the secret to time travel, and is having a ball joyriding through history checking out the best concerts ever...but something’s gone wrong! A sinister force has been unleased, someone is chasing after Uncle Bob, and the fate of all music hangs in the balance!
Now, it’s up to Jules and George to find their uncle before their new rival does! It’s a musical escapade that brings the twins from the birth of jazz in New Orleans, to a performance by an 11-year-old Mozart in Vienna, all while trying to make it back to the present day to pass their history test!
Featuring original songs and historical settings, this Audible Original is sure to captivate the entire household. Jukebox Joyride is a swashbuckling adventure that will get kids excited about history and making their own music.
©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Jules and George are 12-year-old twins who had a close relationship with their Uncle Bob who shared his love of music with them. Uncle Bob travels to discover special music finds and one day he finds a special music box and disappears into thin air! While the twins are trying to find Uncle Bob they stumble upon the secret that sends them back in time. As they travel from one setting to another, they discover they are one step behind Uncle Bob. Fortunately, they find friends who help them by passing along messages. They follow the clues, from jazz in New Orleans to classical music with Mozart. Along the way they discover there is an enemy trying to chase down their Uncle. Can they find Bob before the enemy does?

I totally enjoyed the musical settings and songs. This is a rockin’ fun story I recommend for adults as well as children.

Audio Notes: The group of narrators, Jason Rabinowitz, Jacob Stein, Cara Samantha, Susan Bennett, Noel MacNeal, and Carly Ciarrocchi, contribute to making this a fun adventure. They share the story with appropriate voices and energy. I enjoyed the audio performance and am glad I picked this audiobook.

Source: June 2019 free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Black Crow, White Snow by Michael Livingston

This is a short, female-powered survival story.

Black Crow, White Snow
by Michael Livingston
Narrated by: Janina Edwards

Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 05-02-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.5; Narration 4.25.

About This Audible Original
In a world where women hold all the power and men have barely been an afterthought, an intrepid shipmistress must put aside everything she knows if she is to save her people.
Bela is at the helm of the Sandcrow, a ship sent from calm seas to the far frozen north in search of a legendary power that could turn the tide of war. Locked into ice, the Sandcrow is lost. Now, for the shipmistress and her crew, a desperate voyage becomes a chilling struggle for survival against nature, fear, and prejudice.
If Bela can lead them to their ultimate destination, will the magic they find be their redemption—or their destruction?
©2019 Michael D. Livingston (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Bela is the Mistress of the Sandcrow, a ship with a primarily female crew who have been sent to the frozen icefields of the north. The society of the crew is matriarchal with a class system that respects earned skills. It is also a world with an ugly disdain for men.

The crew is determined to find a legendary power that could bring hope to their people in a fight against enemies with skyships. Included in the crew are a magician and one male, a young man trained as a Reader. Reading and storytelling are necessary but held in low regard compared to warriors and sailors.

The crew fights through one tragedy after another after the ship is trapped in the ice. Those who survive the vicious attack of a huge white bear must abandon the ship and decide whether to go back or forward. Mistress Bela, now an injured warrior leader, is intent on completing the mission but not everyone agrees. Along with her female partner, Bela finds a surprising ally in the young Reader. As their trek takes them to more danger, but closer to their goal, Bela struggles just to keep everyone alive.

I found the characters interesting although I felt the demeaning treatment of the male (and attitude towards men) was abhorrent. The settings and fight for survival are vividly described. I did find myself rooting for the success of the battered survivors. I was glad Bela’s character wasn’t as prejudiced as some of the others and I appreciated her willingness to allow other perspectives.

The story is short and perhaps sets up as an introduction of warring peoples. I liked the first-person voice and I felt this short work was sufficient to get a feel for the creativity and valid storytelling skills of the author. I rarely read stories with gay or lesbian characters. This story does have some (not graphic) lesbian love scenes but focuses more on the matriarchal society issues. I recommend this to readers who like survival adventures.

Audio Notes: Janina Edwards delivers this story with a wonderfully exotic (West Indian) accent. It took a few minutes to get accustomed to the voice and the writing style, but they soon fit for me. I enjoyed the audio entertainment.

Source: 5/17/19 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020 Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain

This was a quick, nice listen.

A Mind of Her Own
By: Paula McLain
Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 02-28-19
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Genre: Fiction, Historical
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

About This Audible Original
From Paula McLain, the best-selling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin, comes a breathtakingly intimate story of the brilliant, willful Marie Curie—a young woman in Paris on the verge of her greatest discovery yet: herself.
Marie Sklodowska, 25, is studying science at the Sorbonne—one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She’s certain that to succeed in a man’s world, she will have to go it alone.
Her meticulous plans get thrown slightly off-course when Marie attracts the attention of an accomplished physicist, himself on the precipice of greatness. Pierre Curie, famous for his work on symmetry, believes he has found in Marie an equal who shares his devotion to scientific discovery. He offers to help with her work, and soon begins to court her. But to Marie, men have always been an obstacle, love a distraction from her goals. She hasn’t come this far to let either stand in the way of her dreams—dreams Pierre insists they can share.
In A Mind of Her Own, McLain taps into the luminous mind and complex heart of a singular woman caught between order and chaos, science and love in the period just before the world would learn her name.
©2019 Paula McLain (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Marie Sklodowska had to struggle to get to study at university and had to struggle against male bias to prove her abilities. She is helped by another female student who helps her get a grant and then Marie gets a lab job with her primary professor. When Marie is introduced to the accomplished scientist, Pierre Curie, she is not inclined to relinquish her hard-fought gains for the sake of romance. She doesn’t want to be relegated to the home but wants to continue her scientific career. What will it take for gentle, unassuming Pierre to convince Marie to share a life with him?

At first glance, this appeared to be a short biographical sketch of Marie Curie… but it is presented as historical fiction. The story shares a short slice of Marie’s life. Ms. McLain presents Marie’s experience at University and her meeting with and courtship by her future husband. The picture of the times is well done, clearly showing a man’s world before women were readily welcome in higher learning and in careers thought to be only for men. Marie’s internal reluctance to romance made sense considering her background and mindset. I do recommend this to readers with the warning that it is a light romance in a slice of fictional biography.

Audio Notes: Hillary Huber does a good job with the narration. Her accent fit the period and the location for a solid performance. I enjoyed the quick listen.

Source: March 2019 Audible Original Free pick. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020Audiobook and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Lullaby by Jonathan Maberry

This is what I consider a true horror story.
Lullaby
By: Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by: Scott Brick


Length: 37 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 10-04-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Fiction, Horror, Short Story
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 5.0.

About This Audible Original
The fears and horrors of being a new parent take on a shocking dimension in in this heart-stopping original story, only from Audible. A young married couple, Matt and Gillian have just bought a gorgeous house located next to a lake in the Catskills. They want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city to raise their baby girl, Hope, in relative peace and quiet. When night falls, however, their dream home becomes a house of nightmares. Matt and Gillian soon learn that darkness takes many forms. And sometimes, darkness is hungry.
New York Times best-selling author and Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry delivers a haunting Audible Original that will give listeners the Halloween creeps all year round. Scott Brick, the man with the golden voice, perfectly captures the experience of hearing a classic ghost story told around the campfire.
This product features adult language and themes.
©2018 Jonathan Maberry (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Matt and Gillian plan to raise their coming baby away from the rat race of the city. They buy a gorgeous home in the Catskills even though they know the house has a dark history. All seems good until one night Gillian wakes up startled and thinks she sees something strange on the baby monitor. She and Matt try to convince themselves everything is fine even as they install more security systems. Events escalate and they have to rush the baby to the hospital. Tension grows and horror follows.

This is what I consider true horror. The writing is direct, clear and appropriately dark. I liked the dark tone but admit that (like another reviewer) I questioned the behavior of the parents. I can’t imagine taking my infant back into that house after the crises that occurred. I still enjoyed the quick “fright night” story and recommend it to those who enjoy a short horror tale.

Audio Notes: Scott Brick does a perfect job of narration for this work. He carries the tone wonderfully making it a ‘fun’ listen -- especially for a free listen.

Source: 10/29/2018 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane by Patti Smith

I enjoyed this artist sharing about her songs and her life.
Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane
Words and Music
By: Patti Smith
Narrated by: Patti Smith

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins
Performance
Release date: 11-01-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Categories: Live Events, Storytellers
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5

About This Audible Original
Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane features live audio of performances captured over three evenings in September of 2018 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, woven into a single, one-of-a-kind audio event. Pioneering artist and writer Patti Smith commands the stage to perform original spoken-word stories from her life, interwoven with the music of her beloved catalogue, played live by Smith, her son and daughter–Jackson and Jesse Paris Smith–and longtime collaborator Tony Shanahan. What transpires is a personally revelatory showcase, an intimate portrait of an icon, focusing on family and taking stock of a near to 50-year career devoted to artistic integrity.
©2018 Patti Smith (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
I chose this audiobook in hopes that I would recognize the songs. Patti Smith was coming into her career about the time I was finishing law school. I really don’t recall her from my college days probably because I enjoyed more of the folk artists of the day rather than the rockers.

I didn’t recognize the songs but I enjoyed them along with the poetry and the memoirs of her life. It was nice that it was a family affair. I recommend this for all the elements.

Audio Notes: The performance and presentation felt like an intimate performance which the listener gets to attend. I’m glad I selected this.

Source: November 2018 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: The Coming Storm by Michael Lewis

This was a timely, quick listen as Hurricane Dorian took aim toward the US east coast.

The Coming Storm
By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Michael Lewis

Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 07-31-18
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Original
Category: Environment, Political/Policies, Science & Technology
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

About This Audible Original
Tornadoes, cyclones, tsunamis…Weather can be deadly—especially when it strikes without warning. Millions of Americans could soon find themselves at the mercy of violent weather if the public data behind lifesaving storm alerts gets privatized for personal gain. In his first Audible Original, New York Times best-selling author and journalist Michael Lewis delivers hard-hitting research on not-so-random weather data—and how Washington plans to release it. He also digs deep into the lives of two scientists who revolutionized climate predictions, bringing warning systems to previously unimaginable levels of accuracy. One is Kathy Sullivan, a gifted scientist among the first women in space; the other, D.J. Patil, is a trickster-turned-mathematician and a political adviser. Most urgently, Lewis’s narrative reveals the potential cost of putting a price tag on information that could save lives. Please note The Fifth Risk includes the entirety of The Coming Storm.
© 2018 Michael Lewis (P) 2018 Audible Originals, LLC

Review:
Author Michael Lewis describes several mostly unknown individuals who found their passions in studying weather – its history, its patterns for forecasting and its impact on environment, economics and the lives of the damaged communities. This makes this short documentary piece personal as well as somewhat informative.
Lewis tells bits of the story of developing weather data that got lost in the halls of government. Lewis may have intended to present a brief discourse blending science and politics. It seemed he left out some of the final connections regarding the data and forecasting accuracies other than to describe an incident of a 15-minute warning of a tornado which may be the best they can get. The work felt more intent on making political arguments particularly raising the (perhaps valid?) question of whether critical weather information should be publicly available rather than controlled and released to limited stations who have paid subscriptions. Apparently, the US Department of Commerce includes oversight of NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) so there are concerns regarding the sourcing of data.

I was quickly engaged by the storytelling technique that made this a more interesting listen. I am glad I listened to this as it brought this concerning issue to my attention. Since I experienced the damage of Hurricane Michael last year and there are millions of people facing weather disasters on a regular basis, this is an important issue to keep an eye on.

Audio Notes: Michael Lewis provides the narration for his own excerpt and it fit the material and tone. I think it is easier for me to listen to this type of work than reading it so I am glad I got this through free Audible Originals.

Source: 9/8/18 Free Audible Originals. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.