I have always wanted to be an avid reader, but that never happened. So, I recently decided to take a little shortcut and become an avid listener of audiobooks instead. Sure they are not the same, but listening to audiobooks while driving has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me as of late. Here, I intend to write some reviews of audiobooks I have gone through lately.
It is a great [audio]book describing the flattening of the world in the information age, allowing everyone from the globe, particularly India and China, to participate in the world economy along the dominant West. The author lists the forces that led to the flattening of the playing field, and suggests ways Americans can cope with and compete in an increasingly competitive global economy where more and more people can compete for resources and services. I highly recommend it.
I have read the book in high school, but taking another look at this classic was certainly a good investment of my time. The book is driven by ideologies and not by a particularly compelling plot. It is a very harrowing account of life under a totalitarian regime in 1984, as perceived by George Orwell when he wrote the book in 1948. I highly recommend it because the book will keep you totally absorbed and intellectually engaged, especially when read by a magnificent Frank Muller.
If you are a technologist/technocrat/geek, this book will be an absolute treat for you. Being fairly passionate about Linux, I was hugely interested in the man behind Linux, Linus Torvalds. The geek folk hero, as described by David Diamond is not only a genius, but a simple, pragmatic, self-effacing, character who is rare not only in the domain of people of his intellectual capacity, but the world population as a whole. The book starts with what appears to be Linus' philosophy of life and the evolution of human history. It quickly switches to Linus' childhood and his development of Linux OS in his bedroom. It tracks his life from Finland to Silicon Valley and the changes he and Linux went through. The book ends with Linus' views on open-source development, the mess that is intellectual property and copyrighting. This book was so good that I could not to get in my car to listen to it every time I had a chance.
Steven Levitt might be an economist, but the problems he tries to tackle are not in tune with that of your typical economist. I think of him more as a statistician+sociologist because he uses sophisticated statistical methods to isolate the contribution of certain factors to a set of outcomes or social observables. In the end, he finds interesting and convincing correlation between Roe-vs-Wade and the decline in crime in the US; explains the performance gap among races, the impact of cocaine on African-American communities, the cheating patterns in Sumo wrestling, ... etc. I really enjoyed listening to this short (6.5hrs) audiobook and I would strongly recommend it to anyone with the slightest bit of curiosity.
Having admired Alan Greenspan for a while, I was totally engrossed in this memoir from the moment I laid my hands on it. Everything from Greenspan's life story to his insight into past and current US administration and his prognostication of the world economy is absolutely fascinating. It also helps that the reader is arguably the best I have across and he does sound a bit like Greenspan in real-life. Overall, a huge two thumbs up for this book. Actually, I loved this audiobook so much that I wrote a glowing customer review at audible.com.
The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman (A)
It is a great [audio]book describing the flattening of the world in the information age, allowing everyone from the globe, particularly India and China, to participate in the world economy along the dominant West. The author lists the forces that led to the flattening of the playing field, and suggests ways Americans can cope with and compete in an increasingly competitive global economy where more and more people can compete for resources and services. I highly recommend it.
1984, by George Orwell, read by Frank Muller (A)
I have read the book in high school, but taking another look at this classic was certainly a good investment of my time. The book is driven by ideologies and not by a particularly compelling plot. It is a very harrowing account of life under a totalitarian regime in 1984, as perceived by George Orwell when he wrote the book in 1948. I highly recommend it because the book will keep you totally absorbed and intellectually engaged, especially when read by a magnificent Frank Muller.
Just for Fun, by Linus Torvalds and David Diamond (A+)
If you are a technologist/technocrat/geek, this book will be an absolute treat for you. Being fairly passionate about Linux, I was hugely interested in the man behind Linux, Linus Torvalds. The geek folk hero, as described by David Diamond is not only a genius, but a simple, pragmatic, self-effacing, character who is rare not only in the domain of people of his intellectual capacity, but the world population as a whole. The book starts with what appears to be Linus' philosophy of life and the evolution of human history. It quickly switches to Linus' childhood and his development of Linux OS in his bedroom. It tracks his life from Finland to Silicon Valley and the changes he and Linux went through. The book ends with Linus' views on open-source development, the mess that is intellectual property and copyrighting. This book was so good that I could not to get in my car to listen to it every time I had a chance.
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen Dubner (A)
Steven Levitt might be an economist, but the problems he tries to tackle are not in tune with that of your typical economist. I think of him more as a statistician+sociologist because he uses sophisticated statistical methods to isolate the contribution of certain factors to a set of outcomes or social observables. In the end, he finds interesting and convincing correlation between Roe-vs-Wade and the decline in crime in the US; explains the performance gap among races, the impact of cocaine on African-American communities, the cheating patterns in Sumo wrestling, ... etc. I really enjoyed listening to this short (6.5hrs) audiobook and I would strongly recommend it to anyone with the slightest bit of curiosity.
The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, by Alan Greenspan (A)
Having admired Alan Greenspan for a while, I was totally engrossed in this memoir from the moment I laid my hands on it. Everything from Greenspan's life story to his insight into past and current US administration and his prognostication of the world economy is absolutely fascinating. It also helps that the reader is arguably the best I have across and he does sound a bit like Greenspan in real-life. Overall, a huge two thumbs up for this book. Actually, I loved this audiobook so much that I wrote a glowing customer review at audible.com.
Absolutely wonderful
Having admired the role of Greenspan, Rubin (and Summers) during the Clinton years and beyond, I eagerly anticipated this audiobook and I was not disappointed. Everything from the narrator to the rich and accessible content made the audiobook absolutely wonderful. At a time when the rapid and nauseating forces of globalization compounded with an seemingly vulnerable economy are creating much malaise, the voice of Greenspan could not have been more welcome and timely. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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