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Title: Bleaker House

Subtitle: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World

Author: Nell Stevens

Narrator: Nell Stevens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-17

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A whimsical blend of memoir and travelogue, laced with wry writing advice, Bleaker House is a story of creative struggle that brilliantly captures the self-torture of the writing life.

Twenty-seven-year-old Nell Stevens was determined to write a novel, but life kept getting in the way. Then came a game-changing opportunity: she won a fellowship that would let her spend three months, all expenses paid, anywhere in the world to research and write a book. Would she choose a glittering metropolis, a romantic village, an exotic paradise? Not exactly. Nell chose Bleaker Island, a snowy, windswept pile of rock in the Falklands. There, in a guesthouse where she would be the only guest, she could finally rid herself of distractions and write. In three months, surely she'd have a novel.

And sure enough, other than sheep, penguins, paranoia, and the weather, there aren't many distractions on Bleaker. Nell gets to work on a delightful Dickensian fiction she calls Bleaker House - only to discover that total isolation and 1,100 calories a day are far from ideal conditions for literary production. With deft humor, the memoir traces Nell's island days and slowly reveals details of the life and people she has left behind in pursuit of her writing. They pop up in her novel, too, and in other fictional pieces that dot the book. It seems that there is nowhere Nell can run - an island or the pages of her notebook - to escape the big questions of love, art, and ambition.

As Nell races to finish her book, Bleaker House marks the arrival of a remarkable literary talent.

Members Reviews:

Maybe more interesting if you are writer?

This book had so much potential, but nothing really happened. Maybe it would be better if I was a writer?

The writing was interesting to listen to, but there was not much to the plot.

Like one long episode of Seinfeld.

I know how hard authors work and I know how hard writing is, so leaving a negative review of this book feels like I'm being a big jerk. However, I don't want people to sit through something if they're expecting a story. I feel like this had so much potential on so many levels but it ended up being a story about nothing. The little short stories in between were hard to differentiate from her musings when listening to the book on audible. Maybe it look different in print and would have been easier to pick out. In my head just listening it all sort of ran together like one big blob. I initially wanted to read this because all of the setting. I desperately wanted something to happen in this book. I kept listening in high hopes that something would happen. But then, nothing did. The author's voice was difficult to listen to compared to audible's typical professional Voice actors. If you enjoy books about the writing process this book is for you. If you're looking for anything else just skip it and save yourself eight hours.

Innocent-sounding young narrator and writer

Not so innocent as the story unfolds, unbraiding the threads of her own short life, longer family history, and all in the blistering weather of the Falklands. I admired it but didn't love it. it was a bit more workmanlike than inspiring.

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Title: The Inkblots

Subtitle: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing

Author: Damion Searls

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-21-17

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The captivating, untold story of Hermann Rorschach and his famous inkblot test.

In 1917, working alone in a remote Swiss asylum, psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach devised an experiment to probe the human mind: a set of 10 carefully designed inkblots. For years he had grappled with the theories of Freud and Jung while also absorbing the aesthetic movements of the day, from futurism to dadaism. A visual artist himself, Rorschach had come to believe that who we are is less a matter of what we say, as Freud thought, than what we see.

After Rorschach's early death, his test quickly made its way to America, where it took on a life of its own. Co-opted by the military after Pearl Harbor, it was a fixture at the Nuremberg trials and in the jungles of Vietnam. It became an advertising staple, a cliché in Hollywood and journalism, and an inspiration to everyone from Andy Warhol to Jay Z. The test was also given to millions of defendants, job applicants, parents in custody battles, and people suffering from mental illness or simply trying to understand themselves better. And it is still used today.

In this first-ever biography of Rorschach, Damion Searls draws on unpublished letters and diaries and a cache of previously unknown interviews with Rorschach's family, friends, and colleagues to tell the unlikely story of the test's creation, its controversial reinvention, and its remarkable endurance - and what it all reveals about the power of perception. Elegant and original, The Inkblots shines a light on the 20th century's most visionary synthesis of art and science.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Critic Reviews:

"It seems incredible that no one before Damion Searls has ever written a biography of Rorschach.... His early death may have deterred other would-be biographers, but Searls sails past it with style: the second half of his book traces the fortunes of Rorschach's famous test, which became a household word in America after World War II, when the U.S. Army used it on draftees. Searls uses this unlikely-seeming artifact to illuminate two histories, one scientific, the other cultural, both full of surprises." (Lorin Stein,

The Paris Review)

"A marvelous book about how one man and his enigmatic test came to shape our collective imagination. The Rorschach test is a great subject and

The Inkblots is worthy of it: beguiling, fascinating, and full of new discoveries every time you look." (David Grann, author of

The Lost City of Z)

"This excellent book begins as a biography and becomes, when [Rorschach] suddenly dies of a ruptured appendix at the age of thirty-seven, a cultural history of his creation." (

Harper's)

Members Reviews:

Memorable

Psychoanalysis has been a long time fascination of mine, so I listened to the entire audiobook in only a couple of days. Damion Searls gives a thorough, well-written account of Hermann Rorschach and his influential ink blot test.

Special mention goes to Paul Boehmer, who is clearly one of the best narrators in the business. His oration made this great book even better.

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Title: In the Great Green Room

Subtitle: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown

Author: Amy Gary

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-17

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The extraordinary life of the woman behind the beloved children's classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny comes alive in this fascinating biography of Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret's books have sold millions of copies all over the world, but few people know that she was at the center of a children's book publishing revolution. Her whimsy and imagination fueled a steady stream of stories, book ideas, songs, and poems and she was renowned for her prolific writing and business savvy, as well as her stunning beauty and endless thirst for adventure.

Margaret started her writing career by helping to shape the curriculum for the Bank Street School for Children, making it her mission to create stories that would rise above traditional fairy tales and allowed girls to see themselves as equal to boys. At the same time, she also experimented endlessly with her own writing. Margaret would spend days researching subjects, picking daisies, cloud gazing, and observing nature, all in an effort to precisely capture a child's sense of awe and wonder as they discovered the world.

Clever, quirky, and incredibly talented, Margaret embraced life with passion, lived extravagantly off of her royalties, went on rabbit hunts, and carried on long and troubled love affairs with both men and women. But before she could marry Margaret died unexpectedly at the age of 42, leaving behind a cache of unpublished work and a timeless collection of books that would go on to become classics in children's literature.

Author Amy Gary captures the eccentric and exceptional life of Margaret Wise Brown, and drawing on newly discovered personal letters and diaries, reveals an intimate portrait of a creative genius whose unrivaled talent breathed new life into the literary world.

Members Reviews:

insightful life story of beloved children's author

the author provides authenticity to this biography. Every parent who owned and read, re-read "Runaway Bunny"and "Good Night Moon will appreciate the life events which inspired these and hundreds of creative works by Margaret Wise Brown. she lived a full life and produced volumes of joy for readers over the years. thank you.

Fascinating story poorly told

Margaret Wise Brown deserves better. I had no idea that, in addition to being one of my favorite children's books author, she had an interesting life. This book appears to be attempting to drown out Brown's story in utter tedium. The author poorly strings together bits from Brown's own writings but adds nothing. Nothing the performer could do but make this a boring listen.

Beautiful biography about such a unique woman

Love this biography. Made me interested in all aspects of her life and influences. Really well written and full of intimacy and detail.

Goldie

I had always pictured Margaret Wise Brown as a little old lady in a rocking chair. That was fine but now I will enjoy her book so much more knowing a truly engaging and life filled girl she was

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Title: Jonathan Swift

Subtitle: The Reluctant Rebel

Author: John Stubbs

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 31 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-17

Publisher: HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Jonathan Swift's world-famous books - from Gulliver's Travels to A Modest Proposal - are unparalleled in their piercing critique of modern society. Half-orphaned, a Dubliner by birth, but a man who would always insist he was English, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was a figure of great contradictions. An essayist, political pamphleteer, poet, and cleric who became dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Swift satirized the powerful but aspired to political greatness, mocked men's vanity but held himself in high esteem, and was a religious moralizer famed for his malice - a man sharply aware of humanity's flaws, but no less susceptible to them. At once a revealing biography of a life that encompasses writing on religion, class, sex, power, and poverty and a portrait of the foremost political writer of his day, Jonathan Swift draws a vivid and nuanced account of an extraordinary man and a turbulent period of history.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Alan Bennett: Keeping On Keeping On

Subtitle: Diaries 2005-2014

Author: Alan Bennett

Narrator: Alan Bennett

Format: Original Recording

Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-16

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Alan Bennett narrates the latest installment of his diaries, as heard on BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week.

Following on from Alan Bennett's best-selling, award-winning prose collections Writing Home and Untold Stories, Keeping On Keeping On is a third anthology featuring his unique observations, recollections and reminiscences.

At its heart is his latest published collection of diaries. In these entries, covering the years 2005 to 2014, Bennett looks back on a packed decade that included writing four highly acclaimed plays - The Habit of Art, People, Hymn and Cocktail Sticks, all of which premiered at the National Theatre - as well as the screenplays for the hit films The History Boys and The Lady in the Van.

In addition he reflects on his 25 years of friendship and collaboration with director Nicholas Hytner; life with his partner, Rupert Thomas; and, radical views notwithstanding, his status as 'kindly, cosy and essentially harmless'.

Packed with perceptive impressions of people and places, sharp social commentary, expressive description and delightful jokes, this irresistible record of life according to Alan Bennett is a treasury of wisdom and insight.

Members Reviews:

Described as unabridged but not really

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this, but the print version contains the full diaries (plus a lot of other material too) a total of over 700 pages. This audible book is actually the BBC "Book of the Week" version which was broadcast by the BBC. It is most definitely an abridged version of the actual print version of the diaries, and does not contain the other material in the print version. But I suppose it is an unabridged version of the BBC production, which was an abridged version of the book. Very enjoyable, but beware of the term unabridged.

"Unabridged?"

This is another highly entertaining reading by the inimitable Alan Bennett of extracts from his diaries but anybody who is expecting to hear the diary as it appears in the print version (let alone other material in the book) is due for a disappointment as the contents of the book have been savagely abridged.

This may be a full version of the extracts as broadcast by the BBC on "Book of the Week" but it is certainly not an unabridged version of the book itself, as the run-time of a mere 2 hours 16 minutes clearly indicates.

sad that it's abridged. wish for a full version.

the most happy couple of hours you can spend. Bennett never disappoints the reader or listener.

A B at his best.

Listening to Keeping On Keeping On is akin to experience with most Bennet......Feels like the wittiest and brightest friend you have calling round for an extended chat.

As ever left feeling the world isn't quite as bad as you thought. Sheer joy.

cheated

I too feel cheated by the degree of abridgement in this audio book. I must make a point of reading the reviews in future before I buy.

The content, what there is of it, is good, being Alan Bennett of course.

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Title: A Rare Recording of Aldous Huxley

Author: Aldous Huxley

Narrator: Aldous Huxley

Format: Original Recording

Length: 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-16

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He was best known for his novels Brave New World and The Doors of Perception. Early in his career, Huxley edited the Oxford Poetry magazine and wrote travel articles, film stories, and scripts. He later became interested in spiritual subjects such as parapsychology and philosophical mysticism, including universalism. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in seven different years. This recording is from a speech in which he discusses Brave New World and George Orwell's Animal Farm.

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Title: Far and Wide

Subtitle: Bring That Horizon to Me

Author: Neil Peart

Narrator: Paul Hecht

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 59 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Thirty five concerts. Seventeen thousand motorcycle miles. Three months. One lifetime.

In May 2015 the veteran Canadian rock trio Rush embarked on their 40th anniversary tour, R40. For the band and their fans, R40 was a celebration and, perhaps, a farewell. But for Neil Peart, each tour is more than just a string of concerts; it's an opportunity to explore backroads near and far on his BMW motorcycle. So if this was to be the last tour and the last great adventure, he decided it would have to be the best one, onstage and off.

This third volume in Peart's travel series shares all-new tales that transport the listener across North America and through memories of 50 years of playing drums. From the scenic grandeur of the American West to a peaceful lake in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains to the mean streets of Midtown Los Angeles, each story is shared in an intimate narrative voice that has won the hearts of many listeners. Thoughtful and ever engaging, Far and Wide is an elegant scrapbook of people and places, music and laughter, from a fascinating road - and a remarkable life.

Members Reviews:

Great Writing, Great Narrator, But Not In Tandem.

Once again, great book by Neil Peart, even though these stories are on his personal website it still makes an interesting read/listen. It really telling on why he doesn't want to tour anymore and not in a snobby way... Though that's where my issues with this audiobook lie.

Previously, Neil's book were read by Brian Sutherland who has a slightly higher pitched version of Neil's voice, but Brian's voice is still sombre and invites you in on the journey and he doesn't seem to force an attitude to the reader.

Now with this audiobook there is a different narrator. He still has an inviting tone, but it unintentionally feels pompous and snobby. I don't think it has to do with the narrator, but more so the narrator and Peart's words, he uses alot of "big words" and has certain observations that, in tandem with the narrators voice, bring out those snobby and pretentious undertones, which in turn gave me a less than enjoyable listening experience.

I must repeat, it's not the book or the narrator alone, it's them in tandem.

Very Good

Every Rush fan should read this. He explains why he retired decisively. However, he does leave room for his mind changing. If this is the end, it's acceptable on all fronts. But, in my opinion, we'll get one more album and show.

sometimes 1 + 1 is less than 2

Would you try another book from Neil Peart and/or Paul Hecht?

i have listened to all of Peart's books and they are fine ... I would only listen to Hecht if the work was an epic tale of old ... for example, i could imagine him reading Tolkein to good effect.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Far and Wide?

when the tale of the lost baggage (from a previous book) was unexpectedly resolved

Would you be willing to try another one of Paul Hechts performances?

perhaps

Do you think Far and Wide needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no - this is the last travelog of Peart's that i ever need to read now that he has retired from Touring with Rush

Any additional comments?

good enough book - fine reader .. but the reader didnt fit the book ... very much too bad that Peart wouldnt read them himself ...

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Title: They're Playing Our Song

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Carole Bayer Sager

Narrator: Carole Bayer Sager

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-16

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 166 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager shares the remarkably frank and darkly funny story of her life in and out of the recording studio, from her fascinating (and sometimes calamitous) relationships to her collaborations with some of the greatest composers and musical artists of our time.

For five decades Carole Bayer Sager has been among the most admired and successful songwriters at work, responsible for her lyrical contributions to some of the most popular songs in the English language, including "Nobody Does It Better", "A Groovy Kind of Love", "Don't Cry Out Loud", and the theme from the movie Arthur, "The Best That You Can Do" (about getting lost between the moon and New York City).

She has collaborated with (and written for) a dizzying number of stars, including Peter Allen, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Clint Eastwood, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Melissa Manchester, Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand.

Her relationship with composer Marvin Hamlisch was the basis of the long-running hit musical They're Playing Our Song, for which she wrote the lyrics. And her work with composer Burt Bacharach, to whom she was also married for 10 years, produced pop standards such as "On My Own" and "That's What Friends Are For" (inspired by her friendship with Elizabeth Taylor), which raised over $2 million for AIDS research.

But while her professional life was filled with success and fascinating people, her personal life was far more difficult and dramatic. In this memoir Carole Bayer Sager tells the surprisingly frank and darkly humorous story of a woman whose sometimes crippling fears and devastating relationships inspired many of the songs she would ultimately write.

They're Playing Our Song will fascinate anyone interested in the craft of songwriting and the joy of collaboration, but Carole Bayer Sager's memoir is also a deeply personal account of how love and heartbreak made her the woman - and the writer - she is.

Members Reviews:

BEST AUDIO BOOK I'VE EVER HEARD!

Can not give enough accolades to Carole as she gives a vivid walk through her song writing journey!

It made my heart sing

I loved every moment of this book. It was so fun in part because it was fun hearing about how Carole grew up literally with some of the most talented people ever, but also because of the vulnerability she shared. The greatest listen to me was not to waste time trapped in your own thoughts because you waste life on things that may never come to pass. Loved this book and did not want it to end!

"Amazing Work" from a new fan

Where does They're Playing Our Song rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

#1

What did you like best about this story?

The history of her start, body of work, collaboration's , behind the scenes stories.

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Title: A Life Discarded

Subtitle: 148 Diaries Found in the Trash

Author: Alexander Masters

Narrator: Alexander Masters

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

In 2001, 148 tattered and mold-covered notebooks were discovered lying among broken bricks in a bin on a building site in Cambridge, England. Tens of thousands of pages were filled to the edges with urgent handwriting. They were a small part of an intimate, mysterious diary, starting in 1952 and ending half a century later, a few weeks before the books were thrown out. The anonymous author, known only as "I", reveals themselves as the tragicomic patron saint of everyone who feels their life should have been more successful. Over five years, the brilliant biographer Alexander Masters uncovers the identity and real history of this secret author, ending with an astounding final revelation.

A biographical detective story that unfolds with the suspense of a mystery - but has all the dazzling originality that made Masters's Stuart: A Life Backwards such a beloved book - A Life Discarded is a true, poignant, often hilarious story of an ordinary life.

Critic Reviews:

"Masters is a beautiful writer: funny, inquisitive and attentive; the talents on display in his barnstorming 2005 book

Stuart: A Life Backwards can be seen here, too." (

The Guardian)

Members Reviews:

Fascinating story about a real person that reads like a mystery

This is the first book by Alexander Masters that I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though the book is essentially about the life of an "ordinary" person based on her diaries, Masters fashions his tale like a mystery novel. You keep turning the pages to find out what he discovered about the diarist next: what was her name, what happened to her, why were her diaries pitched into a trash dumpster, why did she write all those diaries in the first place? There is something fascinating and meaningful in every person's story. It seems like a wonderful coincidence that these diaries ended up in the hands of Alexander Masters, perhaps the one person on earth (?) who knew how to value them and help this woman do what she wasn't quite able to do herself: tell her story and get it published. I just wish there was a photo at the end of the book. Read the book to find out which photo is missing. It's a terrific story.

A smart, amazing book that you will never forget. Ever.

Very cleverââand often brilliantââanalysis of an âunendingâ diary and an "ordinary" human life. The author cuts through the many filters and layers we desperately use to hide from our deeper creative selves. So many people sacrifice true happiness for various levels of less-satisfying (often minimal material) comfort. Many of us long to have noteworthy lives, but we can't see the distractions that destroy the sharp focus required for real and lasting success. The writer's truth-telling sometimes comes as a series of genuine, insightful surprises that almost feel like punches in the gutââbut they are soft punches and are easily forgiven. "A Life Discarded" is one of the more profound and powerful books I've read over the past few years. If you're at all introspective and philosophical, and especially if you write, draw, sculpt, or play music, this book deserves your attention.

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Title: The Speed of Sound

Subtitle: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology

Author: Thomas Dolby

Narrator: Thomas Dolby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 137 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The remarkable story of rising to the top of the music charts, a second act as a tech pioneer, and the sustaining power of creativity and art.

Thomas Dolby's hit songs "She Blinded Me with Science" and "Hyperactive!" catapulted him to international fame in the early '80s. A pioneer of New Wave and Electronica, Thomas combined a love for invention with a passion for music, and the result was a new sound that defined an era of revolutionary music. But as record company politics overshadow the joy of performing, Thomas finds a surprising second act.

Starting out in a rat-infested London bedsit, a teenage Thomas Dolby stacks boxes by day at the grocery and tinkers with a homemade synthesizer at night while catching the Police at a local dive bar, swinging by the pub to see the unknown Elvis Costello, and starting the weekend with a Clash show at a small nightclub. London on the eve of the 1980s is a hotbed for music and culture, and a new sound is beginning to take shape, merging technology with the musical energy of punk rock. Thomas plays keyboards in other bands' shows and, with a bit of luck, finds his own style, quickly establishing himself on the scene and recording breakout hits that take radio, MTV, and dance clubs by storm. The world is now his oyster, and sold out arenas, world tours, even a friendship with Michael Jackson become the fabric of his life.

But as the record industry flounders and disillusionment sets in, Thomas turns his attention to Hollywood. Scoring films and computer games eventually leads him to Silicon Valley and a software start-up that turns up the volume on the digital music revolution. His company barely survives the dot-com bubble, but finally even the mavericks at Apple, Microsoft, Netscape, and Nokia see the light. By 2005 two thirds of the world's mobile phones embed his Beatnik software. Life at the zenith of a tech empire proves to be just as full of big personalities, battling egos, and roller-coaster success as his days spent at the top of the charts.

The Speed of Sound is the story of an extraordinary man living an extraordinary life, a single-handed quest to make peace between art and the digital world.

Members Reviews:

A tribute to an artist finding home.

As an artist and entrepreneur or and a bit of a geek I found this book to be riveting from beginning to end great highs and lows. Whether you are a child of the 80s, entrepreneur of the 90s or just someone who wants to find them selves you need to experience this book

Well written, well read, well done.

I would have no problem listening to this book again. Like his music? Lovely, interesting and most Enjoyable.

One day Thomas will tour again...

Until then, you have this. You get the feeling TD's brain is wired differently than most. His attention span limited, as his interests are varied and limitless. The MJ anecdote alone makes this a great listen, a pretty good orator as well...wouldn't mind him reading some others work.