Category: Audiobooks

The Grand Banks Café by Georges Simenon

After an ill-fated voyager a ship’s captain is killed and Maigret is asked by a friend of the accused to investigate. 3/5

How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation by E. D. Hirsch Jr

The author argues for better structured teaching to improve education and citizenship. Controversial but seems backed by evidence. 3/5

The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet by Jeff Goodell

A book about how Global Warming will make many areas unlivable & descriptions of recent heat events. Showing how the affects are here already. 4/5

How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy by Stephen Witt.

The books follows a Music Exec, A CD Pirate and The Inventors of the mp3 though the overturning of the Music industry as music went online. 4/5

The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin

The story of the January 1888 blizzard that killed 2-500 people on the US Great Planes. A mix of personal stories and overviews of the storm. 4/5

The Little Book of Exoplanets by Joshua N. Winn

A great book on histories of discoveries, various techniques, types of planets, planetary formation, etc. Great introduction to the field for interested amateurs. 4/5

For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor

The 2nd Bobverse book. The Bobs try deal with Primitive Aliens, Hostile Advanced Aliens and Hostile humans. A fun listen 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Convoy escort commander by Sir Peter Gretton

A memoir of the author’s WW2 Naval service culminating commanding North Atlantic convey escort groups. Descriptions of shipboard life and battles. 3/5

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart

A good autobiography of the actor’s personal and professional life. Lots of details of early life and career but more selective thereafter. Interesting throughout. 4/5

Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Apollo Moon Landings by Alan Shepard, Deke Slayton & Jay Barbree

A fairly standard account of Apollo but with Shepard and Slayton adding some extra first-person accounts and insights. Skip the tacked-on chapter from 2009. 3/5

Grinding It Out: The making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc

Autobiography of the McDonalds founder. The earliest bits of the book are probably the best but even later there are still a good mix of stories and advice. 3/5

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

A present-day nerd dies and is uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe. Feels a bit like Andy Weir. Recommended. 4/5

The Longest Minute: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 by Matthew J. Davenport

A detail account of the earthquake and fire, following participants and drawing our 100 years of sources and science. Great read. 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

Parking, it’s history and economics, land use and zoning. A fun, accessible book that might be good introduction to those new to the topic. 3/5

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

The source of the recent film. Comprehensive although not straying far from the subject and an easy read. 4/5

How 1954 changed History by Michael Flamm

A short series of lectures about major (mainly US) events during 1954 from medicine to politics to popular culture. A nice quick read. 3/5

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace

A combination memoir, company history and management advice book. Works well for all 3. 4/5

My Rating System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

When the heavens went on sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach by Ashlee Vance

Covers 4 rocket companies trying to follow SpaceX: Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Labs. Good overview companies and their founders. 4/5

A Crime in Holland by Georges Simenon

Inspector Maigret travels to the Netherlands to assist a French professor who is suspected of murder. He is hampered by language barriers & lack of jurisdiction. 3/5

The Ultimate Engineer: The Remarkable Life of NASA’s Visionary Leader George M. Low by Richard Jurek

The biography of a senior NASA administrator during the Apollo era. Interesting although a bit less technical than most NASA books 3/5

Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris

The story of five legendary Hollywood who joined the US military in World War 2 to make films for the armed services. Great book, definitely recommend. 4/5

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read

America, Empire Of Liberty by David Reynolds

90 * 15 minute episodes covering US history. A fun listen although obviously not a huge amount of detail. 3/5

The Night at the Crossroads by Georges Simenon

When a perplexing murder occurs outside Paris, Inspector Maigret arrives at an isolated intersection marked only by two houses and a dingy garage. 3/5

Outlive꞉ The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

Lots of advice on how to extend your [healthy] years well above the average. Plenty of good advice even if you can’t follow it all. 3/5

Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

The forth Earthsea Book, it follows Tenar (from The Tombs of Atuan) with Ged as a secondary character. Less fantasy and action than the previous books. But still interesting. 3/5

My Rating System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger, Sam Wasson

Extracts from hundreds of Interviews by the American Film Institute. Great coverage of the Studio System especially. 4/5

Maigret and the Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon.

In the 6th Maigret Book. The leading citizens of a village are being attacked. Maigret must determine why and by whom. 3/5

Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age by Chris Petty

An account of the US Rocket Plane programs including the X-1 and X-15. Emphasizes the people, politics and stories 4/5

My Rating System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

A Culture novel about an expert game player who goes on a mission to an Empire built on a complex game. Interesting and recommended. 4/5

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

Interwoven accounts of the day from participants. 4/5

Last Man Standing by Craig A. Falconer

Lone Man tries to survive space emergency. Tries to be the next “The Martian” but doesn’t succeed. Science flaky. Many people like but I gave up at 30% through 2/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts

A moderately detailed biography single-volume biography that gets good reviews. I could mostly follow the action (except perhaps some of the battles) and characters. Would definitely recommend 4/5

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

A fairly good memoir by the tennis player. Covers both professional and personal life. The match descriptions work quite well. 3/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

Mostly covering the Colombian Exchange between the Old and New Worlds. With stories of goods, species and people going in both directions. 4/5

The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon

A salesman is found shot dead. Maigret finds he was leading a double life, but to what end and why does the case not make sense? 3/5

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger

Covers his career before CEO up to his original retirement. Lots of interesting stores and some tips for managers. 4/5

A Man’s Head by Georges Simenon

Suspicious a convicted murderer is innocent Maigret arranges his escape and surveillance. One mysterious man directly challenges Maigret to solve the mysterious web of people around the case. 3/5

Dreams of other worlds: The Amazing Story of Unmanned Space Exploration by Chris Impey and Holly Henry

The story of 12 unmanned space missions. Not as detailed as I’d like, around half of each mission’s chapter goes off on tangents but still good. 3/5

The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon

An unexpected suicide leads Maigret to a pretentious group of youths and another suicide ten years previous. 3/5

Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes

Covering the 2020 US Presidential primaries and election. Mostly from the Democratic side. Reasonably good but not quite up to the 2008/2012 books. 4/5

My Audiobook Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris

The story of the conception, making and release of the 5 Best Picture Nominees at the 1968 Oscars. 4 Classic films and one Bomb. Great book, Highly recommend. 4/5

The Great North Road: London to Edinburgh – 11 Days, 2 Wheels and 1 Ancient Highway by Steve Silk

A mix of travel and history (a 100 year old guide is used and compared). A nice relaxing read. 3/5

Learn Like a Pro: Science-Based Tools to Become Better at Anything by Barbara Oakley

A good general book on learning and study techniques. 3/5

Firepower: How Weapons Shaped Warfare by Paul Lockhart

How weapons developments from 1300 to the end of WW2 shaped how wars were fought at the tactical and operation level. Very interesting, recommended. 4/5

Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon

The First Inspector Maigret detective story. A dead body and a live businessman are both match the description of a notorious fraudster. A short interesting listen. 3/5

Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell

The author talks about his career (at including helping create the ipod, iphone and Nest) and lessons about building products and companies. 4/5

The Crime at Lock 14 by Georges Simenon

A woman’s body is found in a stable near a canal and Inspector Maigret is called to investigate. Her upper-class but disreputable English husband is suspected. Lots of descriptions of Canal life 3/5

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

An authorised (although with plenty of warts) biography of the Apple Founder and CEO. Well written, detailed and interesting. 4/5

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

Throughout Earthsea magic is dying and people are sicking or going mad. Archmage Sparrowhawk and young Prince set out to investigate. A very real-feeling story. 4/5

My Audiobook Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all