Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

There are a ton of books and videos on improving your memory. A lot of people would like a photographic memory. It would be awesome, they think. Be like Sheldon (Big Bang Theory) and never forget anything. I'm not sure if I'd want that. There are sad and bad moments in time that people would want to forget. Unfortunately, most of those times never leave, they live on in the scars. 

“Photographic memory is a detestable myth,” he said. “Doesn’t exist. In fact, my memory is quite average. All of us here have average memories.” Ed Cooke young grand master from England. Memory Champion.

This book, however, is NOT a book on memory techniques, but rather a book on techniques that memory champions use to remember. There is a lot of history and some (filler?) info on Roman and Greek memory techniques and Chicken  Sexers. Interesting facts, but I think they are not needed. 

This book reads like a long article in a magazine. For me, this book was quite dull most of the time. And I was using the audiobook version. 

If you are interested in memory championships, then this book might be good for you. 

The Master! 3 vol set

The Master! 3 vol set

Audio version

Big Finish Productions

Eric Roberts has the best ever Master voice. I remember him in the crappy 1996 movie (that I have watched a thousand times) that tried to reboot the series in the US with US funding. Didn't happen. Which is good. They changed the regeneration into a Frankenstein rip-off. Apparently, that didn't go down well with anybody.

In an interview on the audiobook, Eric Roberts said, Dr. Who at the time was very campy (it was, and we still loved it), and he asked if he could play it straight. The producers said, OK. And he gave us one of the best Masters until Sacha Dhawan came along. Yes, Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley were great in their time. 

The audio script (I should say book as everything is acted out) was written by Robert Valentine, Robert Whitelock, and Matt Fitton (One book each for the three book series)

Starring Eric Roberts and Chase Masterson.

Earth is rebuilding after an invasion by the Daleks. Drake enterprises is one of the top research companies in the world. Their top scientist is Lila and while researching teleportation, she stumbles into the Vortex and starts to hear a voice, whispering to her all the answers to the universe. All she has to do is find a way to free this person, calling himself, The Master.

This three book series is totally badass. The Master is devious but I feel he could have been written a little darker. I loved Simms at his second run as The Master. He was dark and crazy as fuck. Brilliant. Missy was also brilliant. 

In the audio script, you will enjoy The Master taking control, facing as assassin, taken prisoner in the streets, chased through the underground system, Daleks return. And someone who died but she not dead. Not really. 

The books are short. Or they seemed short as I listened at every opportunity. 

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

Audiobook version. 

Tremblay's first book, A head full of ghosts, was not my cup of tea. I wasn't scared, I was bored and I sold that paperback to a second hand bookstore and bought: The kind worth Killing by Peter Swanson (review later). 

However, Survivor Song interested me enough to buy a copy and listen/read it. 

The book starts off with a bang and barely lets up. We are plunged into the world of Natalie worried about her husband who has gone shopping, three hours prior. She is eight months pregnant and a virus has broken out. A rabies virus. 

After an incident at her home, Natalie rushes off to her friend, Ramola (previously a pediatric). The main basis of this story is to get Natalie to a hospital for a C-Section to remove the baby a few week earlier. Stuff happens that forces them to an abandoned farm house. 

The best characters in this story are the two BMX riding hoodlums. They were awesome. Especially their final scene in the book. I like how Tremblay stayed with them for a time after they left Natalie and Ramola. Apparently, they appeared in another of Tremblay's books. 

All up, this is an excellent read/listen and recommended BUT (there's usually a but) this book doesn't seem to hold the tension of what's going to happen next. It was easy to not continue but I did and I'm kind of glad I did. 

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary 

Andy Weir

At its core, this is a story about friendship. 

Grace is a scientist. He teaches science in Junior High school. Many years ago, he was a real scientist and wrote papers. One of the papers got him mocked, enough to leave the field and become a teacher. He loves his new job and his new life. 

And then everything changes. 

The sun is cooling and Earth is on a collision course for another ice age. Billions will die. The paper that got Grace mocked is now lauded and a woman in charge of saving the world, needs to speak with him. 

This book, like his previous, The Martian, has a lot of science and it's explained in a way laymen (like me) can understand and follow along. I enjoyed this book a lot. There's humor, excitement, treachery and an unexpected ending. 

What's not to like. 

Excellent back story as well. 

3.5 out of 5 stars. Why? Because I thought it could have moved a little faster. It didn't feel like padding (mostly) but it did feel strung out. 

Still, a darn good book. 

Check it out. 

Extinction New Zealand Book 1

 

Book One, The rule of three

By Adrian J Smith.

Publisher: ‎Great Wave Ink Publishing; 2nd edition (February 5, 2019)

Publication date: ‎February 5, 2019

Language: ‎English

Print length: 251 pages

This edition: Audio version

Narrator : Raphael Corkhill 

This book starts off hard and keeps ramping up the pressure. Jack Gee is out hiking. His phone is off. At the end of his three-day hike, he turns on his mobile and there are many messages from his wife. During his hike the Hemorrhage virus has taken over the world, turning people into Variants -- not exactly zombies, but much like zombies. Jack has only one goal, to get back to Hamilton and his wife Dee. 

Dee is facing her own problems. Waiting for Jack to reach her, she sets up camp in the basement of her house. Waiting for Jack, she helps a group of four, one a teenager called Boss. 

And that's the set up. Simple really, but also brilliant. The encounters Jack has trying to get home are interesting and wild. He learns things about the Variants and escapes them more than once. Meets unsavory characters, interested only in taking advantage of the situation. 

There are a few slow parts where the author is trying to cement the link between Dee and Jack, using  backstory via memories and Jack and Dee commenting to themselves about how great the other is and how that person completes them. Sorry. That failed. 

The character of Boss, is great. He keeps throwing out movie references, that I get. My only questions is: Why is a teenager addicted to old movies and not so recent movies when he is always online gaming?

Apart from that. This book is excellent. The narrator also does a brilliant job. 

7/10

Please ignore the error in the beginning with the backpack tossed onto the front passenger seat that is magically in the backseat when he risks his life to save a woman, who also magically vanishes from his car. I'm not sure if that woman is the mother of a family stuck on the motorway, like him, or a stranger. This was confusing. And there were a few other parts that knocked my from the story. That is why this book didn't get a higher rating. 

I have purchased book 2 and book 3 in audio format. I'm considering buying the paperbacks to add to my (near collapsing) bookcase. 

 

Ink by Jonathan Maberry

 

Listening Length15 hours and 9 minutes

Author Jonathan Maberry 

Narrator Ray Porter

Whispersync for Voice Ready

Audible.com Release Date November 17, 2020

Publisher Macmillan Audio Program 

Type Audiobook

Version Unabridged 

Language English

This book started off really well but three quarters of the way through, it petered off. 

I love the idea of this tale. A man collects tattoos off other people along with their memory of said tattoo. Image your wife has cancer and she beats it. You get a tattoo on your wrist. Later in the day, the tattoo is gone and so is the memory of your wife having beat cancer. This man--creature?--uses flies to do his bidding. 

The scenes with the tat collector are great. Horror. Tension. All the good stuff. But the other characters all fall flat, except Monk Addison. Also I found it a little too raw and emotional for my liking. Also, there seemed to be a lot of virtual signaling. I don't mind it, but it can sometimes get in the way. 

I didn't finish this book, so I cannot in good faith rate it. 

The info above says the book is 15 hours to listen to, but it took more than two weeks before I tossed it. 

  

Origin by Dan Brown

 

It took over a week to listen to Dan Brown's audiobook Origin. I have the paperback but have never gotten around to reading that massive book. 99 chapters. This is a good story about God and AI. 

Where do we come from? and Where are we going?

Two fundamental questions of Mankind. 

These questions are answered in a satisfying way. 

Along the way to answering these questions,  Langdon's student is killed by a naval officer. Langdon is accused of kidnapping the prince of Spain's fiancée. They escape aided by Wilson, an AI. Almost get shot, and escape again. in a manner a bit tough to accept. 

This is still a good read (listen) although, it was very wordy and several times, the same comments are repeated more than twice. Sometimes, these are Langdon's inner thoughts.

7/10