Kara Demetropoulos

Decent for a free listen.

Revisado: 01-20-21

Darkly heartwarming tale from the perspective of an orphaned Native American adolescent (Zits) as he struggles with navigating his teenage years with no stable home life and mountains of personal and generational trauma to unpack. Vaguely reminiscent of Chuck Pahlaunik's style of obscene magical realism, but not executed as well. It's gruesome and emotionally heavy, but also packed with life lessons that are presented very basically, spelled out deliberately, as if to a young child. Overall, it just missed the mark for me. I couldn't get a clear read on what genre it was trying to be, and it fell short on whatever it was attempting. Not bad for a quick, free download, but I am glad I didn't spend actual money on it.

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Much better than I expected.

Revisado: 12-11-20

I thought I was just going to be listening to a critique of Trump, but was given so much more. Vulnerable, and honest examinations of how to live a better life shine at the heart of this book. I learned so much valuable information from this.

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Captivating and insightful.

Revisado: 12-08-20

This was an incredible listen. A thorough overview of the wild history of LSD in the US, and the counterculture that it helped stoke. I found it absolutely fascinating, and learned so much about the 60's and 70's in the process. Especially given the trajectory of our current drug reform, this topic feels very relevant.

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A Psychedelic Classic

Revisado: 11-11-20

This book has been on my shelf for several years now, and I finally just listened to the audiobook in one quick sitting. Huxley's account of his first mescaline experience is a quick read, but potent. Each paragraph is rich with meaning, and their implications require time to savor. I felt transported right to the room where Huxley undertook his experimental voyage, and experienced it all right alongside him. Doors of Perception is a perfect encapsulation of the psychedelic experience, as it is really more about the gorgeous inner wanderings of the mind, and less about the drug itself. Included in the pages are musings about Buddhism, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, classic art, and schizophrenia, ending with a vision for a new way of looking at mental health and drug use in society. I am left shaking my head at the fact that his ideas were voiced seventy years ago, and we are only now becoming remotely close to considering our own collective shifts in perception, but also hopeful that the tide may indeed be turning to a more rational and compassionate future.

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Enjoyable Listen

Revisado: 08-26-20

This was an interesting account of the Theranos scandal, told by the whistleblower who exposed it. The story itself was much more interesting than I expected, as it contained a number of complex family dynamics that added a layer of interpersonal drama to the already dramatic healthcare scandal. Tyler the whistleblower makes an engaging and endearing narrator, and you can't help but root for him. Worth a free listen.

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Unexpectedly Lovely

Revisado: 08-19-20

This was an inspiring and relevant listen full of tales from Dan Rather's career in journalism. Mainly covering the Civil Rights era, Kennedy assassination, Vietnam War, and Nixon, there were quite a few sobering and heartbreaking moments, but Dan guides us through them gently. He concludes with some relevant remarks on our current situation, and leaves us with practical steps to take to safeguard our communities during these crazy times. Having never watched him on the air, Dan Rather blew me away with his humility, sincerity, and wit. This was a true delight to listen to.

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