Authors who should not have narrated their book.

What disappointed you about The Power of No?

I could not listen past a couple of chapters because the authors' voices were so hard to listen to. The female author was very difficult to understand and the male was simply annoying. And, the overview that was given early in the book made me realize that this was not a good purchase. It wasn't what I expected at all. It sounded like a bunch of postmodern hocus-pocus and not practical advice on how to say no to the demands placed on us by others. I will be calling Audible to return this book.

Would you be willing to try another one of James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher ’s performances?

No way.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Irritation.

43 people found this helpful

Some really bad advice...

James, Claudia and their audio technician chatter about some faux mixture of Oriental thought/meditation and daily life with little to no comprehension of theoretical foundations. Several times I stopped and thought, "WOW! That's a really bad suggestion!" Don't think of your life in thirty years...you might be dead. They allowed some of their headphone banter to get into the recording, I guess they felt that it enhanced the experience, but in reality it just exposes them as shot from the hip types who don't really know where they are going, but they will eventually get there.
If you are going to journey through this life with a philosophy that philosophy needs to take you from womb to tomb. If it can't look thirty years down the line then it can't look thirty minutes.
It was an interesting listen with some original perspectives, but the authors come across as just winging it which defeats the purpose of sharing it in audio/book format.

61 people found this helpful

100% self-absorbed

This book is weird. And it's one of a kind. One of a kind in the sense that I couldn't listen to more than an hour or so, before giving up. In retrospect, I can't believe it took me that long to realise how useless this book would be to me.

The book is weird, in that the authors, who are a couple (as suggested by their last name Altucher) reads it themselves. Fine and fair enough, but they really stretch that format, by talking on top of each other. Suddenly having her voice interrupt, or vice versa, after one person talking solo for maybe 15 minutes; feels weird. As if you're in your friends living room, been there for a few hours, and suddenly you realise his partner was also home, sleeping under the sofa. Yes, weird example, but this book IS weird - and you get the idea.

This book is also mindlessly boring and full of anecdotes that few other people than the authors themselves can get excited about. I'm all for transparency and authenticity, but in this book, it's feels like being at a wedding, positioned between two guests, who also happen to be a couple ("The Altucher's" also know as "The MeMeMe's") that can't stop telling you about their life, in every little detail, and make much grandeur of each and every little event, as if it's the biggest since the birth of Christ.

Come on.

I do realise the book may be in a good format for some listeners, just not me. It feels like they just pressed record, started rambling, sent it to a foreign language virtual assistant for editing (meaning that this person couldn't editorially edit it) and pressed the "Publish to Audible" button;)

53 people found this helpful

Bad narration, anecdotal ideas

A book that could have been a single article. The authors aren't good narrators. The ideas aren't backed by anything but opinions.

8 people found this helpful

I wish I read the reviews!

What was most disappointing about James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher ’s story?

I felt like this book started out by assuming that the reader/listener was extremely depressed, and probably a high risk for suicide. Neither of those things were the case for me, and it was a bit off-putting.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Yes!! Claudia had a heavy accent and James had a little bit of a lisp. While I think there might have been a lot of banter that a person who read the book would not have gotten to enjoy, the performance was extremely distracting. As I got towards the end I found myself skipping forward when Claudia was narrating.

Did The Power of No inspire you to do anything?

No. I found that Claudia gave a lot of "hippy-dippy" non-sense advice; (another reason why I skipped her a lot). I found some of Jame's advice to make sense, but definitely not all of it.

4 people found this helpful

A Must Read for All Ages and Personalities

Would you listen to The Power of No again? Why?

The structure of the audiobook was that of a daily. Lots of valuable life lessons to soak in over and over again. It inspired me to stay the course on current positive trends in day-to-day life and gave encouragement to develop and build on them further.

What did you like best about this story?

The content was very well thought out and flowed naturally from start to finish. In addition to the overall richness of the lessons and stories provided, James and Claudia were perfect narrators.They added a real warmth and layer of honesty that may not have existed with someone else.

What does James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Their fabulous personalities.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

So many great quotes...one that really struck a chord with me was "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." This book is full of wonderful quotes just like it.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended this book to family, friends and strangers alike. Congratulations to James and Claudia in their efforts to produce a beautiful and timeless story that will change lives for years to come.

13 people found this helpful

They practice what they preach, and yet....

This is an interesting self-help book combining a practical, common sense set of tips to become a successful entrepreneur with eastern spiritual principles. Although entertaining and genuinely useful in its unusual mix of spiritual and practical suggestions, the book ultimately feels superficial and disjointed. The authors rely almost solely on their personal experiences to derive universal dictums about how to prosper; and while they suggest reading 500 books on a subject that you want to be an expert at, few external references for their own subject are made. Instead of turning to scientific evidence and research to defend their claims, a simple "Trust me, it works" is offered. Many of the long lists of exercises seem made up and their evidence for success comes from their own experiences and from those who have written to them - a far cry from a random sample. The references to yoga, meditation and 12 step recovery were excellent but they didn't fully gel with the rest of the book. It was like a soup with lots of ingredients that had yet to fully cook and combine.

Still, I was reminded of the importance of gratitude, the need to ask for help, and the option I have to start from scratch and reinvent myself. And I'll admit there was something endearing about a husband and wife reading their book together I'm a relaxed conversational manner.

1 person found this helpful

Terrible

there may have been something useful here but it could have been covered in 10 minutes I think. I somehow got to chapter 4 before I could not stand it anymore.

3 people found this helpful

Ugh, daily deal I wish I hadn't taken advantage of

I just couldn't take the author/narrator seriously. Glad he was able to reinvent himself a few times but it's just not for me. I just grinned and bore it and wish I hadn't.

3 people found this helpful

surprisingly enjoyable and enriching

Each month I search for something to listen to while I drive. My drive is short, but last year I decided that I would spend that time enriching myself, finding mentors and just generally getting "zen" while I prepare to start my hectic day at the office. This book was a surprise.
I found myself listening to this book while I grocery shopped, and at other times when I would normally just be standing around doing nothing.

I loved the authors accents, and at times their banter with each other. I found the material in the book easy to follow and the processes and action steps all positive. I found myself bookmarking specific quotes or exercises because I wanted to make sure that I remembered them. I wanted to reference them in my blog. I wanted to practice them in my life!

7 people found this helpful