Downhill from Here
Retirement Insecurity in the Age of Inequality
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Downhill from Here
Buy for $30.09
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Karen White
About this listen
Retirement insecurity is an increasingly serious manifestation of the vast inequality that risks destroying the social fabric in America. The nearly inevitable consequence of lifetime wage discrepancies, security in retirement is linked to the kinds of jobs we hold during our work lives. That, in turn, is a product of all the forces leading to historic levels of inequality, forces that have protected the very wealthy, destroyed any hold on stability for the poor, and gradually eroded the security of the vast middle class.
The problem of inequality has moved from an academic preoccupation to a growing theme in national and local politics. The election of Bill Di Blasio in New York was the first real political victory that owes itself to citizens demanding a reversal of inequality. It has been an underlying them in the Democratic presidential debates, a motif for the Hillary Clinton campaign and a pronounced feature of Bernie Sanders' bid. This attention is not an accident. When members of Congress returned to their districts to test out messages for upcoming elections, the one issue that resonated among their publics was “do something about retirement.”
©2019 Katherine S. Newman (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Hand to Mouth
- Living in Bootstrap America
- By: Linda Tirado
- Narrated by: Linda Tirado
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 409
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 404
In her thought-provoking voice, Tirado discusses how she went from lower-middle class, to sometimes middle class, to poor and everything in between, and in doing so reveals why "poor people don't always behave the way middle-class America thinks they should."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Buy the written copy, NOT the audio by the author
- By Jacqueline on 12-30-14
By: Linda Tirado
-
The War on Normal People
- By: Andrew Yang
- Narrated by: Andrew Yang
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4,177
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,612
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,594
The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. Not in the distant future - now. One recent estimate predicts 13 million American workers will lose their jobs within the next seven years - jobs that won't be replaced. In a future marked by restlessness and chronic unemployment, what will happen to American society? In The War on Normal People, Andrew Yang paints a dire portrait of the American economy. Rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation software are making millions of Americans' livelihoods irrelevant.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I Would Vote For Him
- By Tommie Sexton on 07-09-18
By: Andrew Yang
-
Poverty, by America
- By: Matthew Desmond
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 856
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 755
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 754
The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A testimonial based on facts and witness
- By Alonzo Nightjar on 03-27-23
By: Matthew Desmond
-
This Fight Is Our Fight
- The Battle to Save America's Middle Class
- By: Elizabeth Warren
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Warren
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,024
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,832
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,821
The fiery US senator from Massachusetts and best-selling author offers a passionate, inspiring book about why our middle class is under siege and how we can win the fight to save it.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
An angry rant, not that informative
- By Havi Wingfield on 05-09-17
By: Elizabeth Warren
-
Our Revolution
- A Future to Believe In
- By: Bernie Sanders
- Narrated by: Bernie Sanders, Mark Ruffalo
- Length: 18 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,896
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,727
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,723
When Bernie Sanders began his race for the presidency, it was considered by the political establishment and the media to be a "fringe" campaign, something not to be taken seriously. After all, he was just an independent senator from a small state with little name recognition. His campaign had no money, no political organization, and it was taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment. By the time Sanders' campaign came to a close, however, it was clear that the pundits had gotten it wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It's our future.
- By Dan on 11-15-16
By: Bernie Sanders
-
Give People Money
- How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World
- By: Annie Lowrey
- Narrated by: Annie Lowrey
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 326
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 278
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 273
Imagine if every month the government deposited $1,000 into your bank account, with nothing expected in return. It sounds crazy. But it has become one of the most influential and hotly debated policy ideas of our time. Futurists, radicals, libertarians, socialists, union representatives, feminists, conservatives, Bernie supporters, development economists, childcare workers, welfare recipients, and politicians from India to Finland to Canada to Mexico - all are talking about UBI.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Liberal whine-fest rather than serious discussion
- By Jason on 07-25-18
By: Annie Lowrey
-
Hand to Mouth
- Living in Bootstrap America
- By: Linda Tirado
- Narrated by: Linda Tirado
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 409
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 404
In her thought-provoking voice, Tirado discusses how she went from lower-middle class, to sometimes middle class, to poor and everything in between, and in doing so reveals why "poor people don't always behave the way middle-class America thinks they should."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Buy the written copy, NOT the audio by the author
- By Jacqueline on 12-30-14
By: Linda Tirado
-
The War on Normal People
- By: Andrew Yang
- Narrated by: Andrew Yang
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4,177
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,612
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,594
The shift toward automation is about to create a tsunami of unemployment. Not in the distant future - now. One recent estimate predicts 13 million American workers will lose their jobs within the next seven years - jobs that won't be replaced. In a future marked by restlessness and chronic unemployment, what will happen to American society? In The War on Normal People, Andrew Yang paints a dire portrait of the American economy. Rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation software are making millions of Americans' livelihoods irrelevant.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I Would Vote For Him
- By Tommie Sexton on 07-09-18
By: Andrew Yang
-
Poverty, by America
- By: Matthew Desmond
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 856
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 755
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 754
The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A testimonial based on facts and witness
- By Alonzo Nightjar on 03-27-23
By: Matthew Desmond
-
This Fight Is Our Fight
- The Battle to Save America's Middle Class
- By: Elizabeth Warren
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Warren
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,024
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,832
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,821
The fiery US senator from Massachusetts and best-selling author offers a passionate, inspiring book about why our middle class is under siege and how we can win the fight to save it.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
An angry rant, not that informative
- By Havi Wingfield on 05-09-17
By: Elizabeth Warren
-
Our Revolution
- A Future to Believe In
- By: Bernie Sanders
- Narrated by: Bernie Sanders, Mark Ruffalo
- Length: 18 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,896
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,727
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,723
When Bernie Sanders began his race for the presidency, it was considered by the political establishment and the media to be a "fringe" campaign, something not to be taken seriously. After all, he was just an independent senator from a small state with little name recognition. His campaign had no money, no political organization, and it was taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment. By the time Sanders' campaign came to a close, however, it was clear that the pundits had gotten it wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It's our future.
- By Dan on 11-15-16
By: Bernie Sanders
-
Give People Money
- How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World
- By: Annie Lowrey
- Narrated by: Annie Lowrey
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 326
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 278
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 273
Imagine if every month the government deposited $1,000 into your bank account, with nothing expected in return. It sounds crazy. But it has become one of the most influential and hotly debated policy ideas of our time. Futurists, radicals, libertarians, socialists, union representatives, feminists, conservatives, Bernie supporters, development economists, childcare workers, welfare recipients, and politicians from India to Finland to Canada to Mexico - all are talking about UBI.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Liberal whine-fest rather than serious discussion
- By Jason on 07-25-18
By: Annie Lowrey
-
Poor Economics
- A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
- By: Abhijit V. Banerjee, Esther Duflo
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 766
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 760
Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have pioneered the use of randomized control trials in development economics. Work based on these principles, supervised by the Poverty Action Lab, is being carried out in dozens of countries. Drawing on this and their 15 years of research from Chile to India, Kenya to Indonesia, they have identified wholly new aspects of the behavior of poor people, their needs, and the way that aid or financial investment can affect their lives. Their work defies certain presumptions: that microfinance is a cure-all, that schooling equals learning....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent for non-economists
- By D. Martin on 07-01-12
By: Abhijit V. Banerjee, and others
-
Black Titan
- A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire
- By: Carol Jenkins
- Narrated by: Susan Spain
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 460
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 395
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 395
A.G. Gaston, the poor grandson of slaves, was born in the Deep South in 1892. Over the course of his extraordinary life, he amassed a fortune of over $130 million and a vast business empire. The story of his remarkable life is written with eloquence and grace by his niece, an Emmy¿ Award-winning journalist and her daughter, who holds degrees from Yale and Harvard.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Black Gold = Standing Ovation
- By 2Fresh on 01-20-16
By: Carol Jenkins
-
Bachelor Pad Economics
- The Financial Advice Bible for Men
- By: Aaron Clarey
- Narrated by: Davis Aurini
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 786
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 652
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 652
Whether you're 14 and just trying to figure out life, or 70 and starting to think about estate planning, Bachelor Pad Economics addresses every major (and minor) economic and financial issue the average man will face in his entire life. From dating, to what to major in, to purchasing a home, to starting a business, to children and wife training, Bachelor Pad Economics is the wisdom you wish the father-you-never-had gave you.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Only for Americans...
- By GNA-1973 on 04-09-19
By: Aaron Clarey
-
Give Work
- Reversing Poverty One Job at a Time
- By: Leila Janah
- Narrated by: Leila Janah
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 96
When asked if they'd rather receive aid or work, the world's poorest people will always choose work. But the world's richest countries continue to send aid, targeting the symptoms, not the causes of poverty. Western countries have the best intentions, but charity-based aid often does more harm than good, and billions of people continue to suffer. According to Leila Janah, giving dignified, steady, fair-wage work is the most effective way to eradicate poverty.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Top of my list.
- By Sandra on 04-14-18
By: Leila Janah
-
The Nordic Theory of Everything
- In Search of a Better Life
- By: Anu Partanen
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,013
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 873
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 867
Moving to America in 2008, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen quickly went from confident, successful professional to wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life - from buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcare - was much more complicated and stressful than anything she encountered in her homeland. At first she attributed her crippling anxiety to the difficulty of adapting to a freewheeling new culture. But as she got to know Americans better, she discovered they shared her deep apprehension.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A non-radical perspective on two societies
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 06-20-17
By: Anu Partanen
-
The Real Crash
- America's Coming Bankruptcy - How to Save Yourself and Your Country
- By: Peter D. Schiff
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 728
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 629
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 627
In The Real Crash, New York Times best-selling author Peter D. Schiff argues that America is enjoying a government-inflated bubble, one that reality will explode... with disastrous consequences for the economy and for each of us. Schiff demonstrates how the infusion of billions of dollars of stimulus money has only dug a deeper hole: The United States government simply spends too much and does not collect enough money to pay its debts, and in the end, Americans from all walks of life will face a crushing consequence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Important Book with Somewhat Misleading Title
- By John on 07-08-12
By: Peter D. Schiff
-
$2.00 a Day
- Living on Almost Nothing in America
- By: Kathryn Edin, H. Luke Shaefer
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 690
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 591
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 591
There are, in the United States, a significant and growing number of families who live on less than $2.00 per person, per day. That figure, the World Bank measure of poverty, is hard to imagine in this country - most of us spend more than that before we get to work or school in the morning.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I'm a conservative and this isn't bad
- By Richard L on 07-04-16
By: Kathryn Edin, and others
-
American Dreams
- Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone
- By: Marco Rubio
- Narrated by: Ricardo Suri
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Marco Rubio's parents came to the United States in 1956. The country they found was truly a land of opportunity, where hardworking people with grade school educations could afford a home, a car, and college for their kids. A country where maids and bartenders could raise doctors, lawyers, small-business owners, and maybe even a US senator. That was the American Dream - our country's central promise to its people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive and compelling path for renewal.
- By gary on 06-03-15
By: Marco Rubio
-
Third World America
- How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream
- By: Arianna Huffington
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 68
America's middle class, the driver of so much of our economic success and political stability, is rapidly disappearing, forcing us to confront the fear that we are slipping as a nation - that our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did. It's the dark flipside of the American Dream - an American Nightmare of our own making.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sad... but with a ray of hope
- By Maciej on 10-20-10
-
Raising the Floor
- How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream
- By: Andy Stern, Lee Kravitz
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
Andy Stern, the former president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), spent four years traveling the country and asking economists, futurists, labor leaders, CEOs, investment bankers, entrepreneurs, and political leaders to help envision the US economy 25 to 30 years from now. He vividly reports on people who are analyzing and creating this new economy - such as investment banker Steve Berkenfeld; David Cote, the CEO of Honeywell International; and Andy Grove of Intel.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator should find another job.
- By Dean Sawyer on 12-21-17
By: Andy Stern, and others
-
Fair Shot
- Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn
- By: Chris Hughes
- Narrated by: Chris Hughes
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
The first half of Chris Hughes's life played like a movie reel right out of the "American Dream". He grew up in a small town in North Carolina. His parents were people of modest means, but he was accepted into an elite boarding school and then Harvard, both on scholarship. There, he met Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz and became one of the co-founders of Facebook. In telling his story, Hughes demonstrates the powerful role fortune and luck play in today's economy. Through the rocket ship rise of Facebook, Hughes came to understand how a select few can become ultra-wealthy nearly overnight.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good intro
- By hannah on 05-03-19
By: Chris Hughes
-
Born on Third Base
- A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good
- By: Chuck Collins
- Narrated by: Chuck Collins
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
The growing wealth inequality continues to dominate headlines. The divide between the haves and have nots in America is increasingly political and tensions are rising. On one side, the wealthy wield power and advantage, keeping the system operating in their favor, all while retreating into enclaves that separate them further and further from the poor and working class.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent analysis of inequality for m America, including its negative impact on the wealthy...along with everyone else.
- By Barbarina Heyerdahl on 01-11-18
By: Chuck Collins
Related to this topic
-
American Dreams
- Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone
- By: Marco Rubio
- Narrated by: Ricardo Suri
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Marco Rubio's parents came to the United States in 1956. The country they found was truly a land of opportunity, where hardworking people with grade school educations could afford a home, a car, and college for their kids. A country where maids and bartenders could raise doctors, lawyers, small-business owners, and maybe even a US senator. That was the American Dream - our country's central promise to its people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive and compelling path for renewal.
- By gary on 06-03-15
By: Marco Rubio
-
Third World America
- How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream
- By: Arianna Huffington
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 68
America's middle class, the driver of so much of our economic success and political stability, is rapidly disappearing, forcing us to confront the fear that we are slipping as a nation - that our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did. It's the dark flipside of the American Dream - an American Nightmare of our own making.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sad... but with a ray of hope
- By Maciej on 10-20-10
-
The Nordic Theory of Everything
- In Search of a Better Life
- By: Anu Partanen
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,013
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 873
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 867
Moving to America in 2008, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen quickly went from confident, successful professional to wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life - from buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcare - was much more complicated and stressful than anything she encountered in her homeland. At first she attributed her crippling anxiety to the difficulty of adapting to a freewheeling new culture. But as she got to know Americans better, she discovered they shared her deep apprehension.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A non-radical perspective on two societies
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 06-20-17
By: Anu Partanen
-
Boom, Bust, Exodus
- The Rust Belt, the Maquilas, and a Tale of Two Cities
- By: Chad Broughton
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
In 2002, the town of Galesburg, a slowly declining Rustbelt city of 33,000 in western Illinois, learned that it would soon lose its largest factory, a Maytag refrigerator plant that had anchored Galesburg's social and economic life for decades. Workers at the plant earned $15.14 an hour, had good insurance, and were assured a solid retirement. In 2004, the plant was relocated to Reynosa, Mexico, where workers sometimes spent 13-hour days assembling refrigerators for $1.10 an hour.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Story I thought I Knew
- By Meek84 on 07-08-18
By: Chad Broughton
-
The Working Poor
- Invisible in America
- By: David K. Shipler
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 181
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 150
Nobody who works hard should be poor in America, writes Pulitzer Prize-winner David Shipler. Clear-headed, rigorous, and compassionate, he journeys deeply into the lives of individual store clerks and factory workers, farm laborers and sweat-shop seamstresses, illegal immigrants in menial jobs and Americans saddled with immense student loans and paltry wages. They are known as the working poor.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Textbook Perfect Discussion of the Problem
- By Cynthia on 07-28-12
By: David K. Shipler
-
The Fine Print
- How Big Companies Use 'Plain English' to Rob You Blind
- By: David Cay Johnston
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
David Cay Johnston has made a name for himself as the defender of the common man, calling out the rich and powerful for cheating the system at the expense of everyone else. Whether he's exposing unjust loopholes in the tax code that help the rich get richer or pointing out how powerful corporations pocket government subsidies at excessive taxpayer expense, Johnston is an eloquent town crier for justice and equality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must listen if you love or hate Trump
- By Rob D on 04-19-17
-
American Dreams
- Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone
- By: Marco Rubio
- Narrated by: Ricardo Suri
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
Marco Rubio's parents came to the United States in 1956. The country they found was truly a land of opportunity, where hardworking people with grade school educations could afford a home, a car, and college for their kids. A country where maids and bartenders could raise doctors, lawyers, small-business owners, and maybe even a US senator. That was the American Dream - our country's central promise to its people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive and compelling path for renewal.
- By gary on 06-03-15
By: Marco Rubio
-
Third World America
- How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream
- By: Arianna Huffington
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 68
America's middle class, the driver of so much of our economic success and political stability, is rapidly disappearing, forcing us to confront the fear that we are slipping as a nation - that our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did. It's the dark flipside of the American Dream - an American Nightmare of our own making.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sad... but with a ray of hope
- By Maciej on 10-20-10
-
The Nordic Theory of Everything
- In Search of a Better Life
- By: Anu Partanen
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,013
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 873
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 867
Moving to America in 2008, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen quickly went from confident, successful professional to wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life - from buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcare - was much more complicated and stressful than anything she encountered in her homeland. At first she attributed her crippling anxiety to the difficulty of adapting to a freewheeling new culture. But as she got to know Americans better, she discovered they shared her deep apprehension.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A non-radical perspective on two societies
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 06-20-17
By: Anu Partanen
-
Boom, Bust, Exodus
- The Rust Belt, the Maquilas, and a Tale of Two Cities
- By: Chad Broughton
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
In 2002, the town of Galesburg, a slowly declining Rustbelt city of 33,000 in western Illinois, learned that it would soon lose its largest factory, a Maytag refrigerator plant that had anchored Galesburg's social and economic life for decades. Workers at the plant earned $15.14 an hour, had good insurance, and were assured a solid retirement. In 2004, the plant was relocated to Reynosa, Mexico, where workers sometimes spent 13-hour days assembling refrigerators for $1.10 an hour.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Story I thought I Knew
- By Meek84 on 07-08-18
By: Chad Broughton
-
The Working Poor
- Invisible in America
- By: David K. Shipler
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 181
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 150
Nobody who works hard should be poor in America, writes Pulitzer Prize-winner David Shipler. Clear-headed, rigorous, and compassionate, he journeys deeply into the lives of individual store clerks and factory workers, farm laborers and sweat-shop seamstresses, illegal immigrants in menial jobs and Americans saddled with immense student loans and paltry wages. They are known as the working poor.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Textbook Perfect Discussion of the Problem
- By Cynthia on 07-28-12
By: David K. Shipler
-
The Fine Print
- How Big Companies Use 'Plain English' to Rob You Blind
- By: David Cay Johnston
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
David Cay Johnston has made a name for himself as the defender of the common man, calling out the rich and powerful for cheating the system at the expense of everyone else. Whether he's exposing unjust loopholes in the tax code that help the rich get richer or pointing out how powerful corporations pocket government subsidies at excessive taxpayer expense, Johnston is an eloquent town crier for justice and equality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must listen if you love or hate Trump
- By Rob D on 04-19-17
-
Black Titan
- A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire
- By: Carol Jenkins
- Narrated by: Susan Spain
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 460
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 395
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 395
A.G. Gaston, the poor grandson of slaves, was born in the Deep South in 1892. Over the course of his extraordinary life, he amassed a fortune of over $130 million and a vast business empire. The story of his remarkable life is written with eloquence and grace by his niece, an Emmy¿ Award-winning journalist and her daughter, who holds degrees from Yale and Harvard.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Black Gold = Standing Ovation
- By 2Fresh on 01-20-16
By: Carol Jenkins
-
Aftershock
- The Next Economy and America’s Future
- By: Robert B. Reich
- Narrated by: Robert Reich
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 644
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 426
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 427
The author of 12 acclaimed books, Robert B. Reich is a Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and has served in three national administrations. While many blamed Wall Street for the financial meltdown, Aftershock points a finger at a national economy in which wealth is increasingly concentrated at the top - and where a grasping middle class simply does not have the resources to remain viable.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very plausible assessment of our economy
- By CAR TOP CAMPER on 10-06-10
By: Robert B. Reich
-
The Up Side of Down
- Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success
- By: Megan McArdle
- Narrated by: Mia Barron
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 280
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 233
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 235
Most new products fail. So do most small businesses. And most of us, if we are honest, have experienced a major setback in our personal or professional lives. So what determines who will bounce back and follow up with a home run? If you want to succeed in business and in life, Megan McArdle argues in this hugely thought-provoking book, you have to learn how to harness the power of failure. McArdle has been one of our most popular business bloggers for more than a decade, covering the rise and fall of some the world' s top companies and challenging us to think differently about how we live, learn, and work.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good Book
- By Ray on 05-21-14
By: Megan McArdle
-
Glass House
- The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town
- By: Brian Alexander
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 91
The Anchor Hocking Glass Company, once the world's largest maker of glass tableware, was the base on which Lancaster's society was built. As Glass House unfolds, bankruptcy looms. With access to the company and its leaders, and Lancaster's citizens, Alexander shows how financial engineering took hold in the 1980s, accelerated in the 21st century, and wrecked the company.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What really happened to the American Dream?
- By Bill on 05-10-17
By: Brian Alexander
-
FairTax
- The Truth
- By: Neal Boortz, John Linder
- Narrated by: Neal Boortz
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74
Offering stunning new insights not covered in the original book, FairTax: The Truth debunks the negative myths and gross misrepresentations of this groundbreaking idea. The FairTax plan is simple, brilliant, and it will work - enabling you to keep all the money in your paycheck; eliminating the fraud, hassle, and waste of our current system; and revolutionizing the way America pays for itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sound, well-researched plan
- By Tim Hibbetts on 03-06-08
By: Neal Boortz, and others
-
The Capitalist Code
- It Can Save Your Life and Make You Very Rich
- By: Ben Stein
- Narrated by: Blake Swihart
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 88
Most Americans have not inherited wealth or a successful business that can set them up for life. That means most Americans are destined to live with financial worries and concerns for the rest of their lives, right? Wrong! With his entertaining and informative style, New York Times best-selling author, actor, and financial pundit Ben Stein refutes the current notion that the corporate system is rigged against ordinary citizens and explains how corporate stock ownership is the best system ever devised.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
underwhelming narration
- By Brandon Crow on 10-27-17
By: Ben Stein
-
Arguing with Idiots
- How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government
- By: Glenn Beck
- Narrated by: Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, Steve "Stu" Burguiere
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 973
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 447
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 444
Idiots can't be identified through voting records, they can be found only by looking for people who hide behind stereotypes, embrace partisanship, and believe that bumper-sticker slogans are a substitute for common sense. If you know someone who fits the bill, then Arguing with Idiots will help you silence them once and for all with the ultimate weapon: the truth.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great Book
- By Stacy on 09-22-09
By: Glenn Beck
-
Beyond Outrage
- What Has Gone Wrong with Our Economy and Our Democracy, and How to Fix Them
- By: Robert B. Reich
- Narrated by: Robert B. Reich
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 239
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 207
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 208
Robert B. Reich urges Americans to get beyond mere outrage about the nation’s increasingly concentrated wealth and corrupt politics in order to mobilize and to take back our economy and democracy. Americans can’t rely only on getting good people elected, Reich argues, because nothing positive happens in Washington unless good people outside Washington are organized to help make those things happen after the election. But in order to be effectively mobilized, we need to see the big picture.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Falls short
- By J. Klinghoffer on 11-04-13
By: Robert B. Reich
-
The Conservative Heart
- How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America
- By: Arthur C. Brooks
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 490
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 428
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 429
In The Conservative Heart, Arthur C. Brooks contends that after years of focusing on economic growth and traditional social values, it is time for a new kind of conservatism - one that helps the vulnerable without mortgaging our children's future. In Brooks' daring vision, this conservative movement fights poverty, promotes equal opportunity, celebrates earned success, and values spiritual enlightenment. It is an inclusive movement with a positive agenda to help people lead happier, more hopeful, and more satisfied lives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding recitation of conservatism!
- By GLENNO on 08-06-15
By: Arthur C. Brooks
-
All the Money in the World
- What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending
- By: Laura Vanderkam
- Narrated by: Karen Saltus
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 66
How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? We spend endless hours obsessing over our budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances? According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very Practical Book with Good Ideas
- By Herstory buff on 07-03-14
By: Laura Vanderkam
-
That Used to Be Us
- How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back
- By: Thomas L. Friedman, Michael Mandelbaum
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 602
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 493
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 486
America has a huge problem. It faces four major challenges, on which its future depends, and it is failing to meet them. In That Used to Be Us, Thomas L. Friedman, one of our most influential columnists, and Michael Mandelbaum, one of our leading foreign policy thinkers, analyze those challenges - globalization, the revolution in information technology, the nation's chronic deficits, and its pattern of energy consumption - and spell out what we need to do now to rediscover America and rise to this moment.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
We have met the enemy and it is us.... Pogo
- By Soudant on 09-16-11
By: Thomas L. Friedman, and others
-
Kids These Days
- Human Capital and the Making of Millennials
- By: Malcolm Harris
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 248
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 202
Everyone knows "what's wrong with millennials". Glenn Beck says we've been ruined by "participation trophies". Simon Sinek says we have low self-esteem. An Australian millionaire says millennials could all afford homes if we'd just give up avocado toast. Thanks, millionaire. This millennial is here to prove them all wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A devastating dream of revolution
- By Kevin Tierney Jr on 11-23-17
By: Malcolm Harris