Ever Wonder Why?

And Other Controversial Essays

By: Thomas Sowell

Narrated by: Leon Nixon

Thomas Sowell takes aim at a range of legal, social, racial, educational, and economic issues in this latest collection of his controversial, never boring, always thought-provoking essays. From "gun control myths" to "mealy mouth media" to "free lunch medicine," Sowell gets to the heart of the matters we all care about with his characteristically unsparing candor.

©2006 Thomas Sowell (P)2023 Tantor

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts” DP Moynihan

Thomas Sowell may very well be one of the most brilliant and profound men alive. Many of the essays in this book were written nearly 20 years ago and are even more relevant today than they were when originally written. If facts matter to you, read this book. The revelations contained therein will astound you.

Outstanding, and Re-readable

Thomas Sowell never disappoints (his academic treatises notwithstanding), and “Ever Wonder Why” is, IMO, one of his very best.
Ever Wonder Why is a collection of Sowell’s essays and newspaper columns, written for the layman. This is one of those rare books that - having listened to the audio version - I will be picking up a hard copy (which, unfortunately, is not offered in hardcover at the time of this writing).
Entertaining? You bet. In fact - at times - laugh-out-loud funny.
Thought-provoking? 100%. I found myself pausing several times to digest the ramifications of what was being said.
Iconoclastic? Always.
“Pop-economics” isn’t the descriptor I’m looking for, but it’s the first one that comes to mind.
This is my first audiobook with Leon Nixon as narrator, and I am now a fan. Nixon is a gifted narrator, and it seems clear from the way he narrates Sowell’s book (where he places emphasis, gravity, levity, pauses, etc) that he “gets it.” I don’t know any other way to put it, other than to say, he voices Thomas Sowell’s work better than Sowell himself.
Highly recommended.

He does it again.

The only person over the age of 70 I would want to run the country.

5 minute crunch lessons

This book is so good because it's almost like a mini lesson for all his books in one package. all your liberal friends about some of what you hear here and watch them stumble over them selves without answer. This is beyond a great book is necessary material.

A National Treasure

Dr Sowell is a brilliant and unique thinker. I learn so much from him. If his books were required reading in schools, our country and polity would be immensely improved.

More Gems from Thomas Sowell

These brief essays are from Dr. Sowell's syndicated newspaper commentaries. As such, each one is brief and succinct, making them easy to listen to. And though some of the essays are more than twenty years old, the listener is reminded of two facts:
1) The struggles between leftists and conservatives has been going on for a long time.
2) Thomas Sowell is a world treasure. What a remarkable man.

outstanding 1

excellent read. Sowell just adds new gems to his already amazing catalog of writings.

REAL, reality check.

Without context and a true grasp of history, people just eat up a cotton candy version of reality. This man brings meat and potatoes to the dinner table of understanding of this manipulative world. In the contemporary expression, he brings the receipts.

Common sense topics

Common sense topics in 4 minute chunks. I listen to this book at night and fall in and out of sleep. The topics are interesting, short, and varied. The reader’s voice is calming. I’ve played this book and others by Thomas Sowell several times each.