Ramp Hollow

The Ordeal of Appalachia

By: Steven Stoll

Narrated by: Brian Sutherland

How the United States underdeveloped Appalachia

Appalachia - among the most storied and yet least understood regions in America - has long been associated with poverty and backwardness. But how did this image arise, and what exactly does it mean? In Ramp Hollow, Steven Stoll launches an original investigation into the history of Appalachia and its place in US history, with a special emphasis on how generations of its inhabitants lived, worked, survived, and depended on natural resources held in common.

Ramp Hollow traces the rise of the Appalachian homestead and how its self-sufficiency resisted dependence on money and the industrial society arising elsewhere in the United States - until, beginning in the 19th century, extractive industries kicked off a "scramble for Appalachia" that left struggling homesteaders dispossessed of their land. As the men disappeared into coal mines and timber camps, and their families moved into shantytowns or deeper into the mountains, the commons of Appalachia were, in effect, enclosed, and the fate of the region was sealed.

Ramp Hollow takes a provocative look at Appalachia and the workings of dispossession around the world by upending our notions about progress and development. Stoll ranges widely from literature to history to economics in order to expose a devastating process whose repercussions we still feel today.

©2017 Steven Stoll (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Hybrid extraordinaire

Economic theory exemplified by the historical geography of Appalachia, as a hybrid treatment quite a "home run."

Say it correctly

It’s a central principle of respect that you pronounce people’s names properly. Unfortunately, the narrator mispronounces “Appalachia,” choosing to use the pronunciation developed by ivory-tower intellectuals instead of the pronunciation used by people from Appalachia. It is deeply disrespectful.

Amazing book, terrible narrator!

So I felt bad writing this because I think this book is incredible in every way. I've been searching for a book like this since I moved to Appalachia from the west coast and became curious about the economic realities for the generations of people living here. However, you'd be better off reading the book or getting the Epub version and having Speechify read it. To be honest my AI robo reader does a better job inflecting than this narrator does. I'm truly beguiled because there are plenty of good narrators but this guy misses the mark. He doesnt have a human element that would really lend itself to this book. I ultimately had to return this book but will read it by other means!

Very Interesting

I like that the book makes clear the connections between historical happenings centuries ago that are not traditionally taught, shared and still affect our culture and government. History truly does repeat itself. "Nothing is new under the sun."

Almost unlistenable

This is an interesting book and certainly does a good job of explaining how Appalachia came to be and the confluence of various factors that were and continue to be at play. I slogged my way through it, not because of the writing but because of the performance. As others have pointed out, the narrator is almost unbearable: his voice sounds a lot like AI, inflection/delivery is quite wooden and monotonous, and is distractingly slow. I finally turned up speed to 1.25, which made things a little better. I honestly can’t believe the production team cut this loose on an unsuspecting public. Seriously, they can’t possibly have not noticed that the performance is sub par (it’s a quadruple bogey, at least). The author should demand that Audible re-record his book, because it’s a worthwhile read.

Re-record this book with a different narrator please!

This is information that everyone should know. The content is excellent and I look forward to turning to the additional resources mentioned in the text.Unfortunately, the narrator has a tone of voice as if he were whining after already having lost an argument. Every sentence ends with the same inflection. It was a major chore getting through to the end of this. audiobook. I would have returned it and I probably will get a print copy. Please find a different narrator and a re-record this book. It is too important to be done so badly.

Read This (Not Hillbilly Elegy)

Great telling of the history of Appalachia and its peoples. It covers everything from politics, environmentalism, and even goes into future justice for its citizens and similar people around the world.

Excellent Economic History of Appalachia

Unfortunately, as good as the content of this book was - the reader continually mispronounces Appalachia.

Content A; Performance F-

Well researched and well written. Too bad the narrator spoils it with a soul-crushing bad delivery. The CIA doesn’t need to waterboard terrorists. Just have this guy read to them; they’ll talk.

Very good!

Who would have guessed that a social and economic history of Appalachia could be a compelling read?