The Ghetto Valedictorian
Knowledge Became My Hustle
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.
The Ghetto Valedictorian
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Caleb Fields
-
By:
-
Willis G. Major
About this listen
This audiobook is about how a young boy from the inner-city hood was able to defy the odds and become successful.
He started off in the wrong direction, but with the proper guidance and the blessings from God, he was able to fight through all the bad influences. He was able to stay focused enough to choose a path that would lead him to a better life instead of staying on the path of self-destruction.
Although he did not have the advantages that more well-off individuals in the middle class or wealthy class had, he did have the loving support of his family and a thirst for learning. So knowledge became his hustle.
©2017 Willis G. Major (P)2018 Willis G. MajorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Lucky Me
- A Memoir of Changing the Odds
- By: Rich Paul, Jesse Washington - contributor, LeBron James - foreword
- Narrated by: Rich Paul, Dennis Logan
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 885
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 838
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 837
There’s a story about Rich Paul that everyone knows: A twenty-one-year-old kid from Cleveland who sells sports jerseys out of his car meets a high school basketball phenom named LeBron James at an airport—the two become friends and forge a decades-long partnership that reinvents the business of sports. That random meeting might seem like the lucky break that changed Paul’s life. But a moment of good fortune means nothing without the struggle that gets you there. And the truth is, Paul had always been lucky.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bad choices made this man
- By Lynn Gibson on 10-18-23
By: Rich Paul, and others
-
Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 215,164
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 194,653
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 193,684
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
-
I Can't Make This Up
- Life Lessons
- By: Neil Strauss - contributor, Kevin Hart
- Narrated by: Kevin Hart
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56,002
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 50,449
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50,193
Superstar comedian and Hollywood box-office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Audiobook I Ever Listened To
- By Sam Clear on 07-13-17
By: Neil Strauss - contributor, and others
-
Black Privilege
- Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It
- By: Charlamagne Tha God
- Narrated by: Charlamagne Tha God
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 19,383
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17,072
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 16,987
Charlamagne Tha God - the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off", co-host of Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, and "hip-hop's Howard Stern" - shares his unlikely success story as well as how embracing one's truths is a fundamental key to success and happiness.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing, Inspirational, Needlessly Crude at Times
- By Smokey on 08-24-17
-
Bare Bones
- I'm Not Lonely If You're Reading This Book
- By: Bobby Bones
- Narrated by: Bobby Bones
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,703
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,282
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,267
Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out - a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A look inside the narcissist life of Bobby Bones.
- By Selena on 05-20-16
By: Bobby Bones
-
Look Me in the Eye
- My Life with Asperger's
- By: John Elder Robison
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,435
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,030
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,038
Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits, an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes, had earned him the label "social deviant". No guidance came from his mother or his father. It was no wonder he gravitated to machines, which could, at least, be counted on.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting autobiography; not autism-informative
- By Steener on 03-13-15
-
Lucky Me
- A Memoir of Changing the Odds
- By: Rich Paul, Jesse Washington - contributor, LeBron James - foreword
- Narrated by: Rich Paul, Dennis Logan
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 885
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 838
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 837
There’s a story about Rich Paul that everyone knows: A twenty-one-year-old kid from Cleveland who sells sports jerseys out of his car meets a high school basketball phenom named LeBron James at an airport—the two become friends and forge a decades-long partnership that reinvents the business of sports. That random meeting might seem like the lucky break that changed Paul’s life. But a moment of good fortune means nothing without the struggle that gets you there. And the truth is, Paul had always been lucky.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bad choices made this man
- By Lynn Gibson on 10-18-23
By: Rich Paul, and others
-
Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 215,164
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 194,653
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 193,684
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
-
I Can't Make This Up
- Life Lessons
- By: Neil Strauss - contributor, Kevin Hart
- Narrated by: Kevin Hart
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56,002
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 50,449
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50,193
Superstar comedian and Hollywood box-office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best Audiobook I Ever Listened To
- By Sam Clear on 07-13-17
By: Neil Strauss - contributor, and others
-
Black Privilege
- Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It
- By: Charlamagne Tha God
- Narrated by: Charlamagne Tha God
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 19,383
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17,072
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 16,987
Charlamagne Tha God - the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off", co-host of Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, and "hip-hop's Howard Stern" - shares his unlikely success story as well as how embracing one's truths is a fundamental key to success and happiness.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing, Inspirational, Needlessly Crude at Times
- By Smokey on 08-24-17
-
Bare Bones
- I'm Not Lonely If You're Reading This Book
- By: Bobby Bones
- Narrated by: Bobby Bones
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,703
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,282
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,267
Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out - a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A look inside the narcissist life of Bobby Bones.
- By Selena on 05-20-16
By: Bobby Bones
-
Look Me in the Eye
- My Life with Asperger's
- By: John Elder Robison
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,435
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,030
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,038
Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits, an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes, had earned him the label "social deviant". No guidance came from his mother or his father. It was no wonder he gravitated to machines, which could, at least, be counted on.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting autobiography; not autism-informative
- By Steener on 03-13-15
-
The Stone Cold Truth
- By: Steve Austin, Dennis Brent, J. R. Ross
- Narrated by: Steve Austin
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 585
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 507
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 506
He's wrestled as "Stunning" Steve Austin, The Ringmaster, and even his own name, Steve Williams. But to fans he is and will always be Stone Cold Steve Austin. His quick wit and colorful use of language combined with his everyman character captured the hearts of fans worldwide. It was Steve's ability inside the ring and his quick-witted responses that lead to his becoming one of the most popular WWE Superstars of all time.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Decent, but too short
- By Christopher McGuinness on 09-18-17
By: Steve Austin, and others
-
The John Carlos Story
- The Sports Moment That Changed the World
- By: John Carlos, Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: DeMario Clarke
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 32
Seen around the world, John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s Black Power salute on the 1968 Olympic podium sparked controversy and career fallout. Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement. Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist John Carlos.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
John Tells His Story Well
- By N. Cuprics on 11-14-23
By: John Carlos, and others
-
Tuff Juice
- My Journey from the Streets to the NBA
- By: Caron Butler, Steve Springer, Kobe Bryant - foreword
- Narrated by: David Sadzin
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 40
Two-time All-Star and 13-year NBA veteran Caron Butler has an impressive basketball record. He was Big East Co-Player of the Year at UConn, the 10th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and a key player for the Dallas Mavericks in their championship-winning season in 2011. But before Butler had a chance to prove himself on the court, he spent his time trying to prove himself on the streets, as a gang member and drug dealer in his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. He saw friends gunned down in the bloody street wars near his home....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Amazon Customer on 10-08-23
By: Caron Butler, and others
-
The Master Plan
- My Journey From Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose
- By: Chris Wilson, Bret Witter, Wes Moore - foreword
- Narrated by: Chris Wilson, Wes Moore
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 687
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 623
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 622
Growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, Chris Wilson was so afraid for his life he wouldn't leave the house without a gun. One night, defending himself, he killed a man. At 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. But what should have been the end of his story became the beginning. Deciding to make something of his life, Chris embarked on a journey of self-improvement - reading, working out, learning languages, even starting a business. He wrote his Master Plan: a list of all he expected to accomplish or acquire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"Read books that feed your soul."
- By Lighteyes214 on 03-17-20
By: Chris Wilson, and others
-
The Freedom Writers Diary
- How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
- By: The Freedom Writers, Erin Gruwell
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman, Bahni Turpin, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 431
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 345
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 346
In 1994, an idealistic first-year teacher in Long Beach, California, named Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. She had intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust. She was met by uncomprehending looks - none of her students had heard of one of the defining moments of the 20th century. So she rebooted her entire curriculum, using treasured books such as Anne Frank’s diary as her guide to combat intolerance and misunderstanding.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Book
- By Anonymous User on 02-03-08
By: The Freedom Writers, and others
-
Freeway Rick Ross
- The Untold Autobiography
- By: Rick Ross, Cathy Scott
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,195
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,040
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,041
Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography is an intimate look at the day-to-day dealings of a drug kingpin in the heart of the ghetto. It's also the story of a boy born in poverty in Texas who grew up in a single-parent household in the heart of South Central, who was pushed through the school system each year and came out illiterate. His options were few, and he turned to drug dealing. This untold autobiography is not only personal, but also historical in its implications.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Life as a Drug Kingpin.
- By pixledust on 12-09-15
By: Rick Ross, and others
-
California Soul
- An American Epic of Cooking and Survival
- By: Keith Corbin, Kevin Alexander
- Narrated by: Keith Corbin
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 41
Chef Keith Corbin has been cooking his entire life. Born on the home turf of the notorious Grape Street Crips in 1980s Watts, Los Angeles, he got his start cooking crack at age thirteen, becoming so skilled that he was flown across the country to cook for drug operations in other cities. After his criminal enterprises caught up with him, though, Corbin spent years in California’s most notorious maximum security prisons—witnessing the resourcefulness of other inmates who made kimchi out of leftover vegetables and tamales from ground-up Fritos.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The perfect memoir
- By Sam Uhl on 06-14-23
By: Keith Corbin, and others
-
Raw
- My Journey into the Wu-Tang
- By: Lamont "U-God" Hawkins
- Narrated by: Lamont "U-God" Hawkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 959
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 861
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 855
The Wu-Tang Clan are considered hip-hop royalty. Remarkably, none of the founding members have told their story - until now. Here, for the first time, the quiet one speaks. Lamont “U-God” Hawkins was born in Brownsville, New York, in 1970. Raised by a single mother and forced to reckon with the hostile conditions of project life, U-God learned from an early age how to survive. And surviving in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s was no easy task - especially as a young black boy living in some of the city’s most ignored and destitute districts.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Clan N Da Front
- By Edward on 03-14-18
-
Illegally Yours
- A Memoir
- By: Rafael Agustin
- Narrated by: Rafael Agustin
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 109
Illegally Yours is a heartwarming, comical look at how this struggling Ecuadorian immigrant family bonded together to navigate Rafa's school life, his parents' work lives, and their shared secret life as undocumented Americans, determined to make the best of their always turbulent and sometimes dangerous American existence. An alternatingly hilarious and touching exploration of belonging and identity, Illegally Yours revolves around one very simple question: What does it mean to be American?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The sky is the limit
- By Lucia Merino on 01-01-23
By: Rafael Agustin
-
A Stone of Hope
- A Memoir
- By: Jim St. Germain, Jon Sternfeld
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Born into abject poverty in Haiti, young Jim St. Germain moved to Brooklyn's Crown Heights, into an overcrowded apartment with his family. He quickly adapted to street life and began stealing, dealing drugs, and growing increasingly indifferent to despair and violence. By the time he was arrested for dealing crack cocaine, he had been handcuffed more than a dozen times. At the age of 15, the walls of the system were closing around him.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Powerful
- By K Jones on 11-19-23
By: Jim St. Germain, and others
-
Just Kids From the Bronx
- Telling It the Way It Was: An Oral History
- By: Arlene Alda
- Narrated by: Alan Alda, Christina Delaine, Regis Philbin, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Arlene Alda's own Bronx memories were a jumping-off point from which to reminisce with a nun, a police officer, an urban planner, and with Carl Reiner, Colin Powell, Maira Kalman, and many other leading artists, athletes, scientists and entrepreneurs - experiences spanning six decades. Alda then arranged these pieces of the past, the mornings on the Grand Concourse and afternoons in the halls of Bronx Science, into one great collective story, a film-like portrait of the Bronx - and of America.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, little homogeneous and audio confusing
- By jamesh-lantern-media on 03-17-15
By: Arlene Alda
-
I Beat the Odds
- From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond
- By: Michael Oher
- Narrated by: Michael Boatman
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 345
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 295
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 296
Michael Oher is the young man at the center of the true story depicted in The Blind Side movie (and book) that swept up awards and accolades. Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Michael had a burning desire deep within his soul to break out of the Memphis inner-city ghetto and into a world of opportunity. While many people are now familiar with Oher's amazing journey, this is the first time he has shared his account of his story in his own words.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must-read for anyone who works with kids
- By Susan on 02-19-11
By: Michael Oher
Related to this topic
-
The Pact
- Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream
- By: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Narrated by: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 215
All too often, we hear about the dangers of male friendships in which peer pressure prevails over common sense. But for George Jenkins, Sampson Davis, and Rameck Hunt, strong and supportive male friendship was a powerful antidote to the temptations and pitfalls of street life. It led three boys to make a vow to be there for one another, to encourage one another every step of the way, until they overcame the odds and became doctors.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very Inspirational
- By Heather on 04-10-09
By: Drs. Sampson Davis, and others
-
Purpose
- An Immigrant's Story
- By: Wyclef Jean, Anthony Bozza
- Narrated by: Sam Jean
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Wyclef Jean is one of the most influential voices in hip-hop. He rocketed to fame in the 1990s with the Fugees, whose multiplatinum album, The Score, would prove a landmark in music history, winning two Grammys and going on to become one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. In Purpose, Wyclef recounts his path to fame from his impoverished childhood in "Baby Doc" Duvalier's Haiti and the mean streets of Brooklyn and Newark to the bright lights of the world stage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great, great, great read!
- By Gbenga Ogunjimi on 04-10-24
By: Wyclef Jean, and others
-
Basketball Junkie
- A Memoir
- By: Chris Herren, Bill Reynolds
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 92
At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
most powerful recovery story I've ever heard
- By Brian Swasey on 03-23-22
By: Chris Herren, and others
-
Bad Boy
- By: Walter Dean Myers
- Narrated by: Joe Morton
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
Into a memoir that is gripping, funny, heartbreaking, and unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers richly weaves the details of his Harlem childhood in the 1940s and 1950s: a loving home life with his adopted parents, Bible school, street games, and the vitality of his neighborhood. Although Walter spent much of his time either getting into trouble or on the basketball court, secretly he was a voracious reader and an aspiring writer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tough times
- By Megan on 01-30-12
-
My Lobotomy
- A Memoir
- By: Howard Dully, Charles Fleming
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 217
"In 1960 I was given a transorbital, or 'ice pick' lobotomy. My stepmother arranged it. My father agreed to it. Dr. Walter Freeman, the father of the American lobotomy, told me he was going to do some 'tests'. It took 10 minutes and cost 200 dollars." Assisted by journalist/novelist Charles Fleming, Howard Dully recounts a family tragedy of Sophoclean proportions.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Freeman's Folly
- By James Gordon on 10-28-07
By: Howard Dully, and others
-
Bare Bones
- I'm Not Lonely If You're Reading This Book
- By: Bobby Bones
- Narrated by: Bobby Bones
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,703
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,282
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,267
Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out - a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A look inside the narcissist life of Bobby Bones.
- By Selena on 05-20-16
By: Bobby Bones
-
The Pact
- Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream
- By: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Narrated by: Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 215
All too often, we hear about the dangers of male friendships in which peer pressure prevails over common sense. But for George Jenkins, Sampson Davis, and Rameck Hunt, strong and supportive male friendship was a powerful antidote to the temptations and pitfalls of street life. It led three boys to make a vow to be there for one another, to encourage one another every step of the way, until they overcame the odds and became doctors.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very Inspirational
- By Heather on 04-10-09
By: Drs. Sampson Davis, and others
-
Purpose
- An Immigrant's Story
- By: Wyclef Jean, Anthony Bozza
- Narrated by: Sam Jean
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Wyclef Jean is one of the most influential voices in hip-hop. He rocketed to fame in the 1990s with the Fugees, whose multiplatinum album, The Score, would prove a landmark in music history, winning two Grammys and going on to become one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. In Purpose, Wyclef recounts his path to fame from his impoverished childhood in "Baby Doc" Duvalier's Haiti and the mean streets of Brooklyn and Newark to the bright lights of the world stage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great, great, great read!
- By Gbenga Ogunjimi on 04-10-24
By: Wyclef Jean, and others
-
Basketball Junkie
- A Memoir
- By: Chris Herren, Bill Reynolds
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 92
At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
most powerful recovery story I've ever heard
- By Brian Swasey on 03-23-22
By: Chris Herren, and others
-
Bad Boy
- By: Walter Dean Myers
- Narrated by: Joe Morton
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
Into a memoir that is gripping, funny, heartbreaking, and unforgettable, Walter Dean Myers richly weaves the details of his Harlem childhood in the 1940s and 1950s: a loving home life with his adopted parents, Bible school, street games, and the vitality of his neighborhood. Although Walter spent much of his time either getting into trouble or on the basketball court, secretly he was a voracious reader and an aspiring writer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tough times
- By Megan on 01-30-12
-
My Lobotomy
- A Memoir
- By: Howard Dully, Charles Fleming
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 217
"In 1960 I was given a transorbital, or 'ice pick' lobotomy. My stepmother arranged it. My father agreed to it. Dr. Walter Freeman, the father of the American lobotomy, told me he was going to do some 'tests'. It took 10 minutes and cost 200 dollars." Assisted by journalist/novelist Charles Fleming, Howard Dully recounts a family tragedy of Sophoclean proportions.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Freeman's Folly
- By James Gordon on 10-28-07
By: Howard Dully, and others
-
Bare Bones
- I'm Not Lonely If You're Reading This Book
- By: Bobby Bones
- Narrated by: Bobby Bones
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,703
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,282
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,267
Growing up poor in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, with a young, addicted mom, Bobby Estell fell in love with country music. Abandoned by his father at the age of five, Bobby saw the radio as his way out - a dream that came true in college when he went on air at the Henderson State University campus station broadcasting as Bobby Bones while simultaneously starting The Bobby Bones Show at 105.9 KLAZ.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A look inside the narcissist life of Bobby Bones.
- By Selena on 05-20-16
By: Bobby Bones
-
The Beast Side
- Living (and Dying) While Black in America
- By: D. Watkins
- Narrated by: Brandon Rubin
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 144
To many in the age of Obama, America had succeeded in "going beyond race", putting the divisions of the past behind us. And then 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot by a wannabe cop in Florida; and then 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; and then Baltimore blew up; and then gunfire shattered a prayer meeting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. Suddenly the entire country awakened to a stark fact: Young Black men are an endangered species.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Bruce Cline on 03-28-23
By: D. Watkins
-
Once a Cop
- The Street, the Law, Two Worlds, One Man
- By: Corey Pegues
- Narrated by: Corey Pegues
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 389
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 355
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 357
New Jack City meets Serpico in this provocative memoir of a crack dealer-turned-decorated NYPD officer - a timely reflection on the complex relationship between the police and the communities they are meant to protect.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A POSSIBLE GOOD BOOK RUINED BY NARRATION
- By The Louligan on 05-29-16
By: Corey Pegues
-
Four Feet Tall & Rising
- A Memoir
- By: Shorty Rossi, S. J. Hodges
- Narrated by: Shorty Rossi
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Luigi Francis "Shorty" Rossi, the tough-talking, fedora-wearing star of Animal Planet's hit show Pit Boss, may stand only four feet tall, but that hasn't stopped him from living large, becoming a successful businessman and an outspoken advocate for pit bulls, the most misunderstood dog breed in the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, truly good person
- By Anonymous on 03-03-12
By: Shorty Rossi, and others
-
All Souls
- A Family Story from Southie
- By: Michael Patrick MacDonald
- Narrated by: Michael Patrick MacDonald
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36
The anti-busing riots of 1974 forever changed Southie, Boston's working-class Irish community, branding it as a violent, racist enclave. Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in Southie's Old Colony housing project. He describes the way this world within a world felt to the troubled yet keenly gifted observer he was even as a child. But the threats - poverty, drugs, a shadowy gangster world - were real. All Souls is heartbreaking testimony to lives lost too early, and the story of how a place so filled with pain could still be "the best place in the world".
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
this book broke me in the best way
- By anon on 02-14-23
-
The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)
- By: Chris Gardner
- Narrated by: Andre Blake
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 422
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 260
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 260
At the age of 20, Chris Gardner arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. However, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm, Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him part of the city's working homeless with his toddler son.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very Good Story!
- By Lito Da Critic on 06-02-06
By: Chris Gardner
-
This Might Get a Little Heavy
- A Memoir
- By: Ralphie May, Nils Parker
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 284
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 248
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 249
There was a time when Ralphie May was one of the biggest stand-up comedians in the country, both by ticket sales and by tonnage. While some things changed - Ralphie lost half his body weight - others did not: He will be remembered as one of the most successful comics of his time. Completed just months before his untimely passing, in This Might Get a Little Heavy, Ralphie takes listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of his life and career, one that winds across the country, over obstacles, beyond heartbreak, and through the golden age of stand-up.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
brilliant and tragic
- By Timothy Trujillo on 08-12-18
By: Ralphie May, and others
-
Rudy
- My Story
- By: Rudy Ruettiger
- Narrated by: Daniel Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 76
How does a lower middle class kid, who suffered through school with undiagnosed dyslexia, get into Notre Dame and become the inspiration for millions in a Hollywood film that has become one of the most inspiring sport movies ever made? He never gave up. For the first time, read Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger's real life story and learn the behind-the-scenes details of the ten years it took to make the movie and how that tossed him into a new career of public speaking that continues on stages today alongside world-class leaders and speakers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The rest of the story...
- By Deidre on 09-19-12
By: Rudy Ruettiger
-
Wanna Bet?
- A Degenerate Gambler's Guide to Living on the Edge
- By: Artie Lange
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 359
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 323
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 320
The two-time best-selling author, comedian, actor, and radio icon explains the philosophy that has kept his existence boredom-free since the age of 13 - the love of risk. An avid sports better and frequent card player, Lange believes that the true gambler gets high not from winning, but from the chaotic unknown of betting itself. He recounts some of his favorite moments, many of which haven't involved money at all. In this candid and entertaining memoir, he looks back at the times he's wagered the intangible and priceless things in life: his health, his career, and his relationships.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
who needs Artie (to read)
- By B. Wenners on 08-24-18
By: Artie Lange
-
Always Running
- La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.
- By: Luis J. Rodriguez
- Narrated by: Luis J. Rodriguez
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 485
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 427
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 428
By age 12, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of East L.A. gang warfare. Lured by a seemingly invincible gang culture, he witnessed countless shootings, beatings, and arrests, then watched with increasing fear as that culture claimed friends and family members. Before long, Rodriguez saw a way out of the barrio through education and successfully broke free from years of violence and desperation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Book for all educators
- By Heather M. Vitz on 03-15-15
-
It Takes Two
- Our Story
- By: Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott
- Narrated by: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 905
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 818
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 818
It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame - from starting their first business at seven years old and their years modeling and acting to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of 18. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not Worth the Time or $2.95
- By Sharlotte on 03-06-18
By: Jonathan Scott, and others
-
A Personal Stand
- Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck
- By: Trace Adkins
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Country-music superstar Trace Adkins isn't exactly known for holding back whatâ¿¿s on his mind. And if the millions of albums he's sold are any indication, when Trace talks, people listen. Now, in A Personal Stand, Trace Adkins delivers his maverick manifesto on politics, personal responsibility, fame, parenting, being true to yourself, hard work, and the way things ought to be.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Another Celebrity Story
- By Patricia B Tripoli on 01-13-09
By: Trace Adkins
-
Ice
- A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption - from South Central to Hollywood
- By: Douglas Century
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 410
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 364
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 369
Ice-T here offers his hip-hop generation’s Horatio Alger story: the narrative of an orphaned child who, drawn inexorably into a harrowing life of crime, ultimately turns away from the streets and, through self-discipline and a single-minded work ethic, forges a path to international fame as a musician and film-and-television star.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I have a whole new respect for this man!
- By kris on 11-19-12
By: Douglas Century