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Title: Shadows of the Workhouse

Subtitle: Call the Midwife, Book 2

Author: Jennifer Worth

Narrator: Nicola Barber

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-14

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1433 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the direst section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood';s most vivid chronicler. Woven into the ongoing tales of her life in the East End are the true stories of the people Worth met who grew up in the dreaded workhouse, a Dickensian institution that limped on into the middle of the twentieth century.

Though these are stories of unimaginable hardship, what shines through each is the resilience of the human spirit and the strength, courage, and humor of people determined to build a future for themselves against the odds. This is an enduring work of literary nonfiction, at once a warmhearted coming-of-age story and a startling look at people's lives in the poorest section of postwar London.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Black Elk Speaks

Subtitle: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition

Author: John G. Neihardt

Narrator: Robin Neihardt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-14

Publisher: Skyyrim Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 260 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The famous life story of the Lakota healer and visionary, Nicholas Black Elk.

Widely hailed as a spiritual classic, this inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (18631950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West. In 1930, the aging Black Elk met a kindred spirit, the famed poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (18811973) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The Lakota elder chose Neihardt to share his visions and life with the world. Neihardt understood and today Black Elk is known to all.

Black Elks remarkable great vision came to him during a time of decimation and loss, when outsiders were stealing the Lakotas land, slaughtering buffalo, and threatening their age-old way of life. As Black Elk remembers all too well, the Lakotas, led by such legendary men as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, fought unceasingly for their freedom, winning a world-renowned victory at the Little Bighorn and suffering unspeakable losses at Wounded Knee.

Black Elk Speaks however is more than the epic history of a valiant Native nation. It is beloved as a spiritual classic because of John Neihardts sensitivity to Black Elks resounding vision of the wholeness of earth, her creatures, and all of humanity. Black Elk Speaks is a once-in-a-lifetime read: the moving story of a young Lakota boy before the reservation years, the unforgettable history of an American Indian nation, and an enduring spiritual message for us all.

The premier edition features the first-ever annotated edition of Black Elks story, done by renowned Lakota scholar Raymond J. DeMallie, the original Standing Bear illustrations and new commentary on them, new maps of the world of Black Elk Speaks, and a revised index.

Members Reviews:

Tale of tears

The greatest and saddest story I've listen to, well captured by Flaming Rainbow. How badly The People were treated, and the constant soup of lies they were forced to eat. Do not listen if you are not ready to hear America's dark history. What strikes me is how surprised people are to hear about the freedoms lost to our Govt today. Read and listen to the history of your Grandfathers folks; don't think that what was done to The People before wont be done to you tomorrow.

loved it!

This is by far the best book I've ever read about Native American culture. A must-read for anyone interesting in the spiritual practices of the Native American Indians.

A book that will change your life...

Would you listen to Black Elk Speaks again? Why?

This is a book that I will be relistening to and rereading over and over again the rest of my life. It is so full of fascinating detail about another culture, spiritual insight and wisdom that I will get more out of it every time I listen to it.

What did you like best about this story?

The spirituality of the hoop of the world. The ending when Neihardt takes Black Elk up Harney Peak one last night.

Which character as performed by Robin Neihardt was your favorite?

Black Elk

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. It is easy to listen to RobinNeihardt's voice so the fascinating book comes through well.

An epic and important story

This is a spiritual diary about the struggles of the aboriginal people in the U.S.

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Title: One Doctor

Subtitle: Close Calls, Cold Cases, and the Mysteries of Medicine

Author: Brendan Reilly

Narrator: Rob Shapiro

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 516 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

An epic story told by a unique voice in American medicine, One Doctor describes life-changing experiences in the career of a distinguished physician. In riveting first-person prose, Dr. Brendan Reilly takes us to the front lines of medicine today.

Whipsawed by daily crises and frustrations, Reilly must deal with several daunting challenges simultaneously: the extraordinary patients under his care on the teeming wards of a renowned teaching hospital; the life-threatening illnesses of both of his ninety-year-old parents; and the tragic memory of a cold case from long ago that haunts him still.

As Reilly's patients and their families survive close calls, struggle with heartrending decisions, and confront the limits of medicine's power to cure, One Doctor lays bare a fragmented, depersonalized, business-driven health-care system where real caring is hard to find.

Every day, Reilly sees patients who fall through the cracks and suffer harm because they lack one doctor who knows them well and relentlessly advocates for their best interests.

Filled with fascinating characters in New York City and rural New England-people with dark secrets, mysterious illnesses, impossible dreams, and many kinds of courage - One Doctor tells their stories with sensitivity and empathy, reminding us of professional values once held dear by all physicians.

But medicine has changed enormously during Reilly's career, for both better and worse, and One Doctor is a cautionary tale about those changes. It is also a hopeful, inspiring account of medicine's potential to improve people's lives, Reilly's quest to understand the "truth" about doctoring, and a moving testament to the difference one doctor can make.

Members Reviews:

Simply Brilliant

Dr. Reilly has distilled a life time of his knowledge, experience and insight into this enlightening and engaging book about health care. Although full of interesting experiences from his practice, this is not similar to a James Herriot book... you have to think and process... he has many messages that need saying in todays world. I will also mention here that his account weaves like a macramé and if you don't listen closely you will miss threads that you really need to remember - I re-wound multiple times to get back into gear.

I've been a nurse about as long as "Brenden" has been a doctor and his writing is truth, not sugar coated... I have been right there facing the same challenges. He has expressed the things I would like to tell my aging parents, siblings and children (most especially the son with the MD behind his name) in a way I never could. There are no pat answers found here, rather he shares stories that raise questions and cause you to think about "your doctor," family, choices, guilt, aging, death, resources, quality of life and the bizarre practice of medicine in the United States.

So very glad to have found this book.

I can't shut up about this book.

Dr. Reily has followed the most famous rule of writing: show, don't tell. He uses examples from his long career to illustrate the way that medicine has changed, how it is broken and what might or might not be done to fix it. I'll be buying several copies to give at the holidays.

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Title: Men We Reaped

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Jesmyn Ward

Narrator: Cherise Boothe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-26-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 136 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"We saw the lightning and that was the guns; and then we heard the thunder and that was the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling and that was the blood falling; and when we came to get in the crops, it was dead men that we reaped." (Harriet Tubman)

In five years, Jesmyn Ward lost five young men in her life - to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that can follow people who live in poverty, particularly black men. Dealing with these losses, one after another, made Jesmyn ask the question: Why? And as she began to write about the experience of living through all the dying, she realized the truth - and it took her breath away. Her brother and her friends all died because of who they were and where they were from, because they lived with a history of racism and economic struggle that fostered drug addiction and the dissolution of family and relationships. Jesmyn says the answer was so obvious she felt stupid for not seeing it. But it nagged at her until she knew she had to write about her community, to write their stories and her own.

Jesmyn grew up in poverty in rural Mississippi. She writes powerfully about the pressures this brings, on the men who can do no right and the women who stand in for family in a society where the men are often absent. She bravely tells her story, revisiting the agonizing losses of her only brother and her friends. As the sole member of her family to leave home and pursue higher education, she writes about this parallel American universe with the objectivity distance provides and the intimacy of utter familiarity.

Critic Reviews:

"The audiobook version of Jesmyn Ward's memoir does perfect justice to the beautiful original. This is beautiful writing, voiced beautifully, by veteran audiobook narrator Cherise Boothe, who also narrated the Recorded Books edition of Wards National Book Award-winning novel

Salvage the Bones." (

Salon)

Members Reviews:

Felt so close to home

This book is very real. It speaks on things many people in the South have tried to cover up. Things that haunt us. This is well written. Thank you for this Jesmyn

Terrifyingly Moving

This is written by a woman of my son's age. I feel she teaches me that that I am naive to think that we've come a long way since the 60s. We made yards, not miles.

Black lives do matter. The lives of black men matter.

Worth the time!

Loved it. This was beautifully written with perfect prose and raw truth. It brings the struggles of racism and systemic injustice to light through the humanity of family and individuals who persevere.

I was engaged from beginning to end. Excellent read, audio or written.

A heartfelt eulogy

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book based on some glowing end of the year reviews but after having finished it I am still not quite sure what to make of it. At its best it is a heartfelt eulogy to the five men who died over a short period of time and the impact of their lives and deaths on the author. I found it a little difficult to emotionally engage with the subjects in this book as their lives are told primarily in snippets; where the book succeeds is in the authors keen observations and perspective on the various social, economic, and cultural aspects that shaped these men and in a way, made her both part of them and apart from them.

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Title: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

Subtitle: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith

Author: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Narrator: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-24-13

Publisher: christianaudio.com

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 488 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. Then, in her late 30's, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down - the idea that Christianity, a religion she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was. That idea seemed to fly in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a train wreck at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

Members Reviews:

A MUST Read!

Clear gospel presentation. Enunciation is fabulous. Thought provoking. Challenging. I have listened to both of her books. Amazing understanding of the entirety of God's love for the world.

A story of God's grace

Wonderful story of how God's love can reach us in any situation. Adoption by God is a beautiful thing

Love!

I love how Rosaria painted a picture of her LGBT life as of a caring committed community. I love her story of realizing the truth of the gospel and how that changed her. Rosaria shows a deep love for Jesus, her husband, churches, the unsaved, her children, and foster children.

I have homeschooled for almost 30 years. I listened as I drove many hours with my youngest of 7 (15 years old:) We enjoyed the story and discussed issues Rosaria raised. I would highly recommend listening with your teenager. I loved how my daughter was touched by Rosaria's work with foster children.

I think one thing to remember is that Rosaria says she wrote this for her children and small Presbyterian Reformed Denomination. She never dreamed of its success. You will find many explanations and defenses of PR doctrines and practices, since she had to defend why she remained in that denomination. I enjoyed hearing what she had to say on the matter. I love diversity in Jesus and gained a better understanding of PR.

Real, true and honest

Beyond expectation. One that I will listen to multiple times. Thought provoking, insightful, challenging, and Biblically balanced. I laughed out loud and tears welled up on more than one occasion. Honest abundant living in a real world.

Certainly a God centered, life testimony

I was introduced to this book by my church as our book of the month. I Loved it and would recommend it to everyone.

its hard to believe that the Rosario at the end of the book is the same that we were introduced to in the beginning. what a God honoring story ! loved it!!

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Title: Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (Wiley Trading Audio)

Author: Edwin Lefevre

Narrator: uncredited

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-29-13

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 225 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

First published in 1923, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator is the fictionalized biography of Jesse Livermore, one of the greatest speculators who ever lived. Now, almost 90 years later, it remains the most widely read, highly recommended investment book ever written. Generations of investors have found that it has more to teach them about themselves and other investors than years of experience in the market. They have also discovered that its trading advice and keen analyses of market price movements ring as true today as in 1923.

Jesse Livermore won and lost tens of millions of dollars playing the stock and commodities markets during the early 1900s. So potent a market force was he in his day that, in 1929, he was widely believed to be the man responsible for causing the Crash.

Originally reviewed in The New York Times as a nonfiction book, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator vividly recounts Livermore's mastery of the markets from the age of 14. Always good at figures, he learns, early on, that he can predict which way the numbers will go. Starting out with an investment of five dollars, he amasses a fortune by his early twenties and establishes himself as a major player on the Street. Bullish in bear markets, and bearish among bulls, he claims that only suckers gamble on the market. The trick, he advises, is to protect yourself by balancing your investments, and selling big on the way down. Livermore goes broke three times, but he comes back each time feeling richer for the learning experience.

Offering profound insights into the motivations, attitudes, and feelings shared by every investor, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator is a timeless instructional tale that will enrich the lives and the portfolios of today's traders as it has those of generations past.

Members Reviews:

Great story, but audiobook shockingly incomplete!!

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book WAS for me and it's great. I'm just shocked at how the "abridged" audiobook is grossly incomplete!

After I finished listening and was a bit intrigued that it went so fast, I checked the audio-book against the text in my complete Kindle version. I was shocked to find out that the audiobook reads some text which lies at 61% into the real book, then simply jumps straight to the last paragraph of the book and that's it!!!

How can I base my reading in an audiobook which simply skips a whole chunk of 39% of the book at once?? (not to mention the possible previous simplifications, which I did not check)

Sorry, nice try but I'm going back to old school reading.

What other book might you compare Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (Wiley Trading Audio) to and why?

Other older books on investing and speculation. But this one is unique.

Have you listened to any of uncrediteds other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. The performance is great, very clear and inspiring.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story is great, and very well narrated. But the "simplification" in the "abridged" audiobook is bizarre and a disrespect to the original text.

It's a great book, but drop the audiobook. Sit down and read it.

Any additional comments?

I'm shocked at how the "abridged" audiobook is grossly incomplete!

I lost my trust in audiobooks in my very first try.

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Title: The Death of Cool

Subtitle: From Teenage Rebellion to the Hangover of Adulthood

Author: Gavin McInnes

Narrator: Gavin McInnes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-16-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 500 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Gavin McInnes is more than just a rude lunatic who keeps getting beat up. He is an icon who personifies irreverence for an entire generation. This is his story, or, rather, stories - lots of them, and all gut-punchingly hilarious, from that first far reach into a girl's tight jeans to turning forty with a cataclysmic party.

In between youll hear about acid trips, threesomes, Nazi skinheads, his band Anal Chinook (Inuit for warm wind), Martians in northern Canada, throwing pedophiles in jail, dinner with the Clash, what happens when you crash Bill Maher's show wasted, and the true story of Vice magazine. A gifted writer and a born storyteller, McInnes has lived his life without apology. Learn from it.

Members Reviews:

if you don't buy this book, the terrorists win

this was freaking amazing. buy it now. you won't regret it. it was hilariously funny, ridiculously raunchy in a good way that actually furthers the story, perfectly narrated by Gavin himself. buy it!

amazing ass book

this book is like the best book on earth

listen to it 11/10 rating love you Gavin

A full life

Gavin uses his typical colorful language and wild stories to give a simple lesson. Embrace your past, enjoy the present, and enjoy the evolution of life.

exactly as contrary and consistent as he seams

having found this Antics hilarious in Vice yearned to see a show with him until, picked up by compound media fascinating luck into the psyche of the man was constantly looking for an excuse to pi#@ you off

Gavin givin er good

really funny and captivating. Gavin does an amazing "performance" retelling his shenanigans. You might like this one if you liked Adam Corolla's book.

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Title: Self-Inflicted Wounds

Subtitle: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation

Author: Aisha Tyler

Narrator: Aisha Tyler

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-09-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1134 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

self-inflicted wound (n): a spectacularly humiliating, and often hilarious, incident entirely of one's own making. see also: you did it to yourself.

Have you ever made a decision you instantly regretted? Humiliated yourself in a room of your peers, or shamed yourself in front of your massive crush? Ever blown a job interview, frozen during a presentation, acted like a total idiot on a date? Ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time, unable to keep your tongue from flapping out the stupidest words you've ever said in your life, ever? If you are a human being, the answer, of course, is yes. Take heart. You're not alone. This is known as the self-inflicted wound, and every one of us bears a scar. Or several.

Here, Aisha Tyler, comedian, actress, cohost of CBS's The Talk, star of Archer, and creator of the top-ranked podcast Girl on Guy, serves up a spectacular collection of her own self-inflicted wounds. From almost setting herself on fire, to vomiting on a boy she liked, to getting drunk and sleeping through the SATs, to going into crushing debt to pay for college and then throwing away her degree to become a comedian, Aisha's life has been a series of spectacularly epic fails. And she's got the scars to prove it. Literally.

Through it all, Aisha's triumphs haven't come in spite of the failures, but because of them. Because with every failure comes a lesson learned, a strength revealed, a fear overcome, or an adventure braved. Self-Inflicted Wounds isn't just about surviving failure. It's about embracing failure - pursuing it, even - on the winding path to success. And after you've failed a time or three, hopefully you'll have learned something. Or at the very least have a really killer story. Because to err is human, but to fail epically is hilarious.

Members Reviews:

Love it - weightier than you might think

What made the experience of listening to Self-Inflicted Wounds the most enjoyable?

This is a woman accustomed to saying her own words out loud. Many writers suck at presenting their work orally. Not Aisha Tyler. It's her job. So her natural brilliance shines forth. You might not want to try to listen to the whole thing straight through, like on a long road trip. It's work that can bear thinking about in quiet. Listen to a bit of her story, then think about a bit about your own story, then repeat.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No favorite character, but favorite chapters. I believe they were chapters 22 & 23. A story then a right between the eyes point. Nice.

Have you listened to any of Aisha Tylers other performances before? How does this one compare?

Just mainly on Archer. Like apples and oranges. But she's good in both.

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

The part about failing at comedy then getting back up and doing it again - and again - and again. The point isn't the failing, it's the getting back up. And you can't get back up unless you need to get back up - unless you fail.

Self-inflicted awesomeness

Where does Self-Inflicted Wounds rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This is the closest thing to a "Bossypants" equivalent in 2013. Brilliantly written and narrated, this is not only good for a "comedy book", but great altogether.

What about Aisha Tylers performance did you like?

Ms.

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Title: Confessions of a Sociopath

Subtitle: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight

Author: M. E. Thomas

Narrator: Bernadette Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 375 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

As M. E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, we are your neighbors, co-workers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent - even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence.... Who are we? We are highly successful, non-criminal sociopaths and we comprise 4% of the American population (that's 1 in 25 people!).

Confessions of a Sociopath takes listeners on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes the tick and what that means for the rest of humanity. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, it unveils these men and women who are "hiding in plain sight" for the very first time.

Confessions of a Sociopath is part confessional memoir, part primer for the wary. Drawn from Thomas' own experiences; her popular blog, Sociopathworld.com; and current and historical scientific literature, it reveals just how different - and yet often very similar - sociopaths are from the rest of the world. The book confirms suspicions and debunks myths about sociopathy and is both the memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap - right from the source - for dealing with the sociopath in your life, be it a boss, sibling, parent, spouse, child, neighbor, colleague or friend.

As Thomas argues, while sociopaths aren't like everyone else, and it's true some of them are incredibly dangerous, they are not inherently evil. In fact, they're potentially more productive and useful to society than neurotypicals or "empaths", as they fondly like to call "normal" people. Confessions of a Sociopath demystifyies sociopathic behavior and provides listeners with greater insight on how to respond or react to protect themselves, live among sociopaths without becoming victims, and even beat sociopaths at their own game, through a bit of empathetic cunning and manipulation.

Members Reviews:

Not a sociopath!

I was really excited about this book after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. As a practicing psychologist, I was eager to learn more about sociopathy, especially from the perspective of someone who copes with it. I could not have been more disappointed, however. I do not believe the author is sociopath; rather, she comes off as a typical, uninsightful, arrogant narcissist who lacks self-awareness.

Baloney

What disappointed you about Confessions of a Sociopath?

Lots of contradictions. I think she thinks it would be cool to be a sociopath, rather than is one. A lot of what she describes is a result of living in the Mormon culture.

What was most disappointing about M. E. Thomass story?

More narcissistic than anything else.

What didnt you like about Bernadette Sullivans performance?

Unsure - don't know if she represents the author's voice.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Confessions of a Sociopath?

3/5 of it is repeat.

Interested in this book in spite of the author

This book was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I expected the author to tell stories of her sociopathic antics in essay format (examples of how she "ruined" people).

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Title: Walden on Wheels

Subtitle: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom

Author: Ken Ilgunas

Narrator: Nick Podehl

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 714 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The story of a student who went to extraordinary lengths - including living in a van on a campus parking lot - to complete his education without sacrificing his financial future. In a frank and self-deprecating voice, memoirist Ken Ilgunas writes about the existential terror of graduating from college with $32,000 in student debt. Inspired by Thoreau, Ilgunas set himself a mission: get out of debt as soon as humanly possible. To that end, he undertook an extraordinary 3-year transcontinental journey, driving to Alaska and taking a series of low-paying jobs. Debt-free, Ilgunas then enrolled himself in a master's program at Duke University, using the last of his savings to buy himself a used Econoline, his new "dorm." The van, stationed in a campus parking lot, would be an adventure, a challenge, a test of his limits. It would be, in short, his "Walden on Wheels."Ilgunas went public in a widely read Salon article that spoke to the urgent student debt situation in America today. He offers a funny and pointed perspective on the dilemma faced by those who seek an education but who also want to, as Thoreau wrote, "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

Members Reviews:

Golly...Get A Plan

Ok, first I really like Nick Podehl and I thought his narration here was good. He captured the youthful voice of the author. This was a basic straight forward reading of the book and not one of those multi voiced performances that he really excels at. But overall the reading was good.

Now, on to the book. I agree with the author that far too many young people go deeply into debt financing college educations that prepare them to do nothing post graduation. Being sensible about choosing an eduction that will provide the student with easily marketable and money making skills makes sense. It has ALWAYS made sense. This isn't new news nor is it always fun to be careful in your choices. However, this approach does offer a foothold a person can use as a starting point in building a sustainable life. The author's approach was extreme, haphazard and amazingly--blindly contradictory.

Much of the thinking made no logical sense at all. For example, how could it make sense financially to drive all the way from New York state to Alaska and the Arctic Circle to work a summer job for $8 per hour at a dive motel that everyone reviews as terrible online?? Especially when you have a better paying job at home already. This is just the beginning of the scratch your head and chalk it up to impulsive youthful--wouldn't it be fun--kind of behavior.

To me, there wasn't enough or really any Walden in this tale of stumbling bumbling debt free live in your van story. Actually, the details of life in the van are beyond cringeworthy. I guess it worked out in the end...he is after all selling books on audible. Thank goodness I borrowed this copy.

Delightful and infuriating, both.

The first half of the book is great -- I loved it, hung on his every word. He's making great points -- kids are burdening themselves with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, spent on earning college degrees which have no economic value. For most, they will be stuck with these loans and huge interest repayments well into middle age -- and with little real benefit.