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Black Buck

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Black Buck

By: Mateo Askaripour
Narrated by: Zeno Robinson
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About this listen

A New York Times Best Seller

A New York Times best seller, Black Buck is a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like and wildly successful start-up where nothing is as it seems.

There's nothing like a Black salesman on a mission.

An unambitious 22 year-old, Darren lives in a Brooklyn brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Manhattan office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya and eating his mother's home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC's hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the 36th floor.

After enduring a 'hell week' of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as 'Buck', a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he's hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.

Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America's workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.

©2021 Mateo Askaripour (P)2021 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co.
African American City Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Urban Witty

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Critic reviews

"Mateo Askaripour closes the deal on the first page of this mesmerizing novel, executing a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy." (Colson Whitehead, author of The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad)

"A hilarious, gleaming satire as radiant as its author. Askaripour has announced himself as a major talent of the school of Ralph Ellison, Paul Beatty, Fran Ross and Ishmael Reed. Full of quick pacing, frenetic energy, absurd-yet spot on-twists and turns, and some of the funniest similes I've ever read, this novel is both balm and bomb." (Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of Heads of the Colored People)

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The story was good and kept me going on my walks! The narrator had a nice calming voice and was entertaining when acting out the different parts.

Good

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Interesting story although a lot of clichés. And too long. The story could have been cropped here and there without missing anything.

Nice but too long

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Please read till the end. I would love to meet the author and narrator. I had already made a climb from rock bottom and had already taken the pressure of needing self help so I was able to listen to it as a usual listen but still was triggered in a very positive way. I took in a young man into my home, homeless and sleeping on my floor when I had also lost my job and struggling to get up whilst trying to help this person. This young man (nearly beyond help and risk of the justice system) was with me when I started listening and was clearly triggered so much he wanted to hear more and so did I. He was the last person to read a book let alone listen to anyone he now loves audible!
The book was well.. inspiring. Exciting and emotional. Massive insights on race, poverty and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much, this helped. I'm not saying books move mountains but people can do anything with belief. You gave my friend just a tiny bit more to stay positive at a crucial time. Happy to say two days later he found somewhere to live
Every day is deals day!

Wow thank you

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It's almost as if this book is in 3 parts - the first rush of a whimsical ascent to a better life for Darren 'Buck', the 'life of the rich and famous' and then last chapter of the book that seems to step way out of reality and almost become a minstrel show. I understand the need to connect all of the dots but I definitely left feeling unsatisfied with Bucks outcome and actions. His passivity and hare brain schemes/ lessons with the HC first recruits was strange, barely even based in sales techniques. I'll give it another listen but definitely a 2.5 out of 5 for me.

Didn't hate it, but didn't love it. SPOILERS

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this book could of been alot shorter! felt like it lost track half way through and turned into a different story. the start was great but wouldn't bother reading as it becomes disappointing and waffles

Great start but went on a tangent

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