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Black Rednecks and White Liberals
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 242
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This explosive new audiobook challenges many of the long-held assumptions about blacks, about Jews, about Germans and Nazis, about slavery, and about education. Plainly written, powerfully reasoned, and backed with a startling array of documented facts, Black Rednecks and White Liberals takes on the trendy intellectuals of our times as well as historic interpreters of American life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Really interesting
- By Adam Buckler on 23-07-16
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Knowledge and Decisions
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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This reissue of Thomas Sowell’s classic study of decision making, which includes a preface by the author, updates his seminal work in the context of The Vision of the Anointed. Sowell, one of America’s most celebrated public intellectuals, describes in concrete detail how knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout modern society. He warns that society suffers from an ever-widening gap between firsthand knowledge and decision making—a gap that threatens not only our economic and political efficiency but our very freedom.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good (previous reading warning)
- By Edward on 21-09-20
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Discrimination and Disparities
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- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 185
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 151
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Story5 out of 5 stars 146
Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. It is listenable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Too late I found Thomas Sowell
- By Jas Singh on 16-06-18
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Intellectuals and Society
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 67
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story5 out of 5 stars 53
This is a study of how intellectuals as a class affect modern societies by shaping the climate of opinion in which official policies develop, on issues ranging from economics to law to war and peace.
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5 out of 5 stars
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One of the most important books of this century
- By George Dunbar on 22-02-19
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Economic Facts and Fallacies
- By: Thomas Sowell
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- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story5 out of 5 stars 31
Economic Facts and Fallacies is designed for people who want to understand economic issues without getting bogged down in economic jargon, graphs, or political rhetoric. Writing in a lively manner that does not require any prior knowledge of economics, Thomas Sowell exposes some of the most popular fallacies about economic issues, including many that are widely disseminated in the media and by politicians.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another great Sowell book
- By Dawn from Kent on 12-08-18
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Basic Economics, Fifth Edition
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- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 517
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 453
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In this fifth edition of Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell revises and updates his popular book on commonsense economics, bringing the world into clearer focus through a basic understanding of the fundamental economic principles and how they explain our lives. Drawing on lively examples from around the world and from centuries of history, Sowell explains basic economic principles for the general public in plain English.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I promise you, this book will change your life.
- By Francisco on 28-07-17
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Black Rednecks and White Liberals
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Hugh Mann
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 278
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 242
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Story5 out of 5 stars 240
This explosive new audiobook challenges many of the long-held assumptions about blacks, about Jews, about Germans and Nazis, about slavery, and about education. Plainly written, powerfully reasoned, and backed with a startling array of documented facts, Black Rednecks and White Liberals takes on the trendy intellectuals of our times as well as historic interpreters of American life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Really interesting
- By Adam Buckler on 23-07-16
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Knowledge and Decisions
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story5 out of 5 stars 42
This reissue of Thomas Sowell’s classic study of decision making, which includes a preface by the author, updates his seminal work in the context of The Vision of the Anointed. Sowell, one of America’s most celebrated public intellectuals, describes in concrete detail how knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout modern society. He warns that society suffers from an ever-widening gap between firsthand knowledge and decision making—a gap that threatens not only our economic and political efficiency but our very freedom.
-
4 out of 5 stars
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Good (previous reading warning)
- By Edward on 21-09-20
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Discrimination and Disparities
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 185
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 151
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Story5 out of 5 stars 146
Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. It is listenable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Too late I found Thomas Sowell
- By Jas Singh on 16-06-18
-
Intellectuals and Society
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 53
This is a study of how intellectuals as a class affect modern societies by shaping the climate of opinion in which official policies develop, on issues ranging from economics to law to war and peace.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the most important books of this century
- By George Dunbar on 22-02-19
-
Economic Facts and Fallacies
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 31
Economic Facts and Fallacies is designed for people who want to understand economic issues without getting bogged down in economic jargon, graphs, or political rhetoric. Writing in a lively manner that does not require any prior knowledge of economics, Thomas Sowell exposes some of the most popular fallacies about economic issues, including many that are widely disseminated in the media and by politicians.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another great Sowell book
- By Dawn from Kent on 12-08-18
-
Basic Economics, Fifth Edition
- A Common Sense Guide to the Economy
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 517
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 442
In this fifth edition of Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell revises and updates his popular book on commonsense economics, bringing the world into clearer focus through a basic understanding of the fundamental economic principles and how they explain our lives. Drawing on lively examples from around the world and from centuries of history, Sowell explains basic economic principles for the general public in plain English.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I promise you, this book will change your life.
- By Francisco on 28-07-17
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Intellectuals and Race
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story5 out of 5 stars 34
Intellectuals and Race is a radical book in the original sense - one that goes to the root of the problem. The role of intellectuals in racial strife is explored in an international context that puts the American experience in a wholly new light. The book explores the incentives, the visions, and the rationales that drive intellectuals at the highest levels to conclusions that have often turned out to be counterproductive and even disastrous, not only for particular racial or ethnic groups but for societies as a whole.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Perspective.
- By HollyR on 13-07-20
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Charter Schools and Their Enemies
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Brad Sanders
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story5 out of 5 stars 11
A leading conservative intellectual defends charter schools against the teachers' unions, politicians, and liberal educators who threaten to dismantle their success.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Low income minorities urgently need to read this
- By Amazon Customer on 24-07-20
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False Alarm
- How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet
- By: Bjorn Lomborg
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
The New York Times best-selling "skeptical environmentalist" argues that panic over climate change is causing more harm than good.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Futility of Low Carbon Energy Again Explained
- By Amazon Customer on 28-07-20
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Human Diversity
- The Biology of Gender, Race, and Class
- By: Charles Murray
- Narrated by: David Baker
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The thesis of Human Diversity is that advances in genetics and neuroscience are overthrowing an intellectual orthodoxy that has ruled the social sciences for decades. The core of the orthodoxy consists of three dogmas: Gender is a social construct. Race is a social construct. Class is a function of privilege. The problem is that all three dogmas are half-truths. They have stifled progress in understanding the rich texture that biology adds to our understanding of the social, political, and economic worlds we live in. It is not a story to be feared. But it is a story that needs telling.
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1 out of 5 stars
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This doesn't work as an audio book.
- By Jungian on 20-05-20
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Dismantling America
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story5 out of 5 stars 15
These wide-ranging essays - on many individual political, economic, cultural, and legal issues - have as a recurring, underlying theme the decline of the values and institutions that have sustained and advanced American society for more than two centuries. This decline has been more than erosion. It has, in many cases, been a deliberate dismantling of American values and institutions by people convinced that their superior wisdom and virtue must override both the traditions of the country and the will of the people.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Older release but still strangely topical
- By Sprgsmal on 05-08-20
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How Innovation Works
- Serendipity, Energy and the Saving of Time
- By: Matt Ridley
- Narrated by: Matt Ridley
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 106
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 89
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Story5 out of 5 stars 87
Innovation is the main event of the modern age, the reason we experience both dramatic improvements in our living standards and unsettling changes in our society. It is innovation that will shape the 21st century. Yet innovation remains a mysterious process, poorly understood by policy makers and businessmen alike. Matt Ridley argues that we need to see innovation as an incremental, bottom-up, fortuitous process that happens as a direct result of the human habit of exchange, rather than an orderly, top-down process developing according to a plan.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Required reading for all and especially given government
- By John on 16-07-20
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Science Fictions
- Exposing Fraud, Bias, Negligence and Hype in Science
- By: Stuart Ritchie
- Narrated by: Stuart Ritchie
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
Medicine, education, psychology, health, parenting - wherever it really matters, we look to science for advice. Science Fictions reveals the disturbing flaws that undermine our understanding of all of these fields and more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant
- By liam c on 23-07-20
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The Quest for Cosmic Justice
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
This book is about the great moral issues underlying many of the headline-making political controversies of our times. It is not a comforting book but a book about disturbing and dangerous trends. The Quest for Cosmic Justice shows how confused conceptions of justice end up promoting injustice, how confused conceptions of equality end up promoting inequality, and how the tyranny of social visions prevents many people from confronting the actual consequences of their own beliefs and policies.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing
- By Mark on 07-06-18
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Apocalypse Never
- Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All
- By: Michael Shellenberger
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
Michael Shellenberger has been fighting for a greener planet for decades. He helped save the world’s last unprotected redwoods. He co-created the predecessor to today’s Green New Deal. And he led a successful effort by climate scientists and activists to keep nuclear plants operating, preventing a spike of emissions. But in 2019, as some claimed "billions of people are going to die", contributing to rising anxiety, including among adolescents, Shellenberger decided that he needed to speak out to separate science from fiction.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Glaring flaws and biases.
- By Anonymous User on 02-07-20
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A Personal Odyssey
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
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Story5 out of 5 stars 12
Here is the gritty, powerful story of Thomas Sowell's life-long education in the school of hard knocks, a journey that took him from Harlem to the Marines, the Ivy League, and a career as a controversial writer, teacher, and economist in government and private industry. It is also the story of the dramatically changing times in which this personal odyssey took place.
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Please Stop Helping Us
- How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed
- By: Jason L. Riley
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Why is it that so many efforts by liberals to lift the Black underclass not only fail, but often harm the intended beneficiaries? In Please Stop Helping Us, Jason L. Riley examines how well-intentioned welfare programs are in fact holding Black Americans back. Minimum-wage laws may lift earnings for people who are already employed, but they price a disproportionate number of Blacks out of the labor force. Affirmative action in higher education is intended to address past discrimination, but the result is fewer Black college graduates than would otherwise exist.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Please read this book if you really want to help!
- By Mohani on 25-06-20
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The Housing Boom and Bust
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 14
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Story5 out of 5 stars 14
There was no single, dramatic event that set the current financial crisis off. A whole series of very questionable decisions by many people, in many places, over a period of years, built up the pressures that led to a sudden collapse of the housing market and of financial institutions that began to fall like dominoes as a result of investing in securities based on housing prices. This book is designed to unravel the tangled threads of that story.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Oh how I was wrong
- By Jas Singh on 27-09-19
Summary
These selections from the many writings of Thomas Sowell over a period of half a century cover social, economic, cultural, legal, educational, and political issues. The sources range from Dr. Sowell’s letters, books, newspaper columns, and articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines. The topics range from latetalking children to tax cuts for the rich, baseball, race, war, the role of judges, medical care, and the rhetoric of politicians. These topics are dealt with by drawing sometimes on history, sometimes on economics, and sometimes on a sense of humor.
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Thomas Sowell Reader
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elspeth
- 05-09-19
Grateful.
I have read this book twice and I will read it again and again and again until I memorize it Thank you Thomas Sowell
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tommy
- 19-06-19
A wonderful introduction to Sowell
Thomas Sowell's wisdom and common sense are without parallel. This anthology of his short newspaper columns interspersed with longer, more reflective pieces is a wonderful introduction to his writings.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SiLondon
- 03-08-17
Yet more enjoyable brilliance from Sowell.
Love his books and this neat little collection is no exception. if you've never read him before, this book would be a good introduction.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Terje
- 07-07-13
Reality and the Intellectual are opposites.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Very informative about so much, which is not really what it looks like on the surface, as defined by the Statist. The "do goder" leads to negative consequences for those the Statist tries to help.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susannah
- 04-03-12
Brilliant thinker!
What did you love best about The Thomas Sowell Reader?
I loved the way Robertson Dean reads this just like he completely comprehends it all. Thomas Sowell is genius with a side of chips! He's very witty, too. I'm listening to this collection of articles and essays for the second time!
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The logic behind the thinking process is very compelling. When I listened to it the first time I kept saying,
What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?
He actually reads this very much the way I could hear Thomas Sowell read it.
If you could give The Thomas Sowell Reader a new subtitle, what would it be?
Logical Thinking for and Increasingly Illogical World.
Any additional comments?
I just bought one of his audio books on economics! Does that make me a nerd? I don't care!
15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dave
- 20-10-11
The Best Book By The Smartest Guy in the Room
I've read a lot of Thomas Sowell's writing, and I found this to be the most interesting yet. It's full of pithy, intelligent shorts on a variety of subjects, but they are all unified by the clarity of his thinking. I've always found Sowell to be compelling, but this particular book actually changed my views on a couple of issues. If you already know and like Sowell, this is a great addition. If you've never read his work, this is a great place to start.
46 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Antoine
- 10-11-11
Thomas Sowell does it again!
I hate to raciallize a review, but that is what I am going to do. I am an African American listener. Once upon a time I would have called myself a Democrat, at this point I am more moderate on many of my beliefs. This book which is a collection of Mr. Sowell's writings, challenged me to rethink the way I think. Thomas Sowell challenges me to rethink the way I think. In the long run I believe it has made me a better citizen. I would recommend this book for any of my friends. I would love to iconoclast Thomas Sowell and Cornell West. They are polar opposites when it comes to there politics, but not when it comes to their genius.
24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bella
- 06-02-12
Eye opening.
What did you love best about The Thomas Sowell Reader?
It contains so much information that, after reading it, one feels so much knowledgeable about a myriad of topics.
What did you like best about this story?
It stimulates the desire on the reader to research further most subjects presented.
What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?
I enjoyed his voice and his clear pronunciation of words.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. I listened to this book on my long runs, when I could give it my full concentration. I loved it.
Any additional comments?
I love this book. I have already more books, from the same author, ready to be listened to.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lee Doty (Nerd. Kindle author. Nerd!!)
- 10-09-12
The best truths are those put plainly
If you could sum up The Thomas Sowell Reader in three words, what would they be?
deep simple true
Who was your favorite character and why?
Thomas Sowell
His brief autobiography was like the rest of his writing. Concise, interesting, full of deeper insights.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
The book has something like a hundred one-line quotables. I've probably use four already in discussions on facebook.
Too many to mention. The entire "random thoughts" chapter was pure gold.
Any additional comments?
I'm looking forward to my next Sowell purchase.
His unique life has led to a unique wisdom, and fortunately he's got both the talent and inclination to share.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jocelyn
- 23-05-12
What can I say!!
Thomas Sowell is a national treasure. The first book I read was Migrations & Culture, next the Vision of the Anointed and then Race and Culture. This book is a MUST read. I will read again and again.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wayne
- 07-11-18
Brilliant! Must listen!
The Thomas Sowell Reader is a book that brings together many of the author's essays and newspaper columns over many years. Economist Dr. Sowell's writings are consistently brilliant. At age 88 he is a national treasure. Just get this book and listen to it! Narration is superb.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann
- 08-05-18
A Must Read
A great book to start with for anyone unfamiliar with Thomas Sowell. It covers everything from personal anecdotes, to his views on economics, education, civil rights, the justice system, identity politics, right up to current events like SJWs, BLM and the state of American politics today. Sowell has a clear and easy to understand style of writing and this in turn translates beautifully into the spoken word with a brilliant reading by Robertson Dean. Whether you plan to listen for a longer stint or you only have five or ten minutes to spare each chapter is a stand alone essay, so either way you’ll come away more knowledgeable about the way things get done (or not done) in America today.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Fadil
- 28-04-18
Well written
Whenever I read Thomas work, it makes me search for more of his work. Hard to follow sometimes on audio books.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- em
- 24-04-18
Sowell so good
Thomas Sowell is one of the most brilliant mind of our time. His books should be taught in every schools!
2 people found this helpful