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The Thomas Sowell Reader
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
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The Vision of the Anointed
- Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The Vision of the Anointed is a devastating critique of the mindset behind the failed social policies of the past thirty years. Thomas Sowell sees what has happened not as a series of isolated mistakes, but as a logical consequence of a vision whose defects have led to disasters in education, crime, family disintegration, and other social pathology. In this book, "politically correct" theory is repeatedly confronted with facts-and sharp contradictions between the two are explained in terms of a whole set of self-congratulatory assumptions held by political and intellectual elites.
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Essential 2022 reading. all about Trudeau
- By Mike on 2022-07-21
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Knowledge and Decisions
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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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Brilliant. Required material for modern humans
- By Matt on 2018-04-26
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Is Reality Optional?
- And Other Essays
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Thomas Sowell challenges all the assumptions of contemporary liberalism on issues ranging from the economy to race to education in this collection of controversial essays, and captures his thoughts on politics, race, and common sense with a section at the end for thought-provoking quotes.
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what's not to love ?
- By Nic Cruickshank on 2023-04-24
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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The Einstein Syndrome
- Bright Children Who Talk Late
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Bill Andrew Quinn
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Einstein Syndrome is a follow-up to Late-Talking Children, which established Thomas Sowell as a leading spokesman on the subject of late-talking children. While many children who talk late suffer from developmental disorders or autism, there is a certain well-defined group who are developmentally normal or even quite bright, yet who may go past their fourth birthday before beginning to talk.
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Discrimination and Disparities
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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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Essential to understanding the world in all times.
- By Conrad on 2019-01-19
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Basic Economics, Fifth Edition
- A Common Sense Guide to the Economy
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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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Basic Fundamentals with a Helping of Bias
- By Bennymac on 2020-09-10
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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The Vision of the Anointed
- Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Vision of the Anointed is a devastating critique of the mindset behind the failed social policies of the past thirty years. Thomas Sowell sees what has happened not as a series of isolated mistakes, but as a logical consequence of a vision whose defects have led to disasters in education, crime, family disintegration, and other social pathology. In this book, "politically correct" theory is repeatedly confronted with facts-and sharp contradictions between the two are explained in terms of a whole set of self-congratulatory assumptions held by political and intellectual elites.
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Essential 2022 reading. all about Trudeau
- By Mike on 2022-07-21
Written by: Thomas Sowell
-
Knowledge and Decisions
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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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Brilliant. Required material for modern humans
- By Matt on 2018-04-26
Written by: Thomas Sowell
-
Is Reality Optional?
- And Other Essays
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Sowell challenges all the assumptions of contemporary liberalism on issues ranging from the economy to race to education in this collection of controversial essays, and captures his thoughts on politics, race, and common sense with a section at the end for thought-provoking quotes.
-
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what's not to love ?
- By Nic Cruickshank on 2023-04-24
Written by: Thomas Sowell
-
The Einstein Syndrome
- Bright Children Who Talk Late
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Bill Andrew Quinn
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Einstein Syndrome is a follow-up to Late-Talking Children, which established Thomas Sowell as a leading spokesman on the subject of late-talking children. While many children who talk late suffer from developmental disorders or autism, there is a certain well-defined group who are developmentally normal or even quite bright, yet who may go past their fourth birthday before beginning to talk.
Written by: Thomas Sowell
-
Discrimination and Disparities
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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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Essential to understanding the world in all times.
- By Conrad on 2019-01-19
Written by: Thomas Sowell
-
Basic Economics, Fifth Edition
- A Common Sense Guide to the Economy
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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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Basic Fundamentals with a Helping of Bias
- By Bennymac on 2020-09-10
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Basic Economics
- A Citizen's Guide to the Economy: Revised and Expanded Edition
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Brian Emerson
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Thomas Sowell has a different idea about how economics should be taught. With this groundbreaking introduction to economics, Sowell has thrown out the graphs, statistics, and jargon. Learning economics, he believes, should be relaxing - and even enjoyable. In this edition, Basic Economics has been revised and expanded to address the new concerns of the 21st century. It's focus has become more international, including the range of economic problems faced by foreign countries around the world.
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This book should be mandatory reading in school.
- By Justin on 2020-09-24
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Social Justice Fallacies
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Sowell’s new book is scheduled for release in the Summer of 2023 by Basic Books.
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Free to Choose
- A Personal Statement
- Written by: Milton Friedman, Rose Friedman
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Milton Friedman and his wife, Rose, teamed up to write this most convincing and readable guide, which illustrates the crucial link between Adam Smith's capitalism and the free society. They show how freedom has been eroded and prosperity undermined through the rapid growth of governmental agencies, laws, and regulations.
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Economic Masterwork
- By Kindle Customer on 2020-06-02
Written by: Milton Friedman, and others
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Inside American Education
- The Decline, The Deception, The Dogmas
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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An indictment of the American educational system criticizes the fact that the system has discarded the traditional goals of transmitting knowledge and fostering cognitive skills in favor of building self-esteem and promoting social harmony.
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Punchy the gentleman way
- By Nicolas Bouchard on 2022-05-12
Written by: Thomas Sowell
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Nation of Victims
- Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence
- Written by: Vivek Ramaswamy
- Narrated by: Timothy Pabon
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Hardship is now equated with victimhood. Outward displays of vulnerability in defeat are celebrated over winning unabashedly. The pursuit of excellence and exceptionalism are at the heart of American identity, and the disappearance of these ideals in our country leaves a deep moral and cultural vacuum in its wake. But the solution isn’t to simply complain about it. It’s to revive a new cultural movement in America that puts excellence first again.
Written by: Vivek Ramaswamy
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Made in the USA
- The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing
- Written by: Vaclav Smil
- Narrated by: Adam Barr
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In Made in the USA, Vaclav Smil powerfully rebuts the notion that manufacturing is a relic of predigital history and that the loss of American manufacturing is a desirable evolutionary step toward a pure service economy. Smil argues that no advanced economy can prosper without a strong, innovative manufacturing sector and the jobs it creates. Smil assesses various suggestions for solving America's manufacturing crisis, including lowering corporate tax rates, promoting research and development, and improving public education. Will America act to reinvigorate manufacturing?
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Interesting but not enlightening
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-01-15
Written by: Vaclav Smil
Publisher's 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.
What the critics say
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What listeners say about The Thomas Sowell Reader
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2021-07-16
Fully worthwile
Mr. Sowell has both the education and life experiences to give a great accounting and full explanations and there is never a dull moment or story. The topics are relevant and on point especially in this current state of affairs with society.
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- Dave
- 2011-10-20
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.
59 people found this helpful
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- Antoine
- 2011-11-10
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.
41 people found this helpful
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- Susannah
- 2012-03-04
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!
23 people found this helpful
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- Bella
- 2012-02-06
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.
15 people found this helpful
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- Lee Doty (Nerd. Kindle author. Nerd!!)
- 2012-09-10
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.
14 people found this helpful
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- Wayne
- 2018-11-07
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.
11 people found this helpful
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- Jocelyn
- 2012-05-23
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.
8 people found this helpful
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- Ann
- 2018-05-08
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.
7 people found this helpful
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- David
- 2017-04-01
The antidote to fuzzy, well-meaning thinking
Thomas Sowell thinks and speaks clearly. This is a lost art. His primary talent is demonstrating that certain important questions are often skipped over as we evaluate the world around us. He asks those important questions and arrives at unexpected answers.
For instance, it's customary to survey companies before and after implementation of minimum wage laws to demonstrate that they've fared tolerably. However, companies that have failed during the transition are not surveyed. Sowell points out that, by that logic, Russian Roulette could be shown to be a perfectly safe recreational activity. He has a similar view on the "safety" of minimum wage laws.
Not an essay goes by that doesn't make me gasp with a mixture of delight, surprise, and horror that I never thought of that before.
6 people found this helpful
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- em
- 2018-04-24
Sowell so good
Thomas Sowell is one of the most brilliant mind of our time. His books should be taught in every schools!
5 people found this helpful