Free audiobook. Where have these been all my life.
I am not much for listening to audiobooks. Alas, the droning of a human voice tends to make me fall asleep, a feature of my being that I have often put to good use with headphones on international flights.
But after the first ten minutes I was hooked on this one. Taibbi’s verbal fireworks and colorful images kept me interested, and gave me a wonderful alternative to watching the latest professional wrestling antics and extended infomercials on financial television today. Without headphones. Old habits die hard.
Taibbi takes an icepick to the façade of American politics, and the vagaries of its financiers. And like another polemicist Hitchens, is able to wield his words with great effect and to delight of his readers. Alas, sometimes he forgets to save the sword for injustice, and on occasion becomes the kind of condescending, major league ***** he generally derides, about spiritual matters and the preferences and sincere beliefs of others of which he has little or no understanding, like a little boy who is restless in his seat and doesn’t matter who knows about it. Or the raw American tourist who travels abroad for the first time, and makes fun of the way the people dress, talk, and their odd local customs. But at least he is still resisting the elitist and all judging allure of the neo-cons, which Hitchens was unable to do towards the latter part of his career. Well, its all show biz for some.
Enjoy.
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