Building Material
The Memoir of a Park Avenue Doorman
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Narrated by:
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Stephen Bruno
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By:
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Stephen Bruno
About this listen
For fans of books like Waiter Rant, and all those who have always wondered how the other half lives, comes this heartfelt, laugh-out-loud memoir from a New York City doorman with astute ears and a penchant for storytelling
As an academically gifted Latino kid growing up in the Bronx, Stephen Bruno’s family had high aspirations for his future. He attended magnet schools and selective academic programs and was on track to realize his potential. But those dreams were derailed when, much to his Mami’s dismay, he followed a girlfriend to Minnesota and a dead-end job. Languishing and unable to get it together, Stephen eventually moved back home. Broke and eager to make a way for himself—and away from the oppressively religious father wreaking havoc on his love life—the affable, easy going, and quick-witted Stephen lands a much-coveted job as a doorman at a high-end building on Park Avenue.
Hilarity and drama soon abound as Stephen learns the dos and don’ts of being a doorman for the rich and famous and witnesses the antics going on behind the front entrance of this swanky building. In Building Material, he shares those entertaining tales and introduces an unforgettable cast of characters—from Puerto Rican and Albanian doormen battling it out for turf to quirky one percenters to slimy sugar daddies to his peers, both friends and frenemies. Throughout, Stephen offers a glimpse into the unfathomable lives of the residents and a sharp portrait of an everyday man wanting more for himself.
Both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, Building Material is a captivating true tale of class, failure, and redemption—and how to come back swinging—from a gifted young talent.
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Story
When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing–and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes–on both sides of the Atlantic–remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
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Tediously boring
- By Elizabeth von Kessler on 10-12-24
By: Sonia Purnell
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Waiter Rant
- Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter
- By: Steve Dublanica
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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According to The Waiter, 80 percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining 20 percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths.
Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places.
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Could not turn it Off!
- By Eric on 08-04-08
By: Steve Dublanica
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One Bad Mother
- A Mother's Search for Meaning in the Police Academy
- By: Megan Williams
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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After her six-year-old daughter puts a hammer through a wall, Megan Williams decides to abandon a career as an academic and become a police officer. It's not lost on her that she may have applied to the Police Academy to escape the realities of mothering twins born via IVF at twenty-nine weeks. As the twins grow and test her endlessly, she feels she is failing. She needs a win. During a grueling application process, Megan measures herself against the other candidates and confronts the normative notions of what it is to be a good mother.
By: Megan Williams
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Earthly Bodies
- Embracing Animal Nature
- By: Vanessa Chakour
- Narrated by: Vanessa Chakour
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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What can we learn about sustaining love from the behavior of seahorses? How can the webs of flying spiders help us channel our creativity? What guidance do the hunting patterns of red-tailed hawks offer us about deepening our insight? In Earthly Bodies, Vanessa Chakour shares pivotal encounters with creatures that connect her to the rhythms and demands of the primal, showing how to effectively rely on the intelligence of gut instinct; the magnetic pull of attraction; the body’s mandate for restorative rest; and the sacred bonds of love.
By: Vanessa Chakour
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When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
- Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
- By: Julie Satow
- Narrated by: Karen Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, journalist Julie Satow draws back the curtain on three visionaries who took great risks, forging new paths for the women who followed in their footsteps. This stylish account, rich with personal drama and trade secrets, captures the department store in all its glitz, decadence, and fun, and showcases the women who made that beautifully curated world go round.
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Read like a text book for fashion students.
- By JACKI on 06-24-24
By: Julie Satow
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What a Way to Go
- By: Bella Mackie
- Narrated by: Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister, Colin Mace
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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One wealth-obsessed man – who is also dead. One status-obsessed woman – who is the perfect accessory. Their four inheritance-obsessed children – each with a killer instinct. And a murder-obsessed outsider looking to expose them all. But there’s one thing money can’t buy… and that’s the truth.
By: Bella Mackie
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Kingmaker
- Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing–and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes–on both sides of the Atlantic–remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
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Tediously boring
- By Elizabeth von Kessler on 10-12-24
By: Sonia Purnell
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Book and Dagger
- How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II
- By: Elyse Graham
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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At the start of WWII, the U.S. found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed—and, in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work—and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and our cultural institutions with their efforts.
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Thorough coverage of important history
- By David H. on 11-18-24
By: Elyse Graham
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Frighten the Horses
- A Memoir
- By: Oliver Radclyffe
- Narrated by: Oliver Radclyffe
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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From the outside, Oliver Radclyffe spent four decades living an immensely privileged, beautifully composed life. As the daughter of two well-to-do British parents and the wife of a handsome, successful man from an equally privileged family, Oliver played the parts expected of him. He checked off every box—marriage, children (four), a white-picket fence surrounding a stately home in Connecticut, and a golden retriever named Biscuit. But beneath the shiny veneer, Oliver was desperately trying to stay afloat as he struggled to maintain a facade of normalcy.
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Honest, Heart breaking, Heart healing, Lovely
- By JM on 11-11-24
By: Oliver Radclyffe
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Anna
- The Biography
- By: Amy Odell
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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As a child, Anna Wintour was a tomboy with no apparent interest in clothing but, seduced by the miniskirts and bob haircuts of swinging 1960s London, she grew into a fashion-obsessed teenager. Her father, an influential newspaper editor, loomed large in her life, and once he decided she should become editor-in-chief of Vogue, she never looked back.
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WONDERFUL, SPLENDID, I LOVED IT!!
- By Liz Jardine on 05-13-22
By: Amy Odell
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The Money Trap
- Lost Illusions Inside the Tech Bubble
- By: Alok Sama
- Narrated by: Raza Jaffrey
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Veteran Morgan Stanley banker Alok Sama thought he'd seen it all. Then he found himself chief dealmaker at the most influential technology investor in the world—SoftBank, the backer of Arm Holdings, Yahoo, Nvidia, TikTok, Uber, T-Mobile, Alibaba and WeWork. The Money Trap is Sama’s thrilling, stranger-than-fiction personal odyssey featuring his experiences alongside SoftBank’s iconic founder, Masayoshi Son, a visionary maverick who wants to be remembered as “the crazy guy who bet on the future” and whose mission is “happiness for everyone.”
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Expected and unexpected at every turn
- By CDL on 11-18-24
By: Alok Sama
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Farewell Yellow Brick Road
- Memories of My Life on Tour
- By: Elton John, David Furnish - foreword
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Vikas Adam, Daniel Henning, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Farewell Yellow Brick Road is a celebration of Elton John's record-breaking, globe-spanning farewell tour—from Allentown to Auckland, from Sydney to San Francisco. Featured concerts include Elton’s dazzling performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in November 2022, the finale of which streamed live on Disney+. Fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into every aspect of these spectacular shows, including Elton’s legendary touring wardrobe by Gucci, the set design, official photography, and more.
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Elton is Still Standing...better than ever!
- By Richard Lopez on 11-06-24
By: Elton John, and others
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Disney High
- The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
- By: Ashley Spencer
- Narrated by: Lalaine
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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From private feuds and on-set disasters to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the first unauthorized look at the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and talent to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.
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Reads like fiction!
- By Leslie on 10-05-24
By: Ashley Spencer
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Eden Undone
- A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II
- By: Abbott Kahler
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Great Depression, Los Angeles oil mogul George Allan Hancock and his crew of Smithsonian scientists came upon a gruesome scene: two bodies, mummified by the searing heat, on the shore of a remote Galápagos island. For the past four years Hancock and other American elites had traveled the South Seas to collect specimens for scientific research. On one trip to the Galápagos, Hancock was surprised to discover an equally exotic group of humans: European exiles who had fled political and economic unrest, hoping to create a utopian paradise.
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Abslutely enchanting
- By SBL on 10-15-24
By: Abbott Kahler
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Wives Like Us
- A Novel
- By: Plum Sykes
- Narrated by: Annabel Mullion
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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If you think the English countryside is all green wellies, muddy Land Rovers, and grey-haired ladies in tweed, then you’ve never visited The Bottoms. Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire, and the tony Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom, recently annexed by a glittering new breed of female: the Country Princess.
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Well written. Witty. Entertaining. Liked it!
- By MidwestLady on 10-17-24
By: Plum Sykes
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Q
- A Voyage around the Queen
- By: Craig Brown
- Narrated by: Craig Brown, Harriet Walter
- Length: 19 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Up until now, the curious tactic employed by biographers of the Queen has been to ignore what is interesting and to concentrate on what is not. Craig Brown, the author of 150 Glimpses of the Beatles and Hello Goodbye Hello, rejects this formula, bringing his kaleidoscopic approach to the most famous—and most guarded—woman on earth, examining the Queen through a succession of interlocking prisms. With Q, this fantastically funny, marvelously insightful journalist gives us an unforgettable portrait of the omnipresent, elusive Queen Elizabeth II.
By: Craig Brown
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How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund?
- A Novel
- By: Anna Montague
- Narrated by: Cynthia Nixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Most days, Magda is fine. She has her routines. She has her anxious therapy patients, who depend on her to cure their bad habits. She has her longtime colleagues, whose playful bickering she mediates. She’s mourning the recent loss of her best friend, Sara, but has brokered a tentative truce with Sara’s prickly widower as she helps him sort through the last of Sara’s possessions. She’s fine. But in going through Sara’s old journal, Magda discovers her friend’s last directive: plans for a road trip they would take together in celebration of Magda’s upcoming seventieth birthday.
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Engaging and touching story
- By Irene on 11-20-24
By: Anna Montague
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Health and Safety
- A Breakdown
- By: Emily Witt
- Narrated by: Emily Witt
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 2016, a divisive presidential election was underway, and a new breed of right-wing rage was on the rise. Emily Witt, who would soon publish her first book on sex in the digital age, had recently quit antidepressants for a more expansive world of psychedelic experimentation. From her apartment in Brooklyn, she began to catch glimpses of the clandestine nightlife scene thrumming around her.
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Insightful and Captivating
- By michaelforrest on 11-09-24
By: Emily Witt
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Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come
- One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes
- By: Jessica Pan
- Narrated by: Jessica Pan
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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What would happen if a shy introvert lived like a gregarious extrovert for one year? If she knowingly and willingly put herself in perilous social situations that she’d normally avoid at all costs? Writer Jessica Pan intends to find out. With the help of various extrovert mentors, Jessica sets up a series of personal challenges (talk to strangers, perform stand-up comedy, host a dinner party, travel alone, make friends on the road, and much, much worse) to explore whether living like an extrovert can teach her lessons that might improve the quality of her life.
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Encouraging memoir: Sorry, cheer
- By Aaron Menz on 07-03-23
By: Jessica Pan
What listeners say about Building Material
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Noemi Rivera
- 10-04-24
Finally Memoir from a born and bred New Yorker who isn’t filtered by mainstream portrayals and depictions of its residents.
Stephen Bruno's Building Material offers a refreshing and authentic glimpse into the life of a Park Avenue doorman, narrated through the lens of a true New Yorker. Unlike many portrayals of New Yorkers that come from outsiders, Bruno's perspective as a Latino from the Bronx brings raw honesty and depth to his experiences.
The memoir stands out for maintaining the anonymity but unfiltered portrayal of the tenants and the intricacies of their lives, shedding light on a world that often goes unseen. Bruno's storytelling resonates with anyone familiar with similar upbringings, providing a candid look at the struggles and triumphs that shape his journey.
Rather than delivering the polished, glamorous narrative one might expect about the elite of Park Avenue, Bruno’s writing is grounded in real-life events and relatable characters. This authenticity is a welcome reprieve from the often superficial narratives that dominate contemporary media. While some may find his candidness challenging, those who appreciate genuine storytelling will find much to admire.
In a time when cultural conversations can feel stifled, Building Material encourages readers to embrace the complexities of life and identity. Kudos to Stephen Bruno for crafting a memoir that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. A job well done!
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- Lisa
- 10-17-24
Really interesting!
I really liked this! A neat glimpse into the world of nyc buildings and interesting characters!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Caleb Lee
- 09-24-24
It’s art. It’s literature. It’s life.
A once in a century story of an American life told with exceptional humor, nostalgia, and intrigue. You don’t only fall in love with the author, but the entire cast of unforgettable NYC characters. This memoir offers a witty glimpse into the secret life of New York's elite through the eyes of the man who holds their door. The author will make you appreciate your job in a new way and learn to never take any experience for granted. Bravo to Mr Bruno and his fantastic story – we can’t wait for the sequel!
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- Erica Ratkovicz
- 11-07-24
Don’t bother
Not worth the listen or read. Childish writing and storyline is all over the place. Horrible
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- Grace
- 10-29-24
So torn about this one
I love memoir. I felt very torn through out this one. The authors story is interesting - absolutely, but for me, it had to either be more about his life or more about the job. Being a doorman is secondary to this story, so if you’re looking for a juicy story with gossip about building residents- there is literally none. I didn’t mind the shift to the authors life story, but it completely lacked self reflection or nuance. He repeatedly accused others of assuming things about him and then in the next sentence assumed bold things about others without context or background. There were so many missing pieces- like why was he interested in a relationship with Bam Bam. Memoir has the opportunity to show someone’s growth, development, journey- and make you question your own. The only growth this showed was the actual passage of time, his career development and development as a writer- nothing internal or deeper. Huge miss in my opinion. Sadly I would recommend skipping it. It missed the mark for me.
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