Holding the Line
Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis
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Narrated by:
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Guy M. Snodgrass
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By:
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Guy M. Snodgrass
About this listen
"This is the memoir America wishes Jim Mattis had written." (The Washington Post)
An insider's sometimes shocking account of how Defense Secretary James Mattis led the US military through global challenges while serving as a crucial check on the Trump Administration.
For nearly two years as Trump's Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis maintained a complicated relationship with the president. A lifelong Marine widely considered to be one of America's greatest generals, Mattis was committed to keeping America safe. Yet he served a President whose actions were frequently unpredictable and impulsive with far-reaching consequences.
Often described as the administration's "adult in the room," Mattis has said very little about his difficult role, and since his resignation has kept his views of the President and his policies private. Now, Mattis' former chief speechwriter and communications director, Guy M. Snodgrass, brings listeners behind that curtain. Drawing on his 17 months working with Mattis, Snodgrass reveals how one of the nation's greatest generals walked a political tightrope while leading the world's most powerful military.
Snodgrass gives us a fly-on-the-wall view as Mattis....
- Reacted when learning about major policy decisions via Twitter rather than from the White House.
- Minimized the damage done to our allies and diplomatic partners.
- Slow-rolled some of Trump's most controversial measures, with no intention of following through.
As the first book written by an insider with firsthand knowledge of key decisions and moments in history, Holding the Line is a must-listen for those who care about the presidency and America's national security. It's filled with never-before-told stories that will both alarm and reassure, a testament to the quiet and steady efforts of General Mattis and the dedicated men and women he led at the Department of Defense.
©2019 Guy Snodgrass (P)2019 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"For all of you who've been waiting for a tell-all account of Jim Mattis' 710 days as President Trump's first Pentagon chief, that book has now been written." (NPR)
"[A] fly-on-the-wall view of how the retired general operated at the Pentagon amid myriad crises, from issues with North Korea and Iran to trying to get on the same page with a chaotic White House." (Task & Purpose)
"Snodgrass’s account of the wild briefing provides a taste of his on-the-record, eyewitness candor about the two years Mattis spent trying to keep things from spinning out of control - a candor readers will not find in the former defense secretary’s own circumspect memoir.... Snodgrass...has stepped forward to fill some of the vacuum created by Mattis’s silence.... Snodgrass saw more than enough for his memoir to take its place in the growing annals of government dysfunction." (NYT)
"[A] must-read (if not a cautionary tale) for any professionals - military or otherwise - who desire access to the biggest levers of power." (Military.com)
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Known in health care circles for his ability to fix ailing hospitals, Dr. David Shulkin was originally brought into government by President Obama, in an attempt to save the broken Department of Veterans Affairs. When President Trump made him VA secretary, Dr. Shulkin was as shocked as anyone. Yet this surprise was trivial compared to what Shulkin encountered as the VA secretary: a team of political appointees devoted to stopping anyone - including the secretary himself - who stood in the way of privatizing the organization and implementing their agenda.
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A Powerful Account by an Impressive Public Servant
- By Tom on 12-10-19
By: David Shulkin
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Obama's Wars
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Working behind the scenes for 18 months, Bob Woodward has written the most intimate and sweeping portrait of President Obama making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret war in Pakistan, and the worldwide fight against terrorism.
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Woodward Does a Service
- By Roy on 10-01-10
By: Bob Woodward
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The President's Book of Secrets
- The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America's Presidents from Kennedy to Obama
- By: David Priess
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Every president has had a unique and complicated relationship with the intelligence community. While some have been coolly distant, even adversarial, others have found their intelligence agencies to be among the most valuable instruments of policy and power. Since John F. Kennedy's presidency, this relationship has been distilled into a personalized daily report: a short summary of what the intelligence apparatus considers the most crucial information for the president to know that day about global threats and opportunities.
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about the report and nothing but the report
- By Michael on 09-07-16
By: David Priess
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The Gatekeepers
- How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency
- By: Chris Whipple
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The chiefs of staff, often referred to as "the gatekeepers", wield tremendous power in Washington and beyond; they decide who is allowed to see the president, negotiate with Congress to push POTUS's agenda, and - most crucially - enjoy unparalleled access to the leader of the free world. Through extensive, intimate interviews with 18 living chiefs (including Reince Priebus) and two former presidents, award-winning journalist and producer Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on this unique fraternity. In doing so, he revises our understanding of presidential history.
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Interesting, but lacking in political objectivity
- By Stephen Watson on 09-04-17
By: Chris Whipple
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The Washington War
- FDR's Inner Circle and the Politics of Power That Won World War II
- By: James Lacey
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, James Lacey
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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The Washington War is the story of how the Second World War was fought and won in the capital’s halls of power - and how the United States, which in December 1941 had a nominal army and a decimated naval fleet, was able in only 30 months to fling huge forces onto the European continent and shortly thereafter shatter Imperial Japan’s Pacific strongholds. Three quarters of a century after the overwhelming defeat of the totalitarian Axis forces, the terrifying, razor-thin calculus on which so many critical decisions turned has been forgotten....
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interesting but tedious
- By Joey on 06-07-20
By: James Lacey
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Outpost
- Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir
- By: Christopher R. Hill
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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An "inside the room" memoir from one of our most distinguished ambassadors who - in a career of service to the country - was sent to some of the most dangerous outposts of American diplomacy. From the wars in the Balkans to the brutality of North Korea to the endless war in Iraq, this is the real life of an American diplomat. Hill was on the front lines in the Balkans at the breakup of Yugoslavia.
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Fascinating
- By David on 01-26-15
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Lessons from the Edge
- A Memoir
- By: Marie Yovanovitch
- Narrated by: Marie Yovanovitch
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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By the time she became US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch had seen her share of corruption, instability, and tragedy in developing countries. But it came as a shock when, in early 2019, she was recalled from her post after a smear campaign by President Trump’s personal attorney and his associates—men operating outside of normal governmental channels, and apparently motivated by personal gain. Her courageous participation in the subsequent impeachment inquiry earned Yovanovitch the nation’s respect, and her dignified response to the president’s attacks won our hearts.
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Heroic patriot's amazing story
- By Victoria Eriksson on 03-19-22
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Known and Unknown
- A Memoir
- By: Donald Rumsfeld
- Narrated by: Donald Rumsfeld
- Length: 30 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A powerful memoir from the late former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld's memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld's unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history. Both a fascinating narrative and an unprecedented glimpse into history, Known and Unknown captures the legacy of one of the most influential men in public service.
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Inside view of five decades in politics
- By Brooks on 02-19-11
By: Donald Rumsfeld
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The Quiet Man
- The Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush
- By: John H. Sununu
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In this unique insider account, John H. Sununu pays tribute to his former boss - an intelligent, thoughtful, modest leader - and his overlooked accomplishments. Though George H. W. Bush is remembered for orchestrating one of the largest and most successful military campaigns in history - the Gulf War - Sununu argues that conventional wisdom misses many of Bush's other great achievements.
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Outstanding Biograpy
- By Warren Brookes on 07-25-15
By: John H. Sununu
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At the Center of the Storm
- My Years at the CIA
- By: George Tenet
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
In the whirlwind of accusations and recriminations that has attended the post 9/11 world, one man's vital testimony has been conspicuously absent. Candid and compelling, At the Center of the Storm is George Tenet's memoir of his life at the CIA - a revelatory look at the inner workings of America's top intelligence agency and its dealings with national leaders at home and abroad.
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Brilliant!
- By Karen on 05-05-07
By: George Tenet
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The Pentagon's Wars
- The Military's Undeclared War Against America's Presidents
- By: Mark Perry
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The Pentagon's Wars is a dramatic account of the deep and divisive debates between America's civilian leaders and its military officers. Renowned military expert Mark Perry investigates these internal wars and sheds new light on the US military - the most powerful and influential lobby in Washington.
By: Mark Perry
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Good Hunting
- An American Spymaster's Story
- By: Jack Devine
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Good Hunting: An American Spymaster's Story is the spellbinding memoir of Devine's time in the CIA, where he served for more than 30 years, rising to become the acting deputy director of operations, responsible for all of the agency's spying operations. This is a story of intrigue and high-stakes maneuvering - all the more gripping when the fate of our geopolitical order hangs in the balance. But this audiobook also sounds a warning to our nation's decision makers.
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Fascinating, An education on spying
- By Anthony on 12-13-15
By: Jack Devine
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The Man Who Ran Washington
- The Life and Times of James A. Baker III
- By: Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
- Narrated by: Michael Quinlan
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a pause-resisting portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations.
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We Need Baker Now More Than Ever
- By @Gazi2a on 01-08-21
By: Peter Baker, and others
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We will only have ourselves to blame if we sink into autocracy
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Remember: This guy was fired! WTF.
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Ascending to the leadership role of US Attorney for the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and several counties to the north, is a capstone to any legal career: it entails guiding a team of the best lawyers in America in selecting and winning cases that often have global import. Geoffrey Berman was honored to be tapped for the job by Donald Trump in 2018. The manner in which Trump had dispatched his predecessor Preet Bharara was troubling, but the institution was fabled for its independence. Surely he could manage.
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We have never seen a president like this...norm-breaking, rule-busting, dangerously reckless to some and an overdue force for change to others. One thing is clear: We are witnessing the reshaping of the presidency. Jonathan Karl brings us into the White House in a powerful book unlike any other on the Trump administration. He's known and covered Donald Trump longer than any other White House reporter. With extraordinary access to Trump during the campaign and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Karl delivers essential new reporting and surprising insights.
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In April 2017, Daniel W. Drezner began curating every example he could find of a Trump ally describing the president like a toddler. So far, he's collected more than one thousand tweets - a rate of more than one a day. In The Toddler-in-Chief, Drezner draws on these examples to take listeners through the different dimensions of Trump's infantile behavior, from temper tantrums to poor impulse control to the possibility that the President has had too much screen time. How much damage can really be done by a giant man-baby?
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thought it would be a lot funnier
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From June of 2019 until his firing by President Trump after the November 2020 election, Secretary Mark T. Esper led the Department of Defense through an unprecedented time in history—a period marked by growing threats and conflict abroad, a global pandemic unseen in a century, the greatest domestic unrest in two generations, and a White House seemingly bent on breaking accepted norms and conventions for political advantage. A Sacred Oath is Secretary Esper’s unvarnished and candid memoir of those extraordinary and dangerous times, and includes events and moments never before told.
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Boring. Lots of excuses.
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I Alone Can Fix It
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The Facts are There
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The Room Where It Happened
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It's a necessary read regardless of your politics
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Siege
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With Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff defined the first phase of the Trump administration; now, in Siege, he has written an equally essential and explosive book about a presidency that is under fire from almost every side. A stunningly fresh narrative that begins just as Trump’s second year as president is getting underway and ends with the delivery of the Mueller Report, Siege reveals an administration that is perpetually beleaguered by investigations and a president who is increasingly volatile, erratic, and exposed.
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Read the Mueller Report first...
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By: Michael Wolff
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Tired of Winning
- Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
- By: Jonathan Karl
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Packed with new reporting, Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party tracks Trump’s improbable journey from disgraced and defeated former president to the dominant force, yet again, in the Republican Party. From his exile in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump has become more extreme, vengeful, and divorced from reality than he was on January 6, 2021. His meddling damaged the GOP’s electoral prospects for third consecutive election in 2022. His legal troubles are mounting. Yet he re-emerged as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
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Compelling and Terrifying
- By Shaz on 11-15-23
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Betrayal
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Nobody is in a better position to tell the story of the shocking final chapter of the Trump show than Jonathan Karl. As the reporter who has known Donald Trump longer than any other White House correspondent, Karl told the story of Trump’s rise in the New York Times best seller Front Row at the Trump Show. Now he tells the story of Trump’s downfall, complete with riveting behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the darkest days in the history of the American presidency.
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A movie plot you know but still manages to impress
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What listeners say about Holding the Line
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sonya B.
- 03-26-22
Good Context
Author does a good job providing context from the Secratarie's office. I do feel that he held back feelings and thoughts (good or bad) on the sentiments of DoD leadership at the time tied to the West Wing. Wasn't looking for a political hit job, but some deeper thought, not just topical, into the thoughts and feelings and the "why" behind the scenes.
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- Jane Boyd
- 10-31-19
Great insider's view
An insider with firsthand knowledge of key decisions and moments in history, Very fair and thoughtful.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Timothy Sy
- 06-02-20
Good book. Insightful
Interesting book. Finished this in 3 days. Gives people an idea what it's like to work in the Trump administration.
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- Jacob
- 11-09-19
Insightful and balanced
The author does a great job in his goal to write a book in an apolitical manner. He provides positives and negatives of the administration during his time of service. The author narrating his own book was a good decision as it makes the book more authentic and his voice sounds crisp and refreshing.
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- In the Mountains
- 11-10-19
Narrator has marbles in his mouth.
I’m going to have to order this book on Kindle, because I just can’t listen to it for another minute. I typically listen at 1.25x speed, but even at 1.0, this narrator is rushed and garbled.
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3 people found this helpful
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- BGClark
- 07-14-24
Highly anti Donald Trump
Well written flow was good. However, blatantly new world order and anti America. Author made an attempt to appear non partisan, but the underlying tone was definitely that of an officer that came of age in a very political time in the military under Obama and retained his progressive political views through the new administration.
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- 2FAST4U
- 12-12-19
I didn't know
This writing brings an inside perspective that is rarely provided. I have to admit that this book was not only enlightening but revealing. I've read Maddis's recent book about his career. Having the author's perspective brings clarity to questions one may have after Maddis's book. the question still looms - who stifled the author's career?
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2 people found this helpful
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- mschet
- 08-29-21
very enlightening
to understand the challenges of military leadership and the lessons we get to watch a maverick of chaos manage the most tumultuous administration we have seen in years. It is sad that there is a 25% gap in the administrative support needed but hope for the system to grow and stabilize. history and personality meet.
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- Margaret P.
- 09-30-21
They worked long and hard to make it work
The story fills in how hard and long staff worked to keep our country going. I was struck that Trump’s approach to international relations was similar to his building projects. As a business man, Trump was always convince that someone was always cheating him, stealing his money and not being fair, making him pay too much. That was how he saw the world and other countries. They are taking advantage of us. There was so much Trumpet didn’t know about how a country runs. Those staffing the department of defense tried valiantly to be loyally in step with Trump while promoting the needs of America. It was tough. In the end , the author choose to protect his family and not take a promotion in the Navy. The promotion would mean ten years away from his family to command an aircraft carrier. The Navy needs to rethink its procedures. Weakening families is not good for the country or the Navy. It is a bittersweet tale.
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- W. B.
- 11-26-22
great, interesting
would listen to more, very good word smiting, enjoyable listen due to words chosen to convey the message.
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