
Intellectuals and Society
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Narrated by:
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Tom Weiner
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By:
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Thomas Sowell
About this listen
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.
The thesis of Intellectuals and Society is that the influence of intellectuals is not only greater than in previous eras but also takes a very different form from that envisioned by those like Machiavelli and others who have wanted to directly influence rulers. It has not been by shaping the opinions or directing the actions of the holders of power that modern intellectuals have most influenced the course of events, but by shaping public opinion in ways that affect the actions of power holders in democratic societies, whether or not those power holders accept the general vision or the particular policies favored by intellectuals. Even government leaders with disdain or contempt for intellectuals have had to bend to the climate of opinion shaped by those intellectuals.
Intellectuals and Society not only examines the track record of intellectuals in the things they have advocated but also analyzes the incentives and constraints under which their views and visions have emerged. One of the most surprising aspects of this study is how often intellectuals have been proved not only wrong, but grossly and disastrously wrong in their prescriptions for the ills of society-- and how little their views have changed in response to empirical evidence of the disasters entailed by those views.
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-
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Performance
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Story
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Story
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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Good with salt...
- By Michael on 05-08-08
By: Thomas Sowell
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Social Justice Fallacies
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Brad Sanders
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The quest for social justice is a powerful crusade of our time, with an appeal to many different people, for many different reasons. But those who use the same words do not always present the same meanings. Clarifying those meanings is the first step toward finding out what we agree on and disagree on. From there, it is largely a question of what the facts are. Social Justice Fallacies reveals how many things that are thought to be true simply cannot stand up to documented facts, which are often the opposite of what is widely believed.
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Timely book by 93 year old Thomas Sowell
- By Wayne on 09-27-23
By: Thomas Sowell
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Migrations and Cultures
- A World View
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Most commentators look at the issue of immigration from the viewpoint of immediate politics. In doing so, they focus on only a piece of the issue and lose touch with the larger picture. Now Thomas Sowell offers a sweeping historical and global look at a large number of migrations over a long period of time. Migrations and Cultures shows the persistence of cultural traits in particular racial and ethnic groups.
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Sowell always brings it!
- By nursekatie24 on 07-04-24
By: Thomas Sowell
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The Thomas Sowell Reader
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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The Best Book By The Smartest Guy in the Room
- By Dave on 10-20-11
By: Thomas Sowell
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Race and Culture
- A World View
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Sowell is one of America’s leading voices on matters of race and ethnicity. In his book, Inside American Education, he surveyed the ills of American education from the primary grades to graduate school with “an impressive range of knowledge and acuity of observation”, according to the Wall Street Journal. Now, in his book Race and Culture, he asks the question: “What is it that allows certain groups to get ahead?” and the answer will undoubtedly create debates for years to come.
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Thomas Sowell is rare breed of public intellectual
- By PAUL on 09-03-12
By: Thomas Sowell
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Inside American Education
- The Decline, The Deception, The Dogmas
- 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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Must read if you want to understand the condition in America
- By Aaron on 12-21-21
By: Thomas Sowell
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Civil Rights
- Rhetoric or Reality?
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: James Bundy
- Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Sowell takes a tough, factual look at whether the civil rights movement has lived up to its hopes or its rhetoric. In the decades since the historic Supreme Court decision on desegregation, who has gained and who has lost? Which of the assumptions behind the civil rights revolution have stood the test of time, and which have proven to be mistaken or even catastrophic to those who were supposed to be helped?
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Thomas Sowell is the is the Vision of the US
- By DCS on 01-30-16
By: Thomas Sowell
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The Economics and Politics of Race
- An International Perspective
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robert Morris
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Using an international framework, Sowell analyzes how much a racial group’s economic fate is determined by the surrounding society and how much by internal patterns that follow that same group around the world.
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Very interesting material, with not very good audi
- By Martin P. Rodgers on 04-03-13
By: Thomas Sowell
What listeners say about Intellectuals and Society
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- Roger
- 06-26-15
I just kept agreeing with him.
What an excellent book!
Our country is hemmed in by self described know it alls whose work is never tested and whose mistakes are always forgotten. The unholy trinity of education, mainstream media and government have a strangle hold on our nation. I fear this will only worsen as universities get more left wing and their products take their place in media and government.
Oddly enough, the only hope is the economic crash that I see coming as budget deficits cause massive debt leading to hyperinflation. Then we will be able to rebuild absent the heavy weight of government. People who can actually DO something will be valued in those times.
If you want to see the argument for my conclusions, read or listen to this book.
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- Joe Manich
- 12-24-12
Thomas Sowell is an important thinker today
What did you love best about Intellectuals and Society?
To be able to hear Thomas Sowell's idea. Tom Weiner made me believe that he was Sowell.
Any additional comments?
I really like the large variety that can be found in Audible. From light fiction, science fiction to serious non-fiction titles.
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1 person found this helpful
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- George
- 01-24-15
Mr. Sowell has nailed it - again!
Every time his books can't get any better, I run across another, better, one. This one nails the "anointed" progressive thought processes and how they have brought our society and our country to the breaking point.
For definitions of the anointed and beknighted classes, and an earlier text on the subject of "progressive" destruction, read/listen to "The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy" first.
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Focus + Truth = Clarity
Would you consider the audio edition of Intellectuals and Society to be better than the print version?
yes, easier to digest while doing other things. (drive, yardwork, etc.)
What did you like best about this story?
Sowell's plain, focused wisdom. His ability to communicate fairly complex ideas without the need to clutter the experience with jargon. His ability to distill simple truths from storms of confusion and irrelevancy, then write only those distilled truths.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
Too many to list. Best summary of the important issues relating to WWII I've ever read. Best dissection of the forces/incentives that drive public intellectuals.
Any additional comments?
No leftist intellectual's belief system will survive an honest, curious reading of this book.
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- Drew
- 07-21-20
Eloquent, Articulate, Informative
This book is eye opening. If the idea of this book frightens you, you need to listen to it. Now I need to grab the rest of his books.
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- C Pez
- 07-19-21
Sowell at his Greatest.
Here, The Great Sowell goes over the Power, and of course unchecked & hence Dangerous role, that Intellectuals have over society. It will completely change what you think of information which is given to you.
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- Max
- 01-15-21
So much to learn in so little time.
Well written. Well read. Thomas Sowell's ability to bring history together this way is just amazing. Thank you, sir, for your great and many contributions to the American people and those around the world.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-16-21
Another great book by Thomas Sowell
Sowell is the rare combination of an incredibly intelligent individual who doesn’t talk over your head. His writings are deep and thoughtful but I can still, as a common man, comprehend his points and social commentary. I’ve read several of his books and believe him to be one of the greatest American authors of all time. This book is a must read if conservatives want to defend conservative values.
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-28-21
A book that my son must read
An insightful book and top ten of books I will one day recommend my son read before going at it on his own
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- Jeffrey Masterson
- 01-13-23
One of Sowell's finest
Thomas Sowell paints a clear picture of the effect of the intelligencia in this country and on the world. He goes in depth on how they have shaped outcomes of war, politics, and social issues. This is a must-read for any fan of Sowell.
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