-
The Political Brain
- The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $21.80
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
In politics, when reason and emotions collide, emotion invariably wins. In this landmark book, scientist and psychologist Drew Westen shows how electorates vote not with their heads but with their hearts, and how the marketplace that matters most is the marketplace of emotion - filled with values, images, analogies, moral sentiments, and moving oratory.
The first serious investigation into how emotions affect voter behavior, The Political Brain reveals how the political landscape would change if candidates began with a 21st-century understanding of how the mind and brain really work.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Win Every Argument
- The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
- By: Mehdi Hasan
- Narrated by: Mehdi Hasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value—and can also simply be fun.
-
-
Would be much better without politics
- By David Fair on 03-17-23
By: Mehdi Hasan
-
Words That Work
- By: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Narrated by: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country. In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The 10 Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century", he examines how choosing the right words is essential.
-
-
Repetative vainglorious windbag
- By FiveEggs on 02-14-07
By: Dr. Frank Luntz
-
The Victory Lab
- The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns
- By: Sasha Issenberg
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renegade thinkers are crashing the gates of a venerable American institution, shoving aside its so-called wise men and replacing them with a radical new data-driven order. We’ve seen it in sports, and now in The Victory Lab, journalist Sasha Issenberg tells the hidden story of the analytical revolution upending the way political campaigns are run in the 21st century.
-
-
Good historical perspective ~10 years out of date
- By Anonymous User on 07-02-21
By: Sasha Issenberg
-
The Righteous Mind
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.
-
-
Why Good People Are Divided - Good for whom?
- By K. Cunningham on 09-21-12
By: Jonathan Haidt
-
Tyranny of the Minority
- Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point
- By: Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America is undergoing a massive experiment: It is moving, in fits and starts, toward a multiracial democracy, something few societies have ever done. But the prospect of change has sparked an authoritarian backlash that threatens the very foundations of our political system. Why is democracy under assault here, and not in other wealthy, diversifying nations? And what can we do to save it?
-
-
Tyranny of the Minority
- By orders on 10-07-23
By: Steven Levitsky, and others
-
Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way
- A Comprehensive Guide for Candidates and Campaign Workers
- By: Jeff Blodgett, Bill Lofy, Ben Goldfarb, and others
- Narrated by: Emil Nicholas Gallina
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way is based on the work of Wellstone Action, a leading-edge progressive training center that has instructed thousands of political activists, campaign managers, and volunteers, of whom more than two hundred have gone on to run for office and win. Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy analyze the crucial lessons learned from many successful (and several losing) campaigns and demystifies what it takes to run for-and win-a political seat.
-
-
Computer read book
- By Jessica Tiedt on 05-24-18
By: Jeff Blodgett, and others
-
Win Every Argument
- The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
- By: Mehdi Hasan
- Narrated by: Mehdi Hasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value—and can also simply be fun.
-
-
Would be much better without politics
- By David Fair on 03-17-23
By: Mehdi Hasan
-
Words That Work
- By: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Narrated by: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country. In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The 10 Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century", he examines how choosing the right words is essential.
-
-
Repetative vainglorious windbag
- By FiveEggs on 02-14-07
By: Dr. Frank Luntz
-
The Victory Lab
- The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns
- By: Sasha Issenberg
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renegade thinkers are crashing the gates of a venerable American institution, shoving aside its so-called wise men and replacing them with a radical new data-driven order. We’ve seen it in sports, and now in The Victory Lab, journalist Sasha Issenberg tells the hidden story of the analytical revolution upending the way political campaigns are run in the 21st century.
-
-
Good historical perspective ~10 years out of date
- By Anonymous User on 07-02-21
By: Sasha Issenberg
-
The Righteous Mind
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.
-
-
Why Good People Are Divided - Good for whom?
- By K. Cunningham on 09-21-12
By: Jonathan Haidt
-
Tyranny of the Minority
- Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point
- By: Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America is undergoing a massive experiment: It is moving, in fits and starts, toward a multiracial democracy, something few societies have ever done. But the prospect of change has sparked an authoritarian backlash that threatens the very foundations of our political system. Why is democracy under assault here, and not in other wealthy, diversifying nations? And what can we do to save it?
-
-
Tyranny of the Minority
- By orders on 10-07-23
By: Steven Levitsky, and others
-
Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way
- A Comprehensive Guide for Candidates and Campaign Workers
- By: Jeff Blodgett, Bill Lofy, Ben Goldfarb, and others
- Narrated by: Emil Nicholas Gallina
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way is based on the work of Wellstone Action, a leading-edge progressive training center that has instructed thousands of political activists, campaign managers, and volunteers, of whom more than two hundred have gone on to run for office and win. Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy analyze the crucial lessons learned from many successful (and several losing) campaigns and demystifies what it takes to run for-and win-a political seat.
-
-
Computer read book
- By Jessica Tiedt on 05-24-18
By: Jeff Blodgett, and others
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
Moral Politics
- How Liberals and Conservatives Think, 3rd Edition
- By: George Lakoff
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Moral Politics was first published two decades ago, it redefined how Americans think and talk about politics through the lens of cognitive political psychology. Today, George Lakoff's classic text has become all the more relevant, as liberals and conservatives have come to hold even more vigorously opposed views of the world, with the underlying assumptions of their respective worldviews at the level of basic morality.
-
-
extremely insightful. awful to get through.
- By Dave on 05-09-18
By: George Lakoff
-
It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism
- By: Senator Bernie Sanders, John Nichols
- Narrated by: Senator Bernie Sanders
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s OK to be angry about capitalism. Reflecting on our turbulent times, Senator Bernie Sanders takes on the billionaire class and speaks blunt truths about our country’s failure to address the destructive nature of a system that is fueled by uncontrolled greed and rigidly committed to prioritizing corporate profits over the needs of ordinary Americans.
-
-
A true and unbiased understanding of politics today
- By Sassy monster on 02-21-23
By: Senator Bernie Sanders, and others
-
The Conspiracy to End America
- Five Ways My Old Party Is Driving Our Democracy to Autocracy
- By: Stuart Stevens
- Narrated by: Jeff Bottoms
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today’s Republican party is not a “normal” political party in the American tradition. It has become an autocratic movement masquerading as a political party. As Stuart Stevens argues in The Conspiracy to End America, if we look away from that truth, we greatly increase the likelihood that the America we love will slip away, never to return.
-
-
Required Reading
- By Arturo Zendejas on 10-27-23
By: Stuart Stevens
-
How Minds Change
- The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion
- By: David McRaney
- Narrated by: David McRaney
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What made a prominent conspiracy-theorist YouTuber finally see that 9/11 was not a hoax? How do voter opinions shift from neutral to resolute? Can widespread social change only take place when a generation dies out? From one of our greatest thinkers on reasoning, HOW MINDS CHANGE is a book about the science, and the experience, of transformation.
-
-
Fascinating, nuanced, well-written, but…
- By Jason J. Gay on 08-13-22
By: David McRaney
-
Game Change
- Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
- By: John Heilemann, Mark Halperin
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on hundreds of interviews with the people who lived the story, Game Change is a reportorial tour de force that reads like a fast-paced novel. Character driven and dialogue rich, replete with extravagantly detailed scenes, this is the occasion-ally shocking, often hilarious, ultimately definitive account of the campaign of a lifetime.
-
-
Compelling & frank
- By Michael on 01-15-10
By: John Heilemann, and others
-
Good Arguments
- How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard
- By: Bo Seo
- Narrated by: Bo Seo
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Bo Seo was 8 years old, he and his family migrated from Korea to Australia. At the time, he did not speak English, and, unsurprisingly, struggled at school. But, then, in fifth grade, something happened to change his life: he discovered competitive debate. Immediately, he was hooked. It turned out, perhaps counterintuitively, that debating was the perfect activity for someone shy and unsure of himself. It became a way for Bo not only to find his voice, but to excel socially and academically. And he’s not the only one.
-
-
Useful ideas, political though
- By Amazon Customer on 07-23-22
By: Bo Seo
-
The Invention of Yesterday
- A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection
- By: Tamim Ansary
- Narrated by: Tamim Ansary
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Traveling across millennia, weaving the experiences and world views of cultures both extinct and extant, The Invention of Yesterday shows that the engine of history is not so much heroic (battles won), geographic (farmers thrive), or anthropogenic (humans change the planet) as it is narrative. Many thousands of years ago, when we existed only as countless small autonomous bands of hunter-gatherers widely distributed through the wilderness, we began inventing stories - to organize for survival, to find purpose and meaning, to explain the unfathomable.
-
-
Relaxed but packed with insight
- By Tad Davis on 02-14-20
By: Tamim Ansary
-
Drift
- The Unmooring of American Military Power
- By: Rachel Maddow
- Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Rachel Maddow's Drift argues that we've drifted away from America's original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war, with all the financial and human costs that entails. To understand how we've arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today's war in Afghanistan.
-
-
Half the National Debt?
- By Dolf Beil on 04-07-12
By: Rachel Maddow
-
The Republican Brain
- The Science of Why They Deny Science - and Reality
- By: Chris Mooney
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Chris Mooney uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why today’s Republicans reject reality - it’s just part of who they are. From climate change to evolution, the rejection of mainstream science among Republicans is growing, as is the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy, and much more. Why won’t Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts?
-
-
An Evenhanded Analysis of Both Sides of the Aisle
- By Thomas on 05-21-12
By: Chris Mooney
-
Strangers in Their Own Land
- Anger and Mourning on the American Right
- By: Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Strangers in Their Own Land, the renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou country - a stronghold of the conservative right. As she gets to know people who strongly oppose many of the ideas she famously champions, Hochschild nevertheless finds common ground and quickly warms to the people she meets.
-
-
Performance undercuts thesis
- By married, one tall dog, one smelly dog on 01-02-17
-
Decision Points
- By: George W. Bush
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty
- Length: 20 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions of his presidency and personal life. Decision Points is the extraordinary memoir of America’s 43rd president. Shattering the conventions of political autobiography, George W. Bush offers a strikingly candid journey through the defining decisions of his life. In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings listeners inside the Texas Governor’s Mansion on the night of the contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11, in the hours after America’s most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor...
-
-
A Thematic Book
- By Roy on 11-14-10
By: George W. Bush
Critic reviews
"This is the most interesting, informative book on politics I've read in many years...whether you're an interested voter or a candidate for public office, you have to read this book." (Bill Clinton)
"In the last several months, [Westen] has gone from a politically inclined nobody to a hot ticket." ( Los Angeles Times)
Related to this topic
-
Cracking the Code
- By: Thom Hartmann
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to Air America radio host Thom Hartmann, the apologists of the Right have become masters of the subtle and largely subconscious aspects of political communication. It's not an escalation in Iraq, it's a surge; it's not the inheritance tax, it's the death tax; it's not drilling for oil, it's exploring for energy.
Conservatives didn't intuit the path to persuasive messaging; they learned these techniques.
-
-
User-friendly course on political communication
- By Danee McFarr on 02-06-09
By: Thom Hartmann
-
Dog Whistle Politics
- How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class
- By: Ian Haney López
- Narrated by: Eric Yves Garcia
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dog Whistle Politics, Ian Haney Lopez offers a sweeping account of how politicians and plutocrats deploy veiled racial appeals to persuade white voters to support policies that favor the extremely rich yet threaten their own interests. Dog-whistle appeals generate middle-class enthusiasm for political candidates who promise to crack down on crime, curb undocumented immigration, and protect the heartland against Islamic infiltration, but ultimately vote to slash taxes for the rich.
-
-
Narration like verbal water boarding
- By Mark Andreadis on 08-31-15
By: Ian Haney López
-
Makers and Takers
- By: Peter Schweizer
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Makers and Takers, Peter Schweizer broadens his scope to examine the damaging effects of liberal philosophy on ordinary Americans. Drawing on national polls and academic studies, as well as the revealing testimony of liberals themselves, Schweizer shows that liberals are, on the whole, less honest, less generous, lazier, and more materialistic than their conservative counterparts.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Eileen J. O'Connor on 03-08-16
By: Peter Schweizer
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
Beyond the Messy Truth
- How We Came Apart, How We Come Together
- By: Van Jones
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Beyond the Messy Truth, Jones offers a blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change. Tough on Donald Trump but showing respect and empathy for his supporters, Jones takes aim at the failures of both parties before and after Trump's victory. He urges both sides to abandon the politics of accusation and focus on real solutions. Calling us to a deeper patriotism, he shows us how to get down to the vital business of solving, together, some of our toughest problems.
-
-
I never hated anyone before
- By Joanna Bugajska on 11-17-17
By: Van Jones
-
Under Fire
- Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House
- By: April Ryan, Tamron Hall - foreword
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran White House reporter April Ryan thought she had seen everything in her two decades as a White House correspondent. And then came the Trump administration. In Under Fire, Ryan takes us inside the confusion and chaos of the Trump White House to understand how she and other reporters adjusted to the new normal. She takes us inside the policy debates, the revolving door of personnel appointments, and what it is like when she, as a reporter asking difficult questions, finds herself in the spotlight, becoming part of the story.
-
-
- By Deborah on 09-03-18
By: April Ryan, and others
-
Cracking the Code
- By: Thom Hartmann
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to Air America radio host Thom Hartmann, the apologists of the Right have become masters of the subtle and largely subconscious aspects of political communication. It's not an escalation in Iraq, it's a surge; it's not the inheritance tax, it's the death tax; it's not drilling for oil, it's exploring for energy.
Conservatives didn't intuit the path to persuasive messaging; they learned these techniques.
-
-
User-friendly course on political communication
- By Danee McFarr on 02-06-09
By: Thom Hartmann
-
Dog Whistle Politics
- How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class
- By: Ian Haney López
- Narrated by: Eric Yves Garcia
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dog Whistle Politics, Ian Haney Lopez offers a sweeping account of how politicians and plutocrats deploy veiled racial appeals to persuade white voters to support policies that favor the extremely rich yet threaten their own interests. Dog-whistle appeals generate middle-class enthusiasm for political candidates who promise to crack down on crime, curb undocumented immigration, and protect the heartland against Islamic infiltration, but ultimately vote to slash taxes for the rich.
-
-
Narration like verbal water boarding
- By Mark Andreadis on 08-31-15
By: Ian Haney López
-
Makers and Takers
- By: Peter Schweizer
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Makers and Takers, Peter Schweizer broadens his scope to examine the damaging effects of liberal philosophy on ordinary Americans. Drawing on national polls and academic studies, as well as the revealing testimony of liberals themselves, Schweizer shows that liberals are, on the whole, less honest, less generous, lazier, and more materialistic than their conservative counterparts.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Eileen J. O'Connor on 03-08-16
By: Peter Schweizer
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
Beyond the Messy Truth
- How We Came Apart, How We Come Together
- By: Van Jones
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Beyond the Messy Truth, Jones offers a blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change. Tough on Donald Trump but showing respect and empathy for his supporters, Jones takes aim at the failures of both parties before and after Trump's victory. He urges both sides to abandon the politics of accusation and focus on real solutions. Calling us to a deeper patriotism, he shows us how to get down to the vital business of solving, together, some of our toughest problems.
-
-
I never hated anyone before
- By Joanna Bugajska on 11-17-17
By: Van Jones
-
Under Fire
- Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House
- By: April Ryan, Tamron Hall - foreword
- Narrated by: Janina Edwards
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran White House reporter April Ryan thought she had seen everything in her two decades as a White House correspondent. And then came the Trump administration. In Under Fire, Ryan takes us inside the confusion and chaos of the Trump White House to understand how she and other reporters adjusted to the new normal. She takes us inside the policy debates, the revolving door of personnel appointments, and what it is like when she, as a reporter asking difficult questions, finds herself in the spotlight, becoming part of the story.
-
-
- By Deborah on 09-03-18
By: April Ryan, and others
-
The Black Presidency
- Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America
- By: Michael Eric Dyson
- Narrated by: Michael Eric Dyson
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A provocative, lively deep dive into the meaning of America's first Black president and first Black presidency, from "one of the most graceful and lucid intellectuals writing on race and politics today" (
Vanity Fair).
-
-
Unbalanced, narrow and personal
- By CH on 02-06-18
-
The Audacity of Hope
- Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
- By: Barack Obama
- Narrated by: Barack Obama
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics: a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the "endless clash of armies" we see in Congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of "our improbable experiment in democracy".
-
-
My Fellow Conservatives, Give This A Listen
- By Dallas D.L. on 02-12-15
By: Barack Obama
-
Why the Right Went Wrong
- Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond
- By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater's worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. Since 1968, no conservative administration could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics 50 years ago.
-
-
Outstanding, refreshing, inspiring
- By James Adams on 03-19-16
By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
-
Moyers on Democracy
- By: Bill Moyers
- Narrated by: Bill Moyers
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
People know Bill Moyers mostly from his many years of path-breaking journalism on television. But he is also one of America's most sought-after public speakers. His appearances draw sell-out crowds across the country and are among the most reproduced on the Web. Richly insightful, and alive with a fierce, abiding love for our country, Moyers on Democracy is essential listening.
-
-
You can't help but think critically
- By Ida F. on 09-29-09
By: Bill Moyers
-
The Immoral Majority
- Why Evangelicals Chose Political Power Over Christian Values
- By: Ben Howe
- Narrated by: Marc William
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2016, writer and filmmaker Ben Howe found himself disillusioned with the religious movement he’d always called home. In the pursuit of electoral victory, many American evangelicals embraced moral relativism and toxic partisanship. Whatever happened to the Moral Majority, who headed to Washington in the ’80s to plant the flag of Christian values? Where were the Christian leaders that emerged from that movement and led the charge against Bill Clinton for his deception and unfaithfulness?
-
-
An atheist appreciation of this book
- By Anonymous User on 08-13-19
By: Ben Howe
-
Democracy in Black
- How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul
- By: Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
- Narrated by: Kevin Free
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's great promise of equality has always rung hollow in the ears of African Americans. But today the situation has grown even more dire. From the murders of black youth by the police to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act to the disaster visited upon poor and middle-class black families by the Great Recession, it is clear that black America faces an emergency - at the very moment the election of the first black president has prompted many to believe we've solved America's race problem.
-
-
The Dysfunctional Mindset of American
- By Paul T. on 07-09-16
-
Wingnuts
- How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America
- By: John P. Avlon, Tina Brown - foreword
- Narrated by: John P. Avlon, Tina Brown (foreword)
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whats a wingnut? A wingnut is someone on the far-right or far-left wing of the political spectrum professional partisans, unhinged activists, and paranoid conspiracy theorists. Barack Obama campaigned as an antidote to the politics of polarization, promising to transcend the old divides of left and right, black and white, red states and blue. But in the first year of his presidency, he is presiding over an eruption of hate and hyper-partisanship that threatens to mock the promise upon which he was elected.
-
-
Disturbingly disappointing
- By Steven on 02-20-10
By: John P. Avlon, and others
-
Common Sense for the Common Good
- Libertarianism as the End of Two-Party Tyranny
- By: Gary E. Johnson
- Narrated by: Gary E. Johnson
- Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party candidate for president and former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, stakes his claim to the very center of the political spectrum. His new audiobook, Common Sense for the Common Good, offers his approach to how a member of a third party, acting as the chief arbiter of the US, can restore sanity and functionality to the highest office in the land.
-
-
A refreshing voice in politics.
- By Jason on 10-20-16
By: Gary E. Johnson
-
Reclaiming Hope
- By: Michael Wear
- Narrated by: Stu Gray
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before he had turned 21, Michael Wear found himself deep inside the halls of power in the Obama administration as one of the youngest-ever White House staffers. Appointed by the president in 2008 to the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and later directing faith outreach for the president's 2012 reelection campaign, Wear threw himself wholeheartedly into transforming hope into change, experiencing firsthand the highs and lows of working as a Christian in government.
-
-
Part memoir, part political theology
- By Adam Shields on 03-23-17
By: Michael Wear
-
Undelivered
- The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History
- By: Jeff Nussbaum
- Narrated by: Adam Gifford, Brian Bowles, Elisa Roth, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fascinating insight into notable speeches that were never delivered, showing what could have been if history had gone down a different path. For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events.
-
-
Recognize that this is a profoundly partisan book
- By Scott on 11-05-23
By: Jeff Nussbaum
-
The Corrosion of Conservatism
- Why I Left the Right
- By: Max Boot
- Narrated by: Max Boot
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warning that the Trump presidency presages America’s decline, Max Boot, the political commentator, recounts his extraordinary journey from lifelong Republican to vehement Trump opponent. As nativism, xenophobia, vile racism, and assaults on the rule of law threaten the very fabric of our nation, The Corrosion of Conservatism presents an urgent defense of American democracy.
-
-
Not an intellectual tour de force!
- By Wayne on 07-14-19
By: Max Boot
-
It Was All a Lie
- How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump
- By: Stuart Stevens
- Narrated by: Dan John Miller
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stuart Stevens spent decades electing Republicans at every level, from presidents to senators to local officials. He knows the GOP as intimately as anyone in America, and in this new book he offers a devastating portrait of a party that has lost its moral and political compass. This is not a book about how Donald J. Trump hijacked the Republican Party and changed it into something else.
-
-
A party gone astray
- By Devin on 08-07-20
By: Stuart Stevens
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Words That Work
- By: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Narrated by: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country. In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The 10 Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century", he examines how choosing the right words is essential.
-
-
Repetative vainglorious windbag
- By FiveEggs on 02-14-07
By: Dr. Frank Luntz
-
The Political Mind
- By: George Lakoff
- Narrated by: Kent Cassella
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This passionate, erudite, and groundbreaking book will appeal to readers of Steven Pinker and Thomas Frank. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in how the mind works, how society works, and how they work together.
-
-
Rant in sheeps clothing
- By Greg on 12-17-08
By: George Lakoff
-
On Tyranny
- Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.
-
-
History does not repeat, but it does instruct.
- By Darwin8u on 11-19-18
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Win Every Argument
- The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
- By: Mehdi Hasan
- Narrated by: Mehdi Hasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value—and can also simply be fun.
-
-
Would be much better without politics
- By David Fair on 03-17-23
By: Mehdi Hasan
-
War
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency. War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.
-
-
Draws Connections
- By Kyle on 10-18-24
By: Bob Woodward
-
The Righteous Mind
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.
-
-
Why Good People Are Divided - Good for whom?
- By K. Cunningham on 09-21-12
By: Jonathan Haidt
-
Words That Work
- By: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Narrated by: Dr. Frank Luntz
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country. In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The 10 Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century", he examines how choosing the right words is essential.
-
-
Repetative vainglorious windbag
- By FiveEggs on 02-14-07
By: Dr. Frank Luntz
-
The Political Mind
- By: George Lakoff
- Narrated by: Kent Cassella
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This passionate, erudite, and groundbreaking book will appeal to readers of Steven Pinker and Thomas Frank. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in how the mind works, how society works, and how they work together.
-
-
Rant in sheeps clothing
- By Greg on 12-17-08
By: George Lakoff
-
On Tyranny
- Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.
-
-
History does not repeat, but it does instruct.
- By Darwin8u on 11-19-18
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Win Every Argument
- The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
- By: Mehdi Hasan
- Narrated by: Mehdi Hasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value—and can also simply be fun.
-
-
Would be much better without politics
- By David Fair on 03-17-23
By: Mehdi Hasan
-
War
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency. War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.
-
-
Draws Connections
- By Kyle on 10-18-24
By: Bob Woodward
-
The Righteous Mind
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.
-
-
Why Good People Are Divided - Good for whom?
- By K. Cunningham on 09-21-12
By: Jonathan Haidt
What listeners say about The Political Brain
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Damion Brown
- 02-27-16
very good alternative view of voter behaviour
very biased towards democtatic party views, but underlying principles are interesting and potentially useful for politcial strategy
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- M. Kettell
- 02-02-08
Hostage to Emotion
Well, someone finally tells me why "W" managed to get elected. The theory is that Republicans have been connecting emotionally with the electorate and the Democrats have been talking issues. Emotions rule. Makes sense to me. Since I listened to this book, I've been watching the primary campaigns--looking for strategies mentioned in the book. If you are interested in politics and the coming campaigns, you ought to buy this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Michael
- 03-04-08
Informative yet flawed
This book had a few interesting tidbits, but can be summed up as “Emotions persuade more effectively than ideas. Republican politicians have used strong emotional messages while Democrats have been using Ideas.” Well, sure. When it got to making suggestions of what “liberals” could do to communicate using emotional language the book seemed to break down. I found the author misguided. One example – the author contends that on the issue of gun control liberals must point out that owning guns for protection against unjust government is equivalent to owning guns to kill police and soldiers. This argument misses the point (and would not work). History is clear that an armed population discourages unjust government, and in the very worst case, the guns of a free people should be turned against unjust police or soldiers. The author does not really explain what liberals should do, other than to be like Bill Clinton – easier said than done.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
28 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John Chambers
- 09-05-19
Informative but Partisan
A scientific roadmap for political rhetoric that could be useful to members of all parties. But all readers should be aware going in that the bent is decidedly (and openly) Democratic centrism. If you're of another political persuasion, you may have to take a few breaks; but the journey will ultimately be rewarding.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- G. Stewart
- 03-31-12
Studies show 85% of decision is emotional.
Would you listen to The Political Brain again? Why?
Best book to understand why facts seem to not matter in our politics. Illustrates how bad Kerry and Gore ran their campaigns. The book was written before Obama won, and we can see that Obama didn't make these mistakes and he is now president.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Political Brain?
Liberals have to abandon their facts only approach, and bring in an all-of-the-above strategy including emotion... if not mostly emotion.
Fishers and Hunters should be on the dems environmental side, and yet the dems don't play this to them, ceding to NRA.
Example - put some emotion to dems pro-choice argument.
Pro life people support making a girl carry a baby even if she was raped by her father.
What about Anthony Heald’s performance did you like?
Perfect.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Avid Reader
- 09-18-18
Everyone will like this
The author is unabashedly a Democrat. However, I think this book will be of interest to anybody regardless of what party they’re in.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- NuWriter
- 03-04-12
Tells you why (less qualified) candidates win
Where does The Political Brain rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Top 20
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Political Brain?
Discussing the Bush-Gore debates
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No,
Any additional comments?
Very good analysis of the need for candidates to connect with voters on an emotional level and what happens when they try to be
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
- Family Account
- 11-26-18
More Democrats need to learn this!
This book explains why Democrats win on the facts and issues, but lose elections. It's even more needed in Trump's " alternative facts" presidency. This book, written in 2007, explains exactly how to counter his brand of evil.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James
- 09-05-16
Interesting Book
It's a little out of date, but the psychology behind the politics is fascinating. We'll worth reading for anyone who votes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David S.
- 07-09-16
It is a very good insight to how politicians think
I recommend it even to the person who is intending to market their product or services to the public.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful