That Used to Be Us

How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back

By: Thomas L. Friedman, Michael Mandelbaum

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

America has a huge problem. It faces four major challenges, on which its future depends, and it is failing to meet them. In That Used to Be Us, Thomas L. Friedman, one of our most influential columnists, and Michael Mandelbaum, one of our leading foreign policy thinkers, analyze those challenges - globalization, the revolution in information technology, the nation's chronic deficits, and its pattern of energy consumption - and spell out what we need to do now to rediscover America and rise to this moment.

They explain how the end of the cold war blinded the nation to the need to address these issues. They show how our history, when properly understood, provides the key to addressing them, and explain how the paralysis of our political system and the erosion of key American values have made it impossible for us to carry out the policies the country needs. They offer a way out of the trap into which the country has fallen, which includes the rediscovery of some of our most valuable traditions and the creation of a new, third-party movement.

That Used to Be Us is both a searching exploration of the American condition today and a rousing manifesto for American renewal. "As we were writing this book," Friedman and Mandelbaum explain, "we found that when we shared the title with people, they would often nod ruefully and ask: 'But does it have a happy ending?' Our answer is that we can write a happy ending, but it is up to the country - to all of us - to determine whether it is fiction or nonfiction. We need to study harder, save more, spend less, invest wisely, and get back to the formula that made us successful as a country in every previous historical turn. What we need is not novel or foreign, but values, priorities, and practices embedded in our history and culture, applied time and again to propel us forward as a country. That is all part of our past. That used to be us and can be again - if we will it."

©2011 Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

A Great Read

A big picture view of America's current state of affairs with Friedman's traditional "the world is flat" perspective. There are some good insights here and it's worth the read. Overall Friedman does a good job addressing a number of issues that I believe Americans worry about. This includes jobs, immigration, healthcare, social security, our polarized political system, technology, education, taxes, global climate change, etc. I don't always agree with Freidman's conclusions or his proposed solutions but it is intellectually stimulating and a good medium for pointing out the hot spots America needs to address.

One bone of contention is that he is a bit fast and loose with the way he uses statistical data from other countries. Those numbers are typically self reported and almost never accurate. He uses them to make his points but take them with some healthy skepticism.

One piece of data that caught my attention was that: "50% of companies started in Silicon Valley are started by immigrants", which is the case, but not in the rouge solo entrepreneur fashion Friedman is portraying. Over half of silicon valley startups have someone who is an immigrant on their founding team with the caveat that immigrants comprise about 50% of the population in silicon valley. So his claim is accurate but not as strong a data point as he is portraying it to be.

Answers American Current Conundrum

Required reading Great book of our current national issues. What is wrong/how to correct our complacencies. You owe it to your self to consider the authors thesis’s

Too repetitive

It just goes on and on and on arround the same points... got so boaring

Very informative

The anthers painstakingly describe what has gotten America into its current economic and political problems and what is needed to get America back on track. As an American this is the most discouraging book I have listened to.

All politicians should have a copy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Excellent! Great view of the world and the USA. Suggestions for change are workable and intelligent. I sent a copy to my Senators, my Representative, my Assemblyman and my son-in-law.

Good read/listen

I remembered and learned a lot of history and sociology that affects the attitudes and beliefs of voters and policy makers.

Could Use More Policy Recommendations and Analysis

Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat) returns with Michael Mandelbaum to consider how America fell behind the rest of the world and to recommend how she might be able to get back on track. They consider education, the debt, denial of climate change and energy policy, and political failure in Washington. There is little new here for anyone who reads the newspapers and I wish Friedman and Mandelbaum had focused more on remedies and public policy than they did. The reading of Jason Culp is excellent.

nothing new here

Expected more, after enjoying The World is Flat and Hot, Flat and Crowded. Their big idea for what it's going to take to turn the battleship is, in my view, unrealistic.

The world is Flat 2.0

We don't have to agree with evertthing Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum yet like the classic World is Flat this should spark conversations. I'm a proud parent of a 6th grade school teacher and and wish parents would read this. Todays Manhattan Project should be fixing our educational and vocational training. This book gives practical solutions in the changing world and hopefully American which ends I can WILL before flat world 3.0 is here and apathy stays the course for our next generation.

Needs one more chapter

If you could sum up That Used to Be Us in three words, what would they be?

Mr. Friedman needs to append this thoughtful and, for the most part, "right-on-the-money" offering. Since the election, he needs to add one more chapter. Let me take care of it for you Tom:

Chapter: "American Omega"

Page 1. - All that stuff you've just read....."never mind, it's too late".

Fine