The Time of Our Lives

A Conversation about America

By: Tom Brokaw

Narrated by: Tom Brokaw

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

A conversation about America: who we are, where we've been, and where we need to go now, to recapture the American dream.

Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism and for the New York Times best-sellers The Greatest Generation and Boom!, now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America’s greatness.

“What happened to the America I thought I knew?” Brokaw writes. “Have we simply wandered off course, but only temporarily? Or have we allowed ourselves to be so divided that we’re easy prey for hijackers who could steer us onto a path to a crash landing? ... I do have some thoughts, original and inspired by others, for our journey into the heart of a new century.”

Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to offer ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream.

Inviting us to foster a rebirth of family, community, and civic engagement as profound as the one that won World War II, built our postwar prosperity, and ushered in the Civil Rights era, Brokaw traces the exciting, unnerving changes in modern life - in values, education, public service, housing, the Internet, and more - that have transformed our society in the decades since the age of thrift in which he was raised. Offering ideas from Americans who are change agents in their communities, in The Time of Our Lives, Brokaw gives us, a wise, honest, and wide-ranging book, a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of dimished expectations.

©2011 Random House Audio (P)2011 Tom Brokaw

The Time of Our Lives

Enjoyed this book. I am a fan of Tom Brokaw. Love all his books! Thanks....

Current Thoughts of a Good Guy

This book, since of course narrated by Tom, himself, was like sitting in the living room with Tom Brokaw and listening to his ideas about American life in current times. His observations and advice to the new generation, their fields of study and opportunities is hopeful and useful. If you are patriotic and you know why you are, you may relate to and be inspired by his useful thinking.

Wonderful car travel listening

What did you love best about The Time of Our Lives?

The appeal for our age group was the ease Brokaw has in telling his story. We relate to his life adventures in so many ways.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The true nature of the narrative comes through consistently. The sense of

What about Tom Brokaw’s performance did you like?

It seems he is so honest and sincere about his life, his family, his nation's history.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It seems that this isn't really a film-type of book.

Any additional comments?

Brokaw might investigate the proper way to state dates after the year 2000. He is consistent is saying,

He walks you through recent American history.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Time of Our Lives to be better than the print version?

Yeah, who does not like Tom's own voice?

What did you like best about this story?

Tom's personal touch, he shares his life with everyone. Kids can learn from him, how life was simple and fruggle, but fullfilling too.

Have you listened to any of Tom Brokaw’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

A book for EVERY Generation - Funny & Insightful

While I've always been a huge fan of Tom Brokaw, I've yet to read any of his previous books because they always seemed a little...disconnected in relation to my life. I knew that books about the "Greatest Generation" and the "Baby Boomers" would be valuable to read for the very reason that I DIDN'T know nearly enough about them; it's our history, and it's important; but somehow, I've yet to pick one up.

That was a large reason I jumped at his newest work as soon as it came out. This book still talks about the past, but does so in order to tie it in with the present and then suggests how we could take what HAS happened, and what IS happening, and see what we can learn about it to help shape our future.

Please be assured this is NOT dry reading! It's funny, extremely personal, and totally brilliant. There were many times I cracked up alone in the car while listening to it. Mr. Brokaw covers a myriad of important, fascinating, topical subjects, from the state of education in the world, to the housing crisis, to politics, to personal finance, to being a grandparent; and he does so in a way that is relevant to everyone. (I'm a 39 year old single woman, and the portion on grandparents was one of my favorites).

If you are a fan of current events or politics, I'd be extremely surprised if you didn't love this book. As is typically for Mr. Brokaw it's superbly balanced and well thought out. It's was so good, in fact, he's convinced me to jump into his early works that I've heretofore held out on. Greatest Generation, here I come!

Great ideas and stories

My 85 year old mom recommended this book. By the end I realized why. Tom spoke from the heart.

Thank you Tom

Just as my parents generation felt great confidence and reassurance in Walter Cronkite I have Tom Brokaw. His voice and face is tied to ever major world event of my life. I love all his books but this one was especially good to listen to in this chaotic time we are living through in our country.