2030

By: Albert Brooks

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Is this what's in store? June 12, 2030, started out like any other day in memory---and by then, memories were long. Since cancer had been cured fifteen years before, America's population was aging rapidly. That sounds like good news, but consider this: millions of baby boomers, with a big natural predator picked off, were sucking dry benefits and resources that were never meant to hold them into their eighties and beyond. Young people around the country simmered with resentment toward "the olds" and anger at the treadmill they could never get off of just to maintain their parents' entitlement programs. But on that June 12th, everything changed: a massive earthquake devastated Los Angeles, and the government, always teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, was unable to respond. The fallout from the earthquake sets in motion a sweeping novel of ideas that pits national hope for the future against assurances from the past and is peopled by a memorable cast of refugees and billionaires, presidents and revolutionaries, all struggling to find their way. In 2030, the author's all-too-believable imagining of where today's challenges could lead us tomorrow makes for gripping and thought-provoking listening.

©2011 Albert Brooks (P)2011 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"This is an intriguing vision of America's future. Recommended for fans of futuristic dystopian fiction." ( Library Journal)

A strange story, and possibly some validity to it.

An odd mingling of low brow comedy, frightening prophesy and condemnation of the American system, (probably well deserved) I don't think any of us can foretell the future, and whatever really happens will be a big surprise to us all. However, it's fun to read this authors vision. The narrator is really a "kick".

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Who knew?

Thrilled with this book. I never knew that he was an author, and a great one at that!
Imaginative, thought provoking, very creative and well written. Thank you Mr. Brooks.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Eerily predictive

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The ending was a bit....sudden.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Definitely made me laugh AND cry a bit. The major motivating factor for the plot of the book is a natural disaster in one of America's largest cities, and the day after I started listening, superstorm Sandy hit New York. I kept waiting for Obama to call China to bail the subways out.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great Story ..

What a great story ... although a bit disturbing as he seems to play out themes that could very well come to fruition! I really enjoyed listening to it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

terrific

superb narration brings Mr. brooks' future tale to vivid life. you'll listen to this title more than once.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Strange Reviews

characterizing this a not being Dystopian or as "left wing" or "liberal" when it presents a case for ending Social Security and Medicare if not euthanasia
There is too much truth in the possibility of a cataclysmic earthquake disaster in LA pushing the US into total collapse under the weight of an aging population already suffering under trillions in W's war debts and the current recession with high unemployment. Why shouldn't the young hold a grudge against "the greatest generation"? Why would they want to continue to pay for what the retirees believe they have earned?
This isn't a perfect book and there is nothing funny about it but it does provide some food for thought about next year or 2030 when the US is incapable of continuing to pay out the Social Security checks that retirees depend upon because we suffered the Wall Street Meltdown, the redistribution of the wealth from the middle class to the ultra-wealthy since Reagan, and disasters like Katrina.
Once we start to really feel the down slope following Peak Oil exacerbated by emerging fuel consumption from China and India, the climate change accelerated by all that burning carbon, and a more complete collapse of our financial system in the USA things could get much worse than this 2030 predicts. We can hope those who think this way are wrong but what if they are right???

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

The topic has potential, but....

...this book does not really take advantange of the potential of this topic: The U.S. is buried under a mountain of Chinese debt, and then experinences a massive natural disaster and has to try to rebuild with no money.

The characters are uninspiring and I had a hard time caring about what happended to them next.

The narration is fine, in fact, I think it makes sense to have older narrator since so much of this book deals with the challenge of the country dealing with a huge, older population.

But in terms of plot, characters, pacing, or creativity this book falls short.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Imaginative

Interesting take on the future. Felt that he got tired of writing as it wound up abruptly. Didn't address lots of threads that were quite developed. Worth the read.

Great book only OK ending

I loved the book it really felt like you were listening to the near future from the perspective of different socioeconomic characters. The ending felt rushed though, bringing the rating down by a star but still an amazing listen.

Where is the humor?

I was disappointed. I thought it would have some humor but it was very pessimistic.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful