-
A Wild Idea
- How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks
- Narrated by: Brad Edmondson
- Length: 11 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
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
A Wild Idea
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Wild Idea
- By: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 164
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
How could I have not known.
- By Nancy B. Bryant on 06-01-23
-
Short Carries
- Essays From Adirondack Life
- By: Elizabeth Folwell
- Narrated by: Linda Jones
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
In the Adirondacks, short carries are portages between waterways, and this book is a collection of short essays about wilderness, outdoor adventures, natural history and small town life - all of which connect with each other through the author's voice and deep sense of place.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Local Charm and History
- By bess on 02-19-21
-
Entangled Life
- How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
- By: Merlin Sheldrake
- Narrated by: Merlin Sheldrake
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,817
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,250
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,242
When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mycology for Everyone
- By Cephalopods Revenge on 05-12-20
By: Merlin Sheldrake
-
A Sand County Almanac
- And Sketches Here and There
- By: Aldo Leopold, Barbara Kingsolver - introduction
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 490
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 415
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 409
First published in 1949 and praised in the New York Times Book Review as "full of beauty and vigor and bite", A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great in some ways; in others, wtf!
- By RG on 06-22-20
By: Aldo Leopold, and others
-
MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Close Calls
- By: Steven Rinella
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella, the Contributors
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5,844
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,162
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5,138
In Campfire Stories: Close Calls, Steven Rinella invites seasoned hunters, anglers, adventurers, and outdoor professionals to share their tales of perilous adventures in the natural world, from run-ins with black bears and grizzlies to bad falls and severe hypothermia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Incredible
- By Jay Sellmer on 07-20-21
By: Steven Rinella
-
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker
- An Appalachian Trail Journey
- By: Derick Lugo
- Narrated by: Derick Lugo
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 419
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 382
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 379
Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the New York comedy scene began to think about what he might do with months of free time. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,184.2 miles of it. Suddenly he found himself asking, Could he do it?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
On My Feet All Day
- By bannedbum on 08-21-21
By: Derick Lugo
-
A Wild Idea
- By: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 164
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
How could I have not known.
- By Nancy B. Bryant on 06-01-23
-
Short Carries
- Essays From Adirondack Life
- By: Elizabeth Folwell
- Narrated by: Linda Jones
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
In the Adirondacks, short carries are portages between waterways, and this book is a collection of short essays about wilderness, outdoor adventures, natural history and small town life - all of which connect with each other through the author's voice and deep sense of place.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Local Charm and History
- By bess on 02-19-21
-
Entangled Life
- How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
- By: Merlin Sheldrake
- Narrated by: Merlin Sheldrake
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,817
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,250
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,242
When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mycology for Everyone
- By Cephalopods Revenge on 05-12-20
By: Merlin Sheldrake
-
A Sand County Almanac
- And Sketches Here and There
- By: Aldo Leopold, Barbara Kingsolver - introduction
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 490
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 415
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 409
First published in 1949 and praised in the New York Times Book Review as "full of beauty and vigor and bite", A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great in some ways; in others, wtf!
- By RG on 06-22-20
By: Aldo Leopold, and others
-
MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Close Calls
- By: Steven Rinella
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella, the Contributors
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5,844
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,162
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5,138
In Campfire Stories: Close Calls, Steven Rinella invites seasoned hunters, anglers, adventurers, and outdoor professionals to share their tales of perilous adventures in the natural world, from run-ins with black bears and grizzlies to bad falls and severe hypothermia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Incredible
- By Jay Sellmer on 07-20-21
By: Steven Rinella
-
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker
- An Appalachian Trail Journey
- By: Derick Lugo
- Narrated by: Derick Lugo
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 419
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 382
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 379
Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the New York comedy scene began to think about what he might do with months of free time. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,184.2 miles of it. Suddenly he found himself asking, Could he do it?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
On My Feet All Day
- By bannedbum on 08-21-21
By: Derick Lugo
-
Natural Rivals
- John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands
- By: John Clayton
- Narrated by: Richard Powers
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
At stake in 1896 was the new idea that some landscapes should be collectively, permanently owned by a democratic government. Although many people today think of public lands as an American birthright, their very existence was then in doubt and dependent on a merger of the talents of these two men. Natural Rivals examines a time of environmental threat and political dysfunction not unlike our own and reveals the complex dynamic that gave birth to America’s rich public lands legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
entertaining story of a great rivalry
- By F. McClamrock on 12-23-21
By: John Clayton
-
That Wild Country
- An Epic Journey Through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands
- By: Mark Kenyon
- Narrated by: Mark Kenyon
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,171
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,011
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,005
Since its inception, however, America’s public land system has been embroiled in controversy - caught in the push and pull between the desire to develop the valuable resources the land holds or conserve them. Alarmed by rising tensions over the use of these lands, hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast Mark Kenyon set out to explore the spaces involved in this heated debate, and learn firsthand how they came to be and what their future might hold.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must Read!
- By Mollie on 12-28-19
By: Mark Kenyon
-
Outdoor Kids in an Inside World
- Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature
- By: Steven Rinella
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,303
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,150
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,139
In the era of screens and devices, the average American spends 90 percent of their time indoors, and children are no exception. Not only does this phenomenon have consequences for kids’ physical and mental health, it jeopardizes their ability to understand and engage with anything beyond the built environment. Thankfully, with the right mind-set, families can find beauty, meaning, and connection in a life lived outdoors. Here, outdoors expert Steven Rinella shares the parenting wisdom he has garnered as a father whose family has lived amid the biggest cities and wildest corners of America.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read for parents
- By Zak on 05-25-22
By: Steven Rinella
-
Blowout
- Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth
- By: Rachel Maddow
- Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8,996
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,951
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7,904
In 2010, the words “earthquake swarm” entered the lexicon in Oklahoma. That same year, a trove of Michael Jackson memorabilia—including his iconic crystal-encrusted white glove—was sold at auction for over $1 million to a guy who was, officially, just the lowly forestry minister of the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea. And in 2014, Ukrainian revolutionaries raided the palace of their ousted president and found a zoo of peacocks, gilded toilets, and a floating restaurant modeled after a Spanish galleon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
chilling...
- By Kindle Customer on 10-12-19
By: Rachel Maddow
-
Not Without Peril (Tenth Anniversary Edition)
- 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire
- By: Nicholas S. Howe
- Narrated by: Douglas James
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
Among the most beautiful and deadly mountains in the world, Mount Washington has challenged adventurers for centuries with its severe weather. From the days when gentlefolk ascended the heights in hoop skirts and wool suits to today’s high-tech assaults on wintry summits, this audiobook offers extensive and intimate profiles of people who found trouble on New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, from the 19th century through the present day.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great history lesson as well
- By Peter on 12-12-22
By: Nicholas S. Howe
-
Cadillac Desert, Revised and Updated Edition
- The American West and Its Disappearing Water
- By: Marc Reisner
- Narrated by: Joe Spieler, Kate Udall
- Length: 27 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 472
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 472
The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruptions and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants to transform the West.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Too much mouth noise in narration
- By AES on 07-23-19
By: Marc Reisner
-
Trump: America First
- The President Succeeds Against All Odds
- By: Corey R. Lewandowski, David N. Bossie
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 34
New York Times best-selling authors and close advisors to the president Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie write from the front lines of Trump's battle to keep America great. Trump: America First gives the listener a firsthand and inside account of the Trump administration's battle for the soul of America.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good story but...
- By Anonymous on 11-30-20
By: Corey R. Lewandowski, and others
-
Grounded
- A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America
- By: Jon Tester
- Narrated by: Jon Tester
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 120
Senator Jon Tester is a rare voice in Congress. He is the only United States senator who manages a full-time job outside of the Senate - as a farmer. But what has really come to distinguish Tester in the Senate is his commitment to accountability, his ability to stand up to Donald Trump, and his success in, time and again, winning red state voters back to the Democratic Party.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great job, Jon!
- By Montana on 12-10-20
By: Jon Tester
-
The Man Who Ran Washington
- The Life and Times of James A. Baker III
- By: Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
- Narrated by: Michael Quinlan
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 859
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 722
For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a pause-resisting portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
We Need Baker Now More Than Ever
- By @Gazi2a on 01-08-21
By: Peter Baker, and others
-
Kochland
- The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America
- By: Christopher Leonard
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 727
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 623
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 618
Just as Steve Coll told the story of globalization through ExxonMobil and Andrew Ross Sorkin told the story of Wall Street excess through Too Big to Fail, Christopher Leonard’s Kochland uses the extraordinary account of how the biggest private company in the world grew to be that big to tell the story of modern corporate America.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
An anti-capitalism treatise
- By Luis on 10-01-19
-
Unrigged
- How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy
- By: David Daley
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Following Ratf--ked, his “extraordinary timely and undeniably important” (New York Times Book Review) expose of how a small cadre of Republican operatives rigged American elections, David Daley emerged as one of the nation's leading authorities on gerrymandering. In Unrigged, he charts a vibrant political movement that is rising in the wake of his and other reporters' revelations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must-read to uphold democracy!
- By Steve Kelem on 09-09-20
By: David Daley
-
Sons of Wichita
- How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty
- By: Daniel Schulman
- Narrated by: Allen O'Reilly
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 844
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 720
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 715
Like the Rockefellers and the Kennedys, the Kochs are one of the most influential dynasties of the modern age, but they have never been the subject of a major biography... until now. Not long after the death of his father, Charles Koch, then in his early 30s, discovered a letter the family patriarch had written to his sons. "You will receive what now seems to be a large sum of money," Fred Koch cautioned. "It may either be a blessing or a curse."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting family
- By Jean on 05-28-14
By: Daniel Schulman
Publisher's summary
A Wild Idea shares the complete story of the difficult birth of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA).
The Adirondack region of New York's rural North Country forms the nation's largest State Park, with a territory as large as Vermont. Planning experts view the APA as a triumph of sustainability that balances human activity with the preservation of wild ecosystems. The truth isn't as pretty. The story of the APA, told here for the first time, is a complex, troubled tale of political dueling and communities pushed to the brink of violence.
The North Country's environmental movement started among a small group of hunters and hikers, rose on a huge wave of public concern about pollution that crested in the early 1970s, and overcame multiple obstacles to "save" the Adirondacks. Edmondson shows how the movement's leaders persuaded a powerful Governor to recruit planners, naturalists, and advisors, and assign a task that had never been attempted before. The team and the politicians who supported them worked around the clock to draft two visionary land-use plans and turn them into law. But they also made mistakes, and their strict regulations were met with determined opposition from local landowners who insisted that private property is private.
A Wild Idea is based on in-depth interviews with five dozen insiders who are central to the story. Their observations contain many surprising and shocking revelations. This is a rich, exciting narrative about state power and how it was imposed on rural residents. It shows how the Adirondacks were "saved", and also why that campaign sparked a passionate rebellion.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
Related to this topic
-
Natural Rivals
- John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands
- By: John Clayton
- Narrated by: Richard Powers
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
At stake in 1896 was the new idea that some landscapes should be collectively, permanently owned by a democratic government. Although many people today think of public lands as an American birthright, their very existence was then in doubt and dependent on a merger of the talents of these two men. Natural Rivals examines a time of environmental threat and political dysfunction not unlike our own and reveals the complex dynamic that gave birth to America’s rich public lands legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
entertaining story of a great rivalry
- By F. McClamrock on 12-23-21
By: John Clayton
-
Soul City
- Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia
- By: Thomas Healy
- Narrated by: Larry Herron
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Author Thomas Healy resurrects a forgotten saga of race, capitalism, and the struggle for equality in this fascinating, forgotten story of the 1970s attempt to build a city dedicated to racial equality in the heart of “Klan Country”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
awesome narrator
- By Arthur F. Jackson on 06-23-21
By: Thomas Healy
-
Grounded
- A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America
- By: Jon Tester
- Narrated by: Jon Tester
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 120
Senator Jon Tester is a rare voice in Congress. He is the only United States senator who manages a full-time job outside of the Senate - as a farmer. But what has really come to distinguish Tester in the Senate is his commitment to accountability, his ability to stand up to Donald Trump, and his success in, time and again, winning red state voters back to the Democratic Party.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great job, Jon!
- By Montana on 12-10-20
By: Jon Tester
-
Electric City
- The Lost History of Ford and Edison's American Utopia
- By: Thomas Hager
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
During the Roaring Twenties, two of the most revered and influential men in American business proposed to transform one of the country’s poorest regions into a dream technological metropolis, a shining paradise of small farms, giant factories, and sparkling laboratories. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s “Detroit of the South” would be 10 times the size of Manhattan, powered by renewable energy, and free of air pollution. And it would reshape American society.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pretty good
- By David Mitchell on 06-10-21
By: Thomas Hager
-
Divided Highways
- Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life
- By: Tom Lewis
- Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In Divided Highways, Tom Lewis offers an encompassing account of highway development in the United States. In the early twentieth century Congress created the Bureau of Public Roads to improve roads and the lives of rural Americans. The Bureau was the forerunner of the Interstate Highway System of 1956, which promoted a technocratic approach to modern road building sometimes at the expense of individual lives, regional characteristics, and the landscape.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lots of interesting facts. Poor narration
- By Richard Joyce on 06-01-21
By: Tom Lewis
-
Enabling Acts
- The Hidden Story of How the Americans With Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights
- By: Lennard Davis
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
The first significant book on the history and impact of the ADA - the "eyes on the prize" moment for disability rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the widest-ranging and most comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation ever passed in the United States, and it has become the model for disability-based laws around the world. Yet the surprising story behind how the bill came to be is little known.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
this book is so informative
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-23
By: Lennard Davis
-
Natural Rivals
- John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands
- By: John Clayton
- Narrated by: Richard Powers
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
At stake in 1896 was the new idea that some landscapes should be collectively, permanently owned by a democratic government. Although many people today think of public lands as an American birthright, their very existence was then in doubt and dependent on a merger of the talents of these two men. Natural Rivals examines a time of environmental threat and political dysfunction not unlike our own and reveals the complex dynamic that gave birth to America’s rich public lands legacy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
entertaining story of a great rivalry
- By F. McClamrock on 12-23-21
By: John Clayton
-
Soul City
- Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia
- By: Thomas Healy
- Narrated by: Larry Herron
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Author Thomas Healy resurrects a forgotten saga of race, capitalism, and the struggle for equality in this fascinating, forgotten story of the 1970s attempt to build a city dedicated to racial equality in the heart of “Klan Country”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
awesome narrator
- By Arthur F. Jackson on 06-23-21
By: Thomas Healy
-
Grounded
- A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America
- By: Jon Tester
- Narrated by: Jon Tester
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 120
Senator Jon Tester is a rare voice in Congress. He is the only United States senator who manages a full-time job outside of the Senate - as a farmer. But what has really come to distinguish Tester in the Senate is his commitment to accountability, his ability to stand up to Donald Trump, and his success in, time and again, winning red state voters back to the Democratic Party.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great job, Jon!
- By Montana on 12-10-20
By: Jon Tester
-
Electric City
- The Lost History of Ford and Edison's American Utopia
- By: Thomas Hager
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
During the Roaring Twenties, two of the most revered and influential men in American business proposed to transform one of the country’s poorest regions into a dream technological metropolis, a shining paradise of small farms, giant factories, and sparkling laboratories. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s “Detroit of the South” would be 10 times the size of Manhattan, powered by renewable energy, and free of air pollution. And it would reshape American society.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pretty good
- By David Mitchell on 06-10-21
By: Thomas Hager
-
Divided Highways
- Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life
- By: Tom Lewis
- Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In Divided Highways, Tom Lewis offers an encompassing account of highway development in the United States. In the early twentieth century Congress created the Bureau of Public Roads to improve roads and the lives of rural Americans. The Bureau was the forerunner of the Interstate Highway System of 1956, which promoted a technocratic approach to modern road building sometimes at the expense of individual lives, regional characteristics, and the landscape.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lots of interesting facts. Poor narration
- By Richard Joyce on 06-01-21
By: Tom Lewis
-
Enabling Acts
- The Hidden Story of How the Americans With Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights
- By: Lennard Davis
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
The first significant book on the history and impact of the ADA - the "eyes on the prize" moment for disability rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the widest-ranging and most comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation ever passed in the United States, and it has become the model for disability-based laws around the world. Yet the surprising story behind how the bill came to be is little known.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
this book is so informative
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-23
By: Lennard Davis
-
Mitch, Please!
- How Mitch McConnell Sold Out Kentucky (and America Too)
- By: Matt Jones, Chris Tomlin - contributor
- Narrated by: Matt Jones, Chris Tomlin
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 371
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 340
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 336
They say all politics is local. In 2020, Mitch McConnell will have served five full terms as a US Senator. Thirty years. The Senate Majority leader's power is as undeniable as it is infuriating, and the people of Kentucky have had enough. Led by Matt Jones, they (and they alone) have the power to oust him from office. How did Jones, a local boy turned attorney turned sports radio host come to shine the brightest light on McConnell's ineptitude?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing
- By Danielle Purcell on 04-10-20
By: Matt Jones, and others
-
Boardwalk Empire
- The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City
- By: Nelson Johnson
- Narrated by: Joe Mantegna, Terence Winter (foreword)
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 684
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 435
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 441
From its inception, Atlantic City has always been a town dedicated to the fast buck, and this wide-reachinghistory offers a riveting account of its past 100 year, from the city's heyday as a Prohibition-era mecca of lawlessness to its rebirth as a legitimate casino resort in the modern era.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Unmasked History of Atlantic City
- By Steven Schuster on 08-07-10
By: Nelson Johnson
-
All Things Possible
- Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life
- By: Andrew M. Cuomo
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
In this full and frank memoir - a personal story of duty, family, justice, politics and resilience - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reflects on his rise, fall, and rise in politics, and recounts his defining personal and political moments and tough but necessary lessons he has learned along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I Love This Book AND the Guvnor (Governor, I Know)
- By Igi M. on 09-02-20
By: Andrew M. Cuomo
-
American-Made
- The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work
- By: Nick Taylor
- Narrated by: James Boles
- Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 81
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 38
When President Roosevelt took the oath of office in March 1933, he was facing a devastated nation. Four years into the Great Depression, a staggering 13 million American workers were jobless and many millions more of their family members were equally in need. Desperation ruled the land. In 1935, after a variety of temporary relief measures, a permanent nationwide jobs program was created.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The true spirit of America.
- By Helen on 07-01-08
By: Nick Taylor
-
The Crusades of Cesar Chavez
- A Biography
- By: Miriam Pawel
- Narrated by: Jackson Gutierrez
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Cesar Chávez
- By Ed on 09-10-18
By: Miriam Pawel
-
Bushwhacked
- Life in George W. Bush's America
- By: Molly Ivins, Lou Dubose
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
In their second book on our current White House occupant, Ivins and Dubose take the wire brush to the Bush presidency and show how he has applied the same flawed strategies he used in governing Texas to running the largest superpower in the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Richly informative & entertaining...
- By Native Texan on 10-29-03
By: Molly Ivins, and others
-
The Big Roads
- The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways
- By: Earl Swift
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 166
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 147
From author Earl Swift comes the surprising history of the U.S. interstate system, a fascinating route through the dreams, discoveries, and protests that shaped these mighty roads.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Lessons from The Big Roads
- By Joshua Kim on 05-06-12
By: Earl Swift
-
Unrigged
- How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy
- By: David Daley
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Following Ratf--ked, his “extraordinary timely and undeniably important” (New York Times Book Review) expose of how a small cadre of Republican operatives rigged American elections, David Daley emerged as one of the nation's leading authorities on gerrymandering. In Unrigged, he charts a vibrant political movement that is rising in the wake of his and other reporters' revelations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must-read to uphold democracy!
- By Steve Kelem on 09-09-20
By: David Daley
-
The Man Who Ran Washington
- The Life and Times of James A. Baker III
- By: Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
- Narrated by: Michael Quinlan
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 859
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 722
For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a pause-resisting portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
We Need Baker Now More Than Ever
- By @Gazi2a on 01-08-21
By: Peter Baker, and others
-
Cadillac Desert, Revised and Updated Edition
- The American West and Its Disappearing Water
- By: Marc Reisner
- Narrated by: Joe Spieler, Kate Udall
- Length: 27 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 472
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 472
The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruptions and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants to transform the West.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Too much mouth noise in narration
- By AES on 07-23-19
By: Marc Reisner
-
Blowout
- Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth
- By: Rachel Maddow
- Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8,996
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,951
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7,904
In 2010, the words “earthquake swarm” entered the lexicon in Oklahoma. That same year, a trove of Michael Jackson memorabilia—including his iconic crystal-encrusted white glove—was sold at auction for over $1 million to a guy who was, officially, just the lowly forestry minister of the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea. And in 2014, Ukrainian revolutionaries raided the palace of their ousted president and found a zoo of peacocks, gilded toilets, and a floating restaurant modeled after a Spanish galleon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
chilling...
- By Kindle Customer on 10-12-19
By: Rachel Maddow
-
Fulfillment
- Winning and Losing in One-Click America
- By: Alec MacGillis
- Narrated by: Danny Gavigan
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 170
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 170
Alec MacGillis’ Fulfillment is not another inside account or exposé of our most conspicuously dominant company. Rather, it is a literary investigation of the America that falls within that company’s growing shadow. As MacGillis shows, Amazon’s sprawling network of delivery hubs, data centers, and corporate campuses epitomizes a land where winner and loser cities and regions are drifting steadily apart, the civic fabric is unraveling, and work has become increasingly rudimentary and isolated.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Missing some important angles
- By D. Zimmerle on 08-19-21
By: Alec MacGillis
What listeners say about A Wild Idea
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-14-22
What I knew from reading this book.
After reading this book, it was hard to know where to be. I agreed with the first side to keep the park all wilderness, but at the same time, I agreed with the other side to keep houses, camps, and historical structures, not just to live there, but to remember it's purpose in history. Again it was hard to know where to be. All I know is that there had been no looks, and there was no blame, there was only the confusion of a people not being able to predict the future.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!