• The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)

  • By: Chris Gardner
  • Narrated by: Andre Blake
  • Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (418 ratings)

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The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)  By  cover art

The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)

By: Chris Gardner
Narrated by: Andre Blake
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Editorial reviews

Andre Blake tells the true story of Chris Gardner, a Milwaukee African-American who escaped from his ex-convict mother and violent stepfather by joining the Navy and then becoming a San Francisco stockbroker, only to wind up as a homeless single father of a 19-month-old son. Read by the street-smart Blake, the story's colorful language and no-holds-barred humor make it captivating. It's a happy-ending morality tale that shows how ironclad determination can break negative cultural cycles and lead to financial and personal rewards. Beleaguered men from all dysfunctional circumstances will be inspired by the well-told story of this authentic American life. Few will forget it once they hear it.

Publisher's summary

The astounding yet true rags-to-riches saga of a homeless father who raised and cared for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco and went on to become a crown prince of Wall Street.

At the age of 20, Chris Gardner arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. However, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm, Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him part of the city's working homeless with his toddler son. Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, the two spent almost a year moving from shelters, "HO-tels", and soup-lines.

Never giving in to despair, Gardner makes an astonishing transformation from being part of the city's invisible to being a powerful player in its financial district. Here is the story of a man who breaks his own family's cycle of men abandoning their children, a story that appeals to the very essence of the American Dream.

©2006 Chris Gardner (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gardner is honest and thorough as he solidly depicts growing up black and male in late 20th-century urban America." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Good Story!

I actually enjoyed this book. It kept my attention from the beginning to the end. The narrator does and excellent job with the narration of this book which really means alot when it comes to listening to an audiobook.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Listen!!!

What did you love best about The Pursuit of Happyness?

I loved all of it. I will be listening to it again. Some of it was more than I wanted to hear but I really did enjoy the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I was happy he finally got to meet his real father and learn he had more family before it was to late.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very much so and more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Narrator!

Loved it! Touching story. Couldn't wait to get back to listening whenever I had to stop.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Empowering

Is this the right book? I thought to myself at the beginning. it seemed nothing like what the movie appeared to be. To be fair, I have yet to see the movie, just clips on YouTube.

None the less, I gained valuable knowledge and vision ona personal level. I believe we can all benefit from this reading.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome details not seen in the movie!

Well worth the read. Lots of insight into Chris Gardner’s life where he just lays it all out there and keeps it real in a transparent yet comical manner. He gives you those extra details not found in the movie as he walks you through his perilous journey in which he eventually overcame with triumph! A must listen / read!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great audio book

This book was great, 100x better than the movie, but remember Chris Gardner and his incredible story is the 'exception' not the rule. Despite all good intintions, things could have gone horribly wrong. Chris Gardner did the best with what he had, fortunately things went more right than wrong. Hopefully he gave back to those who helped him.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

inspiring

the second book I ve read from Chris, he is a master of life . ty

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best book I've even red

This is honestly the best book I've ever red. I decided to read it since I love the movie, but the book is even better. It's super inspirational, and for someone who is kinda scared about the future, because she doesn't know what she wants to do, it calms me down. This book gives way more stories than the movie did and the voice over is great too!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just get it. You won't be sorry!

What made the experience of listening to The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged) the most enjoyable?

I felt like I was taking the journey with Chris

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Pursuit of Happyness (Abridged)?

After the theft of the stereo equipment. Did not see that coming!

Which character – as performed by Andre Blake – was your favorite?

The perspective of Chris

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

about once every 10 minutes of listening.

Any additional comments?

I was moved to tears multiple times throughout this audio-book. One of the top 2 books I've ever read / heard

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Surprising

The movie was made from just a small portion of the book. I was disappointed in the differences from the movie and the real life story.

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