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Black Buck  By  cover art

Black Buck

By: Mateo Askaripour
Narrated by: Zeno Robinson
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Publisher's summary

For fans of Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.

There's nothing like a Black salesman on a mission.

An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother's home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC's hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor.

After enduring a "hell week" of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as "Buck," a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he's hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.

Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America's workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.

©2021 Mateo Askaripour (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Editor's Pick

A strong debut
I have never read or listened to fewer books than I did in 2020. My ability to focus on anything other than what was happening in the world was pretty nonexistent. But in 2021, I’m making it a point to get back to my old ways. I needed a story that was going to excite me and remind me what I love about fiction, so when I came across Black Buck, I had high hopes and expectations—both of which were fully exceeded. Mateo Askaripour’s debut novel about a young black man in New York climbing to the top of this very shady, cult-ish start up is exactly what I needed. This story—which is narrated perfectly by Zeno Robinson—is a satirical look at race and capitalism that could not have come at a better time. This is the perfect novel to start your year off with. —Aaron S., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Black Buck

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Great

I really enjoy ed d this book. Matoe keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. The narrator was excellent. Looking for his next book.

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2 people found this helpful

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worth a listen

was not sure at first then as story developed the characters, the premise, the way the author presented his story was not just an enjoyable listen but life lesson(s).

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1 person found this helpful

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Black Buck's Lessons

A great read. The narrator brought life to each character. All the human emotions explored and expressed vividly.

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1 person found this helpful

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Unbelievable, yet True

This story will keep your interest, yet you might not love the main character. It has a fast pace, that keeps you riveted with its moving situations. It is relatable to the business atmosphere in today’s “dog eat dog” attitude. It definitely will give you much to discuss and talk about.

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1 person found this helpful

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Best narration - what a performance

Deeply layered characters in an unexpected, sometimes unsettling story. Buck with his sales charm and decisions, good and bad. Ring ring.
This is the best narration of an audio book I've heard.

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10 people found this helpful

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So good!

This book gave me all the feels! It would make a great book club book and discussion. It would even be great for corporate book clubs. It’s a novel but it could so be an autobiography.

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6 people found this helpful

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Wow

What a great book that takes you into Bucks world. The plot and twists keep you guessing

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Black Buck...grabs you from first page...

Incredible narrator...kept you engaged from the get go. Fast moving story. End was quite a surprise.

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frowns

I didn't like being tricked into buying a self help book. Especially one I couldn't use

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Great story and listen

I really didn't know what to expect but the got so many positive reviews that I had to make it my next listen. Fantastic, listening to it was perfect for me. I listen in my car and I found myself driving around the block several times because I couldn't stop . I can't wait for the next book

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