Pity the Billionaire

The Unexpected Resurgence of the American Right

By: Thomas Frank

Narrated by: Thomas Frank

Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of What's the Matter with Kansas?, a wonderfully insightful and sardonic look at how the worst economy since the 1930s has brought about the revival of conservatism.

Economic catastrophe usually brings social protest and demands for change - or at least it's supposed to. But when Thomas Frank set out in 2009 to look for expressions of American discontent, all he could find were loud demands that the economic system be made even harsher on the recession's victims and that society's traditional winners receive even grander prizes. The American right, which had seemed moribund after the election of 2008, was strangely reinvigorated by the arrival of hard times. The Tea Party movement demanded not that we question the failed system but that we reaffirm our commitment to it. Republicans in Congress embarked on a bold strategy of total opposition to the liberal state. And TV phenom Glenn Beck demonstrated the commercial potential of heroic paranoia and the purest libertarian economics.

In Pity the Billionaire, Frank, the great chronicler of American paradox, examines the peculiar mechanism by which dire economic circumstances have delivered wildly unexpected political results. Using firsthand reporting, a deep knowledge of the American right, and a wicked sense of humor, he gives us the first full diagnosis of the cultural malady that has transformed collapse into profit, reconceived the Founding Fathers as heroes from an Ayn Rand novel, and enlisted the powerless in a fan club for the prosperous. What it portends is ominous for both our economic health and our democracy.

©2012 Thomas Frank (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"No one fools Thomas Frank, who is the sharpest, funniest, most intellectually voracious political commentator on the scene. In Pity the Billionaire he has written a brilliant expose of the most breath-taking ruse in American political history: how the right turned the biggest capitalist breakdown since 1929 into an opportunity for themselves." (Barbara Ehrenreich)

“Thomas Frank is the thinking person’s Michael Moore. If Moore, the left-wing filmmaker, had Frank’s Ph.D. (in history from the University of Chicago), he might produce books like this one.” (Michael Kinsley, The New York Times Book Review)

“A feisty and galvanizing book… This is the kind of analysis - historically astute, irreverent and droll - that makes Frank such an invaluable voice. As he's done in a series of perceptive books, Frank cuts through the partisan blather and explains how money and cynical ideas shape a certain kind of contemporary politics. Pity the Billionaire is further evidence that he's as good at this as any writer working today.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

Enjoyalbe

Would you listen to Pity the Billionaire again? Why?

This was a good book on the current political culture. Frank always does a good job of analyizing the current political and cultural norms.

A decent book although somewhat predictable

Would you try another book from Thomas Frank and/or Thomas Frank?

Probably not. Thomas Frank is a decent writer with a wonderful vocabulary and solid research. Unfortunately he's too one-sided and pretentious for my taste. He seems to be interested in talking down to everyone and comes off as quite pompous at times.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

This is a situation again where an author really should hire a profession voice over artist. He's clearly passionate about his material but at so many points he seemed like he was too eccentric, too sarcastic. He seemed like the dictionary definition of a "whiny liberal". So many time when talking to conservatives they go on about the "liberal elite" and how so many liberals think they're better than everyone else and smarter. This reading pretty much summed that up. Unless you desperately hate republicans and the business class, I think that you might find this a bit distasteful.

Any additional comments?

A decent book. I agree with the premise and found some of the points very interesting. It was just a little to "over-the-top" for me.

Wow

Very Informative, and well thought out. Thomas Frank is, by far, the clearest writer on the subject matter of understanding the appeal of the conservative mind.

Clear story of financial mess we are in.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the financial mess we are in and the incomprehensible response by the tea party. It is written in clear easy to understand English and explains how the monied interests of the far right coopted the rage of people and created a ridiculous call for deregulation in response to a mess created by lack of regulation over the greed of Wall Street.

The author does not let the democrats off the hook either as he explains their lack of courage and inability to create a narrative that grabbed the attention of the common man.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Followed the mess from start to current in a well constructed, researched, and factual rendition.

What does Thomas Frank bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His enthusiasm comes across throughout the book. His way of questioning the response by the public comes across in his tone.

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

Pity the Billionaire or How I Learned to Hate the Liberals who did not create this mess in the first place.

Any additional comments?

Wish the crowd that lives in the Fox News Bubble would take a break from that far right propaganda and read some fact based insight into the mess we are in.

Great thesis, should have been an article

Would you listen to Pity the Billionaire again? Why?

Yes, the author's thesis is solid

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pity the Billionaire?

Simply when he starts introducing the Tea Party, and what their demands were, and how scary, frustrating, and counter-intuitive they were given that they were responding to the financial crisis.

Have you listened to any of Thomas Frank???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of his prior works, but I have read the book What's a Matter with Kansas.

Any additional comments?

This book is one of those cases when the author has a great idea that is meant for a 30 page article. There was no need to make this into a book, and this became clear as the author added filler after filler. Ironically, it works well in an audiobook, because you don't have to be paying close attention, since the argument will be repeated constantly, and interesting anecdotes are scattered throughout the book.

Red Meat for Liberals, but solid & well reasoned

It's not loaded with statistics, and doesn't go into too much detail, but Frank's arguments are complete and well-structured. I think he writes assuming that the reader (listener) of his book is well versed in current events and the various positions of the government and media players he talks about. This seems to be a supplement to what we all watch on TV and read in the political press every day. And, as well done as it is, I have to agree that it is indeed more of a "rant" than an academic treatise.

However, it is not all one-sided in its treatment of the two major parties. Those who say it's just a pro-Democrat, anti-Republican screed obviously didn't listen to the whole thing. In my opinion, the best part of the book is Frank's comparison of the last 5 years to the 1929-1934 US response to the great depression. The parallels are unsettling and he is very even-handed in criticizing our government's response to the Great Recession.

great read from a insightful author

This is another great work by Thomas Frank. I loved it. As with all of his work he covers the issue in a unique way. His historical insights add depth to his political arguments and his critique of all sides makes this work more useful then the usual good guy bad guy narrative of other political writers.

Frank gets righteously angry

And so he should, given the scale of the fraud perpetrated on the 99% by the criminal propertied classes and their lackeys in government. If you like Chris Hedges, read Salon and don't pronounce the word as 'gubmint', then this could be the book for you.

another outstanding book by Thomas Frank

Where does Pity the Billionaire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

one of the best. The author is extremely engaging. His data and research are impeccable.

What other book might you compare Pity the Billionaire to and why?

It is hard to compare Thomas Frank to anybody. He writes differently and researches differently. He really stands in the category by himself. His body of work is different than any other author that I can think of.

Any additional comments?

if you're a political junkie, this book is a must-read.

Exactly what I was looking for

This book explained to me better than any I have read what the Tea Party is about and why I have been so disappointed with the Democrats response to both the political right and the recession. I doubt many on the right will be able to listen to it all the way through - just as I haven't been able to listen to any extended writings from the radical right. Frank can be very harsh as he is illuminating. The book does not give any solutions but serves as a starting point depicting the Tea Party development and their relationship with the right. I have a much better understanding of how we got here and for the first time in a long time I feel some comradery with the Tea Party even though I still think they have gone down a very dangerous path for America.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time.