Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Big Truck That Went By  By  cover art

The Big Truck That Went By

By: Jonathan M. Katz
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jonathan M. Katz
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.46

Buy for $22.46

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

On January 12, 2010, the deadliest earthquake in the history of the Western Hemisphere struck the nation least prepared to handle one. Jonathan M. Katz, the only full-time American news correspondent in Haiti, was inside his house when it buckled along with hundreds of thousands of others. In this visceral first-hand account, Katz takes readers inside the terror of that day, the devastation visited on ordinary Haitians, and through the monumental--yet misbegotten--rescue effort that followed.

More than half of American adults gave money for Haiti, part of a global response that reached $16.3 billion in pledges. But three years later the effort has foundered. Its most important promises--to rebuild safer cities, alleviate severe poverty, and strengthen Haiti to face future disasters--remain unfulfilled. How did so much generosity amount to so little? What went wrong?

The Big Truck That Went By presents a hard hitting investigation into international aid, finding that the way wealthy countries give today makes poor countries seem irredeemably hopeless, while trapping millions in cycles of privation and catastrophe. Katz follows the money to uncover startling truths about how good intentions go wrong, and what can be done to make aid "smarter."

Reporting at the side of Bill Clinton, Wyclef Jean, Sean Penn, Haiti's leaders and people, Katz also creates a complex, darkly funny, and unexpected portrait of one of the world's most fascinating countries. The Big Truck That Went By is not only a definitive account of Haiti's earthquake, but of the world we live in today.

©2013 Jonathan M. Katz (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Big Truck That Went By

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    138
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    128
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    121
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This story angered and cheered inside me

I had NO idea just how bad it was in Haiti and how America was as much to blame for the history as well as the current state of affairs in Haiti. I am ashamed of the way America has abused the country and left the people in dire living conditions and no way to fight their way out of it. In this situation - we, America, truly ARE our brother's keeper. But where have we been? Instead of helping these people out of severe poverty, we have contributed to their misery through greed, black markets, and just turning our heads away from what these people are facing every day.

We are making Puerto Rico into another Haiti if we don't step up our help after the devastation of the hurricanes which left the country (our American Citizens!) struggling for the most basic living items. Water, Food, Housing, Medical care. If we don't want a second Haiti on American soil, then we need to learn from Haiti and the mistakes made so they are never repeated. In addition, we need to gather other countries who are willing to start from scratch and build Haiti into a habitable country for once, and then take our greed home and let them manage their island.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • VO
  • 05-28-15

Excellent book

Best book on Haiti by far. Katz nailed it and it was a fascinating read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Eye opening

loved it from start to finish. Gives us a perspective that we would otherwise not be able to get of it was not for the first hand in filtered experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Explains a lot!

The book was enjoyable and informative. I enjoyed learning about the island country of Haiti. I would encourage anyone who has had questions about the disaster of the earthquake and cholera outbreak to read this first hand reporters account.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Read (or listen) before you go to Haiti

I have visited Haiti 4 times since the earthquake on January 12, 2010 in a humanitarian capacity. This book can help you!when answering the inevitable question we all get before we go to Haiti, Where did all the money go?! It would be a great introduction to a course on Haiti After the earthquake. Thank you Mr. Katz!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Honest account of the reality of post earthquake Haiti

Excellent first hand experience of the complexity that was the Haitian earthquake and the world's response. Highly recommended,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Enjoyable objective analysis of the fail state

Anecdotes and jounalism. Mr Katz makes us live the analytic life of a foreign correspondsant .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Can’t help but feel betrayed

This book really shows how we can respond to foreign issues terribly and who stands to hide those matters from the public eye

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

An excellent book about a lesser known event.

This book does a good job of narrating and explaining what happened in Haiti after the earthquake. The story is slightly marred by the author's overly judgemental tone. At times it sounds like like something I'd hear at an Emo show.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Excellent Introduction to life in Haiti

Brief historical overview and life better explained from someone who lived and worked in the country. It’s a better overview than anyone could get on a brief visit or reading of a history book on the country. Thank you Mr. Katz.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!