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Give Me a Break (Abridged): How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media... Audiobook
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(3.05) - 881 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Ballooning government? Millionaire welfare queens? Tort lawyers run amok? A $330,000 outhouse, paid for with your tax dollars? John Stossel says, ""Give me a break.""
When he hit the airwaves thirty years ago, Stossel chased snake-oil peddlers, rip-off artists, and corporate thieves, winning the applause of his peers.
But along the way, he noticed that there was something far more troublesome going on: While the networks screamed about the dangers of coffee pots, worse risks were ignored.
In Give Me a Break, Stossel explains how ambitious bureaucrats, intellectually lazy reporters, and greedy lawyers make your life worse even as they claim to protect your interests. Taking on such sacred cows as the FDA, the War on Drugs, and scare-mongering environmental activists -- and backing up his trademark irreverence with careful reasoning and research -- he shows how the problems that government tries and fails to fix can be solved better by the extraordinary power of the free market.
He traces his journey from cub reporter to 20/20 co-anchor, revealing his battles to get his ideas to the public, his struggle to overcome stuttering, and his eventual realization that, for years, much of his reporting missed the point.
Stossel concludes the book with a modest proposal for change. It's a simple plan in the spirit of the Founding Fathers to ensure that America remains a place ""where free minds -- and free markets -- make good things happen.""
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"This is a quick read. I enjoyed Stossel's conversational tone and his no-nonsense way of addressing the issues. And in general I agree that government needs to shrink, lawsuits need to be reduced, and there's no virtue in being a victim. His anecdotes were a mixture of humorous and maddening, as most stories of government stupidity are. Unfortunately, I don't see this book as convincing anyone with firmer beliefs than the most tenuous of fence-sitters. As a reporter, Stossel knows how to break down complex issues into bite-sized chunks. Unfortunately, that means his evidence is a collection of soundbites from interviews rather than papers and studies you can go look up yourself. Interviews are a good source of information, but I am always wary of nonfiction books lacking a bibliography or at least a "further reading" section."
— melydia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“There’s nothing matter-of-fact about John Stossel’s fact-finding. He seeks the truths that destroy truisms, wields reason against all that’s unreasonable, and uses and upholds the ideals that puncture sanctimonious idealism. He loves liberty in a way that goes far beyond liberalism. He makes the maddening mad. And Stossel’s tales of the outrageous are outrageously amusing.”
— P. J. O’Rourke, New York Times bestselling author of Parliament of Whores -
“Stossel is that rare creature, a TV commentator who understands economics in all its subtlety. Read this fascinating book to learn—by example after example—how the indirect, unseen effects of government policies often dominate the direct, seen effects. Again and again, policies have effects the opposite of those intended.”
— Milton Friendman, Nobel Prize–winning economist -
“Stossel is one of the most tenacious, insightful reporters of all time, a true forerunner in investigative journalism.”
— Sean Hannity -
“A riveting, enlightening read from one of America’s ablest and most courageous journalists. Stossel brilliantly practices what most in the media only preach.”
— Steve Forbes, editor of Forbes magazine
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Give Me a Break Listener Reviews
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" This book made me mad; it was a real eye-opener on how important it is to have tort reform in this country. "
— Sonia, 2/20/2014 -
" A must read for everyone. A detailed account of all the dirty sharks and their practices! "
— Stephen, 2/8/2014 -
" If you like John Stossel, this book is for you. Pretty interesting stuff about how things really are different than we think and get told in the media. "
— Erik, 1/16/2014 -
" It's a fun read if you like John Stossel, who confirms what we already know about the liberal-leftist politically-correct nonsense we have to wade through. "
— George, 1/5/2014 -
" good book, illustrates the value of free markets and points out the limitations of the U.S. government, in some cases. "
— Christinebrender, 12/14/2013 -
" The subtitle scared me, but it turned out to be a decent book. "
— Dan, 10/31/2013 -
" I love books that challenge the "normal" way of thinking and John Stossel's book Give Me A Break did that for me. I hope I will be a better fighter for freedom after reading this. "
— Elizabeth, 10/20/2013 -
" Excellent. In the steps of Bernard Goldberg, John goes from the left to the right and tell you how he got there. Gives you the whole story and how the government does more harm than good. "
— K, 10/10/2013 -
" Stossel is an American hero "
— Lincoln, 10/6/2013 -
" John Stossel always wades through the B.S. for us "
— Brenda, 9/25/2013 -
" Stossel recounts his gradual shift from left to right, as he notices that most of the problems we look to government to solve were caused by government in the first place. It's refreshing to see true investigative journalism like this. "
— Speed, 8/5/2013 -
" A VERY fun and quick read. "
— Heather, 3/6/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I understood what liberal journalism was, and how hard it is to get the facts and exposed them. You get an idea of how jusrnalists are treated sometimes while exposing the truth. "
— Melissa, 2/22/2013 -
" Lots of interesting material is presented here. I like John Stossel's style. He gets to the point. "
— Bjorose, 1/4/2013 -
" Very interesting read. Really enjoy his segments on TV most of the time. "
— Brittney, 11/14/2012 -
" Stossel is hilarious and makes valid points throughout the book. And as a journalist, I appreciate his candor and straight talk. "
— Jessica, 11/11/2012 -
" Everyone should read this book "
— Gina, 3/29/2012 -
" Stossel is engaging and makes you think about all the rules and legislation that is smothering us. "
— Jody, 10/4/2011 -
" Such common sense. I love John Stossel. "
— David, 9/9/2011 -
" If John Stossel would have me, my life would be complete. "
— Lennox, 7/20/2011 -
" A good dose of some common sense. "
— Emily, 6/2/2011 -
" I listened to this book while driving home from Florida. Loved it! I guess I'm more a Libertarian than I thought. Wasn't crazy about the last couple of chapters, but he sure makes a lot of sense! "
— Melanie, 5/29/2011 -
" Eye Opening. I don't agree with everything he says, but I certainly agree with some of it. "
— Jenn, 2/19/2011 -
" John Stossel exposes the liberal establishment and other cheats and scam artists as well as the media's assault on our liberty. "
— John, 2/9/2011 -
" Interesting discussion material - even if you don't agree with him. "
— Marilyn, 1/8/2011 -
" good book, illustrates the value of free markets and points out the limitations of the U.S. government, in some cases. "
— Christinebrender, 11/13/2010 -
" This book really opened my eyes about common conventional things we hold true solely based on what news reports tell us. "
— Vanessa, 11/7/2010 -
" Stossel is engaging and makes you think about all the rules and legislation that is smothering us. "
— Jody, 10/19/2010 -
" It's a fun read if you like John Stossel, who confirms what we already know about the liberal-leftist politically-correct nonsense we have to wade through. "
— George, 4/15/2010 -
" Stossel recounts his gradual shift from left to right, as he notices that most of the problems we look to government to solve were caused by government in the first place. It's refreshing to see true investigative journalism like this. "
— Speed, 4/13/2010 -
" Maybe when Johnny wrote this, he hadn't experienced the "private sector" for all its glory (profit-guzzling executives, housing bust, recession, health-care crisis, etc., etc., etc.). "
— Shane, 2/27/2010 -
" This one really raised my libertarian hackles. Stossel breaks down the spectacular incompetence of government into short, easy chapters. Recommended for those looking for a good rant, and even more ammunition to belittle acquaintances of the liberal persuasion. "
— Jarred, 9/8/2009 -
" I absolutely think Libertarians are mad but for some reason I liked this book. "
— Sarah, 8/30/2009 -
" Love John Stossel. He is so down-to-earth and full of common sense. His book chronicles the growth of his political outlook--and how the main-stream media went from loving to hating him. Makes a great case for freedom and against government interference in our lives. "
— Kathy, 7/24/2009 -
" Fascinating and highly recommended, though I disagree on some of the moral issues. Very enlightening. "
— Heather, 6/26/2009
About John Stossel
John Stossel hosts his own weekly Fox Business Network show, Stossel, and a series of one-hour specials on Fox News. He also appears regularly on The O’Reilly Factor and other Fox News shows. During three decades in journalism, Stossel has received numerous honors and awards. He is a nineteen-time Emmy winner and a five-time honoree for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of several books.