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How to Be Black Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,272 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Onion’s Baratunde Thurston shares his 30-plus years of expertise in being black, with helpful essays like “How to Be the Black Friend,” “How to Speak for All Black People,” “How To Celebrate Black History Month,” and more, in this satirical guide to race issues—written for black people and those who love them. Audacious, cunning, and razor-sharp, How to Be Black exposes the mass-media’s insidiously racist, monochromatic portrayal of black culture’s richness and variety. Fans of Stuff White People Like, This Week in Blackness, and Ending Racism in About an Hour will be captivated, uplifted, incensed, and inspired by this hilarious and powerful attack on America’s blacklisting of black culture: Baratunde Thurston’s How to Be Black.
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"Amazing book filled with so many inside jokes about being black in a "post-racial" world. Thurston was dead-on in so many of his observations about life as a black man in today's society. His panel of experts were also hilarious yet poignant as they shared their experiences and how it has made them into the people they are today. Great read for anyone!"
— Collin (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“As a black woman, I realized after reading this book that I’m actually a white man.”
— Patton Oswalt, comedian, writer, and actor -
“Part autobiography, part stand-up routine, part contemporary political analysis, and astute all over, How to Be Black might do more to expose and explore the shifting dynamics of race in America than all the Pew data of the past decade ever can.”
— Melissa Harris-Perry, contributing analyst for MSNBC and columnist for The Nation -
“Offers a hilarious look at the complexities of contemporary racial politics and personal identity.”
— Booklist -
“Thurston combines autobiography and satire to examine, both humorously and seriously, being black in America today. His voice is expressive, energetic, and generally cheerful, and he moves the reading along skillfully. He gives almost everything a light tone, fitting the text, though some of the material is not comic…Thurston delivers a program that, overall, is lively, thoughtful, and often amusing.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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New York Times bestseller
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A 2012 eMusic Best Audiobook of the Year
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A 2013 Audie Award Finalist for Best Narration by the Author
How to Be Black Listener Reviews
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" I like Baratunde on TWiT and thought I'd enjoy this book but unfortunately it mostly fell flat with just a few occasional funny moments. It's not terrible but I wouldn't describe it as particularly great either. "
— Zaphoddent, 2/20/2014 -
" Thurston is very smart, very funny. The book is quite padded, in the way that books by comedians tend to be. The stuff about growing up in DC in the 80s, and especially about his Afrocentric, COBOL-programming mother was genuinely fascinating. I'd definitely read a longer book about her. It was short and quick. "
— Eleanor, 2/18/2014 -
" Some laugh out loud funny lines and good points made. I read the book but I bet it's good, perhaps better, in audiobook format. "
— Jamie, 2/11/2014 -
" I get what the author was trying to do with this book but it was hard for me to read it. There were some funny parts and some parts that would enlighten a few but overall I just could not get into it and as a matter of fact I never finished the book. "
— Cass, 2/4/2014 -
" Baratunde was coming to a corp event to speak so I decided to listen to this book (I had never heard of it or him). About 20 min in...I because a HUGE fan! Baratunde is so funny and clever. I spoke to him at the event and even he said listening is better than reading. This is really Laugh out Loud funny. "
— Amiee, 1/23/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book, I found myself chuckling out loud and frequently reading passages to my friends. It's a funny memoir with an ever-present current of truth running through it. I'd recommend it. "
— Vanessa, 1/17/2014 -
" Very funny. Very smart. "
— Trevor, 1/10/2014 -
" LOL, is what this book is doing to me on public transportation, the weird stares and perplexed looks. I just can't put it down at the moment, and I can actually relate to some of his stories. I intend to hand it over to my girlfriend after. "
— Dayan, 12/1/2013 -
" Humor you can appreciate if you live in DC and a great beach read since it's easy to pick up and put down. Overall, I really enjoyed it. "
— Ming-wai, 1/14/2013 -
" A sharp, satirical window into the African-American experience. I'm so glad I chose the Audiobook version, which Baratunde reads himself. And I'm so glad I listen to TWIT and heard him plugging his book! (Although I'm not 100% convinced listening to a book counts as "reading".) "
— Zaz, 12/23/2012 -
" I loved this book. It's a great, entertaining read that gets you to consider how you/I/we all think about and act upon racial issues in this country. Very funny, engaging. Love this book. "
— Aimee, 5/15/2012 -
" I read the book to LMAO and, at best, compare experiences. I did not expect to be inspired. Well played, Mr. Thurston. Well played. "
— Valarie, 5/9/2012 -
" I can sum up how I feel about this book within 3 words across 2 statements.. Fantastic.. Must Read... "
— G., 3/30/2012 -
" Great read, funny, as well as thought provoking. Excellent way to discuss the issue of race in the USA. "
— Veronica, 2/24/2012
About Baratunde Thurston
Baratunde Thurston is the director of digital at The Onion, the cofounder of Jack & Jill Politics, a stand-up comedian, and a globe-trotting speaker. He was named one of the 100 most influential African-Americans of 2011 by The Root and one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company magazine. Thurston resides in Brooklyn.