P. J. O'Rourke has 4 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 4 narrators, with an average listener rating of 3★ across 1 ratings. The most-rated is A Cry from the Far Middle.
A Cry from the Far Middle
Summary
In a time of chaos, the number one New York Times best-selling political humorist asks his fellow Americans to take it down a notch. Is there an upside to being woke (and unable to get back to sleep)? If we license dentists, why don't we license politicians? Is your juicer sending fake news to your FitBit about what's in your refrigerator? The legendary P. J. O'Rourke addresses these questions and more in this hilarious new collection of essays about our nation's propensity for anger and perplexity, which includes such gems as "An Inaugural Address I'd Like to Hear" (Ask not what your country can do for you, ask how I can get the hell out of here) and "Sympathy vs. Empathy", which contemplates whether it's better to hold people's hands or bust into their heads. Also included is a handy quiz to find out where you stand on the Coastals vs. Heartlanders spectrum. From the author of Parliament of Whores, None of My Business, and other modern classics, this is a smart look at the current state of these United States and a plea to everyone to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy a few good laughs.
©2020 P. J. O’Rourke (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
The CEO of the Sofa
Summary
New York Times best-selling author P. J. O'Rourke has toured the fighting in Bosnia, visited the West Bank disguised as P. J. of Arabia, lobbed one-liners on the battlefields of the Gulf War, and traded quips with Communist rebels in the jungles of the Philippines. Now, in The CEO of the Sofa, he embarks on a mission to the most frightening place of all: his own home.Ensconced on the domestic boardroom's throne (although not supposed to put his feet on the cushions), he faces a three-year-old who wants a cell phone, a freelance career devoted to writing articles like "Chewing-Mouth Dogs Bring Hope to People with Eating Disorders", and neighbors who smell like Democrats. ("That is, using smell as a transitive verb. When I light a cigar they wave their hands in front of their faces and pretend to cough.")Undaunted - with the help of martinis - by middle age, P. J. holds forth on everything from getting toddlers to sleep ("Advice to parents whose kids love the story of the dinosaurs: Don't give away the surprise ending") to why Hillary Clinton's senatorial election victory was a good thing ("We Republicans were almost out of people to hate in the Senate. Teddy Kennedy is just too old and fat to pick on").And P.J. leaps (well, groans and pushes himself up) from the couch to pursue assignments such as a high-speed drive across the ugliest part of India at the hottest time of the year; a blind (drunk) wine tasting with Christopher Buckley; and a sojourn at the U.N. Millennial Summit, where he runs the risk of perishing from boredom and puts readers in peril of laughing themselves to death.
©2002 P.J. O'Rourke (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.
How the Hell Did This Happen?
Summary
This election cycle was so absurd that celebrated political satirist, journalist, and die-hard Republican P. J. O'Rourke endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. As P.J. put it, "America is experiencing the most severe outbreak of mass psychosis since the Salem witch trials of 1692. So why not put Hillary on the dunking stool?" In How the Hell Did This Happen?, P. J. brings his critical eye and inimitable voice to some seriously risky business. Starting in June 2015, he asks, "Who are these jacklegs, high-binders, wire-pullers, mountebanks, swellheads, buncombe spigots, four-flushers, and animated spittoons offering themselves as worthy of America's highest office?" and surveys the full cast of presidential candidates including everyone you've already forgotten and everyone you wish you could forget. P. J. offers a brief history of how our insane process for picking who will run for president evolved, from the very first nominating convention (thanks, Anti-Masonic Party) through the reforms of the Progressive era (because there's nothing that can't be worsened by reform) to the present. He takes us through the debates and key primaries and analyzes everything from the campaign platforms (or lack thereof) to presidential style ("Trump's appearance - indeed, Trump's existence - is a little guy's idea of living large. A private plane! A swell joint in Florida! Gold-plated toilet handles!"). And he rises from the depths of despair to come up with a better way to choose a president. Following his come-to-Satan moment with Hillary and the Beginning of End Times in November, P. J. reckons with a new age: "America is experiencing a change in the nature of leadership. We're getting rid of our leaders. And we're starting at the top." Caricatures created by DonkeyHotey were adapted from these Creative Commons and public domain images: Donald Trump, Gage Skidmore/Flickr Bernie Sanders, Nick Solari/Flickr John Kasich, Wikimedia Ben Carson, Michael Vadon/Flickr Hillary Clinton, East Asia and Pacific Media/Flickr and Department of State Jeb Bush, The World Affairs Council/Flickr Carly Fiorina, Gage Skidmore/Flickr Ted Cruz, Michael Vadon/Flickr Chris Christie, FEMA Marco Rubio, Gage Skidmore/Flickr
©2017 P. J. O'Rourke (P)2017 Audible, Inc.
None of My Business
Summary
After decades covering war and disaster, best-selling author and acclaimed satirist P. J. O'Rourke takes on his scariest subjects yet: business, investment, finance, and the political chicanery behind them. Want to get rich overnight for free in three easy steps with no risk? Then don't buy this audiobook. P. J.'s approach to business, investment, and finance is different. He takes the risks for you in his chapter "How I Learned Economics by Watching People Try to Kill Each Other". He proposes "A Way to Raise Taxes That We'll All Love" - a 200 percent tax on celebrities. He offers a brief history of economic transitions before exploring the world of high-tech innovation with a chapter on "Unnovations", which asks, "The Internet - whose idea was it to put all the idiots on earth in touch with each other?" He misunderstands Bitcoin, which seems "[L]ike a weird scam invented by strange geeks with weaponized slide rules in the high school Evil Math Club". He closes with a fanciful short story about the morning P. J. wakes up and finds that all the world's goods and services are free! This is P. J. at his finest, an audiobook not to be missed.
©2018 P. J. O’Rourke (P)2018 HighBridge Company