BOOTSTRAPPED Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream

This incisive broadside against the ubiquitous American narrative that anyone can be successful if they work hard enough could not have found a better narrator than Beth Hicks. The author's writing tone is indignant and unsparing in its takedown of the self-sufficiency myth, a tone that Hicks's performance renders with finesse. Her delivery expresses author Alissa Quart's complaints with the same authority and determination found in her excellent reporting; Hicks never lets her delivery sound shrill or snarky. This well-documented audiobook looks at how culture, the media, and politicians use the romantic ideal of individual determination to shame people who are disadvantaged by systemic obstacles, and to relieve the ruling class from the obligation to level the playing field with robust social programs. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]