Made in America

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: William Roberts

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.

©1994 Bill Bryson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bryson offers a playfully anecdotal account of the etymology of distinctive words and phrases that help to create a distinctly American English." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A treat....Filled with surprises....A literate exploration of why we use, or mangle, our native tongue." ( USA Today)

The reader ruins it

I’ve given up part way through because I can’t bear the reader’s voice. He sounds like a 1950s radio announcer and it’s just plain difficult to listen to. The story has promise, so I think this may be one I return to in print form when I have time.

Loud

I prefer when Bryson reads his own work. William Roberts basically shouts the entire thing. He’s enthusiastic and his pronunciation is good, but holy cow, turn your volume WAY down.

Good book

I am fond of this book. It is well written and well read. Thank you book.

Geat Stories, Great Narration

I loved this book. For the life of me I can't understand the distress people on here display for the narrator. William Roberts is a magnificent narrator. The book is magnificent also. This is my second Bill Bryson book and I can't wait for the next one.

Seemingly mundane topic, nonetheless… captivating.

Bill Bryson has the unmatched ability to turn a seemingly unexceptional topic into an enthralling narrative. Sure, the spellings and pronunciations were a bit tedious at times, but not nearly enough so as to take away from my enjoyment of this book. The narrator, while not Bryson himself, performed admirably, waltzing through wacky words without end. Bryson combined ‘history’ with the stories of the people that made it in a way such that it entertained more like fiction than factual information, and most importantly, left me hungry for more.

William Roberts and Bill Bryson are superb!

Would you consider the audio edition of Made in America to be better than the print version?

Yes, William Robert's voice nuances perfectly supplement Bryson's subtly wit.

What did you like best about this story?

William Robert's narrative voice.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chapter 13 - William Roberts renditions of women's voices!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yes!

Any additional comments?

My next download will be a Bryson/Roberts combination.

LOVED it! Kudos to the narrator...

I read many negative reviews of this book but because I love Bill Bryson I decided to give it a try anyway. I'm so glad I did. The content is right up my alley, I love entomology so this book was perfect. I also thought the narrator hit it out of the park. I love it when Bill Bryson narrates his own books but I understand why he decided not to tackle this one. I think those people leaving negative reviews are failing to consider that because you aren't reading this book but instead listening, the narrator has to spell out or say what you could otherwise see and read. The differences to a reader would be obvious but unless he spells it out, a listener might not necessarily know the difference in words, spellings and pronunciations. He does an excellent job.

If you're at all interested in word origin and general history, you'll love this book. Is it a "formula" book. Yes, but isn't that what keeps you coming back for more Bill Bryson??

Bedtime listenng

What made the experience of listening to Made in America the most enjoyable?

I listened to it on my Kindle every night to fall asleep in between trips to the bathroom. 😉. It is fun to listen to, easy to fall asleep to, though reader's emotional voice was a bit over the top for relaxation. But fun and amusing as Mr. Bryson ALWAYS is!

What other book might you compare Made in America to and why?

Only his others...but really no comparison. It's filled with fun facts about words and sayings!

What does William Roberts bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A bit of over-the-top emotional investment.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Makes English fun!

Taught me about American inventions and language

Lots of interesting facts about American language and inventions, assembled into a mostly chronological story. Not especially captivating, but well worth it for all the learnings.

Not 100% adaptable to audio

how words are spelled are better to read than listen to. better buy book instead