Americana

Author Bhu Srinivasan, founder of a media company focused on sharing U.S. economic history, reads a charming personal introduction before the resonant Scott Brick narrates the remaining 21 hours of this informative audiobook. From the Pilgrims of 1620 to Silicon Valley is a lot of ground to cover, and Brick's phrasing artistry and sensitivity to the material help the author's numerous anecdotes feel woven into the same narrative fabric. Srinivasan describes how innovations like the steamboat, the telephone, manufacturing, the stock market, and electronic banking laid the groundwork for the creative commerce and finance that typifies the U.S. economy today. An accessible history with a populist bent, this work leans more on storytelling than analysis. That approach and Scott Brick's engagement make it fun to learn how the Colonies grew to the economic giant we are today. T.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine