Democracy in America

By: Alexis de Tocqueville

Narrated by: John Pruden

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat and civil servant, made a nine-month journey through the eastern United States. The result was Democracy in America, a monumental study of the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s evolving politics. Tocqueville looked to the flourishing democratic system in America as a possible model for post-revolutionary France, believing its egalitarian ideals reflected the spirit of the age - even that they were the will of God. His insightful work has become one of the most influential political texts ever written on America and an indispensable authority for anyone interested in the future of democracy.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

So Insightful Even After 150 Years!

Would you listen to Democracy in America again? Why?

De Tocqueville explains what is unique and wonderful about America. Yes, I have listened twice.

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

Many British authors and journalists came to America in the early 1800's and wrote memoirs of their visits. De Tocqueville "gets it" about the United States. There is no other book like it.

Have you listened to any of John Pruden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listed to other performances of John Pruden, but his reading of Democracy of America was excellent.

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

The great experiment in democratic government explained

Amazing

I should have read this at 18, but I was not as ready as I am today at 60. This book explains so much about people, our country and the world, today as much as when written in the 1830s. I'm not so sure I read (listened to) this books as much as studied it. Now having finished it I will revisit my many bookmarks of incredible points, I will reread some chapters and look at respected opinions on this book to further understand it. Thankfully the content overlaps a lot, because it was tough for this layperson to fully understand all of it upon first explanation. Wow!!! I just can't believe how amazing this author was and the great gift this book is.

Props from the Peanut Gallery

I am not a historian and this book is not my typical fare. So the fact that I enjoyed it is something to note. For the uninitiated, imagine being a French academic right before the start of the Civil War and coming to America to study its unique brand of democracy. This is helpful from our current perspective as it reminds the reader of what was and is still, unique about the American Experiment. The author takes you through all topics. The author talks about the economic, social, religious, and political aspects of what is occurring in America and seems to be meant for like-minded and curious academics around the world. It was especially noteworthy how the author covered the topics of racial tension and how women were different in America.

The author is exhaustive in his coverage of the topic and tends to run topics "to ground". This is especially true of what is one of his recurring themes, "democracy will inevitably lead to a self-interested, less cohesive populace here an aristocracy would necessarily have to be cohesive." Of course, that is only my miserable rendering of this theme. If you want to hear it from the horse's mouth - read on, dear listener.

Must read

LONG book, but worth it. It's amazing how many things are still relevant and applicable today.

A Great (but long) Listen

This was a great listen. However, to get through it, I feel like you need to enjoy history, otherwise you may struggle.