An audiobook that I couldn't complete. While I tend to love non fiction in the form of audiobook, I got halfway through this one and just couldn't continue.

This audiobook was a good introduction to the pitfalls of the current global capitalist market. A staunch anti-capitalist probabluy wouldn't find anything new in here but I felt the "Fired up" part of the title was well earned because even though I didn't learn too much that was new to me, I certainly was compelled by the pasion of the author/reader.

Some of the topics covered are the possible alternitives to capitalist markets, the environmental damage capitalism causes, the widening gap between workers and wealthy capitalists, and the (potential and historical) power of labor unions.

Over all, it was a great short book and worth listening to.

"Fired Up about Capitalism" is an excellent introduction for someone wanting to understand the pitfalls of capitalist societies. For those that have already been reading about the issues with capitalism, this book may seem redundant. For readers that already see capitalism as a problem, the book will be preaching to the choir. I learned a few more talking points, but this book didn't present any new ideas. I was hoping for more.

This is an easy to understand, passionate, and short - but robust - analysis of capitalism and plausible alternatives. The author provided logical arguments against capitalism and capitalist ideals, including many that are the foundation for most sociopolitical arguments. I particularly liked the author’s use of a variety of types of evidence to make arguments.

I will be recommending this book to several friends and coworkers. While the book is clearly anti-capitalist, it offers historical information and thought provoking content that would be beneficial for readers from any political side. Those who believe that there’s no realistic alternative to capitalism should give this book a try and approach it with an open mind.

A note about the audiobook - The narrator was fantastic and engaging. However, the audio contained the reading of footnotes and long lines of source information, which was confusing and a bit annoying. Recommend removing or figuring out a way to integrate the content in a more cohesive way, such as the use of in-text source descriptors (e.g. “according to…”)

Thank you to NetGalley & ECW Press Audio for allowing me the opportunity to review this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review!

Likes:

The cartoon cover is a good marketing choice for young adults.

This is a good beginner’s guide to understanding capitalism; who it effects and ways we can dismantle it.

This book was informative, but not difficult to understand.

Critiques:

The cover design is a bit confusing as to who is “Fired Up About Capitalism”. Is it the man on the cover appearing to be a wealthy capitalist or the writer?

This book could have been a little longer and expanded more on why the target audience should give a hoot about capitalism. I feel like there could have been more examples that were relatable to young peoples’ culture in these present times.

A short overview about contemporary capitalism and its alternatives. While this is North-American centred, I still feel this is a really good starting point for a UK based person who needed an introduction to the topic. It would be good for a younger person.

A few notes on the audio version specifically. I liked the narrator and found their voice to be engaging. I don't think the footnotes/references worked best being read out as sections between chapters, I think it spoiled the flow a bit.

This was a solid book describing the main pitfalls of capitalism and some of the alternative ways our society could function. The author provides a good baseline for readers who may not be familiar on such subjects. The author explained things very well, which I thought made many of the elementary metaphors unnecessary. I think they were included because this book is aimed at teens (? unclear), but I still think that with how things were explained, they weren't needed. The narrator was a good fit for this book and pleasant to listen to.

As a self described leftist and polo-sci major, there was a lot that I liked about this book politics-wise. I agreed with many things the author said, and even when I didn't agree there was no issue with disinformation, merely a political difference which is nice. This book struck me as very reputable and well put together. I also loved the authors narrative voice; they were funny and easy-going, never overwhelming the reader with academic speak which makes this book very accessible to beginners.

My only complaint with the audiobook was that the image descriptions and verbalized links were weird; I think a companion e-book would need to be distributed with the purchase of this audiobook so that people could just see the pictures so that the audiobook wouldn't need to bother with the descriptions.

The world we live in is not a sustainable one and it is a sin that so many haven't a bed to sleep in, enough food to eat, or access to an education that will elevate their position, when others live with a disgusting amount of wealth and privilege that is only ever growing. This book explores how the world became this way, what still works within it, and what needs to alter.

I thought this a very clearly laid out and well-explored book. I never felt overwhelmed by the political focus or weighed down with an abundance of new terms and phrases. I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator's voice to be clear and it remained dispassionate throughout, even when the focus was crafted to engage with the strong emotions in the listener over the current state of the world. I appreciated how this was delivered, in tone, voice, language, and lay out.

The only unlikable aspect for me was how the images, that must accompany the physical version, were described to the listener, in this audio narration. Long web links were included or some strings of data, that I don't feel were clear or necessary to the listener. This was a very minor complaint but, for that reason, this book might prove to be one better ingested in a physical format for some.