This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 7, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B000IONLFY
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,465 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > Miscellaneous > Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews > Spoken Word
  • #87 in Music > Miscellaneous > Radio Shows

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. If I Can Make It There

2. Is This Thing On?

3. Thinking Inside the Box

4. Infinite Gent

5. Miami Vices

6. The Babysitters

Disc: 2

1. Fears of Your Life

2. On Hold No One Can Hear You Scream: An Interview with Julie Snyder

3. Anti-Oedipus

4. So a Chipmunk and a Squirrel Walk into a Bar

5. Slingshot

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great 'Spoken Word' Collection of Stories, November 30, 2006

By 

Thomas D. Ryan "American Hit Network" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear (Audio CD)

Here's something different for your CD collection. "This American Life" is a radio show that features stories - usually true - that are unusually compelling. If you are a fan of public radio, then you may already be familiar with the program. Usually, it's the kind of show that keeps you sitting in your driveway, listening to the very end. As a host of my own (much smaller) radio program, I figure that's probably the biggest compliment that any radio show can receive. "Stories of Hope and Fear" compiles eleven of these stories on two disks, and much like the radio program, I find it addictive enough to disrupt my schedule. Even though I know I could pause the CD and pick up where I left off, I still found myself sitting in my car, waiting for the story to end before heading inside to my evening dinner.
Each story is extraordinarily compelling as both human drama and comedy. For example, "The Babysitter" is told by an older man and his sister, recalling their `need' as teenagers to invent a family so they could escape the grasp of their mother. It is both sad, funny and touching to hear them relate their deceit, especially in light of the fact that their ninety-something year old mother is still alive. "On Hold Noone Can Hear You Scream" is a tale of phone company indifference that everyone can relate to, only hopefully not to this degree. From a technical perspective, each show's editing is brilliant, utilizing interesting music segments to enhance the mood and allow the pathos to subconsciously set itself in your mind.
Whether or not these stories will hold up after repeated listens is another matter, and I imagine that unlike music, most listeners will not feel inclined to hear the same stories repeatedly. The best use for this collection is during long drives, with a maximum of two people listening. My wife and I listened during a weekend road trip, and we were absolutely glued to the tales. It also made a great change of pace from the relentless series of songs pouring out of my i-pod. Repeated listens notwithstanding, I'd imagine this would make a great gift for friends who don't show much of an inclination toward pop music. A spoken word collection might not be for everyone, but it will certainly appeal to most. For the first pass, I'd guarantee it. B+ Tom Ryan

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Radio Documentaries For Long Drives, January 31, 2007

By 

Sal Paradise "ethanallen95" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear (Audio CD)

I've listened to This American Life going on 8 years now either on NPR or on-line on the website. Great program, this is the 3rd compliation CD I have purchased and I must say that this was interesting especially the Stories of Fear. I am interested in how the human psyche handles fear given certain levels of stress introduced through everyday normal situations. Quite frankly it can be more than a little funny. The story that really clicked with me was On Hold No One Can Hear You Scream, one persons ordeal dealing with an unresponsive phone company. This is a great cd. Better than the last compliation cd for This American Life.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mesmerized, February 11, 2007

By 

Jessica B. Chase (Stoneham, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear (Audio CD)

I was fortunate to receive this CD the day before I had a 2 hour car ride ahead of me. I put in the CD and I have no memory of the trip, the traffic, or the route I took. I play the CD frequently, and I learn something new each time. Ira Glass - you are the best.