-
The Great Book of California
- The Crazy History of California with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia (A Trivia Nerds Guide to the History of the United States, Volume 3)
- Narrated by: Derek Newman
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
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Publisher's summary
Are you interested in learning more about California? Sure, you’ve heard of Hollywood, but how much do you really know about the Golden State? Do you know how it got its nickname or what it was nicknamed first?
There’s so much to know about California that even people born in the state don’t know it all. In this trivia guide, you’ll learn more about California’s history, pop culture, folklore, sports, and so much more!
In The Great Book of California, you’ll discover the answers to the following questions
- Why is California called the Golden State?
- What music genres started out in California?
- Which celebrity sex icon’s death remains a mystery?
- Which serial killer once murdered in the state?
- Which childhood toy started out in California?
- Which famous fast-food chain opened its first location in the Golden State?
- Which famous athletes are from California?
These are just a few of the many facts you’ll find in this audiobook. Some of them will be entertaining, some of them will be tragic, and some of them may haunt you, but all of them will be interesting! This audiobook is full of everything you’ve ever wondered about California and then some!
Whether you consider yourself a California-state expert or you know nothing about the Golden State, you’re bound to learn something new in each chapter. You’ll be able to impress your college history professor or your friends during your next trivia night!
What are you waiting for? Get started to learn all there is to know about California!
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- By: Paige Williams
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In this 2018 New York Times Notable Book,Paige Williams "does for fossils what Susan Orlean did for orchids" (Book Riot) in her account of one Florida man's attempt to sell a dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia—a story "steeped in natural history, human nature, commerce, crime, science, and politics" (Rebecca Skloot).
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More filler than Joan Rivers’ face.
- By Brandi on 03-13-19
By: Paige Williams
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1969
- The Year Everything Changed
- By: Rob Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Jonah Cummings
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Woodstock, the moon landing, Charles Manson, Richard Nixon, the Vietnam War, and more. A must-have for baby boomers and the generations that came after! In this rich and comprehensive narrative, Rob Kirkpatrick chronicles an unparalleled year in American society in all its explosive ups and downs.
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What a year!!
- By kathy deal on 11-17-20
By: Rob Kirkpatrick
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Christmas Past
- The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions
- By: Brian Earl
- Narrated by: Brian Earl
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday’s Traditions reveals the surprising, quirky, mysterious, and sometimes horrifying stories behind the most wonderful time of the year.
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Pop-culture Christmas History
- By Harley Easton on 01-23-23
By: Brian Earl
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Best. State. Ever.
- A Florida Man Defends His Homeland
- By: Dave Barry
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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We never know what will happen next in Florida. We know only that, any minute now, something will. Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, "What the hell is wrong with Florida?" Somehow, the state's acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why.
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Most. Annoying. Narration. Ever.
- By Triple A on 06-21-17
By: Dave Barry
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Canada
- By: Mike Myers
- Narrated by: Mike Myers
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Comedy superstar Mike Myers writes from the (true patriot) heart about his 53-year relationship with his beloved Canada. Mike Myers is a world-renowned actor, director and writer and the man behind some of the most memorable comic characters of our time. But, as he says, "No description of me is truly complete without saying I'm a Canadian". He has often winked and nodded to Canada in his outrageously accomplished body of work, but now he turns the spotlight full-beam on his homeland.
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Thoughtful and perfect for any X-Pat from Canada
- By Hugh Burnham on 05-02-17
By: Mike Myers
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Ghostland
- An American History in Haunted Places
- By: Colin Dickey
- Narrated by: Jon Lindstrom
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Colin Dickey is on the trail of America's ghosts. Crammed into old houses and hotels, abandoned prisons and empty hospitals, the spirits that linger continue to capture our collective imagination, but why? His own fascination piqued by a house hunt in Los Angeles that revealed derelict foreclosures and "zombie homes", Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places.
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A fluffed-up college essay writ large.
- By Gavin on 10-13-16
By: Colin Dickey
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In-N-Out Burger
- A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
- By: Stacy Perman
- Narrated by: Loren Lester
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It's the untold story of the renegade burger chain that evokes a passionate following unlike any other. In fast-food corporate America, In-N-Out Burger stands apart. Begun in a tiny shack in the shadow of World War II, this family-owned chain has steadfastly refused to franchise or be sold. It is a testament to old-fashioned values and reminiscent of a simpler time when people, loyalty, and a freshly made, juicy hamburger meant something.
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Flowery Promo Piece
- By Melissa on 02-22-10
By: Stacy Perman
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The Disneyland Story
- The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream
- By: Sam Gennawey
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream is the story of how Walt Disney's greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Despite his successors' battles with the whims of history and their own doubts and egos, Walt's vision maintained momentum, thrived, and taught future generations how to do it Walt Disney's way.
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The narration is killing me.
- By Chris on 03-24-15
By: Sam Gennawey
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Here Is Where
- Discovering America's Great Forgotten History
- By: Andrew Carroll
- Narrated by: Andrew Carroll
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The centerpiece of a major national campaign to indentify and preserve forgotten history, Here Is Where is acclaimed historian Andrew Carroll’s fascinating journey of discovery in which he travels to each of America’s 50 states and explores locations where remarkable individuals once lived or where the incredible or momentous occurred.
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A Man who Loves his Country
- By Daryl on 03-12-17
By: Andrew Carroll
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Strange Stones
- By: Peter Hessler
- Narrated by: George Backman
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Full of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s best reportage - a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work. Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions.
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funny, entertaining
- By Katherine on 08-02-13
By: Peter Hessler
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The Three-Year Swim Club
- The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory
- By: Julie Checkoway
- Narrated by: Alex Chadwick
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1937, a schoolteacher on the island of Maui challenged a group of poverty-stricken sugar plantation kids to swim upstream against the current of their circumstance. The goal? To become Olympians. They faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The children were Japanese-American, were malnourished and barefoot, and had no pool; they trained in the filthy irrigation ditches that snaked down from the mountains into the sugarcane fields.
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Great story but the Hawaiian words get slaughtered
- By Arabella on 01-26-16
By: Julie Checkoway
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The Mirage Factory
- Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles
- By: Gary Krist
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Little more than a century ago, the southern coast of California - bone-dry, harbor-less, isolated by deserts and mountain ranges - seemed destined to remain scrappy farmland. Then, as if overnight, one of the world’s iconic cities emerged. At the heart of Los Angeles’ meteoric rise were three flawed visionaries: William Mulholland, an immigrant ditch-digger turned self-taught engineer; D.W. Griffith, who transformed the motion picture from a vaudeville-house novelty into a cornerstone of American culture; and Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic evangelist.
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Great start, weak completion
- By steve on 05-11-21
By: Gary Krist
What listeners say about The Great Book of California
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rayc
- 08-16-18
Enteraining
The Great Book of California: The Crazy History of California with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia (A Trivia Nerds Guide to the History of the United States, Volume 3).. One of the best trivia books I've ever read. three hours plus full of facts and trivia about California and it's people.
The narrators voice is clear and concise and very easy to listen to.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my own request, and voluntarily leave this review.
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- Mortimer
- 09-21-18
Not Bad for California Newcomers
As a native Californian, I was interested to hear some new tales about the state and see if there were any other gems of information I was not aware of. For me, there was very little that I had not read or heard before, usually many times. However, I think this would be a good primer on California for someone who has not lived here for an extended period of time.
The narrator is very good. However, I was appalled to hear city and other names of Spanish origin pronounced as if they were English words. La Jolla, for example, was pronounced "la jolla" instead of "la hoya". He repeated the name a number of times at one point and it really began to grate on my ears. I have encountered mispronunciations in other Audible books (people's names and geographic names, which are well known to those you are familiar with them), but these errors come up much more often in this work than in any I have encountered. I'm not sure why an editor does not clue the narrator in with a script note before the recording is executed.
Anyway, I did find some enjoyable discoveries in this Audiobook, making it worth the cost.
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- Shannon G
- 09-26-18
Yet Another Great Trivia Book!!
Here, once again, Bill O'Neill brings us another state in a snapshot! There are plenty of fun facts listed in this book and little tales to go with some. It's a wonderful way to learn about another state of our country. I truly hope Mr. O'Neill continues and gives each their own book so we can learn about them as we have CA and NY. Thanks for another great trivia book!! The narration was not as good as the others due to mispronunciation of many Spanish names. But despite this annoying bit I still enjoyed listening to this book of facts.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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- Margaret
- 09-29-18
More!
This is the sixth book I’ve read/listened to by this author and considering I have listened to this many, it’s a sure thing I will listen to more.
He covers California from a great many angles, like examples that are listed in the publisher’s summary. I prefer listening to the historical facts but also like the random, more trivial facts. Some are longer explanations. Some are one sentence statements. There is a question and answer after each segment that is easily skipped if desired.
This is the fifth book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Derek Newman ) and all have been written by Bill O’Neil. He does nicely reading this content. His cadence is appropriate.
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.
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- Lila Fowler
- 10-29-18
Fun listen, lots of trivia.
I listen to a lot of trivia books, this one was really good. It's not just the same old information, there are chapters on urban legends, sports, attractions, pop culture, inventions, history, etc. So it's a wide selection of information in a small book. I look forward to listening to the rest of the states.
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- Victoria Haugen
- 10-10-18
I MAY EVEN LIKE CALIFORNIA NOW!
If they weren't ALL moving to the Pacific NW LOL! ;-)
LOVED this audiobook!
Filled with tons of entertaining and little known info, trivia, fun facts, etc.
I've listened to a few of Bill's books before, and they're all AMAZING, well put together, well written and wonderfully narrated.
Bills book are a must have for anyone who loves fun facts & trivia!
All sorts of interesting tidbits about California in this one, take a look and see for yourself, well worth it :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Please take a moment to click the "YES" ("Helpful") button below if you found this review helpful :) Thank you!
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- Mark Twain "Eddie"
- 08-11-18
Great book of California trivia!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I've always enjoyed trivia collections, and this is more than three hours of cool facts about California. The narrator was well-spoken and easy to understand. Definitely makes a long commute shorter.
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- Michelle
- 08-23-18
Great information for any Californian
Lots of great trivia facts about California. So much information that was unknown. Great tid bits that you can use to impress your date and stump your friends. Makes a Cali native proud. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
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- BookLover
- 09-14-18
O'Neill Does It Again
I love these books by Bill O'Neill. He makes learning fun and you always get little tid bits . Looking forward to listening to more!
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom
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- Suzan
- 08-29-18
Learning amazing facts
I am a native Californian and still learned things about this wonderful state. The only problem I had was when the book is being read to you (an audiobook) they read everything so there is a lot of repeating and I found that very annoying. The narrator Derek Newman has the perfect voice for this kind of book. I was gifted this book with the understanding that I would leave an honest review. I would have done 5 stars except for the over repeating.
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