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Black Buck

Written by: Mateo Askaripour
Narrated by: Zeno Robinson
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Publisher's Summary

For fans of Sorry to Bother You and The Wolf of Wall Street—a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.

There's nothing like a Black salesman on a mission.

An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother's home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC's hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor.

After enduring a "hell week" of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as "Buck," a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he's hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.

Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America's workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.

©2021 Mateo Askaripour (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Black Buck

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  • Overall
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Didn’t want it to end

Well written, captivating, insightful and relevant. Zeno Robinson is excellent. I would listen to a book he narrates because he narrates.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great Opening

I loved the first half. And the performance is great. I felt like it maybe tried to cover too much. But ultimately a fascinating and clever read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

don't ask about the weather .

you can't trust people but trust them anyway. I thought soyriah had a secret baby and that's what she was hiding. the jail part , shocked me. I powered through this. be kind to your parents. I felt that part about the mother no burdening you . its true

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Freedom for next generation

A real adventure of incredible highs and lows of a smart youth pursuing Freedom. Navigating the hostile internet startup world. Indelible life lessons for thriving using your sales skills.

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1 person found this helpful

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Phenomenal narration and excellent satire of the black American dream

I absolutely love this audiobook! The narration by Zeno Robinson is phenomenal! He was meant to tell Darren Vender’s story and is now one of my favourite audiobook narrators. Keep in mind, the chapters are not aligned with the audiobook. Chapter 1 should be “Author’s Note,” throwing off the entire chapter count. In no way does this affect the quality of the audiobook.

Mateo Askaripour did excellent with this satire connecting to the themes of race and the American Dream (all from a black male perspective). This audiobook is entertaining and insightful as you listen to the main character, Daren Vender slowly lose himself while “making it big.” I look forward to Black Buck coming to series.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Surprising story.

Very well done and well read. I didn't know what to expect, but the storyline had me invested.

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