Book description
A former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan. David, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks, and Matt, the daredevil electrician with a shed full of surfboards, had never been close. But as America’s crises piled up and David spiraled into existential dread, he noticed that his brother-in-law was thriving. He began to suspect Matt’s favorite hobby had something to do with it. David started taking surf lessons. For months, he wiped out on waves the height of daffodils. Yet, after realizing that surfing could change him both in and out of the water, he set an audacious goal: riding a big wave in Hawaii. He searched for an expert he could trust to guide and protect him—and when he couldn’t find one, he asked Matt. Together, they set out on a journey that spanned coasts, and even continents, before taking them to Oahu’s famously dangerous North Shore. It’s Only Drowning is a laugh-out-loud love letter to surfing—and so much more. It’s an ode to embarking on adventures at any age. It’s a blueprint for becoming braver at a time when it takes courage just to read the news. Most of all, it’s the story of an unlikely friendship, one that crosses the fault lines of education, ideology, and culture tearing so many of us apart.
About the Author
David Litt is the New York Times bestselling author of Thanks, Obama; Democracy in One Book or Less; and It's Only Drowning. A former senior speechwriter for Barack Obama, described as "the comic muse for the president" for his work on White House Correspondents' Dinner monologues, he has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Cosmopolitan, and more. Along with writing speeches and jokes for political figures, athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, and philanthropists, David was the head writer/producer at Funny Or Die, DC, and has written and sold comedy pilots for Comedy Central, ABC, and NBC. He and his wife divide their time between Washington, DC, and Asbury Park, New Jersey. Find out more at DavidLittBooks.com.
Troubled Pie
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Sugar Man
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Friday Ferrari
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Gro
The fact that ListenBook supports a wide range of formats without DRM protection is a huge win. With this app, I've found a way to make my daily errands more enjoyable and intellectually stimulating.
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NexusNomad
I love how this app's chapters, bookmarks, and controls give me full control over my audiobook journey. ListenBook's player features, like chapters and bookmarks, make it a versatile tool for any listener. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature has made my recordings sound clearer than ever.
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Being able to adjust playback speed suits everyone's preferences – a thoughtful feature. Thank you for making literature more accessible, enjoyable, and immersive. This app is a game-changer! I can't get enough of this app's intuitive design and user-friendly interface. Supports all my playlists and bookmarks perfectly. This app is a must-have for anyone who loves audiobooks. The interface is intuitive, and the app supports all formats. I love the auto-bookmark feature—it saves my place automatically, so I never lose track. Highly recommend!
57 Pixels
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ListenBook has rekindled my love for learning, one audio experience at a time. ListenBook's player features, like chapters and bookmarks, make it a versatile tool for any listener.
Sky Bully
ListenBook Pro is worth every penny. The unlimited audiobook length is a dream come true. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a game-changer for improving audio quality and clarity. Perfect for listening to lectures and speeches. Highly useful app. The narrator's voice was so pleasant and easy to listen to. They had perfect pacing and made even the slower parts engaging. I found myself looking forward to my commute just to listen more! It was fine. The narrator did an adequate job but nothing about the performance particularly stood out to me. Got me through my commute though.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience