{"product_id":"2940169718492","title":"The 480","description":"\u003cp\u003eReleased not long after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, in the run-up to the 1964 national election, Eugene Burdick's blockbuster political novel, \u003ci\u003eThe 480\u003c\/i\u003e, foresaw the rise of social media and twenty-first century analytical data manipulation, the use of computer-generated voter profiles to shapeamp;mdash;for better or for worseamp;mdash;the outcome of a major national election. Burdickamp;mdash;coauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe Ugly American\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFail-Safe\u003c\/i\u003eamp;mdash;was a true socio-political visionary, ahead of his time by more than half a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMany passages and scenes in \u003ci\u003eThe 480\u003c\/i\u003e bear eerie resemblances to the social divisiveness, political blockades, and moral and ethical failures that dominate today's news cycles about America's place in the world. This sweeping thirteen-hour unabridged audiobook is the story of the rise of a morally grounded and ethically driven businessman, John Thatchamp;mdash;a political neophyteamp;mdash;to the heights of party stardom through plots by devious party operatives who hold the keys (IBM punch cards) of voter data, and potentially salacious journals, in their greasy little hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs noted in the original 1964 cover blurb, \"This is the story of an extraordinary presidential campaign, of unwanted fame and public responsibility thrust upon a very private citizen, of love tested and courage found, and a new breed of political expert who believes the voters can be sold a candidate as readily as a housewife is sold a name-brand toothpaste.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story spans the globeamp;mdash;from India and Pakistan to the Philippines and across length and breadth of the United Statesamp;mdash;in its full spectrum of shady characters, questionable motives, foreign adventure, heart-wrenching romance, and behind-the-podium intrigue. At its twentieth-century heart, \u003ci\u003eThe 480\u003c\/i\u003e asks, andamp;mdash;in light of American politics in the twenty-first centuryamp;mdash;answers the question, \"Could the American voter be masterfully manipulated to select a presidential candidate not by rational consideration, but by hidden design?\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackstone Audio, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47104597065968,"sku":"2940169718492","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169718492_p0.jpg?v=1769899010","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169718492","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}