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Vowell travels through the wonderful nation of America, and tunes into local radio stations from far and wide. She sets the tone that by the end of the book we, the reader, will have an understanding on why she hates the radio. She talks about how as a 25 year old she hates Rush Limbaugh and those entire republican who are on the radio brain washing Americans. She makes the point that more than conforming to programming she wants to better understand how one listens, especially herself.

People turn to radio for numerous reasons in my opinion

1. Laughter
2. Wisdom
3. Connection

I listen to laugh. I want to learn how not to become the next Hollywood reject. I want to build a connection to the music and people I talk to. Similar to fans of rockers like Nirvana, I want people to believe truth resides within the music I hear.

But, this relationship can be built in other ways. Thus, is radio important? Pandora allows me to experience a full playlist of “connection” about what ever I choose. I can be “in love with a stripper,” living in the 90s, or feelings Disney perfect. Gossip websites allows me to experience laughter and wisdom on what not to become. So, what does that leave radio as? Well, in the simplest terms, radio is only noise, chatter, and sometimes not reliable. Yet, we can’t stop listening.