Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Too Good to Be True cover art

Too Good to Be True

By: Jan Harold Brunvand
Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $40.99

Buy Now for $40.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

A fabulously entertaining audiobook from the ultimate authority on those almost-believable tales that always happen to a "friend of a friend". Alligators in the sewers? A pet in the microwave? A tragic misunderstanding of the function of cruise control? No, it didn't really happen to your friend's sister's neighbor: It's an urban legend. And no matter how savvy you think you are, you are sure to find in this collection of more than 200 tales at least one story you would have sworn was true.

Jan Harold Brunvand has been collecting and studying this modern folklore for more than 20 years. In Too Good to Be True, he captures the best stories in their best retellings along with their latest variations and examples of how the stories have changed as they move from person to person and place to place. To help you find your favorite, Brunvand has arranged the tales thematically. "Bringing Up Baby" is full of episodes of child rearing gone wrong, including the grisly tale of the drugged-out babysitter who mistakes the kid for a turkey. "Funny Business" showcases stories of infamous lapses in customer service, such as the story of the shockingly expensive chocolate chip cookie recipe. And "The Criminal Mind" features both brilliant - if they were real - scams as well as the purported antics of the less mentally gifted. Whether you want to become an expert debunker or just have plenty of laughs, this audiobook will surprise and entertain you.

©2014, 1999 Jan Harold Brunvand (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Critic Reviews

"If you enjoy these too-good-to-be-true tales, Brunvand's new book will give you hours of pleasure." (Chicago Tribune)
"Informative and entertaining.... Brunvand has collected more than 200 of the most-repeated and best-known examples of modern folk-myth." (Tampa Tribune)
"[N]ot only an entertaining anthology, but an excellent introduction to the study of folklore itself." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Too Good to Be True

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.