New Reviews: Personal Growth

Sian Thomas smoothly narrates this production, which could have been titled "How Aristotle Changed My Life for the Better and How He Can Change Yours." Not many would think of using ancient Greek philosophy as the basis for a self-help book, but Hall gives listeners a self-help book of a different color. Delivering autobiographical anecdotes by the author, Thomas describes the... Read More

Author and narrator Katy Butler's calming tone softens her insights on reclaiming control over one's life and death. Butler is straightforward in her belief that modern medicine eliminates the customs, rituals, and recognition of this rite of passage. She believes that the desire to prolong life has created secrecy, fear, and shame around dying. Her message that today's medical... Read More

Carl Honoré's narration of his inspiring book has the kind of energy that will help people expand what's possible for them in their later years. With his quietly assertive enthusiasm making his message hard to dismiss, he offers new research that shows how our mental image of late life has tremendous power to motivate good habits, provoke unlikely achievements, and juice up our... Read More

The coziness in author Isabel Gillies's narration is comforting but also inspires introspection and insight. Her authentic-sounding performance in which she challenges us to redefine the term "cozy" demands consideration. That's because her down-to-earth-delivery conveys that finding what is cozy to us stacks the odds in our favor for achieving happiness and getting through... Read More

Narrator Lisa Wright adopts a well-suited chatty tone for Smith's ramble through her own learning curve from clutter to cozy as a welcoming feature of an intentionally created home. Smith (a.k.a. "The Nester") makes her living as a coziness guru; here, she reminds listeners that cozy isn't a style but a tool. After explaining how she came to strike a balance in her own home... Read More

No one but Brené Brown would be as effective narrating this personal discussion on leading with authenticity and courage. She's reading all but a few ad libs, but you wouldn't know it because her strong tone and spontaneous emphasis make her sound like she's carrying out an intense coaching session. Her fans know the prolific author's basic message: Effectiveness in any realm... Read More

Narrator Walter Dixon contributes a grounded, easy-to-hear performance that fits Marc Agronin's professional stature and message. The geriatric psychiatrist and WALL STREET JOURNAL contributor shows how people in their later years can shrug off decline and seize opportunities to live more fully. Dixon's relaxed confidence keeps listeners tuned in as the doctor's inspiring... Read More

A Boston University child psychologist narrates her accessible guide with the buoyancy needed to give hope to the parents of an anxious or easily stressed child. Her reading conveys an uplifting combination of youthful energy and friendly authority. Speaking like she's having an upbeat conversation with listeners, she delivers a performance that will help beleaguered parents... Read More

The mature character of narrator Erin Bennett's voice adds authority to the author's insights on friendship and never dampens the emotional immediacy of her stories. While Barth purports to focus on the experiences of women, she's actually talking about elements that are common to all friendships--emotional sharing, loyalty, trust, and forgiveness. She explains how friends are... Read More

This listening experience is a perfect match between message and performance. Heather Henderson gives listeners warm encouragement as she narrates this how-to guide for creatives seeking advice in the later stages of life. Her delivery is steady, quick, and kind, giving us the sense that she has become our creative coach and urging us to make our chosen form of art no matter... Read More

Though his tone is gentle and his phrasing relaxed, Fred Sanders communicates invigorating urgency while narrating this intelligent audiobook. His steady approach and pleasing voice make it easy to absorb the author's awakening message: It's simply wrong to assume that success in life must begin early and that, past a certain age, we should not expect much of ourselves. The... Read More

Often, comedian Arte Johnson narrates Dave Barry's novels, but this time Barry narrates himself, which turns out to be an excellent idea. The "Lucy" in the title of Barry's latest audiobook is his elderly dog. And, as any dog owner can affirm, old dogs are great teachers. Barry injects just the right amount of self-deprecation into the humor. Who else but the author could... Read More

What if all the hidden labor behind everything you do were suddenly made visible? With passionate urgency, Elizabeth Emens describes a world in which life's unpaid administrative work is identified, quantified, and, most importantly, optimized. Emens coaches listeners to identify their admin archetype and implement admin hacks for improved efficiency. The painful admin of... Read More

Focused on how to support our body's microorganisms, this audiobook could have been a slog but isn't because of the author's vocal energy and facility with describing technical issues in everyday language. His voice is full and rich, and he draws listeners into his message with his tone of respect, along with lively phrasing and believable enthusiasm. The food we eat and our... Read More

Narrator Steve Carlson's textured voice and thoughtful phrasing punctuated with strategic pauses and authentic emotion make his performance sound totally in sync with 80-year-old Parker Palmer's reflections and insights. The audio is a collection of 24 essays and some poems that deal with issues of aging such as reimagining work and purpose, staying engaged with young people,... Read More

Author Gretchen Rubin gives an upbeat narration of her philosophy that external order creates inner calm. Rubin is clear and articulate as she presents her ideas about how possessions and the state of one's surroundings can change one's state of mind. The happiness expert's delivery is frank. As she details her plan to bring order to listeners' lives with questions aimed at... Read More

Fans of Oprah Winfrey's TV show, or more recently her two podcasts, will have this title on their playlist for months. She dips in and out of interview clips with trailblazers across various industries with her characteristic warmth, wit, and candor. Winfrey draws us close in this inspiring topical guide focused on self-motivation. We feel as though we are sitting in the living... Read More

Roy Worley brings his corporate voice-over skills to a project that might have been better served by a narrator more at home delivering an audiobook about parent-child communication. His phrasing patterns are pleasing enough, but they are from the world of advertising. His delivery doesn't always sound connected to this work's emotional nuances. The author's writing style may... Read More

This audiobook, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, makes achieving happiness no matter what's going on in one's life sound easily attainable. The work offers a profound cross-cultural dissection of enlightened states of being. Through examples of mindfulness and impermanence, listeners are asked to dive deeply into the nuances of the feeling body and thinking mind. Perhaps most... Read More

Jason Culp's cheerful narration is a good vehicle for the can-do energy of this empowering guide, but between the lines you can also hear the author's conviction and determination to be helpful. In addition to Culp's flinty voice and perfect enunciation, his nuanced phrasing amplifies the author's humanity, expressed here in the form of colorful stories, many from his own life.... Read More

Lyrical writing combines with authentic narration in this penetrating memoir, which shows how courageous self-examination can lead to happiness in midlife and beyond. Personal coach and author Cheryl Richardson was struggling to write her next book when her husband suggested she use material from her journal, intimate writing that she reads here with unvarnished candor and a... Read More

Hagerman's qualitative study of white upper-middle class families and how they engage or disengage from their white privilege comes across as earnest and thought provoking in Tavia Gilbert's well-balanced narration. Gilbert's pacing and emphasis enhance Hagerman's cultural context and critical insight so that even listeners unfamiliar with white privilege and how it operates... Read More

Narrator Suzanne Toren's mature pitch and thoughtful phrasing are perfect for this memoir-like review of the various ways women transition into their later years. Her sensitive interpretation of this nuanced writing will make many listeners feel like they are being invited into the author's life as they hear her intelligent observations and advice. The 71-year-old psychology... Read More

Echoing the refreshing frankness of the author, narrator Vivienne Leheney delivers Eleanor Roosevelt's reflections and advice without any unnecessary fanfare. Leheney hits the right note from the start as Roosevelt declares, "You learn by living." Drawing from her very public life and offering her personal beliefs, Roosevelt's title underscores her encouraging message to... Read More