Scan barcode
nickscoby's review against another edition
2.0
I believe that this book was hella corny. Earnest, a bit pious, safe and somewhat class biased (not as many "ordinary" folks as I would like). Nevertheless, my favorite contribution was "Remembering All The Boys."
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
In a collection of short essays, men and women from all walks of life share their defining beliefs.
I listen to NPR in between audiobook downloads but I seem to only be in the car for the news and Marketplace, so I've never heard any of these essays. I enjoyed them immensely.
Ranging from funny to serious, from heartfelt to tongue-in-cheek, there's a wide range of personal voices and creeds to be found in this collection. I particularly liked that essays from the first run of the series, hosted by Edward R. Murrow in the '50s, were included. They were concerned about the end of the free world due to the Cold War. Now we're concerned about the end of the free world due to terrorism of all kinds. Some things never seem to change. That said, people don't change all that much either, and I mean that in the best possible way. We still have faith in our own humanity. Many of us have religious or spiritual faith. Those who don't have faith in order and reason. Kindness, compassion, humility, personal growth, empathy--all our best traits are on display here, both in the older essays and the more recent ones.
On a side note, I enjoyed hearing the way voices and accents have changed in only about 60 years. The accents in the '50s seemed to be more pronounced. My guess is that we're losing some regional accents due to media influences. That makes me a bit sad since I enjoy hearing them and definitely speak with my own Appalachian twang! I was interested to hear women speak back then too. I find it hard to explain, but their voices sounded more breathy and feminine to me. Was that something girls were subconsciously taught? I've noticed it in old movies but assumed it was just the actress in her role. Now I'm left wondering if it was a cultural thing.
By the end of the collection, I had started tuning out a bit. They were all unique in approach but some of the fundamentals did start to feel a bit repetitive.
I understand this was issued in print and as an audio book. I would definitely recommend listening to it. The pieces were originally written for radio so it makes sense to approach them in the intended medium. However you read them, I do recommend this collection. You'll be left wondering, as I do, "What do I believe?"
I listen to NPR in between audiobook downloads but I seem to only be in the car for the news and Marketplace, so I've never heard any of these essays. I enjoyed them immensely.
Ranging from funny to serious, from heartfelt to tongue-in-cheek, there's a wide range of personal voices and creeds to be found in this collection. I particularly liked that essays from the first run of the series, hosted by Edward R. Murrow in the '50s, were included. They were concerned about the end of the free world due to the Cold War. Now we're concerned about the end of the free world due to terrorism of all kinds. Some things never seem to change. That said, people don't change all that much either, and I mean that in the best possible way. We still have faith in our own humanity. Many of us have religious or spiritual faith. Those who don't have faith in order and reason. Kindness, compassion, humility, personal growth, empathy--all our best traits are on display here, both in the older essays and the more recent ones.
On a side note, I enjoyed hearing the way voices and accents have changed in only about 60 years. The accents in the '50s seemed to be more pronounced. My guess is that we're losing some regional accents due to media influences. That makes me a bit sad since I enjoy hearing them and definitely speak with my own Appalachian twang! I was interested to hear women speak back then too. I find it hard to explain, but their voices sounded more breathy and feminine to me. Was that something girls were subconsciously taught? I've noticed it in old movies but assumed it was just the actress in her role. Now I'm left wondering if it was a cultural thing.
By the end of the collection, I had started tuning out a bit. They were all unique in approach but some of the fundamentals did start to feel a bit repetitive.
I understand this was issued in print and as an audio book. I would definitely recommend listening to it. The pieces were originally written for radio so it makes sense to approach them in the intended medium. However you read them, I do recommend this collection. You'll be left wondering, as I do, "What do I believe?"
debs4jc's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone would benefit from listening to this illuminating look at the beliefs that guide people in their everyday life. It includes excerpts from a project in which people from all walks of life share their personal views on what they believe about life. Originally it was a radio show that aired in the 50's, so some of the people sharing their beliefs are historical figures like Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is fascinating to listen to and is well produced. I was wishing for a volume II as soon as I popped the last CD out of my player.
tyler_coe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
tusipepa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
expatally's review against another edition
4.0
A very difficult task-to fully verbalize the beliefs that drive the decisions in your life....and to accomplish this in a hundreds words or so. Inspiring to try to imagine how To accomplish this yourself.
seanallday's review against another edition
5.0
Very short passages (2-3 pages) from a variety of authors(both famous and average joes) on a core belief. Some deep, some funny, most of them interesting. I imagine everyone would find at least a few passages that ring true. I found myself bookmarking several, and ended up buying the book after initially reading a library copy.
librariandest's review against another edition
5.0
I love This I Believe. I first heard the radio show on NPR and then went out and bought the book when it came out. A lot of the statements are memorable, but the one that sticks out for me is by a woman who earned advanced degrees and then decided what she really wanted to do with her life was to be a personal assistant. People at parties treated her like she was dumb or unimportant when they found out what she did, but she learned not to let it bother her. She chose a job she liked over a job that would impress people, even though she could've easily found a job that impressed people.