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The Best Strangers in the World
- Stories from a Life Spent Listening
- Narrated by: Ari Shapiro
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
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Publisher's summary
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“The Best Strangers in the World is a witty, poignant book that captures Ari Shapiro’s love for the unusual, his pursuit of the unexpected, and his delight at connection against the odds.”—Ronan Farrow, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and New York Times-bestselling author of Catch and Kill and War on Peace
From the beloved host of NPR's All Things Considered, a stirring memoir-in-essays that is also a lover letter to journalism.
In his first book, broadcaster Ari Shapiro takes us around the globe to reveal the stories behind narratives that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, but always poignant. He details his time traveling on Air Force One with President Obama, or following the path of Syrian refugees fleeing war, or learning from those fighting for social justice both at home and abroad.
As the self-reinforcing bubbles we live in become more impenetrable, Ari Shapiro keeps seeking ways to help people listen to one another; to find connection and commonality with those who may seem different; to remind us that, before religion, or nationality, or politics, we are all human. The Best Strangers in the World is a testament to one journalist’s passion for Considering All Things—and sharing what he finds with the rest of us.
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From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction - a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us.
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Interesting approach to a nonfiction book...
- By Fact addict on 01-25-21
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The Girl in the Leaves
- By: Robert Scott, Larry Maynard, Sarah Maynard
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In the fall of 2010, in the all-American town of Apple Valley, Ohio, four people disappeared without a trace: Stephanie Sprang; her friend, Tina Maynard; and Tina's two children, 13-year-old Sarah and 11-year-old Kody. Investigators began scouring the area, yet despite an extensive search, no signs of the missing people were discovered.
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Tells the same story over and over
- By Sweetyness on 02-20-18
By: Robert Scott, and others
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Talking to GOATs
- The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard
- By: Jim Gray
- Narrated by: Tom Brady, Jim Gray, Carol Burnett, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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A journalist who many iconic athletes have trusted to tell their stories (of both triumph and disgrace), Jim has had unprecedented access to the people, places, and extraordinary events in the world of sports. Asking tough but fair questions, he has broken numerous stories, and landed squarely in the middle of others, from the Ben Johnson and Barry Bonds steroid scandals, to Michael Jordan’s surprise retirement, to the off-the-court Kobe/Shaq feud which led to their on-the-court break up, to being part of the live broadcast for 22 Super Bowls.
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Writing a book is not easy, Dan.
- By TheDadAbides on 11-17-20
By: Jim Gray
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The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man
- A Memoir
- By: Paul Newman, David Rosenthal - editor, Melissa Newman - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Jeff Daniels, Melissa Newman, Clea Newman Soderlund, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. The result is The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man—revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in places, always complex and profound.
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A lot of navel gazing, and yet….
- By Ben on 10-24-22
By: Paul Newman, and others
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The Way I Heard It
- By: Mike Rowe
- Narrated by: Mike Rowe
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Emmy-award winning gadfly Mike Rowe presents a ridiculously entertaining, seriously fascinating collection of his favorite episodes from America’s number-one short-form podcast, The Way I Heard It, along with a host of memories, ruminations, and insights. It’s a delightful collection of mysteries. A mosaic. A memoir. A charming, surprising must-have. Mike Rowe’s The Way I Heard It collects 35 fascinating stories “for the curious mind with a short attention span”.
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I could listen to Mike read all day. And I am!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-15-19
By: Mike Rowe
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The People's Hospital
- Hope and Peril in American Medicine
- By: Ricardo Nuila MD
- Narrated by: Ricardo Nuila MD
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Where does one go without health insurance, when turned away by hospitals, clinics, and doctors? In The People’s Hospital, physician Ricardo Nuila’s stunning debut, we follow the lives of five uninsured Houstonians as their struggle for survival leads them to a hospital where insurance comes second to genuine care.
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Niche perspective
- By Kathleen Garcia on 05-07-23
By: Ricardo Nuila MD
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Africa Is Not a Country
- Notes on a Bright Continent
- By: Dipo Faloyin
- Narrated by: Dipo Faloyin
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. In this bold and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective, weaving a vibrant tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa's rich diversity, communities, and histories. Starting with an immersive description of the lively and complex urban life of Lagos, Faloyin unearths surprising truths about many African countries' colonial heritage and tells the story of the continent's struggles with democracy through seven dictatorships.
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Brilliant!
- By Jane on 01-26-23
By: Dipo Faloyin
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All the Beauty in the World
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me
- By: Patrick Bringley
- Narrated by: Patrick Bringley
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two-million-square-foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer, and he found himself needing to escape. So he quit and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew.
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Gallery 771
- By Jonathan Hurst on 06-10-23
By: Patrick Bringley
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever
- A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War
- By: John "Chick" Donohue, J.T. Molloy
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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One night in 1967, 26-year-old John Donohue - known as Chick - was out with friends, drinking in a New York City bar. The friends gathered there had lost loved ones in Vietnam. Now, they watched as anti-war protesters turned on the troops themselves. One neighborhood patriot came up with an inspired - some would call it insane - idea. Someone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever.
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Really a good book. Brings back memories
- By Bruce on 06-21-21
By: John "Chick" Donohue, and others
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Into the Abyss
- An Extraordinary True Story
- By: Carol Shaben
- Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Only four men survived the plane crash. The pilot. A politician. A cop... and the criminal he was shackled to. On an icy night in October 1984, a commuter plane carrying nine passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. As the men fight through the night to stay alive, the dividing lines of power, wealth, and status are erased, and each man is forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence.
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Too long, and it got boring.
- By Simone on 06-30-17
By: Carol Shaben
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Still Foolin' 'Em
- Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys
- By: Billy Crystal
- Narrated by: Billy Crystal
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Billy Crystal is 65, and he's not happy about it. With his trademark wit and heart, he outlines the absurdities and challenges that come with growing old, from insomnia to memory loss to leaving dinners with half your meal on your shirt. In humorous chapters like "Buying the Plot" and "Nodding Off," Crystal not only catalogues his physical gripes, but offers a road map to his 77 million fellow baby boomers who are arriving at this milestone age with him. He also looks back at the most powerful and memorable moments of his long and storied life.
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Disarmingly Honest
- By David Shear on 09-12-13
By: Billy Crystal
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What listeners say about The Best Strangers in the World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jonathan M Mitchell
- 07-25-23
Couldn’t stop listening
Such a wonderfully crafted story weaving his life story with that of his experiences as a journalist around the world.
My favorite chapter centered around his time in London and his friendship with Rich Preston — you fully sense how much Ari loved him in a purely platonic way. Such a beautiful story.
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- Kindle Customer
- 04-12-23
Just Wonderful
The book was exactly as wonderful as I expected from one of my favorite NPR journalists.
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- Jp mccann
- 05-09-23
A good way to pass time
I enjoyed this; nothing earth changing. I will say that Pink Flamingo is now on my playlist.
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- mgd1
- 05-10-23
Amazing experiences
A thoughtful gift for a hopeful future journalist. Thank you for sharing these incredible experiences.
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- Joy E.
- 01-08-24
Stories about sweating that aren’t funny
Love Ari on NPR but it was a chore finishing this. Nothing stands out and I was mostly bored. For being titled a life spent listening, i felt misled, since he talked mostly about himself. Which i get. But also wasn’t as interested in.
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- Katharine A. Sokoloff
- 06-01-23
Strangers No More
Delightful, insightful and a joy to listen to and get to know- a little-Ari Shapiro.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Carrie Blair
- 04-20-23
Best Connections
I just LOVED this book!, Much more insightful connections, Community engagement, and relevant intentions woven throughout. Not just a collection of stories or memoir…
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- Dolly
- 05-14-23
So much more than I expected!
What a bonus that Ari narrated his touching and entertaining book; I felt like he was sitting with me the entire time. The breadth and depth of his writing pinged my heart several times as I laughed out loud and also had a lump in my throat as a reaction to his words. Definitely recommended reading!
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- Anonymous
- 05-22-23
Listening to Ari’s stories is a delight
Funny, heartwarming and insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his stories and experiences. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook!
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2 people found this helpful
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- John Goetzke
- 05-29-23
10 out of 10
A compelling, entertaining, and insightful memoir with stories that will leave you wanting dozens more
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2 people found this helpful