The Art of Asking

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

By: Amanda Palmer

Narrated by: Amanda Palmer

Imagine standing on a box in the middle of a busy city, dressed as a white-faced bride, and silently using your eyes to ask people for money. Or touring Europe in a punk cabaret band, and finding a place to sleep each night by reaching out to strangers on Twitter. For Amanda Palmer, actions like these have gone beyond satisfying her basic needs for food and shelter - they've taught her how to turn strangers into friends, build communities, and discover her own giving impulses. And because she had learned how to ask, she was able to go to the world to ask for the money to make a new album and tour with it, and to raise over a million dollars in a month.

In The Art of Asking, Palmer expands upon her popular TED talk to reveal how ordinary people, those of us without thousands of Twitter followers and adoring fans, can use these same principles in our own lives.

This audio digital download includes a PDF featuring photographs and song lyrics.

©2014 Amanda Palmer (P)2014 Hachette Audio

touching

It is a fantastic, honest, touching book! I see myself so much in this story!

This. Is. Good. Art.

This book showes what to do when life gets tough. As Gaiman himself has said it "make good art."

If artists would take Gaiman's advice and created their art in the example of this book, then maybe the story of Amanda Palmer wouldn't seem so alien. And as a result we could have a world filled with stronger and healthier relationships between artists and their fans.

I hope every striving artist read this book and decide to take the leap and ask the world. This book opened my eyes and I will do my best to ask or at least notice when I turn away donuts someone is gifting me.

The pleasure of giving is all I want to do with my art, so I will try to not take it away from others. (Artist or not)

Thx, Amanda.

What a beautiful story and narration!

The story and the narration by Amanda herself is absolutely beautiful! She is genuine, authentic and at times very vulnerable... I'm impressed by her deep personality and views of life. Highly recommended!

Loved it!

I loved every minute of it. Amandas voice was perfect for reading the book but I wish it was longer

Amazing Amanda

It's better in Audible. Cuz when Ananda reads it for you the effect is doubled. Everything is in sauce of music of Dresden dolls. Thank you.

AFP at her best

If you could sum up The Art of Asking in three words, what would they be?

honest, intimate, touching

What did you like best about this story?

the story about the dog and the nail

What does Amanda Palmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Amanda is a good story teller - her reading the book gives it a intensity that does not came across in the print version. Some parts of this book are so enticing it is almost impossible to escape the narrative - there were moments it feels she is present in the room.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

not sure yet - will have to re-listen - there are many moments like the part when AFP talks about homeless people and her teenage stories.

Any additional comments?

Probably the best read this year - it is insightful, personal and brutally honest without hurting anyone or anything. Cosmic!

A person that really understands where humanity is going

Wow, I remember I met Amanda when I was living in Sydney as the bride, listened to her music on JJJ radio now listened to her story here. This was a journey for me and taught me that asking is ok and not to be hung up on the reply. Once you ask you get AN answer and are able to move on. Never dwell or get hung up but just ask?! Thank you Amanda.

Good story

loved that she was the one telling the story. Very well told with a soothing voice

Just awesome

If you don’t already love Amanda Palmer’s contributions to the world, this book will make her way of thinking and being irresistible. I feel so much bigger on the inside, thank you to all involved.

An average book

A person explains all the benefits of living in first world and using the privileges of being white while facing first world problems when executing art