Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It

Publisher's Summary

True stories inspired by one of the most iconic, beloved, best-selling books of our time.

In the 10 years since its electrifying debut, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love has become a worldwide phenomenon, empowering millions of readers and listeners to set out on paths they never thought possible, in search of their own best selves. Here, in this candid and captivating collection, nearly 50 of those readers and listeners - people as diverse in their experiences as they are in age and background - share their stories. The journeys they recount are transformative - sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always deeply inspiring.

Eat Pray Love helped one writer to embrace motherhood, another to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and yet another to find peace with not wanting to become a mother at all. One writer, reeling from a difficult divorce, finds new love overseas; another, a lifelong caregiver, is inspired to take an annual road trip - solo. A man leaves seminary, embraces his sexual identity, and forges a new relationship with God. A woman goes to divinity school and grapples with doubt and belief. One writer's search for the perfect pizza leads her to New Zealand and off-the-grid homesteading while another, in overcoming an eating disorder, redefines her relationship not only with food but with herself. Some writers face down devastating illness and crippling fears and others step out of their old lives to fulfill long-held dreams of singing, acting, writing, teaching, and learning.

Entertaining and enlightening, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It is a celebration for fans old and new. What will Eat Pray Love make you do?

Introduction written and read by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Read by Cassandra Campbell, Marc Cashman, Robbie Daymond, Mark Deakins, Ariana Delawari, Jorjeana Marie, and Emily Rankin.

Full author list includes: Alexandria Hodge, Amy B. Scher, Linsi Broom, Melissa Bergstrom, Kahla Kiker, Sandra Roussy, James Belmont, Annmarie Kostyk, Nosipho Kota, Nicole Massaro, Regan Spencer, Chelsey Everest, Theressa Real, Crystal Gasser, Lisann Valentin, Karstee Davis, Laurie Granieri, Leslie Patrick Moore, Sondra Imperati, Elizabeth Duffy, Amanda Whitten, Billy Rosa, Theresa Thornton, Cara Bradshaw, Robin Murphy, Kitty Taylor, Danielle Rhinehart, Elizabeth Veras Holland, Susan Krakoff, Tracie Cornell, Lettie Stratton, Jen Flick, Peggy Bresnick, Eran Sudds, Laurna Strikwerda, Aimee Halfpenny, Jan Haag, Shannon Sykes Westgate, Eduardo Martinez, Emily Shaules, Rebecca Asher, Victoria Russell, Mallory Kotzman, Lisa Becker, Peter Richmond, April Schmidt, and Tina Donvito.

©2016 Elizabeth Gilbert, et al (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Basically Fan Mail with Sharing

Okay, so like a couple of days ago I used a credit to finally see what "Eat, Pray, Love" was all about. And it was mind-blowingly fantastic! Seriously, I did nothing else that day except listen to the book from cover to cover, feeling inspired, feeling joy, feeling like I could do anything I wanted in the world. The wisdom, the emotion, in that book is extraordinary.
So when I saw a book about how other people were inspired to change their lives, I couldn't click on "Pre-Order" fast enough! I thought: Great! People on the same journey I'd been thinking about!
...meh...
Oh, how disappointing. Basically it's fan mail and "Eat, Pray, Love" becomes a trite metaphor with people saying, "I thought he was my Felipe. It turns out he was my David." And "I brought out my Bible: 'Eat, Pray, Love...'"
It's wonderful that people were and continue to be transformed; I think that's fantastic. But really, the stories are so basic: they run anywhere between 2 to 8 minutes, and there's only so much you can do with so short a window. We don't really get to know anyone, know their confusion, know their suffering. We don't really get to know the relief and bliss they find.
Of course you're not expecting "Eat, Pray, Love" itself. That's not what you're looking at when you consider this book. Just don't expect the same heart, wisdom, pathos either.

17 of 20 people found this review helpful

boring

I was hoping for stories, but it was just the same thing, over and over.

Easy listening

I liked the book because I also found many similarities in my own life.
This is not a critic or anything, just my point of view I found that almost all the stories said that without the book they will have never made it, and they felt as if they had to go through the exact same path as Liz, travel for so long and this and that! Of course is inspiring but not to the point that without it you will not survive!
Nice to see that so many people go through similar things and that time goes by and you move on!

Real life experiences

It was very interesting to hear the range of how people choose to act on their inspiration of the book. I think everyone could find a story to relate to.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another Inspiration

Beautifully written and gorgeously read.

I first read Eat, Pray, Love a year or so after it came out. It moved me, but not in an earth shattering way. When the movie came out, I bought it. Between the two, I was greatly inspired to make several life changes. This book showed me that not only was I not alone, I was amongst friends.

Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It is funny, difficult, cry inducing, and humbling. Where I do disagree with some of Elizabeth Gilbert's motivations, I was happy to hear the stories of others who read her memoir and were also inspired to make a life change in order to truly find their direction.

I would recommend this and the original to anyone looking for the inspiration to make a change, however small, in the context of their life's purpose. We are all looking for fulfillment, and reading the search from others is awe inspiring.

I enjoyed the cast and the writing and will listen to this over and over.

Thank you Liz.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

An incredible experience

What made the experience of listening to Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It the most enjoyable?

Listening to someone read my essay for this audio book will be a moment I remember forever!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It?

I loved listening to Liz read her introduction. It reminded me why I was inspired to write my contribution int he first place.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

There are many narrators in this book but I'm looking forward to listening to more works by all of them.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It?

That I can accomplish any dream I have!

Any additional comments?

Tonight there is a reading and book signing at my local bookstore for me. This entire experience has been one of best of my life. Thank you, Liz!

2 of 6 people found this review helpful