Greenlights

By: Matthew McConaughey

Narrated by: Matthew McConaughey

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the Academy Award-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

“Unflinchingly honest and remarkably candid, Matthew McConaughey’s book invites us to grapple with the lessons of his life as he did - and to see that the point was never to win, but to understand.” (Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

I’ve been in this life for 50 years, been trying to work out its riddle for 42, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last 35. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me. 

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights”. So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is 50 years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops. Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It’s a love letter. To life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights - and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green, too. Good luck.

©2020 Matthew McConaughey (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“McConaughey is a talented actor and a fine writer, but a total genius at living. He attacks life with an exhilarating ferocity. This is a wildly unexpected and delightful book you can’t just read, you have to experience.” (Lawrence Wright, author of The End of October)

“It shouldn’t surprise you that this book is good, but it will surprise you just how good it is.... Wise and entertaining, this is an inspiring memoir and how-to from one of the great outlaw philosophers and artists of our time.” (Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic)

“A Renaissance man on the big screen, McConaughey shows he is the same on the page. Mystical and spiritual but mostly just wonderful, Greenlights is an inspired memoir that celebrates the idea that it’s the journey rather than the destination that will fulfill us.” (Michael Connelly, author of Fair Warning)

Love this!

I am not necessarily fanatical about this actor, but I can say now with conviction I am fanatical about this author. I found Matthew so honest, witty, intelligent, articulate, compassionate, brave, loyal, etc. His impersonation skills are spot on. I listened to all 6+ hours in one day (from my not feeling well bed)...so entertaining! In my opinion, Matthew McConaughey is an incredible role model for a human being. Thank you Matthew!

Love this man.

This book will be finished by lunch time.
Matthew M. is one of the most talented people in Hollywood. It’s one of those moments when you knew you loved the man, but now you love him even more. Thank you for sharing your stories.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - I LOVE THIS BOOK!

MM is a talented actor, a dedicated family man & a heck of a good writer & narrator. I had no problem listening to that sexy voice of his for hours. He’s just so darn like-able & sincere. I felt like we were hanging out (sans bongos) & Matthew was personally telling me these great stories of his life, work & family. Matthew shared very private memories he recorded in journals he began as a young kid with sincerity & honesty. He is an unbelievably talented writer! I’ve seen all of his movies & have been a big fan for years. I always wondered what he was really life. Now I feel like I almost know him. His storytelling is that intimate. This is an enjoyable & surprisingly open & honest book. The fact that MM narrated it himself really brought his stories to life & was the icing on the cake. This is a fantastic break out book. True fans of Matthew are going to love this. I LOVED THIS. Well worth the credit & your time. I hope this is helpful.

First audible book so bad I "exchanged" it.

I honestly don't get the good ratings here. I like McConaughey well enough as an actor and assumed I would like this book. It was astonishingly over-acted by McConaughey. One moment, he would talk so fast you couldn't understand him, the next he would slow down so much as to suggest he was saying something of monumental importance, which he wasn't. His so-called brilliant observations weren't. His stories were often not remotely credible. Don't waste your time.

Enthralling

Couldn’t stop listening (it’s good that he’s got a melodic voice) This is a book I will listen to more than once. I just started a journal to see what my future self will be reminded of. Favorite part was hearing the story of how he got the roll in “A Time to Kill”

Strong Start

*spoiler alert* I overall enjoyed this book. However, the beginning to middle was the best part. Arrogance snuck in from time to time, in various places. With that being said, I still admire his authenticity.

What an adventure!

I burned through this one today! So fast in fact, that it felt like I had my own...Greenlights! It was full of adventure, appreciation for life, truths and done in the art of a great storyteller. McConaughey's biggest and most constant role...a person becoming.

Smooth

Matthew McConaughey is a fabulous story teller. I could listen to his voice and his stories for days on end. He is a very talented, witty and intelligent man. I love his positive outlook and I enjoyed learning about his life.

Fan-frickin-tastic!

Well told and solid gold. Stories that will make you giggle and ponder and rewind while saying, ‘hold up did he just say...?’. So chock full of wisdom and good bumper sticker sayings that I think I might like to buy the book to have it written down somewhere to better reference.

Not as good as I had hoped.

I normally really like self narrated biography books. However, I didn't get that "real" feeling from him. It was a pretty dramatic, somewhat over performed experience for me. He is an interesting guy, with an interesting story, but it all came across to me as "look at me". I just didn't walk away being inspired or wanting to know more. Ironically, he talked a lot about being himself, but it seemed a bit acted as if he were playing himself. I know that sounds weird, but that's my best way of describing it. I'd love to have a beer or two with him sometime, but this was just okay for me.