Inside Voice

My Obsession with How We Sound

By: Lake Bell

Narrated by: Lake Bell, Malcolm Gladwell -Contributor, Drew Barrymore -Contributor, Susie Essman -Contributor, Jeff Goldblum -Contributor, Tracey Ullman -Contributor, Pam Grier -Contributor, Kunal Nayyar -Contributor

Length: 6 hrs

Publisher's summary

Named Audible's Best Nonfiction of 2022 and one of AudioFile's 2022 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks

"A sweeping excavation of voice and what it reveals about who we are." —Vanity Fair

Raise your hand if you cringe at the sound of your own voice, worry that you actually do sound like your mother, or have spent a sleepless night wondering if your inner and outer voices are in sync.

Now, hands down, headphones on. Lake Bell is going to tell you why you’re not alone and why your voice matters in the most deeply personal ways.

Inside Voice unpacks the writer-director-producer-actor’s obsession with voice and all its permutations. It takes us on a journey to discover how this vital piece of our identity serves as an x-ray of our personal histories. Bell explored the power of voice in her critically-acclaimed and award-winning film, In a World, which she wrote, directed, and starred in. With this audiobook, she dives back into the rabbit hole to deliver a fun, whip-smart exploration of the psychology, social science, cultural constructs, and mechanics of our voices.

When you hear the iconic voices of Drew Barrymore, Susie Essman, Tracey Ullman, Jeff Goldblum, or Pam Grier (all contributors to the book), you know right away who they are. Interviews with these legends as well as poets, doctors, linguists, voice coaches and conversations with pedestrians on the street get to the heart of why the way we sound matters so much. Voice can be why you laugh at a certain joke or decide to trust someone or even fall in love.

Uniquely suited to audio, Inside Voice is symphonic; complete with interactive games and exercises, and an original score by Chris Bear (Grizzly Bear). You might want to buckle up. This listen is a ride.

In Inside Voice you’ll hear from: Malcolm Gladwell; Drew Barrymore, Susie Essman; Jeff Goldblum; Pam Grier; Kunal Nayyar; Tracey Ullman; Eric Bauza; Amanda Montell; Dr. Emily Morse; President of the Linguistic Society of America, Prof. John Baugh; speech language pathologist, Dr. Amee Shah; linguistics professor Victor Fernández-Mallat; dialect coach Liz Himelstein; Dr. Randolph Schnitman; writer John Colapinto; poet Sam Sax; journalists Becca Andrews and Samantha Allen; and filmmaker David Thorpe.

©2022 Pushkin Industries (P)2022 Pushkin Industries

I wanna buy this audiobook a billboard

I am convinced you need to listen to this. Especially if you’re autistic or otherwise neurodivergent, and especially if you are a musical theater kid. Ugh. Everything. Everything. This is everything. Lake bell is amazing.

Fascinating dive into our use & perception of the human voice.

Lake Bell has made a brilliant audiobook (Pushkin Industries seem to be making a habit of producing exceptional audiobooks…) diving into our use & perception of the human voice.

It’s full of fascinating insights by voice acting pros & harnesses an essential message of inclusion.

Highly recommend for anyone interested in international anglophone culture & making this world a better place… :)

A delightful and informative exploration

I really enjoyed this. A playful and thoughtful journey thru the voice and it’s dynamics. Would absolutely recommend to others.

A Passion for Voice

Lake Bell provides a captivating narrative concerning the subject of the human voice and the role it plays in how we experience our world. At best, taken for granted, and at worst criticized with unconscious bias, our voices bear power. Herself, a practitioner of vocal craft, Bell sheds light on aspects of the voice that never before have been examined, compiled, and expounded upon in such an entertaining and delightful way.

some parts are exceptionally good, but only some

some parts are exceptionally good, but only some

great idea, great, very educational parts, but so e are a bit underdeveloped.

still highly recommend

A must-hear

Will revolutionize what you think of when you open your mouth to speak. A joyful exploration of the most everyday communication experience and everything it says to us.

Incredible!!!

I loved this! So entertaining, educational… and funny! Interviews with celebrities were great too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Lake Bell is a national treasure

You think you know what aspects of the voice Lake Bell is going to get into, but then she goes beyond that. There’s also a number of wonderful celebrity guests that she interviews. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about the sounds we make and why we make them.

Talk nerdy to me

Inside Voice defies simple categorization. You could call it any of these and still be right: book, podcast, interview, essay.

I purchased Inside Voice quite a while ago and was saving it for just the right time since I knew it would be a short treat. It was that and more.

I fell in love with Lake Bell's voice as Ivy on Harley Quinn. Kaley Cuoco does a fine job as the main protagonist but there's something about Bell's voice which steals the show. It feels natural, elastic, and skilled in a way that I've only come to appreciate after years of audiobooks. She brings all this and more to Inside Voice, both with her voice and her deep appreciation of it in others.

Interesting and

The book was interesting and enlightening. Lake Bell delivers a message we should heed about our voices being an instrument that defines us and how to mold the definition. All the while she models that message with a soothing and influencing voice of her own.