The Half Known Life

In Search of Paradise

By: Pico Iyer

Narrated by: Pico Iyer

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW YORKER, NPR, TIME MAGAZINE & MORE

“Masterful . . . A book of inner journeys told through extraordinary exteriors . . . One of his very best.” —Washington Post

“Dazzling.” —Time Magazine, Best Books of 2023

From “one of the most soulful and perceptive writers of our time” (Brain Pickings): a journey through competing ideas of paradise to see how we can live more peacefully in an ever more divided and distracted world.

Paradise: that elusive place where the anxieties, struggles, and burdens of life fall away. Most of us dream of it, but each of us has very different ideas about where it is to be found. For some it can be enjoyed only after death; for others, it’s in our midst—or just across the ocean—if only we can find eyes to see it.

Traveling from Iran to North Korea, from the Dalai Lama’s Himalayas to the ghostly temples of Japan, Pico Iyer brings together a lifetime of explorations to upend our ideas of utopia and ask how we might find peace in the midst of difficulty and suffering. Does religion lead us back to Eden or only into constant contention? Why do so many seeming paradises turn into warzones? And does paradise exist only in the afterworld – or can it be found in the here and now?

For almost fifty years Iyer has been roaming the world, mixing a global soul’s delight in observing cultures with a pilgrim’s readiness to be transformed. In this culminating work, he brings together the outer world and the inner to offer us a surprising, original, often beautiful exploration of how we might come upon paradise in the midst of our very real lives.

©2023 Pico Iyer (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“One of his very best… A work of spiritual evolution built around vivid, discernible images of real places by a master of description… A masterful merging of Iyer’s past and current concerns, a book of inner journeys told through extraordinary exteriors.”—Washington Post

“This book combines the wisdom of a lifelong traveler with the insights of a dazzling range of spiritual traditions, sparking our enthusiasm for more adventures: both around the world and inside the soul.”—Pulitzer Prize winner Benjamin Moser

“In Iyer’s hands, the search for paradise, the way out of the ego, doubles as an internal journey… This elliptical odyssey, graced with occasional notes of light, finds itself by dwelling in the shadows… His book has the soft ring of a classic Buddhist meditation strategy: In order to understand the emptiness of the ego, one must first find the self as it appears.”–New York Times Book Review

Beautiful

I loved this book so much!! There were definitely some slow parts and so think maybe part of it was the narration, but this book was gorgeous. I loved all the descriptions and the premise. One of my favorites I’ve listened to this year.

Best travel writer alive today!

I own most of Pico Iyer's books and I have yet to be disappointed by one. He's the best travel writer alive. Having him on audio is a thrill; he could read me a restaurant menu and I'd still love it. This book takes you on a world tour and it asks a lot of interesting questions.
For example, if life is very controlled in North Korea, does humanity eventually shine through?
There is a distinct religious, spiritual angle to this book but it's still a fantastic ride through many places in the world. You learn details about several places you could never get from a travel guide.
Pico Iyer is required reading for people interested in the world and in travel. I wish he could publish one book per month.

Lessons for life and death

A must listen but you can’t absorb it all in one reading. A journey for all.

Worth it.

I throughly enjoyed this thought provoking journey. I heard an interview with the author on NPR and was not disappointed.

Fantastic Book

Beautifully written and read. Like taking a trip around the world with a wise spiritual guide.

Beautifully captured

If you've never visited the places that Pico Iyer writes about it may be difficult to follow. However, if you've been there and have experienced these places, he is the master at describing them. His chapter on Varanasi is absolutely spot-on. India is mind-blowing and he managed to piece it apart and put it in back into words in such a thoughtful manner. I'm so happy that someone goes to the trouble, puts up with the discomfort and seeks out experiences that teach, stretch and make our minds grow.

Unusual Travelogue

Hearing this description was like going there myself— enjoyed the author’s enthusiastic perspective and respect for the people he encountered.

A chill book, easy to read, good to pass the time

..." The more i bumped around Sri Lanka the more i began to wonder whether real faith might have less to do with the conviction that everything will turn out alright, than with the simple confidence that something makes sense, even when everything goes wrong".

A Guide to Find Paradise

Pico Iyer has a way of sharing his spiritual travels like none other. His discovery of paradise, oh my. Grateful for his insight.

Beautiful and smart

The author is an excellent reader, and his observations stay with me. He mixes it up: sharp and gentle.