Arthur C. Brooks can now add successful narrator to his list of accomplishments, which include being a bestselling author, professional musician, journalist, and Washington think tank leader. As narrator, Brooks's credibility, experience, and enthusiasm draw listeners into the content. He focuses on how "strivers," those who have sought and achieved success in their primary years, are often disappointed and challenged by the second half of life. He calls this "the striver's curse." Drawing on research, examples from varied industries, and his personal experience, Brooks provides a strategic plan for avoiding this curse and finding a fulfilling second half of life. Brooks delivers his own material with a well-paced, easy-listening voice that adds interest to the message and engages the listener.
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593457351
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Feiler’s heartfelt performance emphasizes his message that rituals are key to forging community.
Feiler is interested in how we use rituals to connect with others in an age in which fewer people than ever are baptized, get married, or are eventually buried. He casts a wide net: filing down teeth for coming-of-age ceremonies, divorce parties, placenta burials, gender reveals, and more. Feiler isn’t a professional narrator, but his authenticity and gentle humor are clearly apparent in his voice, which lends the whole endeavor the feeling of a memoir. That seems appropriate, given that Feiler travels the world participating in Vegas weddings and Nordic cold plunges and develops his own new rituals with his family to celebrate beating cancer.
Feiler’s heartfelt performance emphasizes his message that rituals are key to forging community.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217336692
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
A peaceful, restorative performance that encourages conscious observation.
Author Haynes may live in London, but she grew up on a farm. Nadia Albina’s British accent and warm voice encapsulate the bucolic vibe of this investigation into tracking time by the natural world. It’s all about rhythms and cycles—the time of year, the time of day, and the inner clocks of the physical world. Primroses open their blooms at the same time every day, and sunflowers turn their heads toward the sun as they move across the sky. Haynes urges listeners to be “trill-seekers” and pay attention to the dawn chorus as the birds layer their morning songs. Together, author and narrator conjure the soft light of late afternoon and the glitter of stars in a dark sky.
A peaceful, restorative performance that encourages conscious observation.Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217336838
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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