Brian Nishii delivers a performance that could not be better suited to this touching, well-documented personal growth audiobook. The author, a psychology professor and native of Japan, explains through vivid personal stories and accessible research that meaning and purpose in life are not enough. We can stay busy working for something we believe in, something important, but miss opportunities for a broader, deeper kind of happiness. The psychologically rich life-- the third dimension--can be ours by nurturing our curiosity, exploring the novel and unfamiliar, and becoming open to experiences that provoke strong emotions and memorable moments. Nishii's exceptional performance is a beautiful blend of his secure and steady vocal tone, creative phrasing, and gentle embrace of the humanitarian message in this wonderful audiobook.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217013326
Publisher: Random House 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 resonant, gut-wrenching memoir that may inspire listeners to hit a dusty trail of their own.
Kessler, prolific author of nonfiction, intrepidly narrates this immersive memoir of her 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino Francés after the devastating loss of both her husband and her daughter in the same year. Kessler’s tone is clear, even during the more heartbreaking chapters that revolve around her husband’s cancer and daughter’s drug use. Her tale, which toggles between the depths of grief and musings on consumerism or finding “uncomplicated joy in a Spanish tortilla,” exhibits the kind of harmonious braiding that makes a memoir soar. At the end of some longer sentences, Kessler’s delivery frays with a slight tiredness, but that lends to the big-picture experience of what is, indeed, a really long walk.
A resonant, gut-wrenching memoir that may inspire listeners to hit a dusty trail of their own.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654361
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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