New Reviews: Personal Growth

Amina AlTai teams up with Maria Shriver to deliver a compassionate personal growth audiobook that blends encouragement with practical strategies for self-improvement. Shriver's soothing narration pairs with AlTai's warm guidance as a mindset trainer to create an inviting tone for listeners who are navigating career setbacks. The audiobook highlights how social systems can shape... Read More

Kristen Strong narrates her own work with the warmth and candor of a trusted friend, giving this guide to friendship and faith an authentic and deeply personal tone. Her voice carries the gentle authority of experience--balancing vulnerability and encouragement. Strong's conversational pacing makes the material approachable, especially when she shares personal anecdotes and... Read More

Amy Jensen enthusiastically conveys author Jen Tota McGivney's admiration for Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. Listeners will discover key lessons from Thoreau's WALDEN reframed for contemporary life. McGivney engages listeners by drawing surprising comparisons between Thoreau and Bruce Springsteen and showing how "Waldenomics" can help individuals balance making a good... Read More

Though the author's history of childhood sexual abuse, poverty, a father's betrayal, a crippling motorcycle accident, and a chronic pain condition is daunting to hear, Amberly Lago's resilient approach to these tragedies and beguiling narration make this a joyful audiobook. With her quiet strength and warm voice, she sounds familiar, matter-of-fact, and inviting--like an old... Read More

The author's youthful tone and timbre, as well as her audible devotion to her profession, give added energy to the fresh ideas she offers about aging joyfully. A tireless researcher and teacher, the gerontologist presents the empowering research she's produced that glows with promise. She says a long lifespan and good health mean little if you're miserable and joyless during... Read More

In this personal growth audiobook, the creative director of character design for Sesame Workshop offers up an intriguing guide to creativity for every part of life. Using his own personal and professional experiences, Louis Henry Mitchell narrates his helpful advice on ingenuity. Sounding empathetic and motivating, his delivery is direct and organized as he advises listeners to... Read More

As author Gretchen Rubin narrates this rich collection of aphorisms, her comfort with the wisdom they embody reflects her successful career writing books about character and personal effectiveness. Rubin has a lovely speaking voice, and you can hear her joy in sharing these pithy statements and the larger truths they illuminate. She collected them from the writings of ancients... Read More

Television journalist, consultant, and conservative influencer Emily Austen explains how to overcome the way shame and low self-esteem can keep us from getting more output and satisfaction from our efforts. She narrates with strength and determination, a fitting tone for someone whose ideas and suggestions are informed by her own social hardships and mental health challenges.... Read More

Dr. Vonda Wright skillfully narrates her manifesto on unlocking the miraculous design of the body to challenge the biological time bombs of aging. Her mission is to help women achieve healthy longevity down to the cellular level. A renowned orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and health advocate, Dr. Wright brings her scientific and clinical expertise directly to listeners. Her... Read More

Richard Simon's sturdy speaking voice has wonderful clarity and a masculine pitch range that gives his relaxed performance a solid and respectable sound. His vocal personality makes him sound open and flexible. It's a great vehicle for the smartphone addiction remedies he offers in this fresh-sounding audiobook. Stories of how people wrestled with and benefited from ditching... Read More

With her down-to-earth vocal personality and audible commitment to her teaching, teacher/trainer Karen Salmansohn creates a secure atmosphere for considering the invitations in this compelling audiobook. Her conversational phrasing and reasonably quick pacing engage listeners. Her captivating message is that facing the reality of death can jolt us to live more boldly and to pay... Read More