AUDIOBOOK & PODCAST REVIEWS

(Alphabetical by Title)

The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown

This was more like a 6-7 hour podcast interview than a traditional audiobook, but it was a very effective format for the content.  I’ve always liked to read self-help books, but now that I’m discovering this medium, I find that listening to the actual author convey his/her message may even be more effective – at least for this genre.  There are a lot of great nuggets of wisdom in this book about how to be present, but I had one powerful takeaway from this book: when confronted with demands that may not work for your present circumstances, it’s more important to be authentic and uncomfortable in saying “no” than it is to say “yes” inauthentically and harbor resentment.  Lots of wisdom in that, in my opinion.

Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle

I’ve read several of Tolle’s books, including The Power of Now and A New Earth.  Stillness Speaks covers roughly the same topics about how to find presence in stillness as well as learning to recognize one’s attachment to ego.  Honestly, none of this material would have resonated with me even 5 years ago, but in 2016 I attended a life-changing retreat in Napa Valley called “The Hoffman Process” which introduced to me the practice of being present as well as recognizing that we are not our patterns.  Since then, I’ve come to realize that almost all of these books and seminars basically share the same essence – just with different vocabulary and perspectives. 

A New Earth (Podcast) by Eckhart Tolle & Oprah Winfrey

Eckhart Tolle to me is one of the best authors on the subject, and I highly recommend his podcast with Oprah Winfrey on his other book:

https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL2EtbmV3LWVhcnRo&episode=Z2lkOi8vYXJ0MTktZXBpc29kZS1sb2NhdG9yL1YwL2ZadkJOQjI3enZVRkM1aUUtUU5kVDZsc0NMblFJZHRLZFlDbDgzNjZXU3c&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwixp4rzg__lAhUmc98KHfn3CyEQjrkEegQIChAE&ep=6&at=1574467346121