-
In Praise of the Useless Life
- A Monk’s Memoir
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
In Praise of the Useless Life
Buy for $13.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind
- By: Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou Ph.D.
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 196
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 192
What does it mean to "think Orthodox"? What are the unspoken and unexplored premises and presumptions underlying what Christians believe? Orthodox Christianity is based on preserving the mind of the early Church, its phronema. Dr. Jeannie Constantinou brings her more than 40 years' experience as a professor, Bible teacher, and speaker to bear in explaining what the Orthodox phronema is, how it can be acquired, and how that phronema is expressed in true Orthodox theology.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thinking Orthodox
- By Megan on 05-09-21
-
Thomas Merton on Prayer
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extraordinarily Relevant
- By A. Chan on 12-04-17
By: Thomas Merton
-
The Long Loneliness
- The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist
- By: Dorothy Day
- Narrated by: Nancy Linari
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 83
When Dorothy Day died in 1980, the New York Times eulogized her as “a nonviolent social radical of luminous personality...founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and leader for more than 50 years in numerous battles of social justice.” Here, in her own words, this remarkable woman tells of her early life as a young journalist in the crucible of Greenwich Village political and literary thought in the 1920s, and of her momentous conversion to Catholicism that meant the end of a Bohemian lifestyle and common-law marriage.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Required reading for any who work in poverty
- By marguerite allred-crawford on 11-16-20
By: Dorothy Day
-
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- By: United State Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Narrated by: Archbishop Donald Wuerl
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 551
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 439
This unabridged audio version brings to life an exciting combination of the seven basic elements that make up the print version. Musical accents subtly underscore the beginning of each chapter. The meditation and prayer elements, with six different readers, both men and women, including Archbishop Donald Wuerl, bring the text to life.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- By John on 07-19-10
-
Catholicism
- A Journey to the Heart of the Faith
- By: Robert Barron
- Narrated by: Robert Barron
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,793
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,559
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,550
Fr. Robert Barron's comprehensive work goes straight to the core of the Catholic faith. He first examines the foundations of Christ's incarnation, life and ministry, and then works through the essentials of the Catholic tradition: from sacraments, worship and prayer, to Mary and the saints, and on to salvation, heaven and hell. Throughout this epic journey, Fr. Barron uses art, literature, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy and history to present a complete picture of the Church to the world.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful Journey!
- By Echo Juliet on 06-13-12
By: Robert Barron
-
The Monastic Heart
- 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life
- By: Joan Chittister
- Narrated by: Joan Chittister
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
The activist, nun, and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves - to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal, restoration, and justice right where we are.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I will listen to this over and over in coming yrs.
- By Kimberly on 06-14-22
By: Joan Chittister
-
Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind
- By: Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou Ph.D.
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 196
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 192
What does it mean to "think Orthodox"? What are the unspoken and unexplored premises and presumptions underlying what Christians believe? Orthodox Christianity is based on preserving the mind of the early Church, its phronema. Dr. Jeannie Constantinou brings her more than 40 years' experience as a professor, Bible teacher, and speaker to bear in explaining what the Orthodox phronema is, how it can be acquired, and how that phronema is expressed in true Orthodox theology.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thinking Orthodox
- By Megan on 05-09-21
-
Thomas Merton on Prayer
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extraordinarily Relevant
- By A. Chan on 12-04-17
By: Thomas Merton
-
The Long Loneliness
- The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist
- By: Dorothy Day
- Narrated by: Nancy Linari
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 83
When Dorothy Day died in 1980, the New York Times eulogized her as “a nonviolent social radical of luminous personality...founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and leader for more than 50 years in numerous battles of social justice.” Here, in her own words, this remarkable woman tells of her early life as a young journalist in the crucible of Greenwich Village political and literary thought in the 1920s, and of her momentous conversion to Catholicism that meant the end of a Bohemian lifestyle and common-law marriage.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Required reading for any who work in poverty
- By marguerite allred-crawford on 11-16-20
By: Dorothy Day
-
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- By: United State Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Narrated by: Archbishop Donald Wuerl
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 551
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 439
This unabridged audio version brings to life an exciting combination of the seven basic elements that make up the print version. Musical accents subtly underscore the beginning of each chapter. The meditation and prayer elements, with six different readers, both men and women, including Archbishop Donald Wuerl, bring the text to life.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
- By John on 07-19-10
-
Catholicism
- A Journey to the Heart of the Faith
- By: Robert Barron
- Narrated by: Robert Barron
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,793
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,559
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,550
Fr. Robert Barron's comprehensive work goes straight to the core of the Catholic faith. He first examines the foundations of Christ's incarnation, life and ministry, and then works through the essentials of the Catholic tradition: from sacraments, worship and prayer, to Mary and the saints, and on to salvation, heaven and hell. Throughout this epic journey, Fr. Barron uses art, literature, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy and history to present a complete picture of the Church to the world.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful Journey!
- By Echo Juliet on 06-13-12
By: Robert Barron
-
The Monastic Heart
- 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life
- By: Joan Chittister
- Narrated by: Joan Chittister
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
The activist, nun, and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves - to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal, restoration, and justice right where we are.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I will listen to this over and over in coming yrs.
- By Kimberly on 06-14-22
By: Joan Chittister
-
Anam Cara (Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition)
- A Book of Celtic Wisdom
- By: John O'Donohue, President Higgins - foreword
- Narrated by: Pat O'Donohue
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 52
In this revered work, John O’Donohue excavates themes of friendship, belonging, solitude, creativity, and the imagination, among many others. Widely recognized for bringing Celtic spirituality into modern dialogue, his unique insights from the ancient world speak with urgency for our need to rediscover the thresholds of the soul.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Tá sé go hiontach!
- By Jessica Holmes on 05-26-23
By: John O'Donohue, and others
-
Walden
- Life in the Woods
- By: Henry David Thoreau
- Narrated by: Alec Sand
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,608
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,357
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,357
Thoreau's classic account of the solitary life, describing his attempts to simplify his life and sort out his priorities by living alone in a cabin beside Walden Pond for nearly two years, is one of the most influential books ever written. The bible of the environmental movement, Walden vividly portrays Thoreau's reverence for nature, and his understanding of the idea that nature is made up of crucially interrelated parts.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent book and narration
- By Kindle Customer on 06-14-11
-
Life Worth Living
- A Guide to What Matters Most
- By: Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Linz
- Narrated by: Kelly Corrigan, Maria Shriver
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
What makes a good life? The question is inherent to the human condition, asked by people across generations, professions, and social classes, and addressed by all schools of philosophy and religions. This search for meaning, as Yale faculty Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz argue, is at the crux of a crisis that is facing Western culture, a crisis that, they propose, can be ameliorated by searching, in one’s own life, for the underlying truth.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Evangelical Tripe
- By Guy Shophard on 04-24-23
By: Miroslav Volf, and others
-
The Wisdom of the Desert
- Sayings from the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Greg Chun
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 94
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books, surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations and the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
150 sayings & stories for Desert Fathers
- By Adam Shields on 08-01-21
By: Thomas Merton
-
Thomas Merton on Monastic Spirituality and the Quest for Peace
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
What can your spiritual ancestors teach you about holy living today? Although they led ascetic lives centuries ago, St. Benedict, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and other early Christian saints have much to teach everyone in the 21st century. Through their enduring writings, they created blueprints of the spiritual life that remain as powerful in our time as ever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
love these lectures
- By stephen dumpert on 05-07-18
By: Thomas Merton
-
Thomas Merton on the Twelve Steps of Humility
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must Listen from Merton
- By BKW on 10-30-19
By: Thomas Merton
-
Contemplative Prayer
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Jonathan Montaldo
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 104
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 99
This is Merton at his best, applying ancient wisdom to the longings of our age through thoughtful commentary on Scripture and writers of the Western spiritual tradition. This book distills Merton's own reading and long experience with contemplation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another beauty by one of my favorite authors
- By L. Wilson on 08-10-12
By: Thomas Merton
-
Introduction to the Spiritual Life
- Walking the Path of Prayer with Jesus
- By: Brant Pitre
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 207
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 186
The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. In his most personal book yet, Brant Pitre, PhD, draws on the riches of the Bible, the words of Jesus, and the writings of mystics across the centuries to shed light on the mystery - and wonder - of the spiritual life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I thirst…
- By Amazon Customer on 12-20-21
By: Brant Pitre
-
The Art of the Wasted Day
- By: Patricia Hampl
- Narrated by: Patricia Hampl
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 41
The Art of the Wasted Day is a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, even an art form. She begins with two celebrated 18th-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a life of "retirement" in rural Wales. Her search then leads to Moravia to consider the monk-geneticist, Gregor Mendel, and finally to Bordeaux for Michel Montaigne who retreated from court life to sit in his chateau tower and write about whatever passed through his mind.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect Flow of Consciousness Piece
- By Richard on 04-30-18
By: Patricia Hampl
-
Abandonment to Divine Providence
- By: Jean-Pierre de Caussade
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 20 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
In the book Abandonment to Divine Providence (published in 1851), he teaches the believer to submit to God’s will and to enjoy his loving presence. Abandonment is a term used by mystic writers to signify the first stage of the union of the soul with the divine, by conforming to God's will. Abandoning an outcome to God is to follow the path of peace. Originally written as letters for the direction of Nuns, the book is an excellent guide for Christians yearning to attain resignation and peace.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book, hard to understand narrator
- By testafamily on 03-08-21
-
The Seven Storey Mountain
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Sidney Lanier
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,407
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,192
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,183
The Seven Storey Mountain is the extraordinary spiritual testament of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a man who experienced life to its fullest in the world before entering a Trappist monastery. By the end of his life, he had become one of the 20th century's best-known and beloved Christian voices. This autobiography deals...not with what happens to a man, but what happens inside his soul.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Letter to Audible
- By Victoria A. McCargar on 08-06-17
By: Thomas Merton
-
Light When It Comes
- Trusting Joy, Facing Darkness, and Seeing God in Everything
- By: Chris Anderson
- Narrated by: Trevor Thompson
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 31
On finding joy and spiritual meaning in life's small moments. We all have moments of joy, moments that move us somehow, spiritual moments that we can't quite put a finger on. But then we rush on and soon forget. In this book Chris Anderson encourages us to remember and share such moments. What he writes will inspire listeners who are hurting, doubting, or searching to find wisdom and meaning in their lives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
God brings the light in all things
- By Daman on 07-11-17
By: Chris Anderson
Publisher's summary
Monastic life and its counter-cultural wisdom come alive in the stories and lessons of Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO, during his more than five decades as a Trappist at the Abbey of Gethsemani. He served as a novice under Thomas Merton, and he also welcomed some of the monastery's more well-known visitors, including Sr. Helen Prejean and Seamus Heaney, to Merton's hermitage. In Praise of the Useless Life includes Quenon's quiet reflections on what it means to live each day with careful attentiveness.
The humble peace and simplicity of the monastery and of Quenon's daily life are beautifully portrayed in this memoir. Whether it be through the daily routine of the monastery, his love of the outdoors no matter the season, or his lively and interesting conversations with visitors (reciting Emily Dickinson with Pico Iyer, discussing Merton and poetry with Czeslaw Milosz), Quenon's gentle musings display his love for the beauty in his vocation and the people he's encountered along the way.
Inspired by his novice master Merton, the poet and photographer’s stories remind us that the beauty of life can best be seen in the "uselessness" of daily life - having a quiet chat with a friend, spending time in contemplation - in our vocations, and in the memories we make along the way.
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
Where the Heart Beats
- John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists
- By: Kay Larson
- Narrated by: Jason Wineinger
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Composer John Cage sought the silence of a mind at peace with itself - and found it in Zen Buddhism, a spiritual path that changed both his music and his view of the universe. "Remarkably researched, exquisitely written", Where the Heart Beats weaves together "a great many threads of cultural history" (Maria Popova, Brain Pickings) to illuminate Cage’s struggle to accept himself and his relationship with choreographer Merce Cunningham. Freed to be his own man, Cage originated exciting experiments that set him at the epicenter of a new avant-garde forming in the 1950s.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mind Expansion
- By Robert Keith on 04-04-15
By: Kay Larson
-
An Altar in the World
- A Geography of Faith
- By: Barbara Brown Taylor
- Narrated by: Barbara Brown Taylor
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 372
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 372
From simple practices such as walking, working, and getting lost to deep meditations on topics like prayer and pronouncing blessings, Taylor reveals concrete ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see. Something as ordinary as hanging clothes on a clothesline becomes an act of devotion if we pay attention to what we are doing and take time to attend to the sights, smells, and sounds around us. Making eye contact with the cashier at the grocery store becomes a moment of true human connection.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sorry Audible.
- By Evert on 07-19-13
-
The Seven Storey Mountain
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Sidney Lanier
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,407
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,192
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,183
The Seven Storey Mountain is the extraordinary spiritual testament of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a man who experienced life to its fullest in the world before entering a Trappist monastery. By the end of his life, he had become one of the 20th century's best-known and beloved Christian voices. This autobiography deals...not with what happens to a man, but what happens inside his soul.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Letter to Audible
- By Victoria A. McCargar on 08-06-17
By: Thomas Merton
-
Tales of Wonder
- By: Huston Smith
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Huston Smith, the man who brought the world's religions to the West, was born almost a century ago to missionary parents in China during the perilous rise of the Communist Party. Smith's lifelong spiritual journey brought him face-to-face with many of the people who shaped the 20th century. His extraordinary travels around the globe have taken him to the world's holiest places, where he has practiced religion with many of the great spiritual leaders of our time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Takes of wonder for sure, by a wonderful man.
- By Dr. D. Brian Austin on 04-03-19
By: Huston Smith
-
My Life With the Saints
- By: James Martin SJ
- Narrated by: James Martin SJ
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 361
Be inspired by saints like never before in My Life with the Saints by James Martin, SJ. This best-selling memoir of spiritual self-discovery is an homage to the saints who have accompanied Fr. Martin throughout his life. From a lukewarm childhood Catholicism, to the Wharton School of Business, to the executive fast track at General Electric, to the Jesuits, to a media career in Manhattan, Martin has relied on the saints to intervene in and guide his life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The title describes the book
- By Richard K. on 12-09-10
By: James Martin SJ
-
Already Here
- A Doctor Discovers the Truth About Heaven
- By: Leo Galland M.D.
- Narrated by: Leo Galland M.D.
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
Already Here tells of the death of Leo Galland's son, Christopher, at age 22; the direct visual evidence Christopher showed Leo that our souls do go on; and the communications from Christopher's spirit that changed Leo's understanding of life and its meaning. In life, Christopher was a brain-damaged special-needs child who challenged everyone he knew with unpredictable behavior and uncanny insights. After his death, he revealed to Leo the real purpose of his life, as a spiritual guide who taught others by confounding their assumptions and expectations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I needed this book. thanks Doctor.
- By Anonymous User on 08-08-18
By: Leo Galland M.D.
-
Where the Heart Beats
- John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists
- By: Kay Larson
- Narrated by: Jason Wineinger
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Composer John Cage sought the silence of a mind at peace with itself - and found it in Zen Buddhism, a spiritual path that changed both his music and his view of the universe. "Remarkably researched, exquisitely written", Where the Heart Beats weaves together "a great many threads of cultural history" (Maria Popova, Brain Pickings) to illuminate Cage’s struggle to accept himself and his relationship with choreographer Merce Cunningham. Freed to be his own man, Cage originated exciting experiments that set him at the epicenter of a new avant-garde forming in the 1950s.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mind Expansion
- By Robert Keith on 04-04-15
By: Kay Larson
-
An Altar in the World
- A Geography of Faith
- By: Barbara Brown Taylor
- Narrated by: Barbara Brown Taylor
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 372
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 372
From simple practices such as walking, working, and getting lost to deep meditations on topics like prayer and pronouncing blessings, Taylor reveals concrete ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see. Something as ordinary as hanging clothes on a clothesline becomes an act of devotion if we pay attention to what we are doing and take time to attend to the sights, smells, and sounds around us. Making eye contact with the cashier at the grocery store becomes a moment of true human connection.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sorry Audible.
- By Evert on 07-19-13
-
The Seven Storey Mountain
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Sidney Lanier
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,407
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,192
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,183
The Seven Storey Mountain is the extraordinary spiritual testament of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a man who experienced life to its fullest in the world before entering a Trappist monastery. By the end of his life, he had become one of the 20th century's best-known and beloved Christian voices. This autobiography deals...not with what happens to a man, but what happens inside his soul.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Letter to Audible
- By Victoria A. McCargar on 08-06-17
By: Thomas Merton
-
Tales of Wonder
- By: Huston Smith
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Huston Smith, the man who brought the world's religions to the West, was born almost a century ago to missionary parents in China during the perilous rise of the Communist Party. Smith's lifelong spiritual journey brought him face-to-face with many of the people who shaped the 20th century. His extraordinary travels around the globe have taken him to the world's holiest places, where he has practiced religion with many of the great spiritual leaders of our time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Takes of wonder for sure, by a wonderful man.
- By Dr. D. Brian Austin on 04-03-19
By: Huston Smith
-
My Life With the Saints
- By: James Martin SJ
- Narrated by: James Martin SJ
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 361
Be inspired by saints like never before in My Life with the Saints by James Martin, SJ. This best-selling memoir of spiritual self-discovery is an homage to the saints who have accompanied Fr. Martin throughout his life. From a lukewarm childhood Catholicism, to the Wharton School of Business, to the executive fast track at General Electric, to the Jesuits, to a media career in Manhattan, Martin has relied on the saints to intervene in and guide his life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The title describes the book
- By Richard K. on 12-09-10
By: James Martin SJ
-
Already Here
- A Doctor Discovers the Truth About Heaven
- By: Leo Galland M.D.
- Narrated by: Leo Galland M.D.
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
Already Here tells of the death of Leo Galland's son, Christopher, at age 22; the direct visual evidence Christopher showed Leo that our souls do go on; and the communications from Christopher's spirit that changed Leo's understanding of life and its meaning. In life, Christopher was a brain-damaged special-needs child who challenged everyone he knew with unpredictable behavior and uncanny insights. After his death, he revealed to Leo the real purpose of his life, as a spiritual guide who taught others by confounding their assumptions and expectations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I needed this book. thanks Doctor.
- By Anonymous User on 08-08-18
By: Leo Galland M.D.
-
Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart
- By: Ya'Acov Darling Khan
- Narrated by: Ya'Acov Darling Khan
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
Shaman, meaning "intermediary between spirit and the natural world", has become a much overused word in the West. It's not a job title one can give oneself, and in indigenous societies a shaman is usually born to this role. Ya'Acov Darling Khan is one of the few Westerners who have been acknowledged as shamans by indigenous elders or teachers. After being hit by lightning, Ya'Acov took a 30-year journey into the heart of shamanism to seek his own healing and to learn how he could serve others with the wisdom he acquired through his experiences.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
AHHHH not so good
- By Michelle Moore on 07-06-19
-
The Art of Travel
- By: Alain de Botton
- Narrated by: Nicholas Bell
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 177
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 155
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 155
Aside from love, few actvities seem to promise us as much happiness as going traveling: taking off for somewhere else, somewhere far from home, a place with more interesting weather, customs, and landscapes. But although we are inundated with advice on where to travel, few people seem to talk about why we should go and how we can become more fulfilled by doing so.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Dull, suggestions for better alternatives
- By J. Natael on 08-07-13
By: Alain de Botton
-
The Adventures of Henry Thoreau
- A Young Man's Unlikely Path to Walden Pond
- By: Michael Sims
- Narrated by: David Rapkin
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 37
Henry David Thoreau has long been an intellectual icon and folk hero. In this strikingly original profile, Michael Sims reveals how the bookish, quirky young man evolved into the patron saint of environmentalism and nonviolent activism. Working from 19th-century letters and diaries, Sims charts Henry’s course from his time at Harvard through the years he spent living in a cabin beside Walden Pond. Sims uncovers a previously hidden Thoreau - the rowdy boy reminiscent of Tom Sawyer, the sarcastic college iconoclast, the devoted son who kept imitating his beloved older brother’s choices in life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pleasant surprise
- By Norman Wendth on 10-21-14
By: Michael Sims
-
Walking in Wonder
- Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World
- By: John O'Donohue, Krista Tippett - foreword
- Narrated by: Pat O'Donohue
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 293
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 251
In this unabridged audiobook of Walking in Wonder, John O’Donohue’s friend and frequent collaborator John Quinn collects a series of talks and essays from the poet-philosopher on humanity’s relationship with the land, the ache of absence, our place in an often mysterious universe, and the great adventure of death itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gentle wise companion
- By papa k on 03-24-19
By: John O'Donohue, and others
-
Cave in the Snow
- Tenzin Palmo's Quest for Enlightenment
- By: Vicki Mackenzie
- Narrated by: Georgina Sutton, Vicki Mackenzie, Tenzin Palmo
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 177
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 175
This is the story of Tenzin Palmo, the daughter of a fishmonger from London's East End who became a Tibetan nun. After meditating for 12 years in a cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas, she became a world-renowned spiritual leader and champion of the right of women to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Audio version is best format for this book
- By Mark on 06-11-17
By: Vicki Mackenzie
-
The Great Work of Your Life
- A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling
- By: Stephen Cope
- Narrated by: Kevin M. Connolly
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 487
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 411
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 408
To know your true calling - your dharma, as the yogis say - is perhaps the greatest desire within each of us. And yet, few can say we know our purpose with absolute certainty. Fortunately, there is a time-tested guide - an ancient map - for discovering and fulfilling your unique calling. In The Great Work of Your Life, Stephen Cope walks you through each step of the journey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Jungian Zen Psychoanalytical Retired Meditation Teacher
- By Glenn Guillory, SFO on 06-13-20
By: Stephen Cope
-
On Elizabeth Bishop
- By: Colm Tóibín
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
In this book novelist Colm Tóibín offers a deeply personal introduction to the work and life of one of his most important literary influences - the American poet Elizabeth Bishop. Ranging across her poetry, prose, letters, and biography, Tóibín creates a vivid picture of Bishop while also revealing how her work has helped shape his sensibility as a novelist and how her experiences of loss and exile resonate with his own.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
ELIZABETH BISHOP
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 05-19-16
By: Colm Tóibín
-
He Held Radical Light
- The Art of Faith, the Faith of Art
- By: Christian Wiman
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
Christian Wiman explores the relationships between art and faith, death and fame, heaven and oblivion. Above all, He Held Radical Light is a love letter to poetry, filled with moving, surprising, and sometimes funny encounters with the poets Wiman has known.
By: Christian Wiman
-
The Three Marriages
- Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship
- By: David Whyte
- Narrated by: David Whyte
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 406
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 283
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 278
According to Whyte, we humans are involved not just with one marriage with a significant other. We also have made secret vows to our work and unspoken vows to an inner, constantly developing self. Whyte's thesis is that to separate these marriages in order to balance them is to destroy the fabric of happiness itself; that in each of these marriages, will, effort, and hard work are overused, overrated, and in many ways self-defeating.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
RARE SELF-HELP BOOK THAT ACTUALLY HELPS
- By Elizabeth on 03-05-09
By: David Whyte
-
Poemcrazy
- Freeing Your Life with Words
- By: Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
- Narrated by: Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Following the success of several recent inspirational and practical books for would-be writers, Poemcrazy is a perfect guide for everyone who ever wanted to write a poem but was afraid to try. Writing workshop leader Susan Wooldridge shows how to think, use one's senses, and practice exercises that will make poems more likely to happen.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Her Words, Her Voice...
- By S. Schultz on 11-21-14
-
David Lynch
- The Man from Another Place (Icons)
- By: Dennis Lim
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 105
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 91
At once a pop culture icon, cult figure, and film industry outsider, master filmmaker David Lynch and his work defy easy definition. Dredged from his subconscious mind, Lynch's work is primed to act on our own subconscious, combining heightened, contradictory emotions into something familiar but inscrutable. No less than his art, Lynch's life also evades simple categorization, encompassing pursuits as a musician, painter, photographer, carpenter, entrepreneur, and vocal proponent of Transcendental Meditation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Essential listening for Lunch fans
- By Michael P. Mesaros on 08-14-18
By: Dennis Lim
-
Gift of the Red Bird
- The Story of a Divine Encounter
- By: Paula D'Arcy
- Narrated by: Paula D'Arcy
- Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
When Paula D'Arcy lost her husband and baby in a car crash, she began an inner search for a faith that was stronger than fear. In Gift of the Red Bird she shares her remarkable spiritual adventure. Grief, she shows us, is an ongoing, never-completed process, one that becomes woven into the fabric of the grieving person's spiritual life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Relatable story
- By Maryjane Hadaway on 07-15-19
By: Paula D'Arcy
Love Books? You'll Love Audible.
Transform your day
Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.
Listen everywhere
Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.
Carry your entire Library
Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.
Listen and learn
Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.
Reach your reading goals
You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.
Find your niche
WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.
What listeners say about In Praise of the Useless Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adam Shields
- 05-28-24
A meandering memoir about the life of a monk
I remember In Praise of the Useless Life coming out a few years ago and having largely positive reviews. I put it on my “to-read” list and picked it up recently because it was free to borrow from Audible if you are a premium member.
Generally, it is one of those books that I am not disappointed I read, but I also do not recommend it. The story meanders without really having much focus. Much of the short memoir is about the author’s relationship with Thomas Merton. Quenon was only 17 when he came to the monastery. Merton (known in the monastery as Father Lewis) was Quenon’s novice master. The stories are fine, but nothing in it drew me in.
The title “In Praise of a Useless Life” did not reflect the book. Quenon has published many poetry books and contributed to several photography books. Merton was well known but far from the only extraordinary monastery member. If anything, the memoir was about extraordinary lives, not useless ones. I get the point; a life of prayer and service is not “exciting,” but the visitor’s and monks’ work as writers, artists, and spiritual directors is far from useless. Maybe I was primed for a different book by the title, but it just isn’t a book that grabbed me, nor one that I would put much effort into reading. If you borrowed it for free like I did, it may be worth it, but there are so many books available that I would probably get another instead of this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!