This I Believe, Jay Allison
This I Believe, Jay Allison
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This I Believe
The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Author: Jay Allison, Jay Allison, Dan Gediman, Dan Gediman

Narrator: Jay Allison, Dan Gediman

Abridged: 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/30/2007

Synopsis

Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features 80 Americans—from the famous to the unknown—completing the thought that begins with the book's title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners to re-think not only what and how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring a star-studded list of contributors that includes John McCain, Isabel Allende, and Colin Powell (as well as pieces from the original 1950's series including Helen Keller and Jackie Robinson), the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer, a woman who sells yellow pages advertising in Fort Worth, TX and a man who serves on the state of Rhode Island's parole board. The result is a stirring, funny and always provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of Americans whose beliefs, and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them, reveal the American spirit at its best.

About Jay Allison

Jay Allison is one of public radio's most honored producers. He has produced hundreds of nationally broadcast documentaries and features for radio and television. His work has earned him the duPont-Columbia and five Peabody Awards, and he was the 1996 recipient of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding contributions to public radio, the industry's highest honor. He was the curator and producer of This I Believe on NPR and he produces The Moth Radio Hour. Before his career in broadcasting, Jay was a theater director in Washington, D.C. He is also the founder of the public radio stations for Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod where he lives.

About Dan Gediman

Dan Gediman is the executive producer of This I Believe. His work has been heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fresh Air, Marketplace, Jazz Profiles, and This American Life. He has won many of public broadcasting’s most prestigious awards, including the duPont-Columbia Award.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer on January 18, 2010

In my commitment to read 52 books this year, I made a list of ones I want to read, have bought to read etc. This title was one that I had borrowed from the library, since it was recommended reading from Ali Edwards during an online class I took. It's from the NPR, and it's a collection of short essa......more

Goodreads review by Danine on June 20, 2008

Like a lot people I listen to "This I Believe" segments on NPR. I am so inspired every time I hear one of these essays read aloud on the radio. I love how three words make me think about the way I see life and evaluate my own personal philosophies of life. When I found out that there was a book I ma......more

Goodreads review by Mara on June 24, 2015

I really wish I had listened to this in smaller chunks. It's a lot to take in. Some of the essays were not exceptional, but others were absolutely wonderful. Topics ranged from the rule of law, love, and freedom to barbecue and jazz. And listening to this collection, rather than reading it, really d......more

Goodreads review by Tricia on April 16, 2015

I really enjoyed reading these essays. Written by common citizens as well as easily recognized people of fame, they tell of the personal philosophies that these people have developed in their lives. Some are religious, some are political, some are very deep and philosophical, and some are light and......more

Goodreads review by Lori on July 15, 2020

I have owned this book for years, but only recently picked it up to read. I took my time, reading one essay each day. It's been a fascinating look at what motivates people. It was also interesting to see some essays from the 1950s sprinkled throughout and note how different those felt in tone and co......more

Quotes

“To hold this range of beliefs in the palm of your hand is as fine, as grounding, as it was hearing them first on the radio. Heartfelt, deeply cherished beliefs, doctrines for living (yet none of them doctrinaire). Ideas and ideals that nourish. You can see it in their faces, in the photos in this book. And read it in their words. I'm so proud that NPR helped carry this Edward R. Murrow tradition into a new century. And so glad to have it in print, to encounter again and again.” —Susan Stamberg, special correspondent, National Public Radio

“My father, Edward R. Murrow, said that "fresh ideas" from others helped him confront his own challenges. This superb collection of thought-provoking This I Believe essays, both from the new program heard on NPR and from the original 1950s series, provides fresh ideas for all of us!” —Casey Murrow, Elementary education publisher

“Reading this gives me a feeling about this country I rarely get: a very visceral sense of all the different kinds of people who are living together here, with crazily different backgrounds and experiences and dreams. Like a Norman Rockwell painting where all the people happen to be real people, and all the stories are true. It makes me feel hopeful about America, reading this. Hopeful in a way that's in short supply lately.” —Ira Glass, Producer and Host of This American Life

“Now, as then, when Edward R. Murrow introduced the idea of This I Believe, this forward-thinking compilation serves as a wonderful antidote to the cynicism of the age.” —Daniel Schorr, Senior News Analyst, NPR, and former colleague of Edward R. Murrow

Awards

  • Audie Award Winner
  • AudioFile Best Audiobooks
  • Audie Award Finalist
  • Amazon.com Top 10 Editor's Picks: Audiobooks
  • Audie Audiobook of the Year Finalist
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