Listen free for 30 days

  • Listening Is an Act of Love

  • A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project
  • Written by: Dave Isay
  • Narrated by: Dave Isay
  • Length: 54 mins

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Listening Is an Act of Love cover art

Listening Is an Act of Love

Written by: Dave Isay
Narrated by: Dave Isay
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $13.89

Buy Now for $13.89

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Drawn from the work of StoryCorps, the largest and most ambitious private oral history project in American history, comes this tapestry of the stories Americans have been sharing from their lives to leave behind to their loved ones.
©2008 Dave Isay (P)2008 Penguin

What the critics say

"Dave Isay's vision of collecting the everyday stories of Americans is so simple and yet so powerful. Listening Is an Act of Love will make you laugh, cry and think. These stories come from the souls of individual Americans. Collectively, they are who we are as a people. You cannot read this book without feeling proud of your country." (Former US Senator Bill Bradley)
 

"Here are the observations and memories of a giant, diverse nation's citizens. In its sum, StoryCorps asks Americans to reflect upon their experiences, their times of travail, their achievements. In so doing, these individuals create an encompassing national narration: a people's hopes, fears and aspirations, all rendered poignantly to attentive listeners whose respect has enabled, finally, a presentation of a people's mind, heart, soul." (Dr. Robert Coles, James Agee Professor of Social Ethics, Harvard University)

"This book is absolutely remarkable. Listening is an Act of Love is history in the richest sense of the word, the kind that makes people feel like they count. It's a celebration of the lives of the uncelebrated. In our world today people feel helpless, but once they speak of their lives they become alive! This is what our country is all about. Never has a book been more timely or necessary." (Studs Terkel)

What listeners say about Listening Is an Act of Love

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

No reviews are available
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Darwin8u
  • Darwin8u
  • 2012-11-21

Nice Collection of StoryCorps Vignettes

An abridged collection of some of the best StoryCorps inteviews. If you are an NPR "Morning Edition" listener, you've probably caught a couple of Isay's StoryCorps recordings. My favorite aspect of this project is the relationship between the interviewer and interviewee. With most 'professional' journalism there is a structural distance between the two participants. StoryCorps quickly allows this distance to melt, because it is often a daughter interviewing a grandma, a son interviewing a mother, a father speaking with his daughter.

There are many aspects of this project that remind me of Studs Terkel (Isay seems to be a 21st century extention of Terkel in many ways). It is a people's history and narrative of the ordinary that is made extraordinary in its ability to communicate truth without being overly sentimental.

Thanks Isay and Audible for the Thanksgiving gift.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Adele in CBus
  • Adele in CBus
  • 2012-11-22

Thank you, Audible

This 1-hour gem was a "gift" from Audible--a free selection offered on Thanksgiving Eve. Because I was between books the day I received this, I listened to it that evening. What a wonderful concept Isay introduces, of making studio-quality recordings of oral histories for generations to come. I enjoyed every story. If this is, or will be offered in unabridged format or as a continuing series, I'll be first in line for all that come. Thank you Audible. What a thoughtfully timed gift to your customers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for K
  • K
  • 2012-11-21

Heartfelt stories

I listen to NPR every morning during my commute to work. The 4-minute Storycorps segment is a favorite: Two people who are connected in some way (e.g., parent - child) share a heartfelt story with the other. Without exception, I enjoy the story and am touched by the listener's response. I often ponder the story long after the segment ends.

This audiobook is a delightful collection of Storycorps stories. The stories are moving and the dialects diverse. The production values are outstanding. I recommend it highly.

Thank you, Audible, for gifting this lovely audiobook to your listeners. It's a gem.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Debra
  • Debra
  • 2012-11-23

Touching

What did you love best about Listening Is an Act of Love?

What a beautiful, touching idea, tears with every story. thank you, I would love to have something like this in Australia.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Lisa
  • Lisa
  • 2012-11-21

Thank you Audible....

Lovely gift to listen to during the holidays. Everyone should have a listen; to this audio book and to the people around them during the holidays. Thank you Audible and David Isay.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Dataman
  • Dataman
  • 2012-11-21

What Happened in Your Life?

A signifcant effort by StoryCorp to collect the lives of ordinary people. Something to reflect on during our USA Thanksgiving holiday. A big thanks to Dave Isay and to Audible for offering these segment for free.
If you found this review helpful, please let me know. Cheers!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Keri
  • Keri
  • 2012-11-21

Beautiful

Any additional comments?

Thank you Audible for this beautiful collection of stories. I found it very moving and well timed- I listened to it while baking pumpkin pies in preparation for Thanksgiving. It made for a lovely prelude to the holidays and spending time with loved ones. Thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Michael Cavacini
  • Michael Cavacini
  • 2012-11-23

Beautiful & Touching

This audiobook is unlike any other I've listened to and a wonderful Thanksgiving gift from Audible. The collection of stories contained within are funny, sad and heartwarming. It's a wonderful reminder of why we should be thankful for what we have and those that love us. I highly recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Christel
  • Christel
  • 2012-11-22

Listen to this, the stories are heartfelt

What made the experience of listening to Listening Is an Act of Love the most enjoyable?

I think this is one of my favorite books, the real stories of normal people are very easy to listen to but they show how diverse people really are.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Harley
  • Harley
  • 2012-11-25

loved it!

This is the nicest idea. What a lovely gift from audibles, thank you. I really enjoyed everything about this listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

.