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  • Living with the Monks

  • Written by: Jesse Itzler
  • Narrated by: Jesse Itzler
  • Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (123 ratings)

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Living with the Monks

Written by: Jesse Itzler
Narrated by: Jesse Itzler
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Publisher's Summary

Equal parts memoir and road map to living a less stressful and more vibrant life, best-selling author Jesse Itzler offers an illuminating, entertaining, and unexpected trip for anyone looking to feel calmer and more controlled in our crazy, hectic world.

Entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and father of four Jesse Itzler only knows one speed: Full Blast. But when he felt like the world around him was getting too hectic, he didn't take a vacation or get a massage. Instead, Jesse moved into a monastery for a self-imposed time-out. In Living with the Monks, the follow-up to his New York Times best-selling Living with a SEAL, Jesse takes us on a spiritual journey like no other. Having only been exposed to monasteries on TV, Jesse arrives at the New Skete religious community in the isolated mountains of upstate New York with a shaved head and a suitcase filled with bananas.

To his surprise, New Skete monks have most of their hair. They're Russian Orthodox, not Buddhist, and they're also world-renowned German shepherd breeders and authors of dog-training books that have sold in the millions. As Jesse struggles to fit in amongst the odd but lovable monks, self-doubt begins to beat like a tribal drum. Questioning his motivation to embark on this adventure and missing his family (and phone), Jesse struggles to balance his desire for inner peace with his need to check Twitter.

But in the end, Jesse discovers the undeniable power of the monks and their wisdom, and the very real benefits of taking a well-deserved break as a means of self-preservation in our fast-paced world.

©2018 Jesse Itzler (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Jesse is a risk taker and is always trying different things to get better. Plus, he's fun to go out with." (Tom Brady, New England Patriots, four-time NFL Champion, two-time NFL MVP)

"Living with a Seal is funny and compelling with practical wisdom that leaves the reader feeling elevated and empowered. It also deeply impacted my own personal journey to health, fitness and well being." (Cory Booker, US Senator for New Jersey)

"This is 100% Jesse. Do it differently and you get different results. That's the way he has operated his entire life and it has worked beautifully." (Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, Duke Basketball head coach)

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What listeners say about Living with the Monks

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another Great Book by Jesse Itzler

While I didn't find the story as captivating as, "Living with a Seal" I still found this book a very entertaining and insightful read. I really like how Jesse narrates his own books, as I feel like you wouldn't get the same effect without him. I really enjoy Jesse's books and look forward to the next one. #Audible1

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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so many messages...

You know those decisions you make based on gut that turn out to be right on. this was one of those things. I really enjoyed the story and found so many ahhhh moments in it. Bottom line
.. take the chance, make the time, and remember you only live once.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bit repetitive

The book was ok but somewhat repetitive. I wish the living with the monks portion was a bit more interesting and overall the book felt like it lacked enough content which was evident in the repetition and random side stories. The seal book was significantly better.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Easy to Listen too

I enjoyed listening to this story. I enjoy the rawness and personality of Jesse. I thought his other book was seal was much better. If you enjoy listening while doing something (working, dishes, etc.) I recommend listening to it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Jesse ALWAYS delivers!

Another great book by Jesse. The way Jesse shares his stories really gives you an insight to his experiences.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Another winner

Going to listen to Seal and Monks back-to-back right away! What's coming next Jesse?

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Should have focused on the monks

The monks and nuns stories were great, but were rather sparse. Author clearly didn't really want to listen to their stories or explore their wisdom in any way. Think of a bunch of self plugs built into a person's story about a two week vacation at a monastery along with common motivational tropes. Did enjoy his non-religious descriptions of their religious life. Great story teller, but don't recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating Read You Didn't Realize You Needed

After reading "Living With A Seal" I was fascinated by how Jesse's experience with monks went, and what revelations he had during his stay. I listened to some podcasts where he spoke about this book in particular, and decided I had to give it a listen.

Jesse delivers this book with great energy, vocal changes depending on different characters, and you can feel the emotion in his voice.

If you're looking for a great perspective on what happens when busy meets silence, this is a great depiction.

What will Jesse Itzler think of next? Living with an astronaut? Living with a deep sea scuba diver? Or will he completely switch it up and live with a rocket scientist, or maybe an ambassador? Who knows, but I'll definitely be reading that one as well!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book!!!

what a great book and Jesse does a great job reading. This is a book to keep going back to every 6 months or year to reevaluate how you are doing in life

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book!

Loved this book. Jesse is also wrong, this book is just as funny as Living with a Seal and just as poignant. A great sequel!

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