Synopses & Reviews
A new collection of inspiring personal philosophies from another noteworthy group of people
This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers seventyfive essayistsranging from famous to previously unknowncompleting the thought that begins the books title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times bestselling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.
Included are Sister Helen Prejean writing about learning what she truly believes through watching her own actions, singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore writing about a hard-won wisdom based on being generous to others, and Robert Fulghum writing about dancing all the dances for as long as he can. Readers will also find wonderful and surprising essays about forgiveness, personal integrity, and honoring life and change.
Here is a welcome, stirring, and provocative communion with the minds and hearts of a diverse, new group of peoplewhose beliefs and the remarkably varied ways in which they choose to express them reveal the American spirit at its best.
Jay Allison, the host and curator of This I Believe, is an independent broadcast journalist. His work appears often on NPR and has earned him five Peabody Awards. He is the founder of the public radio stations that serve Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod, where he lives.
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 broadcastings most prestigious awards, including the duPont-Columbia Award.
This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers seventy-five essayistsincluding writers known and unknownwho complete the thought that begins in the books title. Among the contributors are musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Bela Fleck, Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel, the founder of the online community Craigslist.org and an anthropology student at the University of Chicago.
Sister Helen Prejean writes about learning what she truly believes through watching her own actions, singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore writes about a hard-won wisdom based on being generous to others, and Robert Fulghum writes about dancing all the dances for as long as he can. A diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, and a new husband also add their voices to the collection of concise essays about music, skateboarding, success and failure, memory and identity.
Each piece, whether poignant or humorous, compels the reader to think about how they have formed their own personal beliefs and about the extent to which they express them to others. This edition also contains and appendix on how to write a This I Believe essay.
This I Believe II is also available on CD as an unabridged audiobook. Each essay is read by its author. Please email [email protected] for more information. "In the second collection derived from the extraordinarily popular and influential National Public Radio program This I Believe, pithy, personal, and stealthily affecting essays grapple with life's big questions from myriad perspectives and with refreshingly positive energy . . . Infused with gratitude and hope, these declarations are at once grounding and uplifting."Booklist "This I Believe II features 75 pithy essays by authors young and old, famous and unknown, and engaged in every walk of life. In 'The Right to Be Fully American,' Pakistani-American Muslim attorney Yasir Billoo describes the anguish of being made to feel like a foreigner in your homeland, while virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma expounds the benefits of cross-fertilizing cultures, both in life and in music. In 'The Faith That Brings Me Peace,' Betsy Chalmers describes how the implicit belief in marital faithfulness has enabled her to remain committed to her 30-year marriage to a convicted criminal; in 'God is God Because He Remembers,' Elie Wiesel puts the value of shared history into stark perspective. In the foreword, co-producer Jay Allison describes This I Believe as 'a snapshot of the convictions of our age.' Even a preliminary reading of the book will reveal that these varied convictions arise from a diverse range and depth of experiences."Aisha Motlani, Shepherd Express (Milwaukee)
"In his introduction to This I Believe II, Jay Allison writes, 'In an age of irony, an earnest statement is a target.' Yet the long-running NPR series from which this collection of essays is drawn, and for which Allison is the host and curator, is exactly that: the earnest statements of people of every age, gender, race, religion and station of life about what is most significant to them. Almost every one of the 500-word essays is surprising in some way. If you're expecting tired platitudes about religion or family or patriotism, try this one: 'I believe in semi-permanent hair dye.' That's Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus, who wrote her funny but insightful essay as a high school student. Or how about 'I believe in strange blessings,' the opening line of the essay by Robin Baudier, a young woman who found her life turned upside down by Hurricane Katrinaand found the good side of living in a FEMA trailer . . . By turns moving, thoughtful, cheering and heartbreaking, in an age of irony these essays offer a little something to believe in."Colette Bancroft, St. Petersburg Times "This book opens with a formidable challenge: 'What would you say in five hundred words to capture a core principle that guides your life?' Before you try to answer that question, you might want to read some of the 75 essays collected in This I Believe II: More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. Many will leave you breathless. And those that dont astonish may simply humble you . . . Many of these speakers articulate beliefs 'forged in hardship'–sometimes horrific experiences of tragedy, illness, or loss. Yet over and again they affirm the good to be gleaned–by those willing to recognize it–from the largest and the smallest lessons of human experience . . . The books purpose, says Allison, is to 'counter . . . divisiveness' and 'raise a flag for thoughtfulness.' These essays do that but they also do something more: They speak to the best in all of us and leave us in awe of the unheralded virtue that surrounds us every day."Marjorie Kehe, The Christian Science Monitor
"With times as bad as they are, perhaps a bit of inspiration is needed. If so, This I Believe II, More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women fits the bill. The This I Believe project invites people to write 500-word essays on their personal philosophies. The result has been thousands of essays, which can be read on ThisIBelieve.org., where philosophies are continually added . . . Edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, with John Gregory and Viki Merrick, in association with National Public Radio (NPR), this little volume will make you stop and thinkand perhaps pick up a pen."Chris Stuckenschneider,
Review
"In the second collection derived from the extraordinarily popular and influential National Public Radio program This I Believe, pithy, personal, and stealthily affecting essays grapple with life's big questions from myriad perspectives and with refreshingly positive energy....Infused with gratitude and hope, these declarations are at once grounding and uplifting."
Booklist “By turns moving, thoughtful, cheering and heartbreaking, in an age of irony these essays offer a little something to believe in”
St. Petersburg Times "This book opens with a formidable challenge: 'What would you say in five hundred words to capture a core principle that guides your life?' Before you try to answer that question, you might want to read some of the 75 essays collected in
This I Believe II: More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. Many will leave you breathless. And those that dont astonish may simply humble you . . . Many of these speakers articulate beliefs 'forged in hardship'–sometimes horrific experiences of tragedy, illness, or loss. Yet over and again they affirm the good to be gleaned–by those willing to recognize it–from the largest and the smallest lessons of human experience . . . The books purpose, says Allison, is to 'counter . . . divisiveness' and 'raise a flag for thoughtfulness.' These essays do that but they also do something more: They speak to the best in all of us and leave us in awe of the unheralded virtue that surrounds us every day."Marjorie Kehe,
The Christian Science Monitor "
This I Believe II features 75 pithy essays by authors young and old, famous and unknown, and engaged in every walk of life. In 'The Right to Be Fully American,' Pakistani-American Muslim attorney Yasir Billoo describes the anguish of being made to feel like a foreigner in your homeland, while virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma expounds the benefits of cross-fertilizing cultures, both in life and in music. In 'The Faith That Brings Me Peace,' Betsy Chalmers describes how the implicit belief in marital faithfulness has enabled her to remain committed to her 30-year marriage to a convicted criminal; in 'God is God Because He Remembers,' Elie Wiesel puts the value of shared history into stark perspective. In the foreword, co-producer Jay Allison describes
This I Believe as 'a snapshot of the convictions of our age.' Even a preliminary reading of the book will reveal that these varied convictions arise from a diverse range and depth of experiences."Aisha Motlani,
Shepherd Express (Milwaukee)
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Review
"In the second collection derived from the extraordinarily popular and influential National Public Radio program This I Believe, pithy, personal, and stealthily affecting essays grapple with life's big questions from myriad perspectives and with refreshingly positive energy....Infused with gratitude and hope, these declarations are at once grounding and uplifting."—Booklist “By turns moving, thoughtful, cheering and heartbreaking, in an age of irony these essays offer a little something to believe in”—St. Petersburg Times "This book opens with a formidable challenge: 'What would you say in five hundred words to capture a core principle that guides your life?' Before you try to answer that question, you might want to read some of the 75 essays collected in This I Believe II: More Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. Many will leave you breathless. And those that dont astonish may simply humble you . . . Many of these speakers articulate beliefs 'forged in hardship'-sometimes horrific experiences of tragedy, illness, or loss. Yet over and again they affirm the good to be gleaned-by those willing to recognize it-from the largest and the smallest lessons of human experience . . . The books purpose, says Allison, is to 'counter . . . divisiveness' and 'raise a flag for thoughtfulness.' These essays do that but they also do something more: They speak to the best in all of us and leave us in awe of the unheralded virtue that surrounds us every day."—Marjorie Kehe, The Christian Science Monitor "This I Believe II features 75 pithy essays by authors young and old, famous and unknown, and engaged in every walk of life. In 'The Right to Be Fully American,' Pakistani-American Muslim attorney Yasir Billoo describes the anguish of being made to feel like a foreigner in your homeland, while virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma expounds the benefits of cross-fertilizing cultures, both in life and in music. In 'The Faith That Brings Me Peace,' Betsy Chalmers describes how the implicit belief in marital faithfulness has enabled her to remain committed to her 30-year marriage to a convicted criminal; in 'God is God Because He Remembers,' Elie Wiesel puts the value of shared history into stark perspective. In the foreword, co-producer Jay Allison describes This I Believe as 'a snapshot of the convictions of our age.' Even a preliminary reading of the book will reveal that these varied convictions arise from a diverse range and depth of experiences."—Aisha Motlani, Shepherd Express (Milwaukee)
Synopsis
A welcome change from the sloganeering, political mudslinging and products of spin doctors.--The Philadelphia Inquirer
Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features eighty Americans--from the famous to the unknown--completing the thought that the book's title begins. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.
Featuring many renowned contributors--including Isabel Allende, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, William F. Buckley Jr., Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, and John Updike--the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer; a part-time hospital clerk in Rehoboth, Massachusetts; a woman who sells yellow pages advertising in Fort Worth, Texas; and a man who serves on Rhode Island's parole board.
The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs--and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them--reveal the American spirit at its best.
Synopsis
Featuring contributions from 80 Americans--from the famous to the unknown--this series of insightful observations completes the thought that the book's title introduces. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they arrive at their own personal beliefs but also how they share them with others.
Synopsis
A new collection of inspiring personal philosophies from another noteworthy group of people
This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers seventyfive essayists—ranging from famous to previously unknown—completing the thought that begins the books title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times bestselling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.
Included are Sister Helen Prejean writing about learning what she truly believes through watching her own actions, singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore writing about a hard-won wisdom based on being generous to others, and Robert Fulghum writing about dancing all the dances for as long as he can. Readers will also find wonderful and surprising essays about forgiveness, personal integrity, and honoring life and change.
Here is a welcome, stirring, and provocative communion with the minds and hearts of a diverse, new group of people—whose beliefs and the remarkably varied ways in which they choose to express them reveal the American spirit at its best.
Synopsis
A new collection of inspiring personal philosophies from another noteworthy group of people
This second collection of This I Believe essays gathers seventyfive essayistsranging from famous to previously unknowncompleting the thought that begins the books title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times bestselling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.
Included are Sister Helen Prejean writing about learning what she truly believes through watching her own actions, singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore writing about a hard-won wisdom based on being generous to others, and Robert Fulghum writing about dancing all the dances for as long as he can. Readers will also find wonderful and surprising essays about forgiveness, personal integrity, and honoring life and change.
Here is a welcome, stirring, and provocative communion with the minds and hearts of a diverse, new group of peoplewhose beliefs and the remarkably varied ways in which they choose to express them reveal the American spirit at its best.
Synopsis
A collection of inspiring personal philosophies from a noteworthy group of seventy-five essayists
Synopsis
The new paperback in the bestselling series of inspiring personal philosophiesThis collection of This I Believe essays gathers seventy-five essayists—ranging from famous to previously unknown—completing the thought that begins the books title. With contributors who run the gamut from cellist Yo-Yo Ma, to professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, to ordinary folks like a diner waitress, an Iraq War veteran, a farmer, a new husband, and many others, This I Believe II, like the first New York Times bestselling collection, showcases moving and irresistible essays.
Included are Sister Helen Prejean writing about learning what she truly believes through watching her own actions, singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore writing about a hard-won wisdom based on being generous to others, and Robert Fulghum writing about dancing all the dances for as long as he can. Readers will also find wonderful and surprising essays about forgiveness, personal integrity, and honoring life and change.
Here is a welcome, stirring, and provocative communion with the minds and hearts of a diverse, new group of people—whose beliefs and the remarkably varied ways in which they choose to express them reveal the American spirit at its best.
About the Author
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.
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 broadcastings most prestigious awards, including the duPont-Columbia Award.
Table of Contents
Contents IntroductionJAY ALLISON
Finding the Strength to Fight Our Fears TERRY AHWAL I Will Take My Voice Back
QUIQUE AVILES A Silent Night That Brought Healing
STEVE BANKO Living with Integrity
BOB BARRET The Strange Blessing That Brought Me Home
ROBIN BAUDIER Returning to Whats Natural
AMELIA BAXTER-STOLTZFUS The Right to Be Fully American
YASIR BILLOO The Person Im Supposed to Be
ANDY BLOWERS Making It Up as I Go Along
ALICE BROCK Sticking My Nose in the Worlds Business
BRIGID DAULL BROCKWAY Teaching a Bad Dog New Tricks
DAVID BUETOW The Learning Curve of Gratitude
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER Failure Is a Good Thing
JON CARROLL The Faith That Brings Me Peace
BETSY CHALMERS The Person I Want to Bring into This World
LAURA SHIPLER CHICO The Deeper Well of Memory
CHRISTINE CLEARY A Marriage Thats Good Enough
CORINNE COLBERT Creating Our Own Happiness
WAYNE COYNE A Way to Honor Life
CORTNEY DAVIS We Never Go Away
DENNIS DOWNEY The Questions We Must Ask
TAMAR DUKE-COHAN Learning True Tolerance
JOEL ENGARDIO Doing Things My Own Way
BELA FLECK Dancing All the Dances as Long as I Can
ROBERT FULGHUM
A Reverence for All Life
MICHELLE GARDNER-QUINN A Feeling of Wildness
DAVID GESSNER All the Joy the World Contains
JIMMIE DALE GILMORE As I Grow Old
DAVID GREENBERGER Untold Stories of Kindness
ERNESTO HAIBI Peace Begins with One Person
IVORY HARLOW Do What You Love
TONY HAWK Combating the Tyranny of the Positive Attitude
BARBARA HELD My Husband Will Call Me Tomorrow
BECKY HERZ The Tense Middle
ROALD HOFFMANN Living in the Here and Now
JEFFREY HOLLENDER Inner Strength from Desperate Times
JAKE HOVENDEN Becoming a Parent Is a Gift
CHRIS HUNTINGTON Finding Redemption Through Acceptance
INTERROGATOR Paying Attention to the Silver Lining
ANNALIESE JAKIMIDES There Is No Blame; There Is Only Love
ANN KARASINSKI The Universe Is Conspiring to Help Us
KEVIN KELLY We All Need Mending
SUSAN COOKE KITTREDGE Telling Kids the Whole Truth
MARTHA LEATHE Every Person Is Precious
ISABEL LEGARDA Navigating Turbulent Waters
JIMMY LIAO All Beings Are Interconnected
JAMES LONEY A Musician of Many Cultures
YO-YO MA Being Content with Myself
KAMAAL MAJEED Be Cool
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE That Old Piece of Cloth
FRANK MILLER My Home Is New Orleans
MIKE MILLER That Golden Rule Thing
CRAIG NEWMARK My Personal Leap of Faith
BILL NUNAN Admittance to a Better Life
MICHAEL OATMAN Living What You Do Every Day
YOLANDA OBANNON The Long Road to Forgiveness
KIM PHUC The Practice of Slowing Down
PHIL POWERS Living My Prayer
SISTER HELEN PREJEAN The Chance to Move Forward
MARIA MAYO ROBBINS Utterly Humbled by Mystery
FATHER RICHARD ROHR I Always Have a Choice
CATHERINE ROYCE I Am Not My Body
LISA SANDIN Resilience Is a Gift
JOEL SCHMIDT The Designated Celebrator
MELINDA SHOAF Baking by Senses and Memories
EMILY SMITH Learning to Trust My Intuition
CYNTHIA SOMMER An Optimistic View of the World
DAN TANI Community in Action
STUDS TERKEL Music Makes Me Come Alive
JOAN TOWER God Is God Because He Remembers
ELIE WIESEL The Guts to Keep Going
AMY LYLES WILSON Freeing Myself Through Forgiveness
YOLANDA YOUNG A Potential for Brutality
YINONG YOUNG-XU A Duty to Family, Heritage, and Country
YING YING YU Were All Different in Our Own Ways
JOSHUA YUCHASZ Afterword
DAN GEDIMAN APPENDIX A:
How to Write Your Own This I Believe Essay APPENDIX B:
How to Use This I Believe in Your Community Acknowledgments Reading Group Guide