Body, Mind, & Spirit audiobooks

Why I Close My Restaurant

By: George Mardikian

Narrated by: George Mardikian

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

In this essay originally aired in the 1950s, restaurateur George Mardikian tells of his immigration to the United States and how he tries to repay the warm embrace Americans have given him, in “A New Birth of Freedom”, his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from... Read more

Life Grows in the Soil of Time

By: Thomas Mann

Narrated by: Thomas Mann

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

In this essay originally aired in the 1950s, novelist and essayist Thomas Mann expresses appreciation that time gives humanity a sense of life’s value in "Life Grows in the Soil of Time", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown,... Read more

This I Believe

By: Jay Allison & Dan Gediman

Narrated by: various

Length: 5 hours 41 minutes

Abridged: No

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... Read more

The Power of Mysteries

By: Alan Lightman

Narrated by: Alan Lightman

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Astrophysicist and novelist Alan Lightman explains how the unknown fuels human creativity in "The Power of Mysteries," his contribution to NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces... Read more

The Power of Love to Transform and Heal

By: Jackie Lantry

Narrated by: Jackie Lantry

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Jackie Lantry describes meeting her adopted Chinese son for the first time in "The Power of Love to Transform and to Heal," her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The... Read more

The Light of a Brighter Day

By: Helen Keller

Narrated by: Helen Keller

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

In this essay originally aired in the 1950s, deaf and blind author, activist, and lecturer Helen Keller discusses her vision of faith and how it gives her hope for the future of mankind in "The Light of a Brighter Day", her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans,... Read more

Living Life with Grace and Elegant Treeness

By: Ruth Kamps

Narrated by: Ruth Kamps

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

Ruth Kamps finds solace in nature and inspiration in the pine tree growing outside her kitchen window in "Living Life With 'Grace And Elegant Treeness'", her contribution to NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins... Read more

The Bright Lights of Freedom

By: Harold Hongju Koh

Narrated by: Harold Hongju Koh

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Harold Hongju Koh describes how the partition of Korea and his role as a human rights official in the State Department shaped his belief in "The Bright Lights of Freedom", for NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins... Read more

Jazz is the Sound of God Laughing

By: Colleen Shaddox

Narrated by: Colleen Shaddox

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Colleen Shaddox explains how music unites her family even during difficult times in "Jazz is the Sound of God Laughing", her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces... Read more

The Power of Presence

By: Debbie Hall

Narrated by: Debbie Hall

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Psychologist Debbie Hall values the simple act of "being there" as a form of connection in "The Power of Presence," her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces that... Read more

The America I Believe In

By: Colin Powell

Narrated by: Colin Powell

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

Former Secretary of State, and first generation American, Colin Powell explains the importance of remaining an open and welcoming nation for NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces... Read more

A Duty to Heal

By: Pius Kamau

Narrated by: Pius Kamau

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Surgeon Pius Kamau describes caring for patients regardless of their racial views in "A Duty to Heal", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces that make up the... Read more

The Benefits of Restlessness and Jagged Edges

By: Kay Redfield Jamison

Narrated by: Kay Redfield Jamison

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Professor of psychiatry Kay Redfield Jamison describes the power of intense emotions and temperaments in "The Benefits of Restlessness and Jagged Edges", her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins... Read more

The Rule of Law

By: Michael Mullane

Narrated by: Michael Mullane

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Professor and attorney Michael Mullane says that we are all protected by and accountable to the law, in "The Rule of Law," his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces... Read more

Talking with the Sun

By: Joy Harjo

Narrated by: Joy Harjo

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Poet Joy Harjo reflects on the importance of maintaining her ancestors' connection to the sun, in "Talking with the Sun,"* her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces... Read more

Mysterious Connections that Link Us Together

By: Azar Nafisi

Narrated by: Azar Nafisi

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

Professor and author Azar Nafisi remembers empathy from unexpected sources in "Mysterious Connections that Link Us Together", her contribution to NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The... Read more

Natural Links in a Long Chain of Being

By: Victor Davis Hanson

Narrated by: Victor Davis Hanson

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Professor of Classics Victor Davis Hanson contemplates the continuity of generations in "Natural Links in a Long Chain of Being", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The... Read more

Happy Talk

By: Oscar Hammerstein II

Narrated by: Oscar Hammerstein II

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

In this essay originally aired in the 1950s, musical librettist and producer Oscar Hammerstein explains the importance of declaring your happiness, even in the face of global conflicts and personal disappointments, in "Happy Talk", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features... Read more

The Making of Poems

By: Gregory Orr

Narrated by: Gregory Orr

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Poet Gregory Orr reflects on the power of poetry to help people endure traumatic events and isolation in "The Making of Poems", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The... Read more

We Are Each Other's Business

By: Eboo Patel

Narrated by: Eboo Patel

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Eboo Patel discusses the importance of active interfaith support in addition to tolerance in "We Are Each Other's Business," his contribution to NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The... Read more

The 50-Percent Theory of Life

By: Steve Porter

Narrated by: Steve Porter

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Steve Porter uses his experience on the family farm to explain his "50-Percent Theory of Life" for NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners... Read more

A Grown-Up Barbie

By: Jane Hamill

Narrated by: Jane Hamill

Length: 3 minutes

Abridged: No

Fashion designer Jane Hamill describes the endless possibilities of clothes and imagination in "A Grown-Up Barbie", her contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series. This short audio essay is an excerpt from the audiobook edition of NPR's This I Believe anthology.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the... Read more

Unleashing the Power of Creativity

By: Bill Gates

Narrated by: Bill Gates

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Bill Gates discusses his optimism that creativity and intelligence will make the world a better place in "Unleashing the Power of Creativity," his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the... Read more

The Real Consequences of Justice

By: Frederic Reamer

Narrated by: Frederic Reamer

Length: 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Frederic Reamer finds his belief in justice tested every time he faces criminals and victims at parole board hearings in "The Real Consequences of Justice," his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins... Read more