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  • Any Ordinary Day

  • Blindsides, Resilience and What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life
  • By: Leigh Sales
  • Narrated by: Leigh Sales
  • Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (2,848 ratings)

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Any Ordinary Day

By: Leigh Sales
Narrated by: Leigh Sales
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Publisher's Summary

As a journalist, Leigh Sales often encounters people experiencing the worst moments of their lives in the full glare of the media. But one particular string of bad news stories - and a terrifying brush with her own mortality - sent her looking for answers about how vulnerable each of us is to a life-changing event. What are our chances of actually experiencing one? What do we fear most and why? And when the worst does happen, what comes next?

In this wise and layered audiobook, Leigh talks intimately with people who've faced the unimaginable, from terrorism to natural disaster to simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Expecting broken lives, she instead finds strength, hope, even humour. Leigh brilliantly condenses the cutting-edge research on the way the human brain processes fear and grief, and poses the questions we too often ignore out of awkwardness. Along the way, she offers an unguarded account of her own challenges and what she's learned about coping with life's unexpected blows.

Warm, candid and empathetic, this audiobook is about what happens when ordinary people, on ordinary days, are forced to suddenly find the resilience most of us don't know we have.

©2018 Leigh Sales (P)2018 Penguin Random House Australia

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Riveting

A truely beautiful work full of feeling depth and interest. Humour and tears. It carries you forwards and inspires and informs. A really good and at times a gripping read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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11 people found this helpful

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Insightful

Honest vulnerable candour. Excellent concise story telling, respectful towards contributors and the deceased and great performance by Leigh. The only disappointing thing was the audio mix. Surely the tech could have faded out the throat swallowing. For some reason I really noticed it in this audio.

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10 people found this helpful

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This is about as close to perfection as you’ll get.

Leigh Sales is one of those individuals who manages to tell a story with all the eloquence of a first class journo, but with all the compassion and heartfelt truth of your most trusted best friend.
It’s hard not to weep along with her very vulnerable and open accounts of the stories she’s researched for Any Ordinary Day. Because Leigh has struck up genuine bonds with her subjects the stories are raw and magnificent tributes to the human condition at it’s very best when faced with the very worst.
I’m in awe of Leigh Sales for her generosity in the telling of these stories, and also her own.
She’s a writer of immense talent but also a person of incredible character strength and warmth.
How lucky Australia is to have Leigh Sales.
She’s an absolute gem!!!

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9 people found this helpful

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Blindsided by how much I enjoyed this!

Wow. Truth be told, I bought this book because so many people I know were reading it that I really didn’t want to miss out. But WOW Leigh. It has made me laugh, cry and question. This has had a profound effect on me, having endured a number of blindsides myself. I have appreciated the narrative and been able to relate to the research and to understand so much about myself more deeply. Thank you for putting this piece of work into the world, it really is worth every second of the time to listen/read.

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9 people found this helpful

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A different Perspective

I loved your book Leigh . You were very brave to share your private life; I hope you have an easier year.
It was so interesting to listen to you sharing your stories of the tragedies different people had experienced Leigh, and how they had overcome their sadness and adversaries to find a way to cope with their devastating losses, terror , PTS etc.
I sent this book to my sister-in-law so that she won’t be the only one saying ‘Why Me’

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9 people found this helpful

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edit it first audible

Fantastic content and insight into subject, but I was frustrated that it wasn't edited. Leigh stumbles, and then goes back and starts the sentence again,and it's not edited. why Audible?
Thank you Leigh - a really impressive work.

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9 people found this helpful

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A thoughtful, intelligent, enthralling listen

I enjoyed Leigh’s book so much, it brought together thorough journalistic research, with heart rending and human stories, and Leigh’s warm and honest character, including her ability to share her own vulnerability with her audience. I have so much admiration!

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8 people found this helpful

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Leigh Sales is a total pro

This was simultaneously a deeply sad and heart warming listen. Audiobooks read by the author are often especially compelling, and Sales' Journo-trained narration is exemplary as could be expected. Highly recommended.

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7 people found this helpful

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Life affirming

A beautifully written book that brings light and pragmatic advice to topics of grief, death, loss and tragedy. I was often moved to tears by the stories of terrible loss but equally moved by the kindness and bravery described.

I feel more hopeful that I might be able to accompany my friends and family better in moments of loss and grief and that I am better equipped to deal with any blindsides that come my way. Thanks Leigh.

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5 people found this helpful

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Beautifully written and told

I was scared to start this one but couldn't stop. Leigh has told some amazingly delicate stories in the most beautiful way.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Elizabeth B
  • 06-10-2018

Beautiful and Timely

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I particularly enjoyed the journey that author and narrator, Leigh Sales, took in the compiling and writing of this book. The arc from sceptic to optimist (well, almost) was inspiring, and the courageously authentic perspectives Sales’ interviewees shared about their experiences inspired true hope.
I liked this book. I rather enjoyed the accidental editing mishaps that included Sales’ intermittent sips of tea. They only added to the authenticity of the subject matter for mine. I will recommend this book to many.
Thanks Leigh, for your bravery and exceptional journalistic skills! Truly stunning ;)

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 29-11-2018

Thank you Leigh!

Captivating, moving, honest and real. Thank you Leigh for you insightfullness and gentle, thought provoking delivery. Thank you for giving perspective to the unthinkable.

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  • Donna
  • 11-11-2018

Interesting & thought provoking.

Leigh has tackled a topic that I think we probably all have wondered about as we go through life, certainly I have - how do people make it through the unthinkable? Would I be able to if needed to. Leigh looks to research and the experiences of her own and others to explore this topic. An exceptional journalist, Leigh brings a real human element which I enjoyed. I don’t often re listen, but I think I will this one.

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  • Katherine Fenech
  • 01-01-2020

A must-read for everyone

I can't recommend this highly enough. There are lessons for everyone from every walk of life in this book.

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  • Clemo
  • 29-10-2019

Tedious listening

I thought this book could be interesting however it was like listening to 7:30 report with some extra explanations about reporting.

Leigh’s attempts at philosophising tragic events and ‘fear’ became overbearing and too complicated. Life is simple and accepting things as they happen is Life.

I could only listen to a few chapters and although I am curious to see if Leigh changes in later chapters I don’t think I could endure anymore repeated news stories and explanations.

Sorry Leigh, you have a ways to go...

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  • Needles
  • 06-05-2019

Leigh not the best choice to narrate

I love Leigh’s work as an anchor for ABC and see a lot of interest and value in the content of this book, but getting Leigh to read her own work here was a bad call. Her delivery: neutral, dispassionate and paced for a short time-limit is absolutely perfect for television journalism, but is so wrong for book narration. An actor could have brought much-needed warmth and modulated pacing and made this more listenable for me. A shame. And the microphone picks up Every. Single. Swallow.
Surely a sound sound recordist could’ve fixed this distraction. Did Leigh record this herself?

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  • Deborah Jacob
  • 16-02-2019

An Important and Comforting REad

Leigh Sales has covered all the bases in this book. This is a book every journalist should read in order to learn how to ask the important questions with empathy and without fear. For everyone else, this is a book about how people survive tragedy in the true sense of the word. Leigh Sales interviews are insightful and uplifting. This could have been a very depressing read. Instead, it fills readers full of hope and confidence that they will be able to get through the worse events in their lives and even find beauty in them. I loved Sales' narration. It truly made the book more meaningful to have her voice narrate it.

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  • Renny
  • 13-02-2019

Well written and interesting.

Personal stories of truth and wisdom about how many have worked through lives greatest challenges.
Anecdotes for how best to walk with them or what to expect ourselves if ever faced with one of these events. Good read.

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  • Moran Greenwald
  • 23-11-2018

One of the best books I've ever read

Leigh Sales does not leave a stone unturned. Her journalist curiosity and thoroughness, her analytical skills, combined with honesty, empathy, and a wonderful writing, make a great book and a must read to - well - all humans.

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  • Megan Oliver
  • 02-01-2023

Fantastic

After recently going through a traumatic life changing experience myself, I was looking for answers and comfort. I got both in unexpected ways from this book. I’m grateful for the authors presentation of both facts and personal accounts of both her own and others experiences. I’d highly recommend a listen!

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  • Jyoti
  • 03-02-2021

Amazing book.

Rich in pathos and logic, beautifully written. Highly recommend this book. I simply loved it.

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  • T. D. Johnston
  • 18-04-2020

wonderful and timely

I've always admired Leigh Sales as a journalist, and this book excels beyond my expectation as a writer as well. Such a gifted insight into the human condition of dealing with enormous tragedy, but yet, somehow translates with the everyday. Brilliant book.

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  • Adrienne
  • 10-03-2019

Compassionate and well researched

Leigh Sales reads her exploration of the human response to sudden tragedy in an engaging and thoughtful manner. I read this book and found it so thought provoking I downloaded the audiobook too. Without being sentimental or wallowing in human suffering Sales takes us into the lives of people who have endured a sudden life changing event and charts their resilience and recovery. I highly recommend this book and will listen to it again.

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  • Gwyneth
  • 03-02-2019

Thank you, Leigh Sales for such brilliant insight.

I'm forever grateful for this listen which has not only soothed but delivered/conveyed with stunning grace how one's resilience helps us rise from the ashes; and evolve... into even better versions of ourselves. Heart-wrenching, evocative and empathetic ~ a thoughtful and inspiring listen. I wish you all the very best of happiness and quality of life. ♡

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  • Joshua Smith
  • 17-12-2018

Thought-Provoking

Thought-provoking and evocative. Has given me a new appreciation for those ordinary days. Leigh Sales has interviewed some truly inspiring individuals.

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  • Cowie girl
  • 09-11-2018

Superb

I love Leigh’s podcast Chat 10 Looks 3 and really admire her as a journalist.
This is a superb book beautifully narrated by Leigh. Thought provoking and ultimately hopeful.

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