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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 (2,859 ratings)

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Any Ordinary Day cover art

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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What listeners say about Any Ordinary Day

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

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.