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  • Broken Open

  • How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
  • By: Elizabeth Lesser
  • Narrated by: Susan Denaker
  • Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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Broken Open

By: Elizabeth Lesser
Narrated by: Susan Denaker
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times best seller

This inspiring guide to healing and growth illuminates the richness and potential of every life, even in the face of loss and adversity.In the more than 25 years since she co-founded Omega Institute - now the world’s largest center for spiritual retreat and personal growth - Elizabeth Lesser has been an intimate witness to the ways in which people weather change and transition. In a beautifully crafted blend of moving stories, humorous insights, practical guidance, and personal memoir, she offers tools to help us make the choice we all face in times of challenge: Will we be broken down and defeated, or broken open and transformed? 

Lesser shares tales of ordinary people who have risen from the ashes of illness, divorce, loss of a job or a loved one - stronger, wiser, and more in touch with their purpose and passion. And she draws on the world’s great spiritual and psychological traditions to support us as we too learn to break open and blossom into who we were meant to be.

©2004 Villard (P)2008 Random House

What listeners say about Broken Open

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your money. Lacks depth.

Sorry, I have no doubt the author means to provide light and growth to our lives but the information provided in this book is lacking in depth and is cheesy.
The narrator has zero empathy in her voice.
I could not get through the second chapter.
Much apologies to the author for this review, I'm sure she meant well but if you are considering spending money on this book, don't. You will be wasting your money.

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

Intrusive narration

I am struggling to finish this book or to evaluate its content fairly because I am finding the narration (or 'performance') so very intrusive and misjudged. While the narrator has a lovely voice, she uses it as if reading an extended instructive fairy tale to children. It is truly awful, particularly given that the content is largely the relating of deeply personal, intimate and consequential true life events which do not need a dramatised overlay by the narrator. I am vision-impaired and thus unable to read the book myself but would recommend that those who are interested in this book and can do so opt for reading it rather than listenibng to this version.

It is as if the narrator (along with an increasing number of Audible narrators) wants to be the 'star of the show' rather than allowing the book to be that. This tendency seems to be encouraged by Audible asking listeners to rate 'Performance' rather than 'Naration'. At least with non-fiction, I am finding that the best books to listen to are those narrated by their authors who seem moptivated more to have what they have written speak and shine rather than to show off their acting/oratory skills.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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How difficult times help you grow

Where does Broken Open rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Beautiful story & narrator -- thank you. Highly recommended --- even if you are NOT Broken

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Defintiley!!!!!

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