Greenlights cover art

Greenlights

Raucous Stories and Outlaw Wisdom from the Academy Award-Winning Actor

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Greenlights

By: Matthew McConaughey
Narrated by: Matthew McConaughey
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About this listen

From the Academy Award-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

I've been in this life for 50 years, been trying to work out its riddle for 42 and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last 35. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: if you know how, and when, to deal with life's challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call 'catching greenlights'.

So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is 50 years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.

Hopefully, it's medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot's license, going to church without having to be born again and laughing through the tears.

It's a love letter. To life.

It's also a guide to catching more greenlights - and to realising that the yellows and reds eventually turn green, too.

Good luck.

The audiobook now includes an exclusive interview with Matthew McConaughey which was recorded during his book tour in 2021.

©2020 Matthew McConaughey (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Entertainment & Celebrities Film & TV Celebrity Inspiring Funny Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty Storytelling

What listeners say about Greenlights

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like chatting with an old mate

don't read this book, listen to Matthew tell you his story himself. this felt like we were having a beer and chatting life, like two old mates. absolutely worth the listen.

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35 people found this helpful

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Much more than just alright, alright, alright...

Loved listening to this... stayed in my car to continue listening most times... Kind of wished my drive to work was longer at times...

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21 people found this helpful

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Had me hooked

This had me hooked from the get go. The way Matthew tells a story. I laughed and was shocked. I felt emotions and felt a connection to the stories...

Love this a lot

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15 people found this helpful

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Thoroughly enjoyed this Book

I struggled to put it down lol. Matthew has one of those voices and accents you could listen to all day and the way he tells a story keeps you hanging off every word.

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12 people found this helpful

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Don’t think too much, just soak it in

A guide for the fakers who want to be fathers, and a tale for the true who want to be moved. Just keep login’.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fucking brilliant and so relevant!

This listen is a candid, raw regalia of a life lived. I was surprised by how relevant and recent the content is which makes it an even better experience. Definitely will be relistening to this again in the future.

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1 person found this helpful

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Exceptional

Exceeded my expectations massively!
I'm not sure the print version would do it justice.
Being read by the man himself saves you from trying to do that iconic accent in your head!
Indulge!

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Mighty Matthew

great stories..insightful and a ball of brains wrapped up in a voice that is smooth and easy to listen to. His life is living and learning is very inspiring

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farking nailed it matty

I always thought Matty Mac was a babe. he won me over in How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.. when I was 14. Yes.. because he was the rom com dreamboat. Bit listening g to him tell his story.. I have a new-found respect and reverence for the man that he is. I am blown away. The stories.. the drawl.. the insight. SO MANY profound quotes that do belong on bumper stickers.. bathroom mirrors.. motivational speeches. This book is phenomenal. I will be buying a hard copy and re-reading it for sure.

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Great narration !!!!

I loved this book. Entertaining. Good to listen to. Matthew has proven to be not just a brilliant actor but he can write and narrate too.
I'd listen to this book and any other book he writes and narrates over and over again.
Well Done Matthew, you did good!!

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