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Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

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Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

By: Alan Alda
Narrated by: Alan Alda
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About this listen

 On the heels of his acclaimed memoir, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, beloved actor and best-selling author Alan Alda has written Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, an insightful and funny look at some of the impossible questions he's asked himself over the years.

Picking up where his best-selling memoir left off, and having been saved by emergency surgery after nearly dying on a mountaintop in Chile, Alda finds himself not only glad to be alive but searching for a way to squeeze the most juice out of his new life. Looking for a sense of meaning that would make this extra time count, he listens in on things he's heard himself saying in private and in public at critical points in his life - from the turbulence of the 60s, to his first Broadway show, to the birth of his children, to the ache of September 11, and beyond.

Reflecting on the transitions in his life and in all our lives, he wonders if there's one thing - art, activism, family, money, fame - that could lead to a "life of meaning".

In an audiobook that is candid, wise, and as questioning as it is incisive, Alda amuses and moves us with his unique and hilarious meditations on questions great and small. Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself is another superb Alan Alda performance, as inspiring and entertaining as the man himself.

©2007 Mayflower Productions, Inc. (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Funny Witty Memoir

Critic Reviews

"Alda is chatty, easygoing and humble, rather like a Mr. Rogers for grownups. His words of inspiration would be a perfect gift for a college grad or for anyone facing major life changes." ( Publishers Weekly)
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Alan Alda never fails to leave the listener wanting more. His voice is like music to your ears and his life experiences resonate to provide much pondering and consideration.

Beautifully written and eloquently read.

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I have always admired Alan Alda and found this book very engaging. A bit biography, a lot philosophy with some humour and story-telling!

A positive take on life

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Loved this. There are excerpts in here my kids need to hear, but, sorry Alan, from me, and adapted but the message and sentiment resonates. Thank you

Parenting Advice? .… not exactly but infinitely usable as such!

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This is an excellent Romp through an array of speeches given by an Actor to many people, the book goves both cotext and emotion to those speeches. I enjoyed the book years ago, and that enjoyment was furthered by hearing the author read his book aloud.

Excellent

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This biographical sequel to "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed," is even better. Both are great reads, and often very thought provoking. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself. :-)

A superb and th I ught-provoking book

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I liked the deep introspection that is shown by Alan here. He has been asked to give a few commencement speeches in his lifetime and they are all good. Having had cancer in 2019, I wholeheartedly agree with him and also came to the same conclusion as him during my cancer battle that the meaning of life is life itself.

Alan’s search for meaning and his commencement address

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It listened like a series of commencement speeches, no story, no insights into his life journey. It was like Alan was trying to enlighten me, I came here to be entertained!

Where's the story

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Disappointed in his need to appease women constantly. Seems like he was trying to appeal to his daughter rather than the listener

Nothing - just waffle talk about nothing of value

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