Book Review: The Wisdom of Listening

Book Description:

The next time you’re out in public, take a moment to look around you. Each and every person you see holds wisdom in their pockets–pieces of gold they’ve accumulated as they walked their own unique life journey.

Within these pages, Marilyn shares some of the many pieces of gold she has received over her decade-long career. They have been offered to her during interviews, through random encounters and while facing difficult challenges. The most important? We are each unique and exactly who we are meant to be.

Are you ready to dig for gold? All you need to do is be brave, be present in the moment and be open to the possibilities–then start a conversation.

My Thoughts:

Have you ever sat on a bench waiting for a bus and started up a conversation with a random stranger? Have you ever learned so much about that person or been told such an amazing story that you completely forgot you were waiting for a bus at all?

These days cell phones prevent us from starting up conversations with random strangers, but in my twenties and thirties I had countless conversations with grandmothers, mothers, job seekers, college students and tourists all sharing a bench with me while waiting to go from point A to point B. To this day I’ll strike up a conversation with anyone who is looking out into the world rather than staring down at his or her screen.

Sitting on a bench I sometimes felt like I was just meant to meet that person on that particular day. Perhaps it was the story they told or the smile they provided that made me feel so connected to the world in a way I just couldn’t describe.

Sometimes our conversations filled a void, sometimes they made me view life differently, and sometimes they just made me feel so happy to be alive. If you’ve ever had one of those moments then this book might be for you. The author retells stories and lessons learned from various interviews throughout her lifetime.

This is not the type of book you need to set aside a huge amount of time to read. You won’t find yourself immersed in chapter after chapter trying to find a way to sneak in one more minute of reading before it’s time to prepare dinner, give your kids a bath or get a wink of sleep before waking up to start your day all over again.

This book can be read in just about any way you choose. The chapters can all be read independently of one another, because each chapter is a like a mini-life lesson. So you don’t need to dedicate large chunks of time to reading. You can simply read a chapter or two and then pick up the book at a later point in time to learn another life lesson.

If you’ve ever met anyone that influenced your life and the way you thought about this world this book will feel very familiar.

Praise for The Wisdom of Listening:

“Every life has a story and, no matter our background, we share similar hopes, dreams and fears. This book not only gives you insight into the varied lives of its subjects but, through Marilyn’s reflections, shows how we each walk a similar spiritual path.”
– Robbin Whachell, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Bahamas Weekly

“Marilyn shows us, through her compassionate and incisive interviews, how to grasp and link those golden moments, like sparkling prisms of light, into an animated and profound acceptance of ourselves, the people we encounter, the relationships we build, and the dreams that will set us free.”
– Gabriella Contestabile, Author, Founder of Su Misura Sensory Journeys

“I was reminded we are collectively each walking our own paths, but often experience similar emotions, feelings, obstacles, challenges, triumphs, rewards and successes. We all learn as we go and we all become wiser as time passes. This is humanity. The diversity in each of us as a whole is awesome.”
– RozeMerie Cuevas, Co-Founder and Designer at JAC by Jacqueline Conoir

Marilyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer, published author and speaker with a passion for interviewing. Her career as a writer began in an unusual way: by answering a Craigslist ad from a NYC magazine. The world shifted when she conducted her first interview—she had found her passion.

Since 2006, she has interviewed over a hundred and fifty people from around the globe, co-owned a local magazine, wrote freelance for others, worked as an editor, published two books and provided author support for her publisher. Her goal as an author — to give wings to the stories of others and to pay forward some of the many “pieces of gold” received during interviews – bits of wisdom that have changed her life.

Connect with Marilyn: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram