On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old Audiobook By Parker J. Palmer cover art

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old

By: Parker J. Palmer
Narrated by: Steve Carlson
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.90

Buy for $17.90

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

From beloved and best-selling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, Healing the Heart of Democracy) comes a brave and beautiful book of reflections on eight decades of life and work. Reframing aging as "a passage of discovery and engagement", Palmer says, "Old is just another word for nothing left to lose, a time to take bigger risks on behalf of the common good." On the Brink of Everything is not a "guide to" or "handbook for" getting old. Instead, it's Palmer turning the prism of insight on his experience as a way of encouraging listeners to do the same with theirs. In elegant prose and lyrical poetry, he offers a set of meditations on the meanings of one's life - past, present, and future.

“The laws of nature that dictate the sunset dictate our demise," Palmer writes. "But how we travel the arc between our own sunrise and sundown is ours to choose: will it be denial, defiance, or collaboration?" With gravity and levity, compassion and chutzpah, Palmer writes about cultivating a robust inner and outer life, a sense of meaning and purpose amid pain as well as joy, and the intergenerational relations that enhance the lives of young and old alike. Here's a book not only for elders but also for those younger folks we call "old souls". And this book sings! It includes three songs by Palmer's longtime friend and colleague, singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, written in response to themes in the book.

Palmer and Newcomer hope to engage listeners in an ongoing conversation about what Howard Thurman called "the growing edge" of our personal and public lives. Ultimately, Palmer sees age as a precious gift: "The fact that I've come this far makes me one of the lucky ones." Surprised by the fact that he likes being old, he writes, "Welcome to the brink of everything. It takes a lifetime to get here, but the stunning view and the wake-up breeze in your face make it worth the trip."

©2018 Parker J. Palmer (P)2018 Parker J. Palmer
Aging & Longevity Personal Success Inspiring Witty Funny Aging
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    169
  • 4 Stars
    40
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    15
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    138
  • 4 Stars
    44
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    140
  • 4 Stars
    40
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    13

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Full of wisdom.

A friend suggested hus book and I enjoyed his writing style and the wisdom in it. Moving on to his next books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Old guy wisdom and reflection

I enjoyed the author reading his book. It is the looking back on a life. I loved both the humor and honesty.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Continue

Extremely interesting.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author.
Think he’s great!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Worth a listen

Parker Palmer is a favorite of mine. He always comes across as wise and gentle. I am not sure this is his best book but it's worth a listen. At first, I thought the narrator sounded very much like Palmer but as the book went on he sounded a little tired. I wish the author had narrated the book. Now that I am finished I will buy a print version for my library.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Parker J Parker’s On the Brink

Thus book was both poetic at times and quite inspirational for someone as mature as the author. But I think would be that for most people.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

How to die well

It is a topic we should address and Parker presented it in an engaging manner.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Timely

As I turn 53 the words of Parker Palmer are like a guide. A beautiful invitation to be present, embrace mortality and discover one’s true self. A timely read indeed. Thanks Parker!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A New Way of Seeing Life

Seeing Life through the rearview mirror of life, remember "Things are closer than they appear"

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really Good Book

Loved it! Great for those getting older. It makes you think about your life past, present and future.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

A very insightful and inspiring book by an aging person who loves life but who faces its end with tenderness, honesty, courage and hope. His essays are not stuffed with platitudes but rather deliver a message of inner and outer acceptance of both the light and the darkness in ourselves and others.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!