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Strangers Drowning
- Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help
- Narrated by: Larissa MacFarquhar
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
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Publisher's summary
What does it mean to devote yourself wholly to helping others? In Strangers Drowning, Larissa MacFarquhar seeks out people living lives of extreme ethical commitment and tells their deeply intimate stories; their stubborn integrity and their compromises; their bravery and their recklessness; their joys and defeats, and wrenching dilemmas. A couple adopts two children in distress. But then they think: If they can change two lives, why not four? Or 10? They adopt 20. But how do they weigh the needs of unknown children in distress against the needs of the children they already have?
Another couple founds a leprosy colony in the wilderness in India, living in huts with no walls, knowing that their two small children may contract leprosy or be eaten by panthers. The children survive. But what if they hadn’t? How would their parents’ risk have been judged? A woman believes that if she spends money on herself, rather than donate it to buy life-saving medicine, then she’s responsible for the deaths that result. She lives on a fraction of her income, but wonders: When is compromise self-indulgence and when is it essential? We honor such generosity and high ideals; but when we call people do-gooders there is skepticism in it, even hostility. Why do moral people make us uneasy?
Between her stories, MacFarquhar threads a lively history of the literature, philosophy, social science, and self-help that have contributed to a deep suspicion of do-gooders in Western culture. Through its sympathetic and beautifully vivid storytelling, Strangers Drowning confronts us with fundamental questions about what it means to be human. In a world of strangers drowning in need, how much should we help, and how much can we help? Is it right to care for strangers even at the expense of those we are closest to? Moving and provocative, Strangers Drowning challenges us to think about what we value most, and why.
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Critic reviews
“I can imagine Larissa MacFarquhar’s Strangers Drowning being as wonderful to read a hundred years from now as it was this year. The book reports on extreme ‘do-gooders’ - a favorite chapter looks at a couple who adopted 22 children—but its detail-oriented and nonjudgmental intelligence makes it at once morally complex and mythic, modern and timeless.” (Rivka Galchen, The New York Times Book Review)
“Fascinating...The keys to the book’s success are MacFarquhar’s exhaustive journalistic approach and her clear, concise writing…Strangers Drowning is a brilliant jumping-off point to explore where each of us stands morally.” (Chicago Tribune)
“MacFarquhar describes [the altruists’] motivations in elegant, empathetic terms...The stories resound with the universality of fables, events unfold at their own pace, and the overall tone of Strangers Drowning, with its panoramic view of actions and their consequences, seems to draw from the texts of psychology, philosophy, and religion in equal measure, evoking the case study, the thought experiment, and the parable.” (Bookforum)
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Book ruined by the narrator
- By David C. on 12-07-22
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American Spirit
- Profiles in Resilience, Courage, and Faith
- By: Taya Kyle, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: Taya Kyle
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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From Taya Kyle, New York Times best-selling author of American Wife and widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, an inspiring collection of stories, both personal and drawn from American history, that showcase the resilience of the “American spirit”.
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Just love Taya Kyle!
- By Rebecka R. Murray on 05-14-19
By: Taya Kyle, and others
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Peace from Broken Pieces
- How to Get Through What You're Going Through
- By: Iyanla Vanzant
- Narrated by: Iyanla Vanzant
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times best-selling author Iyanla Vanzant recounts the last decade of her life and the spiritual lessons learned—from the price of success during her meteoric rise as a TV celebrity on Oprah, the Iyanla TV show (produced by Barbara Walters), to the dissolution of her marriage and her daughter's 15 months of illness and death on Christmas day.
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Iyanla is Inspirational! A GREAT LISTEN!!!
- By Theresa on 12-04-11
By: Iyanla Vanzant
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In Order to Live
- A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
- By: Yeonmi Park
- Narrated by: Eji Kim
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In In Order to Live, Yeonmi Park shines a light not just into the darkest corners of life in North Korea, describing the deprivation and deception she endured and which millions of North Korean people continue to endure to this day, but also onto her own most painful and difficult memories. She tells with bravery and dignity for the first time the story of how she and her mother were betrayed and sold into sexual slavery in China and forced to suffer terrible psychological and physical hardship before they finally made their way to Seoul, South Korea - and to freedom.
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Wow. What a story!
- By Jfm on 02-01-16
By: Yeonmi Park
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Mighty Be Our Powers
- How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War; a Memoir
- By: Leymah Gbowee, Carol Mithers
- Narrated by: Kimberly Scott
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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As a young woman growing up in Africa, 17-year-old Leymah Gbowee was crushed by a savage war when violence reached her native Monrovia, depriving her of the education she yearned for and claiming the lives of relatives and friends. As war continued to ravage Liberia, Gbowee’s bitterness turned to rage-fueled action as she realized that women bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts.
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Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and
- By Kathy on 10-07-11
By: Leymah Gbowee, and others
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Everything Happens for a Reason
- Finding the True Meaning of the Events in Our Lives
- By: Mira Kirshenbaum
- Narrated by: Kitty Hendrix
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In each of our lives we are faced with events that seem inexplicable, unjust, even cruel - events that can shatter our perception of the world, our understanding of ourselves, and our faith in a higher power. Friends and family members often offer comfort with "Everything happens for a reason" - a simple, common phrase with an unbearably elusive meaning. In Everything Happens for a Reason, psychotherapist Mira Kirshenbaum helps us understand the principles behind this frequently used phrase and provides us with tools to grasp its true meaning.
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Excellent!!!! Listened to it 3X
- By TTR on 06-19-24
By: Mira Kirshenbaum
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Normal Gets You Nowhere
- By: Kelly Cutrone
- Narrated by: Kelly Cutrone
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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With Normal Gets You Nowhere, Kelly Cutrone invites us to get our freak on. History is full of successful, world-changing people who did not fit in. Think Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, John Lennon, and Rosa Parks. Instead of changing themselves to accommodate the status quo or what others thought they should be, these people hung a light on their differences - and changed humanity in the process. “I know you don’t feel normal, so why are you trying to act it and prove to everyone you are?” Cutrone says.
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For open minds and hearts.
- By Kelly on 01-06-12
By: Kelly Cutrone
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Walking on Eggshells
- Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children and Parents
- By: Jane Isay
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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We raise our children to be independent and lead fulfilling lives, but when they finally do, staying close becomes more complicated than ever. And for every bewildered mother who wonders why her children don't call, there is a frustrated son or daughter who just wants to be treated like a grownup. Now, renowned editor Jane Isay delivers the perfect gift to both parents and their adult children-real-life wisdom and advice on how to stay together without falling apart.
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Disappointed
- By tammy alvarez on 01-13-19
By: Jane Isay
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Inside the Kingdom
- My Life In Saudi Arabia
- By: Carmen bin Ladin
- Narrated by: Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 11, 2001, Carmen bin Ladin heard the news that the Twin Towers had been struck. She instinctively knew that her brother-in-law was involved in these horrifying acts of terrorism, and her heart went out to America. She also knew that her life and the lives of her daughters would never be the same again.
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An inside view of the Saudi women's life
- By Richard on 08-04-04
By: Carmen bin Ladin
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10 Conversations You Need to Have with Yourself
- A Powerful Plan for Spiritual Growth and Self-Improvement
- By: Shmuley Boteach
- Narrated by: Shmuley Boteach
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Some of the most effective talk therapy is self-talk therapy - learning to connect positively with that internal voice that serves as your own personal GPS to guide you through life. Rabbi Shmuley teaches the reader to reconnect with the inner voice of conscience, the source of personal dreams and values, which has been so drowned out by the noise of a culture that emphasizes form over substance, career over calling, and consumption over conviction. Drawing on Rabbi Shmuley's extensive counseling experience, this book helps you defeat negative self-talk.
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Grateful for inspiration, guidance and humility
- By Mike on 07-27-15
By: Shmuley Boteach
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Beyond Tears
- Living After Losing a Child, Revised Edition
- By: Carol Barkin, Barbara J. Goldstein, Audrey Cohen, and others
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The death of a child is that unimaginable loss no parent ever expects to face. In Beyond Tears, nine mothers share their individual stories of how to survive in the darkest hour. They candidly share with other bereaved parents what to expect in the first year and long beyond.
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Comforting and familiar
- By Jeanne on 01-12-17
By: Carol Barkin, and others
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The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers
- Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity
- By: Meg Meeker M.D.
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Friendship. Simplicity. Love. Value. Faith. Solitude. Money. Fear. Hope. Purpose. Dr. Meg Meeker has seen mothers struggle with these 10 issues for the past 25 years, and she has also learned how to help them live less stressful, happier, more fulfilling lives. The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers will show women how to reduce loneliness, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem by inspiring women to embrace more positive emotions and habits.
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Recommend the book but had hard time listening to
- By Kaletra Dispennett on 12-25-16
By: Meg Meeker M.D.
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Infidel
- By: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
- Narrated by: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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This New York Times best-seller is the astonishing life story of award-winning humanitarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali. A deeply respected advocate for free speech and women's rights, Hirsi Ali also lives under armed protection because of her outspoken criticism of the Islamic faith in which she was raised.
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Tough, Candid Assessment
- By Paul Mullen on 02-18-08
By: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
What listeners say about Strangers Drowning
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- TeacherMom
- 01-26-23
Profound and heartbreaking
I had no idea what this book was about, or even if it was fiction or nonfiction until I started listening. It was the next book in the queue of my book reading group. Now I plan to buy the book so I can reread the stories and reencounter the questions that MacFarquar raises in her astute examination of altruism. A couple of sections brought me to tears. Excellent reading by the author .
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- Conor Dougherty
- 08-25-16
So Good.
An amazing look and not just extraordinary people but the nature of humanity and our mind. I can't recommend it enough.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-05-19
great book, hard to endure
This book is hard to listen to, precisely because it is so well done. I recommend it, but only for people who can tolerate the incredible pain that these people put themselves through in service of their foreign-seeming desire to save the world around them
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- Laura Gillespie
- 10-18-17
Wonderful.
This is a wonderful book. LM's profiles are as always vivid and moving, beautiful and funny, and as a philosopher myself I'm in awe of ability to synthesize the work of philosophers, both contemporary and historical, rendering it accurately, compellingly, deploying it sparingly and to just the right effect. She brings what are to my mind the central questions of moral theory vividly to life, never letting that tension loosen into easy answers. I could keep going. I'm such a fan.
As a side note, LM also turns out to be a great reader of her own essays. She brings the careful, unsentimental, and occasionally wry but not unloving humor that characterizes her prose to the reading task. A pleasure to listen to.
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- Catherine
- 08-03-16
Beautifully Written, Artfully Reasoned
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The author's voice brings authenticity and intimacy both to the book's stories about individual lives and to its probing analysis larger themes. It becomes clear, in part because of her own reading, that the author cares deeply and personally about the subject. Her reading seems to bring the reader along in her own discovery of these people and answers to questions about what distinguishes radical altruists from others, why such altruists are regarded so skeptically, and ultimately how to lead a moral life. It would be difficult to read (or listen) to the book and continue to live unchanged by it.
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- Ali
- 01-31-19
somewhat dry but the content is good.
you have to enjoy these kinds of books in order to get through it and enjoy it. its set up as if each person's life is a case study. interesting what different people see as doing good and where they conclude the most need is in the world.
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- Julia
- 10-09-15
great book
great book. a few times I was aware of the reader becoming tired and then suddenly energetic as though the day of the recording changed. other than that it was fanastic and I listened to it in a short two days.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 07-25-20
opened a space for thought.
nice reminder through stories of the various ways humans cope with their reality.makes for a quick delve into the fabric of society and it's effect on our mentality.
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- Melissa House
- 03-17-16
Great listen!
This book is thought provoking, relevant to life now, and incredibly interesting. This book makes you examine your life, your choices, and the lives of those around you.
It is an excellent choice for anyone who is curious about the kindness of strangers, and why certain individuals dedicate their lives in service to strangers.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Michael J.
- 09-20-16
Pretty darn good, if a but critical
This book was recommended to me, as a piece of advice on "do-gooder" ideas I had. While full of excellent, fascinating stories, the book nonetheless excludes the stories of those helped by these "do-gooders". For me, this left the work squarely in the territory of criticism, rather than open minded critical inquiry, and was hard to take deeply to heart.
That said, the stories were rich, engaging, and well chosen and researched, and commentary was thought provoking.
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1 person found this helpful