JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Prentice Onayemi delivers the authors’ advice on the necessity of finding silence in a noisy world. With this audiobook, the authors help listeners develop a state of mindfulness. Using lessons from neuroscience, spirituality, and politics, they provide a field guide for mental clarity. As they visit sites as diverse as San Quentin State Prison’s death row and the White House, their study of silence takes on multiple forms. Onayemi’s gentle voice makes all the information easy to absorb. His well-paced and thoughtful delivery matches the theme of the audiobook with a quiet performance that naturally leads listeners into the state of mind the authors so highly recommend. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/18/2022
Zorn and Marz, the founders of a strategy consultancy, debut with a perceptive if bloated examination of the benefits of silence. Drawing on the science of quietude, the authors encourage readers to “understand and manage the noise so that we can more consciously tune in to nature, to one another, and to the sonic essence of life itself.” Zorn and Marz examine the negative effects of noise, citing Florence Nightingale’s recognition that a noisy hospital caused stress for recovering soldiers and a WHO study that found noise pollution costs western Europeans hundreds of thousands of life years annually. Noise’s detriments aren’t limited to humans, the authors warn, reporting that maritime scientists have found the decrease in global trade at the beginning of the Covid pandemic led to a drop in ocean noise, which reduced stress levels in sea mammals. Zorn and Marz recommend creating more public quiet spaces (such as “pocket parks” in cities), noting that “noise drives the fight-or-flight response, pulling our physical and cognitive systems out of equilibrium,” and suggest that readers carve out “snack-sized” moments of silence with loved ones, slow down when dealing with stressful professional situations, and practice not speaking for a full day to better connect with oneself and one’s environment. It’s all well written, but the advice starts to feel repetitive, such as when the authors distinguish between “appreciating the silence and space in a micro-moment” and “finding pockets of silence in your day.” Even if overlong, this is worth spending some quiet time with. (May)
From the Publisher
Marz and Zorn make a convincing link between humanity’s modern obsession with the pursuit of dopamine and our addiction to noise. Through extensive research and engaging storytelling, they point the way to more clarity, expansiveness, and calm.” — Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety
“Through the heartfelt stories of teachers like Jarvis Jay Masters, this book shows how to practice patience and compassion in times of fear and distraction. Golden explores why equanimity matters not just for our own resilience and joy but also for the social and ecological sustainability of this world that we love.” — Pema Chodrön, Buddhist teacher and bestselling author of When Things Fall Apart
“Golden is a guide to getting out of the shallows and into the depths. It’s a synthesis of many disciplines to chart a path toward a deeper, livelier, more aware, and more peaceful way of being in the world.” — Rebecca Solnit, bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Hope in the Dark
“In a world where information overload has become the norm and indeed a badge of honor, Golden makes a radical claim: Unplugging and savoring silence is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our world. Golden weaves a gorgeous thread from neuroscience to politics, from spirituality to business, showing us the way to peace and renewal. I’m grateful for this profound yet practical exploration of silence and how to find it.” — Arianna Huffington, New York Times bestselling author of Thrive
“Golden is an ode to the silence that can heal trauma and awaken creativity. In a plugged-in world of overwhelming noise and distractions, it’s all too easy to dehumanize each other, losing our sense of connectedness to other people and nature. This book offers a much-needed antidote.” — Rick Doblin, executive director at Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
“Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz offer us a powerful vision and valuable roadmap for how to repair our society: find more silence. We can do this not only as individuals but also as families, organizations, and even whole nations.” — Tim Ryan, former Congressman from Ohio and author of A Mindful Nation
“Golden is an essential journey filled with a galaxy of relevant teachers. Elaborate, yet simple. A first step in finding balance. At its heart, the practice of listening, honestly told.” — John Francis, PhD, author of Planetwalker and former UN Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador
Judson Brewer
Marz and Zorn make a convincing link between humanity’s modern obsession with the pursuit of dopamine and our addiction to noise. Through extensive research and engaging storytelling, they point the way to more clarity, expansiveness, and calm.
Rebecca Solnit
“Golden is a guide to getting out of the shallows and into the depths. It’s a synthesis of many disciplines to chart a path toward a deeper, livelier, more aware, and more peaceful way of being in the world.”
Arianna Huffington
In a world where information overload has become the norm and indeed a badge of honor, Golden makes a radical claim: Unplugging and savoring silence is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our world. Golden weaves a gorgeous thread from neuroscience to politics, from spirituality to business, showing us the way to peace and renewal. I’m grateful for this profound yet practical exploration of silence and how to find it.”
U.S. Representative Tim Ryan
Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz offer us a powerful vision and valuable roadmap for how to repair our society: find more silence. We can do this not only as individuals but also as families, organizations, and even whole nations.”
Rick Doblin
Golden is an ode to the silence that can heal trauma and awaken creativity. In a plugged-in world of overwhelming noise and distractions, it’s all too easy to dehumanize each other, losing our sense of connectedness to other people and nature. This book offers a much-needed antidote.
John Francis
Golden is an essential journey filled with a galaxy of relevant teachers. Elaborate, yet simple. A first step in finding balance. At its heart, the practice of listening, honestly told.”
Pema Chodrön
Through the heartfelt stories of teachers like Jarvis Jay Masters, this book shows how to practice patience and compassion in times of fear and distraction. Golden explores why equanimity matters not just for our own resilience and joy but also for the social and ecological sustainability of this world that we love.”
Congressman Tim Ryan
Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz offer us a powerful vision and valuable roadmap for how to repair our society: Find more silence. We can do this not only as individuals but also as families, organizations, and even whole nations. Golden shows us how to find a kind of silence that’s more than the absence of noise—it’s a presence that offers us health, clarity, understanding, and happiness.
JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Prentice Onayemi delivers the authors’ advice on the necessity of finding silence in a noisy world. With this audiobook, the authors help listeners develop a state of mindfulness. Using lessons from neuroscience, spirituality, and politics, they provide a field guide for mental clarity. As they visit sites as diverse as San Quentin State Prison’s death row and the White House, their study of silence takes on multiple forms. Onayemi’s gentle voice makes all the information easy to absorb. His well-paced and thoughtful delivery matches the theme of the audiobook with a quiet performance that naturally leads listeners into the state of mind the authors so highly recommend. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
