
Start by Believing
Larry Nassar's Crimes, the Institutions that Enabled Him, and the Brave Women Who Stopped a Monster
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.83
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
John Barr
-
Dan Murphy
-
Chloe Cannon
-
By:
-
John Barr
-
Dan Murphy
About this listen
The definitive, devastating account of the largest sex abuse scandal in American sports history - with new details and insights into the institutional failures, as well as the bravery that brought it to light.
For decades, osteopathic physician Larry Nassar built a sterling reputation as the go-to doctor for America's Olympians while treating countless others at his office on Michigan State University's campus. It was largely within the high-pressure world of competitive gymnastics that Nassar exploited young girls, who were otherwise motivated by fear and intimidation, sexually assaulting hundreds of them under the guise of medical treatment.
In Start by Believing, John Barr and Dan Murphy confront Nassar's acts, which represent the largest sex abuse scandal to impact the sporting world. Through never-before-released interviews and documents they deconstruct the epic institutional failures and individuals who enabled him. When warnings were raised, self-serving leaders chose to protect their organizations' reputations over the well-being of young people.
Following the paths traveled by courageous women - featuring a once-shy Christian attorney and a brash, outspoken Olympic medalist - Barr and Murphy detail the stories of those who fought back against the dysfunction within their sport to claim a far-from-inevitable victory. The gymnasts' uncommon perseverance, along with the help of dedicated advocates, brought criminals to justice and helped to fuel the #MeToo revolution. Start by Believing reveals the win-at-all-costs culture in elite athletics and higher education that enabled a quarter century of heinous crimes.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 John Barr, Dan Murphy (P)2020 Hachette BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
- The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters
- By: Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the world of women's gymnastics and figure skating. From starvation diets and debilitating injuries to the brutal tactics of tyrannical gymnastics guru Bela Károlyi, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes portrays the horrors endured by girls at the hands of their coaches and sometimes their own families - and is now updated with a new introduction and foreword that address the sexual abuse scandal perpetrated by USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
-
-
Holds up 20 years later
- By Pink Amy on 04-04-21
By: Joan Ryan
-
The Girls
- An All-American Town, a Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down
- By: Abigail Pesta
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Girls is a profound exploration of trust, ambition, betrayal, and self-discovery. Award-winning journalist Abigail Pesta unveils this deeply reported narrative at a time when the nation is wrestling with the implications of the MeToo movement. How do the women who grew up with Nassar reconcile the monster in the news with the man they once trusted? In The Girls, we learn that their answers to that wrenching question are as rich, insightful, and varied as the human experience itself.
-
-
Don’t waste a credit
- By Timothy McCarthy on 11-12-19
By: Abigail Pesta
-
Off Balance
- A Memoir
- By: Dominique Moceanu, Paul Williams, Teri Williams
- Narrated by: Dominique Moceanu
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this searing and riveting New York Times best seller, Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu reveals the dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, the true price of success…and the shocking secret about her past and her family that she only learned years later.
-
-
Heartbreaking and inspiring
- By Leslie on 04-22-16
By: Dominique Moceanu, and others
-
Chalked Up (Updated Edition)
- My Life in Elite Gymnastics
- By: Jennifer Sey
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dreams of becoming the next Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. Her early success and love of the sport propelled her and her family to great sacrifice so that she could become a National Team member and one of America’s elite gymnasts by age 11. But as she set her sights higher, Jennifer began to change, setting her mental and physical health aside in the name of winning.
-
-
Interesting inside look at gymnastics
- By Jon Hunt on 08-19-24
By: Jennifer Sey
-
Counting the Cost
- By: Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard - contributor, Craig Borlase - contributor
- Narrated by: Jill Duggar
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines.
-
-
A Naive Account from a Reality TV Personality
- By Lora Kyle on 09-12-23
By: Jill Duggar, and others
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
- The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters
- By: Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the world of women's gymnastics and figure skating. From starvation diets and debilitating injuries to the brutal tactics of tyrannical gymnastics guru Bela Károlyi, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes portrays the horrors endured by girls at the hands of their coaches and sometimes their own families - and is now updated with a new introduction and foreword that address the sexual abuse scandal perpetrated by USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
-
-
Holds up 20 years later
- By Pink Amy on 04-04-21
By: Joan Ryan
-
The Girls
- An All-American Town, a Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down
- By: Abigail Pesta
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Girls is a profound exploration of trust, ambition, betrayal, and self-discovery. Award-winning journalist Abigail Pesta unveils this deeply reported narrative at a time when the nation is wrestling with the implications of the MeToo movement. How do the women who grew up with Nassar reconcile the monster in the news with the man they once trusted? In The Girls, we learn that their answers to that wrenching question are as rich, insightful, and varied as the human experience itself.
-
-
Don’t waste a credit
- By Timothy McCarthy on 11-12-19
By: Abigail Pesta
-
Off Balance
- A Memoir
- By: Dominique Moceanu, Paul Williams, Teri Williams
- Narrated by: Dominique Moceanu
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this searing and riveting New York Times best seller, Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu reveals the dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, the true price of success…and the shocking secret about her past and her family that she only learned years later.
-
-
Heartbreaking and inspiring
- By Leslie on 04-22-16
By: Dominique Moceanu, and others
-
Chalked Up (Updated Edition)
- My Life in Elite Gymnastics
- By: Jennifer Sey
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dreams of becoming the next Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. Her early success and love of the sport propelled her and her family to great sacrifice so that she could become a National Team member and one of America’s elite gymnasts by age 11. But as she set her sights higher, Jennifer began to change, setting her mental and physical health aside in the name of winning.
-
-
Interesting inside look at gymnastics
- By Jon Hunt on 08-19-24
By: Jennifer Sey
-
Counting the Cost
- By: Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard - contributor, Craig Borlase - contributor
- Narrated by: Jill Duggar
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines.
-
-
A Naive Account from a Reality TV Personality
- By Lora Kyle on 09-12-23
By: Jill Duggar, and others
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
What Is a Girl Worth?
- My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth About Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics
- By: Rachael Denhollander
- Narrated by: Rachael Denhollander
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rachael Denhollander's voice was heard around the world when she spoke out to end the most shocking scandal in US gymnastics history. The first victim to publicly accuse Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who abused hundreds of young athletes, Rachael now reveals her full story for the first time. How did Nassar get away with it for so long? How did Rachael and the other survivors finally stop him and bring him to justice? And how can we protect the vulnerable in our own families, churches, and communities?
-
-
Reads like a crime novel... but it’s real.
- By Charles on 04-02-21
-
Abused
- Surviving Sexual Assault and a Toxic Gymnastics Culture
- By: Rachel Haines
- Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-year-old Rachel Haines didn’t know that she would be committing to 21 years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance as she jumped into the foam pit during her first “mommy and me” gymnastics class. She had no idea that one day she would become a two-time National Team Member, two-time National Champion, and a Division I college gymnast at the University of Minnesota. Nor could she have known that she had just signed herself up for serious injury, emotional distress, and continuous sexual assault by world-renowned trainer turned serial molester, Larry Nassar.
By: Rachel Haines
-
Game Over
- Jerry Sandusky, Penn State, and the Culture of Silence
- By: Bill Moushey, Robert Dvorchak
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a scandal that began in a place called Happy Valley. But it's not as happy as it once was, as the child-sex-abuse charges against a longtime coach and the conspiracy of silence surrounding the allegations have rocked America and Division 1 college sports. In Game Over, journalists Bill Moushey and Bob Dvorchak investigate claims of a startling cover-up within the Penn State hierarchy that attempted to protect its football legacy, quite possibly at the expense of disenfranchised children.
-
-
Heartbreaking
- By Claire on 04-24-12
By: Bill Moushey, and others
-
She Said
- Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement
- By: Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On October 5, 2017, the New York Times published an article by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey - and then the world changed. For months, Kantor and Twohey had been having confidential discussions with top actresses, former Weinstein employees, and other sources, learning of disturbing long-buried allegations. But nothing could have prepared them for what followed the publication of their Weinstein story. With superlative detail, insight, and journalistic expertise, Kantor and Twohey take us for the first time into the very heart of this social shift.
-
-
Great until the Kavanaugh tangent
- By JC on 09-14-19
By: Jodi Kantor, and others
-
Fierce
- How Competing for Myself Changed Everything
- By: Aly Raisman
- Narrated by: Natalie Roy Camargo, Aly Raisman
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover Aly Raisman's inspiring story of dedication, perseverance, and learning to think positive even in the toughest times on her path to gold medal success in two Olympic Games - and beyond. Aly Raisman first stepped onto a gymnastics mat as a toddler in a "mommy and me" gymnastics class. No one could have predicted then that 16 years later, she'd be standing on an Olympic podium, having achieved her dreams.
-
-
Excellent gymnastics memoir
- By Brittany Cook on 11-21-17
By: Aly Raisman
-
The Longest Race
- Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team
- By: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Narrated by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets.
-
-
I won’t be purchasing any more Nike products:
- By Peter on 12-03-23
By: Kara Goucher, and others
-
Courage to Soar
- A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
- By: Simone Biles
- Narrated by: Imani Parks
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds made her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world - and how you too can overcome challenges in your life. In this audiobook, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story - one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
-
-
A little thin
- By Rachel2450 on 11-24-16
By: Simone Biles
-
Missoula
- Rape and the Justice System in a College Town
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò, Scott Brick
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From best-selling author Jon Krakauer, a stark, powerful, meticulously reported narrative about a series of sexual assaults at the University of Montana - stories that illuminate the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape.
-
-
Without Consent
- By Cynthia on 05-02-15
By: Jon Krakauer
-
The Witness Wore Red
- The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice
- By: Rebecca Musser, M. Bridget Cook
- Narrated by: Rebecca Musser
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The revealing and inspiring memoir of a woman forced into polygamous marriage in FLDS Church and her brave struggle to protect others from the same fate. Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs.
-
-
Compelling and emotional read
- By Briley on 10-08-13
By: Rebecca Musser, and others
-
King: A Life
- By: Jonathan Eig
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 20 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vividly written and exhaustively researched, Jonathan Eig’s King: A Life is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.—and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. In this revelatory new portrait of the preacher and activist who shook the world, the bestselling biographer gives us an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled human being who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself.
-
-
My Time
- By Susan on 06-18-23
By: Jonathan Eig
-
She Wanted It All
- A True Story of Sex, Murder, and a Texas Millionaire (Avon True Crime)
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Gillian Vance
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trophy wife Celeste Beard wasn't satisfied with a luxurious lifestyle and her rich Austin media mogul husband's devotion--so she took his life! The wife: She wanted everything, but her husband stood in the way. The lesbian lover: a lovestruck, middle-aged woman with a history of mental illness. She would do anything to set Celeste free. The beauty salon receptionist: Celeste hired her to tie up the loose ends...in a second conspiracy to commit murder.
-
-
Monsters are real
- By Amazon Customer on 04-27-23
By: Kathryn Casey
-
Escape
- By: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.
-
-
Like a train wreck you can't turn away
- By Cheryl D on 10-28-07
By: Carolyn Jessop, and others
Critic reviews
""[A] hard-hitting expose.... Foregrounding several women who finally brought charges, Barr and Murphy vividly convey the sense of confusion and helplessness that beset victims.... The result is a searing indictment." (Publishers Weekly)
"[Start by Believing] features reporting so deep, broad, and incisive that it is unlikely to be surpassed...the book is a must-read." (Kirkus Reviews [starred review])
"This is a horrifying story, and an important one, powerfully and carefully told by journalists John Barr and Dan Murphy. Their meticulously reported narrative presents a riveting account of the courage of these heroic women who will forever define the beginnings of the #MeToo movement." (Christine Brennan, best-selling author and USA Today national sports columnist)
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
In Plain Sight
- The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold January morning, the killer executed Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse in broad daylight. Eight shots fired a block from the Kaufman County Courthouse. Two months later, a massacre. The day before Easter, the couple slept. Bunnies, eggs, a flower centerpiece gracing the table. Death rang their doorbell and filled the air with the rat-a-tat-tat of an assault weapon discharging round after round into their bodies. Eric Williams and his wife, Kim, celebrated the murders with grilled steaks. Williams planned to exact revenge on all those who had wronged him.
-
-
BOR-ING!!
- By farmhouselady on 11-11-19
By: Kathryn Casey
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
The journey doesn’t get any better...
- By Philip Jacob Lee on 06-18-19
-
Little and Often
- A Memoir
- By: Trent Preszler
- Narrated by: Matt Bomer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. Preszler’s only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler.
-
-
So good
- By Trevor Stanco on 04-28-21
By: Trent Preszler
-
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
- The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters
- By: Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the world of women's gymnastics and figure skating. From starvation diets and debilitating injuries to the brutal tactics of tyrannical gymnastics guru Bela Károlyi, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes portrays the horrors endured by girls at the hands of their coaches and sometimes their own families - and is now updated with a new introduction and foreword that address the sexual abuse scandal perpetrated by USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
-
-
Holds up 20 years later
- By Pink Amy on 04-04-21
By: Joan Ryan
-
The Big Bang Theory
- The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series
- By: Jessica Radloff
- Narrated by: Jessica Radloff, Fleet Cooper, Abhay Ahluwalia, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Big Bang Theory is a television phenomenon. To the casual viewer, it’s a seemingly effortless comedy, with relatable characters tackling real-life issues, offering a kind of visual comfort food to its millions of dedicated fans. But the behind-the-scenes journey of the show from a failed pilot to a global sensation is a fascinating story that even the most die-hard fans don’t know in its entirety. The Big Bang Theory:The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series is a riveting, entertaining look at the sitcom sensation.
-
-
Good story but...
- By Angie C Chen on 10-19-22
By: Jessica Radloff
-
Warren Buffett's Ground Rules
- Words of Wisdom from the Partnership Letters of the World's Greatest Investor
- By: Jeremy C. Miller
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Compiled for the first time, and with Buffett's permission, these letters spotlight his contrarian diversification strategy, his almost religious celebration of compounding interest, his preference for conservative rather than conventional decision making, and his goal and tactics for bettering market results by at least 10 percent annually. Demonstrating Buffett's intellectual rigor, they provide a framework to the craft of investing that had not existed before.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Matthew on 08-18-16
By: Jeremy C. Miller
-
In Plain Sight
- The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold January morning, the killer executed Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse in broad daylight. Eight shots fired a block from the Kaufman County Courthouse. Two months later, a massacre. The day before Easter, the couple slept. Bunnies, eggs, a flower centerpiece gracing the table. Death rang their doorbell and filled the air with the rat-a-tat-tat of an assault weapon discharging round after round into their bodies. Eric Williams and his wife, Kim, celebrated the murders with grilled steaks. Williams planned to exact revenge on all those who had wronged him.
-
-
BOR-ING!!
- By farmhouselady on 11-11-19
By: Kathryn Casey
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
The journey doesn’t get any better...
- By Philip Jacob Lee on 06-18-19
-
Little and Often
- A Memoir
- By: Trent Preszler
- Narrated by: Matt Bomer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. Preszler’s only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler.
-
-
So good
- By Trevor Stanco on 04-28-21
By: Trent Preszler
-
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
- The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters
- By: Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the world of women's gymnastics and figure skating. From starvation diets and debilitating injuries to the brutal tactics of tyrannical gymnastics guru Bela Károlyi, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes portrays the horrors endured by girls at the hands of their coaches and sometimes their own families - and is now updated with a new introduction and foreword that address the sexual abuse scandal perpetrated by USA Gymnastics national team doctor, Larry Nassar.
-
-
Holds up 20 years later
- By Pink Amy on 04-04-21
By: Joan Ryan
-
The Big Bang Theory
- The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series
- By: Jessica Radloff
- Narrated by: Jessica Radloff, Fleet Cooper, Abhay Ahluwalia, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Big Bang Theory is a television phenomenon. To the casual viewer, it’s a seemingly effortless comedy, with relatable characters tackling real-life issues, offering a kind of visual comfort food to its millions of dedicated fans. But the behind-the-scenes journey of the show from a failed pilot to a global sensation is a fascinating story that even the most die-hard fans don’t know in its entirety. The Big Bang Theory:The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series is a riveting, entertaining look at the sitcom sensation.
-
-
Good story but...
- By Angie C Chen on 10-19-22
By: Jessica Radloff
-
Warren Buffett's Ground Rules
- Words of Wisdom from the Partnership Letters of the World's Greatest Investor
- By: Jeremy C. Miller
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Compiled for the first time, and with Buffett's permission, these letters spotlight his contrarian diversification strategy, his almost religious celebration of compounding interest, his preference for conservative rather than conventional decision making, and his goal and tactics for bettering market results by at least 10 percent annually. Demonstrating Buffett's intellectual rigor, they provide a framework to the craft of investing that had not existed before.
-
-
Absolutely fantastic
- By Matthew on 08-18-16
By: Jeremy C. Miller
-
Lovers in Auschwitz
- A True Story
- By: Keren Blankfeld
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Keren Blankfeld
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zippi Spitzer and David Wisnia were captivated by each other from the moment they first exchanged glances across the work floor. It was the beginning of a love story that could have happened anywhere. Except for one difference: this romance was unfolding in history’s most notorious death camp, between two young prisoners whose budding intimacy risked dooming them if they were caught.
-
-
How I was able to walk through the concentration camp, as I was listening, and imagining the words of the author.
- By Lori Messmer on 02-27-24
By: Keren Blankfeld
-
Out Cold
- A Chilling Descent into the Macabre, Controversial, Lifesaving History of Hypothermia
- By: Phil Jaekl
- Narrated by: Matt Kugler
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Out Cold, science writer Phil Jaekl chronicles the underappreciated story of human innovation with cold, from Ancient Egypt, where it was used to treat skin irritations, to 18th-century London, where scientists used it in their first explorations of suspended animation. Throughout history, physicians have used cold to innovate life extension, enable distant space missions, and explore consciousness.
-
-
layers of "wows"
- By michele and david on 01-03-25
By: Phil Jaekl
-
Scarred
- The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life
- By: Sarah Edmondson, Kristine Gasbarre
- Narrated by: Sarah Edmondson
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The shocking and subversive memoir of a 12-year-NXIVM-member-turned-whistleblower, and her inspiring true story of abuse, escape, and redemption. "Master, would you brand me? It would be an honor." Scarred follows actress Sarah Edmondson's account of her recruitment into the NXIVM cult, founded by Keith Raniere. It narrates in detail the 12 years she spent within the organization, during which she enrolled over 2,000 members, chronicling her breaking point and her harrowing fight to get out, help others, and heal.
-
-
Riveting!
- By Ellen on 10-23-19
By: Sarah Edmondson, and others
-
My Friend Anne Frank
- The Inspiring and Heartbreaking True Story of Best Friends Torn Apart and Reunited Against All Odds
- By: Hannah Pick-Goslar, Dina Kraft
- Narrated by: Alix Dunmore
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1933, Hannah Pick-Goslar and her family fled Nazi Germany to live in Amsterdam, where she struck up a close friendship with her next-door neighbor, an outspoken and fun-loving young girl named Anne Frank. For several years, the inseparable pair enjoyed a carefree childhood of games, sleepovers, and treats with the other children in their neighborhood of Rivierenbuurt. But in 1942, Hannah and Anne's lives abruptly changed forever.
-
-
the missing piece to Anne’s story and the complete picture of Hannah’s
- By Wilson on 07-13-23
By: Hannah Pick-Goslar, and others
-
The Other Side of Hope
- Flipping the Script on Cynicism and Despair and Rediscovering Our Humanity
- By: Danielle Strickland
- Narrated by: Danielle Strickland
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Overcome the twin giants of cynicism and despair that threaten to derail your emotional and physical health and find hope for life by witnessing the power of God’s redemptive healing. Part guidebook and part storytelling, The Other Side of Hope includes two books in one with the message of finding hope in a desperately harsh world.
-
-
Highly Recommend!
- By SMcD on 12-01-22
-
Building a Resilient Life
- How Adversity Awakens Strength, Hope, and Meaning
- By: Rebekah Lyons
- Narrated by: Rebekah Lyons
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Life is hard for all kinds of reasons. It's tempting to try to move past the pain as quickly as possible. Instead, what if we embraced our struggles to develop the strength of resilience not dependent on circumstances? Writing as a friend who has also walked through difficult times, Rebekah Lyons—the bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal and the popular host of the Rhythms for Life podcast—reminds us of adversity that always comes with a choice: will discouragement, stress, and fear cause you to crumble, or will you embrace the strength you've already been given?
-
-
Amazing book!!!
- By James Butler on 05-10-23
By: Rebekah Lyons
-
The Power of Awareness
- And Other Secrets from the World's Foremost Spies, Detectives, and Special Operators on How to Stay Safe and Save Your Life
- By: Dan Schilling
- Narrated by: Dan Schilling
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his empowering book, Dan Schilling shares how to identify and avoid threats using situational awareness and intuition just like the pros. Told with wit and wisdom, this compelling guide uses harrowing stories from Dan's special operations career and those of other experts to outline six easily implemented rules you can apply anywhere to improve your personal safety.
-
-
Good information but a miss on delivery possibly
- By HonestBuyer on 04-30-23
By: Dan Schilling
-
Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain
- The Personalized Path to Protect Your Memory, Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes, and Avoid Chronic Illness
- By: Bradley Bale MD, Amy Doneen DNP, Lisa Collier Cool - contributor
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every 40 seconds, someone in the US suffers a heart attack or stroke, and every 65 seconds someone develops dementia. The culprit is cardiovascular disease - and rates are soaring in younger, seemingly healthy people. World-renowned cardiovascular specialists Bradley Bale, MD, and Amy Doneen, DNP, have pioneered a lifesaving method to prevent these devastating events - and reverse the disease that causes them.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Mic on 04-25-23
By: Bradley Bale MD, and others
-
This Isn't Going to End Well
- The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew
- By: Daniel Wallace
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If we’re lucky, we all encounter at least one person whose life elevates and inspires our own. For acclaimed novelist Daniel Wallace, he had one hero and inspiration for so much of what followed: his longtime friend and brother-in-law William Nealy. Seemingly perfect, impossibly cool, William was James Dean, Clint Eastwood, and MacGyver all rolled into one, an acclaimed outdoorsman, a famous cartoonist, an accomplished author, a master of all he undertook, William was the ideal that Daniel sought to emulate.
-
-
Lovely, Deep Hearted True Story
- By DebS on 06-24-23
By: Daniel Wallace
-
The Girls
- An All-American Town, a Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down
- By: Abigail Pesta
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Girls is a profound exploration of trust, ambition, betrayal, and self-discovery. Award-winning journalist Abigail Pesta unveils this deeply reported narrative at a time when the nation is wrestling with the implications of the MeToo movement. How do the women who grew up with Nassar reconcile the monster in the news with the man they once trusted? In The Girls, we learn that their answers to that wrenching question are as rich, insightful, and varied as the human experience itself.
-
-
Don’t waste a credit
- By Timothy McCarthy on 11-12-19
By: Abigail Pesta
-
Codename Nemo
- The Hunt for a Nazi U-Boat and the Elusive Enigma Machine
- By: Charles Lachman
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 4, 1944, the course of World War II was forever changed. That day, a US Navy task force achieved the impossible—capturing a German U-Boat. Called Operation Nemo, it was the first seizure of an enemy ship in battle since the War of 1812, one of the greatest achievements of the US Navy and a victory that shortened the duration of the war. A deeply researched, fast-paced World War II narrative for the ages, Charles Lachman’s white-knuckled war saga and thrilling cat-and-mouse game is told through the eyes of the men on both sides of Operation Nemo.
-
-
LOVED IT. Great storytelling. Engaging.
- By DucatiRacer M.D. on 04-04-25
By: Charles Lachman
-
The Invention of Yesterday
- A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection
- By: Tamim Ansary
- Narrated by: Tamim Ansary
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Traveling across millennia, weaving the experiences and world views of cultures both extinct and extant, The Invention of Yesterday shows that the engine of history is not so much heroic (battles won), geographic (farmers thrive), or anthropogenic (humans change the planet) as it is narrative. Many thousands of years ago, when we existed only as countless small autonomous bands of hunter-gatherers widely distributed through the wilderness, we began inventing stories - to organize for survival, to find purpose and meaning, to explain the unfathomable.
-
-
Relaxed but packed with insight
- By Tad Davis on 02-14-20
By: Tamim Ansary
What listeners say about Start by Believing
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 05-23-24
Compelling story that changed the way I view institutions
Research and empathetic approach by the authors - they care about the story and the people involved.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jimmy Larrison
- 09-02-20
Really compelling story from start to end
I had listened to a few podcasts about this case and read in the news. I thought this might be an extension of what I had already listened to or read, but I was wrong. The authors did a great job of telling the full story and digging into the history from many perspectives. This is a great audiobook!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. St John
- 12-25-20
Very well done
This book satisfied some the curiosity left to me as I encountered this story. It’s a deeper journey into the worlds of the multiple players: those in involved in the institutions that allowed this to happen for so long; those who prosecuted Nassar; and some of the courageous souls who stepped forward to turn their experience of abuse into the possibility of a better world. Good research into facts and experiences of woven into a story for those who are interested and care. Thank you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- rhea
- 01-23-20
powerful
This is a deeply moving and powerful story that sends a message of hope and solidarity to all those whom have experienced trauma. A must read for all who work with victims and survivors.
"Little girls do not remain small forever, they grow into powerful women".
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rick
- 12-02-22
Amazing! Sad! Courageous.
Amazing story from these courageous survivors. Hard to believe so many adults dismissed their stories and appalling that so many protected such a monster!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alena
- 12-15-21
Important!
I thought the authors did a fantastic job. I wish the narrator had taken the time to learn how to properly say the names of gymnasts and coaches, overall great!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- courtney b
- 02-12-20
a must read for those advocating for survivors
this book was very enlightening and showed how adults are in such denial about child sexual abuse. the red flags were there for 20 plus years and adults painted each flag green and continued to put kids in harms way. we have to do better. signs r there!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C. M.
- 02-19-20
A book everyone should read or hear
With only one exception this book is superb. It provides an insightful, thought-provoking, accurate, and gut-wrenching history of the evil of Larry Nassar and of his enablers, and an inspiring story of many of his survivors. If you can't buy it, find it in a library and read it or listen to it.
(The exception is the decision by the authors/editors/publishers to provide a misleading excerpt from Rachael Denhollander's victim impact statement, which does not include any of her words about her faith and God's grace. I can, almost, imagine semi-plausible reasons why no direct excerpts were included; but I cannot imagine any legitimate reason for not at least including a summary sentence.)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ORCoastalview
- 02-06-23
start by reading this book
Important account of the rampant abuse done to women and girls in athletics. If you have a child in sports, please read this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DavidF
- 12-29-24
I believe
Larry Nassar is an absolute monster who took knowingly took advantage of children. I believe all of the victims’ stories.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!