I hadn't really known who Ari Shaprio was...I knew him from NPR, but I don't think I ever thought of him as a journalist before.
I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be one of those going across the United States finding people to interview.

It was not that.

It was so much more. I loved the stories from the Pulse Nightclub, the immigrants, the migrants, the people who anyone can generalize, but Mr. Shapiro personalized.

I cried when Mo got the butcher job, go his green card. I never thought I would care about the fate of one person so much, yet MR. Shapiro wrote in such a way, I could not look away.

This is a great book about being creative, asking the why's and if you follow ALL THINGS CONSIDERED a must read.

When I picked up this book, I knew nothing about Ari Shapiro. I had never heard of him nor listened to his radio news program on NPR, All Things Considered. I simply wanted to increase my reading of nonfiction, and thought I might like biographies or memoirs. I did find the book interesting and Ari Shapio's life is full and exciting.

Ari Shapiro is a gay may who was the first to come out in his high school. As a kid, he was very curious and this curiosity served him well as he got older. He seems to be a risk-taker and didn't shy away from issues or challenges. He went to war zones as a reporter and you could feel his trepidation about this as he related some of his adventures in different war zones. He was also a White House press person, and I found his account of flying in Air Force One for the first time interesting. What I most like after reading the book, is that Ari Shapiro tries to report the human side of stories rather than just relating the facts. It would seem more interesting to me to find out how events affect the people in the area rather than just the event and the statistics surrounding it.

Thanks to HarperOne through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on March 21, 2023.

Ari Shapiro's. The Best Strangers in the World is a triumph. I greatly enjoyed reading about Shapiro's experiences in the field, from his story about the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting to his story about a person picked to decorate the Christmas tree at the White House. Reading this book was a joy, and I hope Shapiro writes another book to tell us more about his life and career. Until then, there's always All Things Considered.

BIG thanks to both HarperOne and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening.

What an amazing life Ari Shapiro has led and it was fascinating getting a peek into that life. Mr. Shapiro's wish is for The Best Strangers in the World to help us find connection and commonality with those who may seem different; to remind us that, before religion, or nationality, or politics, we are all human. Parts of the book made me laugh out loud. Parts of the book broke my heart. Parts of the book made me angry. The author definitely succeeded in opening my eyes!

I believe a part of the book I will never forget was when Ari was warning his younger brother of what he might encounter when he started high school: He told him that, although it was unfair, he may be bullied for having a gay brother. He apologized to his brother for possibly making his freshman year difficult. His brother replied: "You don't deserve it, either. You didn't ask to be gay. And you shouldn't be bullied for it any more than I should be for being your brother." He was 13 years old. (That one makes me teary, once again.)

I must confess I had never heard of Pink Martini so I got on YouTube and lost myself in their videos - especially the ones where Ari was singing. What a great voice...

If you love nonfiction, and love diving into backstories, you will love The Best Strangers in the World as much as I did!!

This was a wonderful read. Ari Shapiro is one of my favorite voices on radio and I loved reading the story of his life and entry into journalism and some of the stories from his reporting. This book will appeal to anyone that enjoys listening to NPR's thoughtful coverage of domestic and world news.

A delight! Like spending time with Ari Shapiro, who manages to be handsome, intelligent, well-traveled, and a nice person all at the same time. I do wish it contained some photos.