True Stories About Facing the Unknown - The Moth Presents All These Wonders

These stories embody the amazing diversity and wonder that inhabits individual lives. Everyone has a story, and we’re blessed when we discover the richness of others’ experience. Loved every one of these!! Beautifully told with grace and humor.

I listen to The Moth regularly and this book consolidated a lot of the good stories I’ve already heard but still so fascinating to read them again.

Anyone likes a good story will enjoy this book!

This book is ok, I think chicken soup for the soul is better. I also think this book pushes some political views not all agree with, as a conservative women I found this to be a book with a lot of liberal values. There were a few gem stories in here that were amazing and touching - annnd quite a lot that were mediocre.

If you ever need something to lift you up, or if you're ever feeling down, All These Wonders will take care of you. From a comedian learning to cope with their mother's death to a young girl trying to figure out her place in the world when she lives a normal day to day life but spends weekends in the Hamptons, it comes down to each narrator's experiences and the lens that they see it through.

It's all over the place, but in a pleasant way, the way a grandmother would tell you stories, one after the other, picking up pieces of random family members' lives and putting them into a nice little story trail for you. All of them don't really relate to one another except in context, and the context in All These Wonders is human experience.

​I loved it, and I would pass this book on to anyone who loves People of New York or TED talks.

I love the stories and the book, but the hardcover is a material so easy to damage. I ordered this to be a present and sent the book back the first time since it looked used on both the cover and binding and I found that inappropriate to gift. I thought it was a bad apple in the mix and ordered a replacement. Same thing all over, this time the damage was even worse.
I don't understand why there isn't a jacket or a better choice of material for the book and why the store cannot do better quality control and ensure that the copies are in good shape, especially when it is an exchange for a lightly damaged book.

I came by way of this book through Blogging for books.com, it is not something that I think I would have picked up on my own. I am so glad that I did though. I was full of inspirational stories about facing the unknown. Whether it was because they had lost something physically or mentally, suffered a death in the family or a natural disaster, all of these people told stories of when they were at an uncertain time in their lives.

The Moth was founded in 1997 by a bunch of friends that used to tell stories in their backyard, with the porchlight on, all attracted to the light like “moths.” The group grew and grew and now twenty years later The Moth puts on podcasts and presentations all around the world. The stories that are in this book are stories that have been told live on stage to thousands of people before.
The Moth is true stories, told live and
without notes. The Moth celebrates
the ability of stories to honor both the
diversity and commonality of human
experience, and to satisfy a vital
human need for connection. It seeks to
present recognized storytellers among
established and emerging writers,
performers and artists and to encourage
storytelling among communities whose
stories often go unheard. themoth.com

I particularly liked this book of short stories for several reasons.

Each story was about a different person, overcoming a different obstacle in their life. It was so diverse! Even though all of them were different, as a reader I could identify and relate to each and every storyteller in the book. The fear that comes with facing the unknown and then the lesson that always follows afterward are a perfect formula for a feel-good kind of book.

It was a quick read in itself, but since each story is different you could pick and choose or easily read one story before bed. Not much time needed to be invested in the story and enjoy it completely.

They are stories from people all over the world, but many of the events that they discuss are international ones, ones that we can remember. Like Fukushima, Fourth of July, World War 2. There are also a couple famous storytellers- Louis CK and John Turturro to name the two that come to mind.

I thought that there was a pretty good overall message—that it is going to be ok, even when it’s not ok, it’s still going to be ok.

My favorite story was one about a little girl remembering a time when she was a prisoner in a concentration camp. The idea that they were in those horrible places, with all the people dying in horrific ways all around them, and the adults were trying to be brave enough to still shelter the children, to keep them from knowing exactly what was happening, it was chilling and happy and sad all at once.

I don’t think that anyone who picked up this book would even be remotely disappointed in it at all. It was entertaining and beautiful and inspirational. 5/5 stars.

When I read that the stories were about courage in facing the unknown, I again thought, "uh oh," because it conjured up memories of the schmaltzy Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies my mother used to send me when I was suffering with postpartum depression, but these stories are nothing like that... they are real and grittily poignant, even the accounts on the lighter side. I am usually hit or miss, mostly miss, with anthology stories, but I was thoroughly and mindfully invested in each and every one of these inclusions.

THE MOTH is a storytelling platform which holds themed events in the US where people tell their stories, without notes, to a live audience. The stories in this book were gleaned from participants at those events. The forty-five super short stories include an account of the Holocaust through the eyes of a nine year old survivor, an immigrant's fight to stay in the US with his family, a journalist's account of risking her life posing as a teacher in North Korea, an adult's memories of being abandoned at an airport as a child, and a person's experience making a desperate call to a help-line.

Now, not all the inclusions are are that intense... there palate cleansers to be read; like one story penned by author Adam Mansbach...

“It’s November 2011, and I am the most controversial parent in America by virtue of a short, obscene, fake children’s book by the name of Go the *bleep* to Sleep.
It’s fourteen stanzas long—about four hundred words, many of them repeated more than once—and I wrote it in thirty-nine minutes with no pants on.”

I was approved for a review copy via Blogging for Books in return for an honest review.

I had only recently heard of the The Moth Storytelling when I was watching Lena Dunham's "Girls". On one of the episodes, Dunham's character goes on The Moth to tell her story about her break-up. When I got an opportunity to review The Moth Presents All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown edited by Catherine Burns with foreward by Neil Gaiman, I jumped on the opportunity. I LOVE short stories because it works well for my short attention span when it comes to fiction.

The stories in this compilation are all very raw and honest. Some stories are sad and some are more happy and funny, but all the stories are very compelling, and I just couldn't put the book down. There are 45 intriguing stories in this compendium. The stories range from a child soldier from Sierra Leone to a child surviving the concentration camp to more lighthearted stories about an author writing a controversial children's book that was meant for the parents.

All the stories in this book were originally told live in front of an audience. That is the whole premise of The Moth, it is live storytelling. I imagine these stories were even more dynamic and captivating when they were told live. I would love to attend a Moth live storytelling one day.

Sometimes you pick a book and you're not sure why. That was the case for me and this book. I had no idea what was drawing me to it, but once I started reading, I knew that I'd made the right choice. While this book can be read in small snippets, I couldn't stop reading and actually read this in one sitting. Every story had something in it that made me nod or smile or even cry a time or two. I truly believe that there's something in it for every single person out there.

My one and only complaint was that the stories in the book are almost all from well known people. One of the things that draws people to The Moth are the average people who get up and talk. They were left out of this tome and I really wish that they had been more included. I'm just an average person and I really was looking for an average person to connect to in this book.

That being said, I know that this book is going to go onto my shelf and be one that I come back to time and time again. I sincerely hope that they do more in a series of books because storytelling is such a powerful tool and we all have something to share.

The Moth Presents - All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown was a fascinating book to read. This book is a compilation of personal stories which will cause you to think, laugh, cry, be perplexed, along with a wide range of other emotions.

I had not heard of The Moth before now, but am intrigued. This book is broken into 7 Sections, each with a different focus. They are as follows ~

The Eternal Music of the Spheres
Things I've Seen
Keeping the Lid On
Grace Rushes In
Like a Man Does
To Face the Fear
By Every Claim of Love

There are 45 short stories written by 45 different authors. These are stories which recount some portion of their life which was a life changing or led to a life changing experience. The authors share stories about times when they had to risk, have courage, forgive, and more. There is a great deal of power in many of these stories.

I would recommend this book. Most chapters are only 6-8 pages in length and are easy reads, yet profound.

"He sold me a Coke on the side, and then quit his job. Those are the kinds of confusing moments I was have there."

I received a copy of this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really more 3.5 stars for me. While I enjoyed the variety and the stories, I was surprised that they're all stories by famous, or at least well-known, people. One of the things I enjoy about the Moth (and Story Corps) is hearing stories from other average people. While there's a lot of story tellers that practice for story slams, there's something comforting about hearing something powerful from a complete stranger. While I have never met Neil Gaiman or Tig Notaro, I wouldn't exactly consider them complete strangers given their extensive work around telling stories.

Otherwise, it's an interesting collection of stories. I wish there was a bit more variety and honestly some of the stories are a bit short. I guess if you read them out loud they'd probably be 3 - 5 minutes, but on paper it doesn't seem like a lot. Maybe the format just didn't translate to page as much as I expected to.

While I wasn't blown away with this book (the more I think about it I realize I enjoy hearing the Moth more than I enjoyed reading stories from it) it does have the heart of story telling. It captures that exciting moment of someone getting up and shared a few minutes of their experience.

If you're already a fan it's probably worth the read.

All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing The Unknown, a collection of stories from The Moth radio program, is a generous gift of a book. Through these stories, originally told in front of a live audience and now captured in written from, we come to know the storytellers intimately—and we get a better understanding of the human experience as a whole. Stories are precious because of this universal truth: through the story we get to know the teller. As Neil Gaiman puts it in the foreword, “Honesty matters. Vulnerability matters. Being open about who you were at a moment in time when you were in a difficult or an impossible place matters more than anything.”

I am thankful for this book. I am grateful to the 45 storytellers who had the courage to stand on a stage and tell their story. They come from a variety of backgrounds: artists, scientists, humanitarian workers, spies, refugees, authors, actors, and more. There are moments of real, raw emotion where I cried, and other moments where I laughed out loud.

I “met” people in these stories that I never would meet otherwise, and their experiences and viewpoints challenged me greatly. Even if I disagree with a worldview, it’s impossible to disagree with someone’s story of their experience. This book taught me to listen to others better; people that I encounter on a day-to-day basis. I learned to value stories more, and to take the time to hear them.

Having said that, I make this declaration: reading this book might just make you a better human being. Highly, highly recommended.

Please Note: This book was gifted as a part of the Blogging for Books Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.

When The Moth released its second compilation of its spoken stories in written form, I was immediately interested. The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, True Stories About Facing the Unknown is easily one of my favorite books this year. (Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program. Opinion reflected in this review is my honest one.)

Besides the fact that these are true stories told by real people, what I love about them are the unexpected twists. I could be laughing one minute and crying the next. The stories reflect different experiences than what I have experienced and they broaden my understanding. Stories are set in a rough neighborhood in Chicago or on the road to Jericho or on tour with David Bowie. In one you might hear from a chaplain. In another it might be a humanitarian worker in Congo. And another might be from a kid (now grown) who grew up in foster care.

Some of the stories are shocking, but not in a graphic, gratuitous way. Many contain adult language or themes. But don't let that scare you away.

The stories are short, and I must admit that I prefer hearing these stories rather than reading them. But to have them all in one place, in a collection that I can share with others, is a gift.

I believe in the power of stories. And these words from the editor, Catherine Burns, in the introduction sum up my feelings:

"The number-one quality of all great storytellers is their willingness to be vulnerable, to tell on themselves in front of thousands. Each story told is a gift to the listeners.

But the audience brings a gift of their own. We live in a world where bearing witness to a stranger's unfiltered story is an act of tremendous compassion. To listen with an open heart and an open mind and try to understand what it's like to be them--they think like that, dress like that, made the choices they did--takes real courage."

Fans of storytelling, of the kind of tales told around the fire or while sitting on the porch, will find this a valuable addition to their book collection.

I recently read The Moth Presents: All These Wonders. The Moth is a worldwide storytelling phenomenon. At Moth events, people get up and tell their real-life stories. The Moth's mission is to promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience.

The book is a compilation of stories that were told live, on stage, at The Moth, and adapted to the written page. It includes forty-five true stories about risk, courage, and facing the unknown.

I really liked this book. I loved the wide variety of true stories, and I especially loved that each one took 15 minutes or less to read. This is definitely the kind of book that you can read in bits and spurts of down time. I laughed, I cried, I groaned. Most of all, I loved reading about extraordinary experiences otherwise ordinary people have had. It was fascinating, and it reminded me that we can never know anyone's full story just by looking at them.

In addition to reading the book, you can listen to The Moth Radio Hour on the radio or via podcast, subscribe to The Moth's YouTube channel, attend a live event, or share your own story. There's even a mobile app.

I received this book for free from the publisher through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

A few months ago, I read Gillian Flynn's short story The Grownup. It was brilliant. I needed to get my hands on more short stories, so when I saw All These Wonders available on Blogging for Books, I pounced.

I'll be honest. I didn't know what The Moth was before picking up this book, but now I'm curious and I'd love to go to one of their performances.

This book is a collection of true stories told by people in front of a live audience. The stories were written down and placed into this book, but they retain the energy that comes from a live performance.

Some of the stories took my breath away. Others were just okay. But the thing that I loved about this collection is that all the stories are true. Whether it's about getting refugees out of the Congo, writing a not-so-children's book, or a brush with someone famous, each story is special because it happened. And the things that happen in our lives matter.

Content: Language (including some f-bombs) and some crude humor.

Source: I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program.

All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown is edited by Catherine Burns and the forward is by Neil Gaiman. This book offers one chapter per author, as a sort of mini memoir from each person. Each story is unique and details a hardship or unusual situation that the person had to go through without knowing what might happen in the end.

This book was easy to read, and you felt like you got to know each person and their personality type after completing each chapter. I wouldn't consider this self-help, but sort of a spirituality and memoir combination.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This book is beautiful. The cover art is simple but beautiful. It's a great book for a coffee table or other place where people might wait. The stories are short enough to read quickly here and there. No need to read them all in one sitting. They are divided into sections: The Eternal Music of the Spheres, Things I've Seen, Keeping the Lid On, Grace Rushes In, Like a Man Does, To Face the Fear, and By Every Claim of Love. Some stories are light and fun and others are heavy and make you think. I especially liked the story The Shower about a child in Bergen Belsen Concentration camp. I love that the stories are written in normal every day person voice. It's not overly dramatic or formal. It's simple. It's real. It's how any plain person would talk. Not written down 2nd hand by a professional writer. The stories are written by the people who experienced the event. Great collection.
I was given a copy of this book by Blogging for books in exchange for my honest opinion.

IMPRESSION:

I really enjoyed All These Wonders. I was not initially familiar with The Moth, but once I started reading, I quickly became fascinated, and even discovered an online podcast to listen too. All of the stories in the book were beautifully told and very diverse. Each story very different from the next. They seemed to transport you through time. If you need an inspiring short story to read, then grab this book because there are 45 of them that are so passionately told.

The book is a hardcover book and the cover design is beautiful. It's got an embossed moth in gold on it which alone is so fascinating it makes you want to pick up the book. The inside has thick pages and black dividers for each section covering different topics. Would look great on a coffee table post read as well! This book would be enjoyed by most adults.

*FTC Disclaimer: Received this book complimentary for reviewing from Blogging for Books.*

"The Moth" is my all-time favorite podcast, which is what led me to read and review this book. One of the downfalls of that is that I have heard many of the stories in the book, but I consider that to also be a benefit because I can come back and visit the written versions whenever I want. For readers who have not listened to the radio show, this is simply a remarkable selection of stories from the heart. One of my favorites is "Unusual Normality" by Ishmael Beah, a story about a teenage immigrant from Sierra Leone. The fact that these stories are all TRUE is what is the most amazing to me - it opens up the world and the realities within.

If you enjoy the Facebook page Humans of New York, you'll love reading The Moth Presents: All These Wonders. Here are the stories of real people, told in their own words. They have shared their lives in front of a live audience (at a The Moth event) and here, their words have been transcribed for the many of us who can't attend one of those events. We read about their diverse experiences, their joys, their struggles, their heartaches, the things they've learned along the way. It's so vivid that you feel like they're right in front of you, having an in-person conversation. What a beautiful (and often heartwrenching) collection of true stories.

Anyone who says they don't judge a book by its cover is lying. A cover can make or break my interest in a book. In this case, the cover is beautiful, styled in a way that hints at the wonders inside. Once you open up the pages there is a smorgasbord of stories -- stories sad, stories bittersweet, stories of the extraordinary and the mundane, and all of them told in ways that capture and keep your interest until the end. Until I can actually attend a MOTH event in person, these beautifully told tales of the strangeness of truth will do me just fine.
I received a copy of this book for review purposes. But I really did love it -- my opinions are mine!

What a great collection of genuine, heartfelt stories. I actually find it a bit difficult to get into short stories. Often, they're just too brief for me to make a connection with the characters. I was totally sucked into this book though--perhaps because these are very personal stories. I polished off half the book in a single sitting!

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful cover design. The illustrator/designers did an outstanding job on this one. This is a book that you want on your shelf for the pure loveliness of it.

I am now looking forward to The Moth podcasts for more of these bite-sized stories!

This collection of Moth stories really hit it out of the park. I read one or two stories every night before bed, all being the perfect bite-size tales. Each and every story had so much heart in them. I laughed, I cried, I learned. These stories gave me things to think about and allowed me to experience situations outside of my own - if only for five-ish pages. Many of them were heavy, but all of them felt important. I was thrilled to experience this collection.
Thanks to Blogging for Books for the opportunity to read in exchange for this review.

I received a free copy of this book and found it to be one of my favorite books. Always a fan of true stories, I loved the snapshots of each person's life. It is a perfect book to read before bed. Thought provoking and honest, it keep my interest throughout. Heartbreaking, inspiring and informative, it contains perfect nuggets to fill a spare moment. I shared it with my mother and she loved it too. Now my husband (who has only read two or three books in the 25 years we have been married) is enjoying it.

What I loved about this book was all the stories and all the different types of stories. We are all connected by our stories and you don't have to tell them elaborately or fancy like, just tell the story and it will be a wonderful Moth story. Just be truthful as you can. I really recommend this book. So so so good.

I got this book for free from Blogging for books to do an honest review.

There’s something so down-to-earth entertaining about shared stories. Back in the 1990s a man named George Dawes Green and his friends sponsored storytelling events, sharing life experience on stage throughout the New York area. The group had no set venue and fluttered from place to place, so the event was referred to as The Moth. It since evolved into a radio/blog show. Performances of the storytellers along with tips for your own storytelling are now available on the Moth website

The logo of The Moth is True stories told live. The mission is to promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience. We’re not all that different and the founders of the The Moth believe the best connections are forged when people tell true stories about what transpired in a person’s life to define an individual, shake up a life, or change a view.

The Moth is a compilation of these stories. All are short and easy to read, with nearly fifty in the book. A life changing experience doesn’t take a lot of time to explain in the hands of a good storyteller. The authors range in age from teenager to senior citizen. A lot of the stories have a bit of wistfulness, even when the people become better for their experiences in the end. After all, life is hard and full of bumps in the road, and many of the stories reflect that. The topics are eclectic; from David Bowie’s hairdresser to a Jewish Orthodox boy’s illicit taste of nonkosher pizza. Some stories are better than others and a few are downright whiny in the oh-poor-me category. My favorite is from Cathy Olkin, a planetary scientist, about a mission to Pluto. Although, I didn’t find all the stories inspiring, they were at least interesting.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

I can't tell you how beautiful this book is. You'll laugh and cry. You might rage at some of the opinions, or find deep and lasting comfort instead. At the least, you'll find yourself invited into people's lives in an intimate and unforgettable way. If you let them, these stories night just change the way you experience your own life.

I’ve decided this book is the perfect coffee table book. Thanks to this book, I learned something new. I discovered what Moth was.

“…We all have moments in life when we are forced off the map. But the stories in this book show us that when we dare to face the unknown, we usually discover that we have more grit and tenacity than we thought. And we often land in a place that we couldn’t even have imagined when we started out.” – Catherine Burns, Artistic Director

This book is full of heartwarming, eye-opening stories. These stories are short, so you could easily read a few in one sitting and they’ll give you something to ponder the rest of the day.

From tears to LOL, this book has all the feels. It’s full of real stories from real people.

I can’t speak to Catherine Burns’ writing because she collected and organized other peoples’ stories. However, the book is beautifully separated by story type. The handful of stories in each section relate to each other. For example, one is called Things I’ve Seen.

If I were to read it all over again, I’d savor this book and limit myself to reading only a couple stories at a time. I’d encourage you to pick up a copy, or stop by my place. It’s on my coffee table.

I received this from Blogging for Books to share an honest review.

There was something about The Moth Presents All These Wonders that I was drawn to. It could have been the stunning cover. Or the fact that the Foreword is authored by Neil Gaiman. Or the very nature of the Moth project itself, which offers its participants the opportunity to tell a story about their lives to an audience. Or D: all of the above.

All These Wonders is a collection of forty-five stories by well-known author/speakers like Louis C. K. and Ishmael Beah and people who I didn’t recognize by name. According to Artistic Director Catherine Burns, these stories were taken from spoken-word stories and “transcribed and lightly edited for the page.” The fact that these stories have been transcribed does make for a slightly different reading experience. I got the sense that I was reading and listening to someone’s unique voice—and that was a really cool reminder that these speakers were bold enough to not only put their words down on paper but to speak them into the world.

Each story is fairly short and centers on an important event in the author/speaker’s life. We hear from people who are getting their big break, people who are losing their big break; people who are bringing people into the world; people who are saying goodbye to people who are leaving the world; people who have known the violence of others; and people who have known great love. The diversity of these stories, and how they cover the gamut of the devastating to the joyous, is incredible. Regardless of the nature of the event that each author/speaker writes about, each person finds something powerful to hold onto and share with the reader.

I don't want to go into detail about the individual stories because they are lovely to watch unfold. But as a collection and individually, these stories are mesmerizing, wonderful reminders of what it means to be human. They are brimming with the things that happen to ourselves and to others that we don’t typically share—or if we do, we share them only with our dearest and closest. As Gaiman says about these stories in the Foreword: “Honesty matters. Vulnerability matters. Being open about who you were at a moment in time when you were in a difficult or an impossible place matters more than anything.”

This book is a moving exploration of the human experience. Besides that, the hardback book is absolutely beautiful—a book that I’ll be so happy to add to my shelves. I highly recommend it for you and also as a gift for others. It’s one of those books that I think that will make many people feel connected and loved.

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

YES YES YES. This book of true life stories delivered on its quiet promise to serve up a huge shot of humanity. All These Wonders is going to be the "book I can't shut up about" for the next year. I hope that if you're reading this that you will buy a copy or check it out of your local library. It's worth the time.

All These Wonders….. WOW what a fun book. I mean I love people’s stories. I love stories period, but these short stories were so entertaining!

I don’t think there was a single story that I didn’t like. Some of them had twists and turns, others made you want to cry, and them some you were just laughing through because you could totally relate. You felt whatever the person was feeling, well because these stories were real. The people transparent.

My favorite story was “Who Can You Trust?” While I won’t ruin anything all I have to say I NEVER saw that ending coming.

I really recommend this book. While it is just a book of personal memoirs there is just something about getting to know people’s stories that just bring them closer. It ties people together. There is something about authentic vulnerability that helps one another become friends….even family.

I had never read a Moth book or heard their podcasts, but now I may have to just find as much of their stuff as I can. So glad the publisher gave me this book to review.

A diverse collection of short stories (very short, only a few pages each). Each story has been carefully edited to deliver the most personal and insightful nugget of the experience being shared. All are great writers and it shows. This would make a great addition to any bookshelf or coffee table.

This is a book anyone will enjoy, the stories are short and gives you insight into the authors mind in a quick and at time very funny. Many different styles of writing here so if one isn't tasteful to you, skip it and go to the next. You will enjoy this book. In reading this book you'll be able to mark the authors and check for more books by them. I learned that not all where people I cared for by reading this book and some new authors to me that are worth checking out. This is as stated many authors, many different styles of thinking-that said you will not be disappointed in this book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review from Blogging for Books.

A perfectly curated collection of some beautiful and powerful true stories. Some made me laugh. A few made me cry. And two will never be forgotten.

A perfect little companion to The Moth podcast.

I thought this would be a collection of short stories and was pleasantly surprised to discover a series of short memoirs. John Turturro’s story was particularly interesting to me as I am a big fan of his work.

These are poignant and insightful true stories that give you a different perspective of their lives. Well written and interesting, you may feel as if you are at a personal reading or sitting in their den as their story unfolds. I’m actually still reading some of the stories but so far I love this book.

Before getting this book I didn’t know about The Moth. It’s about the art of storytelling. Check out their site HERE. There are free audio stories and they are just wonderful.
Here is The Moth's Facebook page.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books Program. All opinions are my own, I was not compensated.

I’m completely in love with this collection. If you’re a fan of short stories, This American Life, open-mic literary shows, or just find people fascinating, you will devour this compilation. Although the book is divided into thematic sections, I’m not finding those connections very obvious. It’s more fun to read the story to the end and then find out what the theme of the Moth was on the night it was read. Sometimes, it’s a mind stretch, and it’s awesome. So, what is a moth story? It’s just a recounting of a personal experience that is, due to its nature, compelling, humorous, devastating, joyous, life-changing. Anything that’s happened to you that you want to speak about and have learned to do so in a way that attracts listeners.
Most of the authors are hilarious, and I’ve never heard of most of them before. I’m glad they have bios at the ends of their stories because I’m likely to purchase all of their books, if they’ve published previously. This is a book I will be happy to recommend, give as a gift, or pass along to someone special. A must.

I received a review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review from BloggingForBooks.com

I purchased book based upon Moth story I read in Reader's Digest. I am disappointed in stories I found in this book. I will not purchase any more Moth books if they are published in the future. Also I noticed too much needless profanity.

One gets interested in this book for its extraordinary mode of presenting stories, that is, thru empathizing with a live audience. However, does delivering stories in front of a live audience help arouse deeper empathy, or does the literary craft of the individual writers matter much more than the mode of presentation?