Voicing Change

by Rich Roll

Central to his ongoing quest to unlock his best self, Rich has spent the last eight years convening with unique thinkers in medicine, business, human performance, spirituality, and the arts, broadcasting the enduring wisdom of this guests through his acclaimed podcast. Each conversation is a long-form deep dive shepherded by Rich’s insatiable curiosity and earnest quest for universal truths, life lessons, and the enduring inspiration that we can all benefit from. Voicing Change is a highlight reel of some of the weekly magic that transpires between one of the podcast medium’s most influential hosts and today’s most accomplished—or sometimes most cutting edge—minds and personalities.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published November 17, 2020

Reviews

[Steven Allat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a HUGE fan of Rich Roll . . . the man, the journey, the authenticity of his experiences and output.

I have followed him almost since publication of 'Finding Ultra', having since read it multiple times, listened to the audiobook and leant out the book over 10 times. I also listened to at least the first 60 podcasts as they came out, as I found his capabilities as an interviewer to be very refreshing - non judgmental, curious and inquisitive.

So, with all that in mind, I ordered 'Voicing Change' without hesitation, even though the sticker price is fairly hefty (a bit more for me in Canadian dollars and with duties applied). I support people I believe in and trust. I knew the book would contain more interviews that I had not listened to, because at 600 podcasts to date, I haven't kept up as I have my own journey to experience and relate to others.

So the book arrived, and the presentation was quite impressive, though a bit more book than I had anticipated, for some reason. Again, hefty. And I wondered if the weight of what lay within would merit the physical weight of the book itself.
Flipping through, I initially noted the nice photography, layout and consistency. Nice, I thought.

Then, I went to read the book.
And I had trouble.
No, I am not illiterate. My vision is quite fine for a 53 year old with no vision problems.
I noticed right away that the text was both quite small and also not well contrasted against the background. This, on the introduction and first few pages. So, I flipped through, and quickly became disheartened as I realized this would be a chore to read, something it should not be.
I read it under bright light, at the right distance . . . and still, I actually got a magnifying glass out to read it.
After a couple more pages . . . I gave up, for the moment. Too much work.
EVEN THOUGH, the content is stellar!!

It always has been with Rich and his guests.

So, my real review of the book can be broken down into:
CONTENT 5/5
PRESENTATION 4/5
FUNCTIONALITY 2/5

I have to say it. It seems obvious to me the form overtook function at some point..
Then I read that Rich is building a new studio, 2000 square feet, which he is perfectly entitled to do.
And I was again, a little disheartened. Why is the form overtaking the function?
Rich began his podcast in his echoey garage space, and it came across just fine. : )

It feels like a little bit of pretention (and I had to really ponder whether to use this word) ahs crept in, into the production process of both the man and the mission.

I probably will finish the book, one interview at a time due to the need to have to focus more than should be necessary to read it.
The content is that good.

But, same holds true for each authentic being on the planet - despite your form, you can be felt most honestly when it is direct and easily accessible.

[Neil Pasricha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put simply: This is the best self-help book I have read all year. I love Rich Roll and The Rich Roll Podcast. This book hits another high bar in his string of endless high-quality art. Rich has somehow distilled the collective wisdom from nearly a decade interviewing the who’s who of global guides, mentors, and visionaries down into a very tight 300ish pages. Not sure you have time to listen to seven or eight years worth of the best self-improvement podcast around? But want to? Then get this. Most “pod to books” feel like somebody from a freelance farm copied and pasted a bunch of transcripts into Microsoft Word and sent it to the printers. This is the opposite. Rich’s thoughtful, articulate essays scratch and introduce a major theme on intentional living before you then flip and find the guest’s lengthy thoughts from the show worked down into a couple pages of first person wisdom. Surprising meringue peaks throughout including a whizbanger essay from Russell Brand, a guided meditation from Light Watkins, and two poems from IN-Q that will take your breath away. The book's not perfect. Some guests are on pedestals a bit too lofty and I would have liked a lot more diversity but, having said that, what’s most evident here is a deeply yearning soul trying, within every ounce of his ability, to create a piece of art to help illuminate the path forward. He absolutely pulls it off. This is an absolutely wonderful book. A great gift for the seekers in your life.

[Donovan Mattole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Rich Roll and his amazing guests. Have loved reading the essays. All of them are short and it is the perfect book to have on your bedside and read one or two per night. Many of these were refreshers from episodes I loved and a number of them were new introductions to guests that I hadn't listened to.

Only negative is the print size! Seriously, can anyone read this? Six months ago I bought some readers, but I was even squinting in them! I'm sure it was about packing as much content in as possible, but I definitely would have increased the font size!