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Phosphorescence: A Memoir of Finding Joy When Your World Goes Dark Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Julia Baird (Author, Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,469 ratings

“Both timeless and timely, this is a book of wisdom and wonder.” (Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March)

A deeply personal exploration of what can sustain us through our darkest moments.

“What has fascinated and sustained me over these last few years has been the notion that we have the ability to find, nurture, and carry our own inner, living light - a light to ward off the darkness. This is not about burning brightly; it’s about yielding a more simple phosphorescence - being luminous, having stored light for later use. Staying alive, remaining upright, even when lashed by doubt.”

After surviving a difficult heartbreak and battle with cancer, acclaimed author and columnist Julia Baird began thinking deeply about how we, as people, persevere through the most challenging circumstances. She started to wonder, when we are overwhelmed by illness, loss or pain, or a tragedy outside our control: How can we keep putting one foot in front of the other? Baird went in search of the magic that fuels the light within - our own phosphorescence. In this stunning book, she reflects on the things that lit her way through the darkness, especially the surprising strength found in connecting with nature and not just experiencing awe and wonder about the world around her, but deliberately hunting it, daily.

Baird also writes about crossbeams of resilience: nurturing friendships and a quiet faith, pursuing silence, fighting for what she believes in, the importance of feeling small, learning from her mother's example of stoic grace. She also explores how others nurture their inner light, interviewing the founder of the modern forest therapy movement in Tokyo, a jellyfish scientist in Tasmania, and a tattooed priest from Colorado, among others.

Weaving together candid and moving memoir with deep research and reflections on nature and the world around her, Baird inspires listeners to embrace new habits and to adopt a phosphorescent outlook on life, to illuminate ourselves and our days - even in the darkest times.

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  1. Listening Length
    7 hours and 26 minutes
  2. Author
    Julia Baird
  3. Narrator
    Julia Baird
  4. Audible release date
    July 6, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B08M4D1QRS
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Product details

Listening Length 7 hours and 26 minutes
Author Julia Baird
Narrator Julia Baird
Audible.com Release Date July 06, 2021
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08M4D1QRS
Best Sellers Rank #74,993 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#309 in Nature & Ecology (Audible Books & Originals)
#512 in Outdoors & Nature (Audible Books & Originals)
#754 in Biographies of Women

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,469 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book inspiring, with one mentioning it's a work of light and hope. They appreciate its readability, with one describing it as an excellent read.

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InspirationReadability
4 customers mention "Inspiration"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, with one describing it as a work of light and hope, while another mentions it provides comfort during dark times.

"It was illuminating- as the author fascinated me with her description of light and all the unique sources...." Read more

"...Baird's memoir starts wonderfully and shows great promise...." Read more

"A delightful meandering through the light and darknesses of life while always engaged in the search for meaning...." Read more

"...Although this is a serious work it is also a work of light and hope and I found it an easy read but one also to re-read and savour." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written.

"I found the book very well-written and compelling, but it seemed to me more like an anthology of personal essays on the themes of wonder, resilience..." Read more

"...No doubt, many will find this memoir an excellent read. So, three stars for Julia's Phosphorescence. Update; the book lands softly." Read more

"...a serious work it is also a work of light and hope and I found it an easy read but one also to re-read and savour." Read more

Light within
5 out of 5 stars
Light within
Baird, J. (2021). Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder & Things that Sustain you When the World Goes Dark. Random House. Dr. Julia Baird is a journalist, broadcaster and author based in Sydney, Australia. Baird received both her B.A. and Ph.D. in history from Sydney University. In Phosphorescence, Dr. Baird draws our attention towards developing those habits that foster awe and wonder as a way of creating "light" within. Weaving personal narrative, friends experiences, and scholarly research, Dr. Baird offers four stanzas: (1) Awe, Wonder an Silence - In the company of arsonists; (2) The Stories We Tell Ourselves - Why we need to tell our imperfect stories; (3) Walking Each Other Home - The art of friendship; (4) Invincible Summer - Regarde: Look, and savour. Her thoughts: “Lights are the perfect metaphor for flashes of life in the middle of the dark, or joy in difficult times. . . phosphorescence: light released by natural substances.” For example: “Someone who radiates goodness and seems to effortlessly inhabit a kind of joy, or seems so hungry for experience, so curious and engaged and fascinated with the world outside their head that they brim with life, or light.” “Being awestruck dwarfs us, humbles us, makes us aware we are part of a universe unfathomably larger than ourselves.. . . Wonder is a similar sensation, and the two feelings are often entwined. Wonder makes us stop and ask questions about the world, while marveling over something we have not seen before, whether spectacular or mundane.” “All we can do really is keep placing one foot on the earth, then the other, to seek out ancient paths and forests, certain in the knowledge that others have endured before us. We must love. And we must look outwards and upwards at all times, caring for others, seeking wonder and talking awe, every day, to find the magic that will sustain us and fuel the light within - our own phosphorescence.”
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kathy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Inspiring
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    It was illuminating- as the author fascinated me with her description of light and all the unique sources. Inspired me to seek my one “lightness of being.”
    One person found this helpful
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  • SFVanDycks
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book; more like a collection of personal essays than a memoir
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I found the book very well-written and compelling, but it seemed to me more like an anthology of personal essays on the themes of wonder, resilience, persistence, etc. than a memoir per se.

    I enjoyed the book and I feel like I learned a lot about unexpectedly delightful things like forest bathing, but I thought I would be reading a more traditional memoir about someone overcoming a personal challenge and connecting the story of that challenge to a larger theme. In this book, the personal challenge is much less pronounced; instead, there are scattered reminiscences and stories about friends and loved ones included among larger essays about interesting topics related to self-care, finding joy, science, etc. I was not surprised to find out that several parts of the book were previously published as stand-alone essays, because they had that feel as I was reading them.

    As I said, I still enjoyed the book and by the end I found that I really cared for the author - I hope she is living a great life and still enjoying her daily swims. Her kids are lucky to have her as a mother, in my opinion. So, I guess in the final analysis I'm glad to have been tricked a little by the title. I just wanted to give a heads-up to anyone else considering it.
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  • Wendy McKim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The author packs so much information into this book! It's so good! She really makes you stop and think about your life and what you could do better and how to be happier.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Pithy Q
    3.0 out of 5 stars Hopeful
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    At this point, I stopped reading Phosphorescence and decided to write a review. I may finish reading it out of curiosity since I am at the halfway mark.

    Baird's memoir starts wonderfully and shows great promise. However, I began page skimming because some chapters were scattered with unnecessary detail and shared common knowledge. I was getting bored. Also, the author connected information that seemed marginal to the essence of her memoir theme; "wonder, awe, and silence." She then takes her beautiful memoir down a twisted road of political quagmire and honorable mentions of people who are arguably hot buttons for many readers—most notably Jane Fonda. My interest further waned when she went on with an activist rant about "pink pussyhats," feminism, global warming, and the destruction of our planet. (I expected Greta Thunberg to walk in at any moment). None of that seemed to fit into the narrative of her bout with cancer or getting in touch with the simpler life of "wonder and awe." To quote Faulkner, "Kill your darlings" came to mind. The book's foreword/teaser description was less than honest about a hidden agenda.

    "Phosphorescence" reads too much like a term paper with a word quota. From an outsider's perspective, this book is less a memoir of surviving cancer and more of a tainted account of an activist living in a bubble. An objective editor could have saved this book from the author's biases.

    No doubt, many will find this memoir an excellent read. So, three stars for Julia's Phosphorescence.

    Update; the book lands softly.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Searching for the light
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    A delightful meandering through the light and darknesses of life while always engaged in the search for meaning. An inspiration for anyone going through dark times, particularly illness
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rose
    4.0 out of 5 stars Title is misleading
    Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book is OK. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more or simply chosen not to read it if the title better matched the content. It definitely didn’t feel like a memoir. It felt more like a book of essays on why one should cultivate gratitude, wonder and awe. “A case for Awe” might have been a more honest title. I found myself feeling frustrated at certain points because there was an absence of story and a bit more of a “here’s why you should…” which often felt redundant and came off a bit preachy. If you are someone who reads and thinks deeply about this stuff already this book offers nothing new. Nice lady, good writing, but I found the book a bit tedious at times.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Erin E. Partridge
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty from all angles
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book has beautiful passages on everything from the water to Forest Therapy to friendship and to wild dancing in adolescence. In reading it, I kept having to pause to send passages to friends, family, and students
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Divya
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great book
    Reviewed in India on January 26, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A must read, a great change in outlook is brought about. Every moment counts, every minute counts, don't waste it.
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  • Philip
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing insight on Life
    Reviewed in Australia on February 11, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Julia gives a personal take on her life and topics she is passionate about. I found her wisdom and passion for life very insightful and I use this book as a resource for others to read.
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  • Eric La Rouge
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
    Reviewed in Australia on December 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This book has some well written chapters, and is interesting memoir in parts, but lacked an overall structure, or conclusion. Whilst it mentions many enduring friends there is no mention of the father of her children. It did cause me to reflect on the beautiful and awe inspiring.
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  • Ms. T. Stuart
    4.0 out of 5 stars promised more than it delivered
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I had high expectations of this book, but it didn't really hang together coherently. Disappointing.
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  • Rebecca Davies
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
    Reviewed in Australia on May 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Such a beautiful book, really makes you stop and think.
    Love all the science and data and so beautifully written.
    Fantastic for a gift too!
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