Reviews
Listening to the SONG of Life by E. James Baesler offers a comprehensive exploration of the profound art of listening through multiple dimensions—self, others, nature, and the divine. This long-awaited, insightful book integrates communication theories, pedagogical methods, and experiential practices, guiding readers to enhance their listening skills and deepen their connection with the world. Each chapter delves into practical applications and reflective exercises, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to enrich their personal and spiritual growth through the power of attentive listening.
Marva Shand-McIntosh, Speech Pathologist, author of Today I Will Listen, and founder of I Love To Listen Day
E. James Baesler’s book, LISTENING to the SONG of LIFE, is a must read for anyone remotely interested in listening…and we should all be! I’ve been a listening scholar for over 20 years, and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable with different perspectives of listening. And then I read LISTENING to the SONG of LIFE and it expands my horizon in ways that I didn’t think possible! This book is for all types of people: practitioners of listening, teachers, and researchers. Don’t let the length of this book scare you. It doesn’t need to be read cover to cover before you can use it. You can pick it up and find something valuable by simply reading a few pages. And, for those who are teaching a listening course or listening as a section in other courses, there are outstanding ideas for activities and exercises throughout the book. I highly recommend LISTENING to the SONG of LIFE.
Laura Janusik, Professor Emeritus, Rockhurst University, Past President of the International Listening Association
Dr. Baesler’s exquisitely woven four strands of the SONG will provide the phenomenologist with innumerable avenues to further investigate listening; present hermeneutic theorists and narrative arts researchers with greater depths of discernment in listening to stories; equip the humanist, humanitarian, and social activist with mastery of sound collaborative listening practices; afford the naturalist deeper appreciation for all living beings and the ecosystems’ relationships that are sustained through listening; and cast light on soul-searchers’ many paths, which lead ultimately to the integration of Divine Spiritual Insight.
Jerry Catt, founder of Listen4AChange and retired Instructor of Communication
Baesler’s new listening book is unique in its comprehensive and original presentation. The author elaborates on what is typically thought of as the range of the field of listening. The author writes for various audiences but is always listening to the reader and considering the reader’s need to understand the importance of listening as it is reflected in methods from the poetic, to the academic, the spiritual and therapeutic.
Michael Purdy, Professor and Coordinator of the Communications Program at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois
Listening to the Song of Life is timely and much needed in our current transitional age. Aptly covering traditional social scientific research on inter-human, interpersonal listening, Baesler then takes the reader on a journey. Transcending traditional boundaries, this sensei of the listening arts shows us through theory, experience, and mystery how listening to the human soul includes a focus on self, others, nature, and the divine as they contribute to our health as human beings – the soul, in context, embodying and feeding connection.
Douglas Kelley, Professor Emeritus of Communication, Arizona State University, and author of Just Relationships, Intimate Spaces, Marital Communication, and Communicating Forgiveness (with Vincent Waldron)
E. James Baesler’s book, Listening to the SONG of Life, is a touchstone for understanding how his personal journey and life experiences informed the development and curriculum of his Listening course. The class structure he proposes uniquely reflects that journey, illustrating how improved listening skills can lead to greater personal understanding, improved human connections, and enhanced bonds with nature and the divine. His curriculum and teaching activities mirror his course philosophy that learning should parallel the many facets of listening encountered by individuals in their daily lives. His book provides practical suggestions as well as a vision for listening as a foundation for cultivating our best self. Offering an alternative perspective to traditional listening curriculums, it is a recommended reading for those currently teaching or considering developing a listening course.
Debra Worthington, Professor of Communication, Auburn University, and author of Handbook of Listening (with Bodie), The Sourcebook of Listening Research (with Bodie), Listening (with Bodie and Fitch-Hauser), and Listening, Community Engagement, and Peacebuilding (with Bodie and Beyene)
Graham D. Bodie, Professor of Media & Communication, University of Mississippi, and author of The Handbook of Listening and The Sourcebook of Listening Research (with Worthington), Listening, Community Engagement, and Peacebuilding (with Worthington and Beyene), and Listening (with Worthington and Fitch-Hauser).
Listening to the Song of Life is clearly a labor of love. It is also a major accomplishment…Baesler’s holistic perspective is the book’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness…I know of no other work that finds something to say about listening in as many disparate sources. Citations of articles in the British Journal of General Practice and The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion exist alongside frequent references to works by popular authors like Ken Wilber, perhaps best known for his mystically- and spiritually-influenced “theory of everything”…Baesler is best when writing about his classroom experiences, and since there is relatively little available to guide teachers of listening, this work would be worth having in one’s pedagogical library…
John Stewart, Professor Emeritus of Communication, University of Dubuque, and author of Bridges Not Walls, U&Me, Personal Communicating, and Racial Equity, and Dismantling Racism One On One.
Although I didn’t want to read the chapter on nature at first, it has profoundly deepened my view of listening. Because the ego is much less necessary in listening to nature, it forms a wonderful bridge to the divine. Thank you James, for stimulating me enormously with this book to put the divine more centrally in my work on listening.
Victor Pierau-Schoeber, Economist and author of Leadership in Listening, and CEO of Connessence
Dr. Baesler’s course on listening to the SONG of Life was a rich multi-modal experience for me as a graduate student and I’m grateful he is sharing his ideas and resources with the world. His foreword says the book is for scholars and others with an interest in listening. It’s really for anyone who wants to live deeply and meaningfully. This book offers a fresh and original multidisciplinary, multi-sensory perspective of listening. Reading it is both evocative and enjoyable. I recommend it wholeheartedly!
Casey Moore, The Productivity Coach (MA, PCC, CPLC, CPO®)
In this enlightening chapter [listening to God-Goddess-the Divine], the author invites you to explore the practice of deep listening to the Divine. He is a gifted storyteller, and as you engage with real-life examples, both personal and from classroom conversations, you will be drawn into the mystical nature of spiritual communion. Prepare to expand your understanding of this sacred Mystery with a variety of embodied practices and reflection questions. These tools are designed to connect you to your own inner wisdom and strengthen your spiritual resilience. The lessons in this chapter offer a vital antidote to the chaos and uncertainty of today’s world. Discover how the process of listening to Spirit can impact your relationship to every facet of life.
Kay Lindahl, CLP, Founder of The Listening Center, Co-Founder of Women of Spirit and Faith, and author of The Sacred Art of Listening, Practicing the Sacred Art of Listening, and How Does God Listen?
