BOOK REVIEW NPR’s Ari Shapiro tells the untold story in memior

“The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening,” by Ari Shapiro, HarperOne, 2023, 256 pages.

Reviewed by Sean Boyle Special to Hakol

Award-winning NPR radio journalist Ari Shapiro’s memoir, “The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening,” is primarily a love story to journalism, but like any great story, it’s much more than that. Although the introduction, titled “Thank you for listening,” gives the reader a Cliffs Notes’ summary of Shapiro’s life, it is actually more of a tease of what’s to come in the rest of the book. His public speaking career began in first grade, when his brother and he were the only two Jewish children in the entire school, and they would go classroom to classroom with a menorah and a dreidel to explain Chanukah. This desire and ability to help others understand different cultures and experiences through storytelling became a passion that expanded beyond his radio journalism work.

As expected from a trained journalist and gifted artist, each chapter is an engaging experience that helps the reader more deeply understand the multiple roles he plays in his life and how the interaction between them raises the whole beyond the sum of its parts. Shapiro is married to his college sweetheart, Michael, who is also a West Coast Jewish Yale graduate. Theirs was one of the first legal gay marriages, in 2004, which was later voided by the California Supreme Court. They then had a religious ceremony officiated by both of their hometown rabbis. His experiences as a Jewish gay man has helped his journalism career and his part-time career as a professional singer.

A chance encounter followed by a sing-along with the founder of his favorite band as a teenager, Pink Martini, led to his being invited to record a song on their next album. He quickly agreed and has now been on four of their albums, singing in multiple languages, and even made his live debut with the band at the Hollywood Bowl. He also performs internationally with Alan Cumming, presenting their show “Och and Oy! A Considered Cabaret,” which features songs and storytelling.

As an award-winning journalist, Shapiro shares both his amazing successes and his occasional humbling experiences. On his first flight on Air Force One, he packed away his recording equipment under his feet while eating lunch and was suddenly surprised when President Barrack Obama came up to him, asking if he had any questions he would like to ask. Shapiro had to ask another reporter for a copy of the recordings afterward so that he could file his report.

Among the principals that guide his work, Shapiro writes, are to try to find the story not being covered and, through his storytelling, to build empathy for and understanding of others.

Highly recommended for ages 16-120, ideal for anyone wanting to learn more about journalism and about teaching empathy using multiple methods of storytelling.

Sean Boyle is Congregation Keneseth Israel’s librarian and also serves as vice president, president-elect, of the Association of Jewish Libraries.