The Work

My Search for a Life That Matters

By: Wes Moore

Narrated by: Wes Moore

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The acclaimed author of The Other Wes Moore and governor-elect of Maryland continues his inspirational quest for a meaningful life and shares the powerful lessons—about self-discovery, service, and risk-taking—that led him to a new definition of success for our times.

“This book is about how to make our journeys not just about surviving and succeeding, but about coming truly alive.”—Arianna Huffington

The Work is the story of how one young man traced a path through the world to find his life’s purpose. Wes Moore graduated from a difficult childhood in the Bronx and Baltimore to an adult life that would find him at some of the most critical moments in our recent history: as a combat officer in Afghanistan; a White House fellow in a time of wars abroad and disasters at home; and a Wall Street banker during the financial crisis. In this insightful book, Moore shares the lessons he learned from people he met along the way—from the brave Afghan translator who taught him to find his fight, to the resilient young students in Katrina-ravaged Mississippi who showed him the true meaning of grit, to his late grandfather, who taught him to find grace in service.

Moore also tells the stories of other twenty-first-century change-makers who’ve inspired him in his search, from Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND, to Esther Benjamin, a Sri Lankan immigrant who rose to help lead the Peace Corps. What their lives—and his own misadventures and moments of illumination—reveal is that our truest work happens when we serve others, at the intersection between our gifts and our broken world. That’s where we find the work that lasts.

An intimate narrative about finding meaning in a volatile age, The Work will inspire listeners to see how we can each find our own path to purpose and help create a better world.

©2014 Wes Moore (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Powerful and moving . . . Wes Moore’s story and the stories of those who have inspired him, from family members to entrepreneurs, provide a model for how we can each weave together valuable lessons from all different types of people to forge an individual path to triumph. I’ve known and deeply admired Wes for a long time. Reading The Work, I better understand why.”—Chelsea Clinton

“Wes Moore proves once again that he is one of the most effective storytellers and leaders of his generation. His gripping personal story, set against the dramatic events of the past decade, goes straight to the heart of an ancient question that is as relevant as ever: not just how to live a good life, but how to make that life matter. Above all, this book teaches us how to make our journey about more than mere surviving or even succeeding; it teaches us how to truly come alive.”—Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive

“How we define success for ourselves is one of life’s essential questions. Wes Moore shows us the way—by sharing his incredible journey and the inspiring stories of others who make the world a better place through the choices they’ve made about how they want to live. We come away from this important book with a new understanding of what it truly means to succeed in life.”—Suze Orman

Good read

A good read overall on a topic too few of us examine--meaningful living. By the second to last vignette or so, I found the same theme repeated and began to wonder if I could endure many more of these repetitions for too many more hours but I stuck with it and the author had a nice ending. In general a good book but at times I found the author pompous. Either way, some great themes and thoughts throughout and worth the read/listen. 4 stars across the board.

So Enjoyable!

This book was a pleasure to listen to! The author is a great storyteller, and the stories conveyed were inspiring.

The Work is very interesting and inspiring - chapter after chapter. Well narrated audio book.

I loved the detailed reason for the why in every chapter.

The audio book ended with a smile on my face. So enlightened! Wes Moore, you are my new favorite writer, policy maker and gentleman to follow. Thank you for your military service, sir. Veterans are my passion.

Vulnerability and strength

Enjoyed the story and the mission shared through this read. Tone and voice are great for narration. Thank you for your service.

Poignant page turner that is truly enlightening

Wes Moore brilliantly echoes a truth we all share be extraordinary at doing what you love versus settling for the ordinary trappings of job security.

Good advice for living a fulfilling life/career

Loved it! The author shows how to find a purpose to life. Brought back good memories.

Captivating

Well delivered, very relatable content. I would recommend this to anyone seeking and searching for purpose in their life.

great book

i loved the book's message. the narration was easy to understand however the chapters listed did not match the books numbering.

Inspiring and motivating work

This book adds to the powerful words of “The Other Wes Moore” and clarifies the life changing influence from caring people in each of our lives. How much better a world we’d live in if everyone had loving guidance like this!?

inspirational

Enjoyed it. Inspirational. Good advice. Super easy to listen to. Happy I had the audio version. Listened while doing others things.