Becoming Wise
Krista Tippett draws on more than a decade of On Being interviews to map the practices that let people live with integrity in difficult times. The book is arranged around five threads: words, flesh, love, faith, and hope. Tippett weaves her own reflections through quoted exchanges with Desmond Tutu, Mary Oliver, Seth Godin, Vincent Harding, and dozens of other guests. The result reads less like a memoir and more like a commonplace book assembled by a careful listener. It is the long-form companion to her radio work, organized so readers can dip in or move straight through.
What you might want to know about Becoming Wise
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The On Being host distills years of conversation with poets, scientists, and theologians into a portrait of how thoughtful people build a life.
Yes. Brown wrote a cover blurb for the book, calling Tippett's voice and wisdom essential and praising the book as brilliant thinking and beautiful storytelling.
No. Tippett quotes generously from her interviews and gives enough context that newcomers can read it as a standalone.
Becoming Wise was written by Krista Tippett, published in 2016 by Penguin Press.
Becoming Wise is 304 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Becoming Wise takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Becoming Wise is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
