The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone tells her own story: a journey of healing, love, and purpose.

Synopsis -

Sharon Stone, one of the most renowned actresses in the world, suffered a massive stroke that cost her not only her health, but her career, family, fortune, and global fame. In The Beauty of Living Twice, Stone chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life and writes about her slow road back to wholeness and health. In a business that doesn’t accept failure, in a world where too many voices are silenced, Stone found the power to return, the courage to speak up, and the will to make a difference in the lives of men, women, and children around the globe.

Over the course of these intimate pages, as candid as a personal conversation, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a career in an industry that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family’s reconciliation and love.

Stone made headlines not just for her beauty and her talent, but for her candor and her refusal to “play nice,” and it’s those same qualities that make this memoir so powerful. The Beauty of Living Twice is a book for the wounded and a book for the survivors; it’s a celebration of women’s strength and resilience, a reckoning, and a call to activism. It is proof that it’s never too late to raise your voice and speak out.

Review -

When I snagged the audio book of The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone I had no idea what to expect.  While yes it does share about her life, it's a very unique memoire that doesn't start when she's a child, continue on a linear basis through all her memories, and share each moment. The picture painted was open and honest. The selective choices she on which experiences and thoughts to include were wonderful and I loved how it moved forward and back through time.

I knew almost nothing about the author. I was aware of the movies she was in and had seen many.  I knew she was talented and a single mum. That was it - just 2 aspects of a very multi-faceted woman.  The book opens at a time in her life where she has a stroke and ends up in the hospital with low chances of survival. We follow along from the time she collapses, through her experience with a doctor who wanted to use her for his own personal publicity, her near death moments, the strong support of family and friends, and her recovery time the first few years. She shares honestly what was lost and what was gained.

From there we move backward to memories as early as childhood and forward from that crucial moment to what was like beyond this crisis. Stone touches on experiences and thoughts that shaped her life - both highs and lows, successes and failures - as well as what she has come to realize through it all.  I had no idea she was a survivor of child abuse, or of all the projects and charities she was involved in. She share insight into the Hollywood machine from a female actor's perspective.  

I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. I'll be listening to it again and taking notes the next time as there are so many life experience nuggets to take away. Well done.

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Meet The Author

SHARON STONE is an actress, human rights activist, artist, mother, daughter, sister, and writer. She has been honored with a Nobel Peace Summit Award, a Harvard Humanitarian Award, a Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award, and an Einstein Spirit Award, as well as many other accolades. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family.

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