-
Ep. 1: I've Had Better
- Narrated by: Esther Perel
- Length: 47 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Publisher's summary
[Contains mature themes] He reached out because a year after the discovery of his affair, they aren’t fighting anymore, but they certainly haven’t moved on. Esther guides them towards a more honest conversation, and a revelation about their communication.
Step into the office of renowned relationship therapist and TED Talk sensation Esther Perel, and listen in as she counsels couples in crisis due to infidelity, sexlessness, loss, and disconnection. The result? Astonishing insights on how they can make love work – and takeaways for you on ways to repair and restore your own relationships.
About Esther:
Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and provocative voices on personal and professional relationships. A celebrated psychotherapist who has helmed a private practice in New York City since 1983, she has over three decades of experience navigating the intricacies of love and desire.
A Note from Esther:
Too often couples live like isolated islands. We think what we’re experiencing in our own relationship is unique to us, and we don’t know that our neighbors and friends are experiencing the same longings, laments, deprivations, and disillusionments in their own lives.
There is no school for relationships, no place for us to learn the tools for rebuilding and repair, to learn to straddle the many contradictions that roil in all of us. Where Should We Begin? Is a way for me to create meaningful, deep, and open conversations. As you listen to these intimate, unscripted sessions between real-life couples, I think you will find the language you’ve been looking for to have conversations with the people in your own life.
Related to this topic
-
The Women
- A Novel
- By: Kristin Hannah
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Kristin Hannah
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
-
-
Kristin Hannah Knocked it Out of the Park
- By Danielle Dugdale on 02-09-24
By: Kristin Hannah
-
I'm Glad My Mom Died
- By: Jennette McCurdy
- Narrated by: Jennette McCurdy
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
-
-
Unexpectedly poor narration
- By Blurryface on 08-10-22
By: Jennette McCurdy
-
A Murder to Remember
- By: Brynn Kelly
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Max Roll
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jane Austen fan Amelia Bennett sneaks away from a dull tour of an English country manor, only to run into a man more dashing than Mr. Darcy himself. About to lose his ancestral home to family debts, charming aristocrat Tom Calder invites his American guest to join him in drinking his way through the estate’s priceless wine collection. But when they wake in his bed the next morning, they’re convinced that in their drunken haze they witnessed a murder. Problem is, the body has vanished and no one believes them.
-
-
Loved this sweet, surprising, and laugh out loud story
- By Ginger Warburton on 03-03-24
By: Brynn Kelly
-
Atomic Habits
- An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- By: James Clear
- Narrated by: James Clear
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
-
-
Author went overboard hawking his site
- By CHughes on 06-25-19
By: James Clear
-
First Lie Wins
- A Novel
- By: Ashley Elston
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.
-
-
What’s The lie?
- By Luke Schafer on 01-13-24
By: Ashley Elston
-
The Rip
- By: Holly Craig
- Narrated by: Carly Foxx, Shalom Brune-Franklin
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Luxury villas on hot white sand, views for miles over turquoise water. Flawless hostess Penny gathers guests to an island for her husband’s birthday celebrations. But she soon regrets inviting self-obsessed Eloise. When a child vanishes on the night of the party, their perfect island weekend is ripped apart. Even paradise harbours murky secrets… Has he been taken? Has he drowned? In the panic to find any trace, Penny casts about for someone to blame—even if that person is her own daughter, Rosie. Even clear waters descend to pitch black.
-
-
Intriguing, Engaging, AND BEST NARATORS EVER
- By Hadassah on 03-12-24
By: Holly Craig
-
The Women
- A Novel
- By: Kristin Hannah
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Kristin Hannah
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
-
-
Kristin Hannah Knocked it Out of the Park
- By Danielle Dugdale on 02-09-24
By: Kristin Hannah
-
I'm Glad My Mom Died
- By: Jennette McCurdy
- Narrated by: Jennette McCurdy
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
-
-
Unexpectedly poor narration
- By Blurryface on 08-10-22
By: Jennette McCurdy
-
A Murder to Remember
- By: Brynn Kelly
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Max Roll
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jane Austen fan Amelia Bennett sneaks away from a dull tour of an English country manor, only to run into a man more dashing than Mr. Darcy himself. About to lose his ancestral home to family debts, charming aristocrat Tom Calder invites his American guest to join him in drinking his way through the estate’s priceless wine collection. But when they wake in his bed the next morning, they’re convinced that in their drunken haze they witnessed a murder. Problem is, the body has vanished and no one believes them.
-
-
Loved this sweet, surprising, and laugh out loud story
- By Ginger Warburton on 03-03-24
By: Brynn Kelly
-
Atomic Habits
- An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- By: James Clear
- Narrated by: James Clear
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
-
-
Author went overboard hawking his site
- By CHughes on 06-25-19
By: James Clear
-
First Lie Wins
- A Novel
- By: Ashley Elston
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.
-
-
What’s The lie?
- By Luke Schafer on 01-13-24
By: Ashley Elston
-
The Rip
- By: Holly Craig
- Narrated by: Carly Foxx, Shalom Brune-Franklin
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Luxury villas on hot white sand, views for miles over turquoise water. Flawless hostess Penny gathers guests to an island for her husband’s birthday celebrations. But she soon regrets inviting self-obsessed Eloise. When a child vanishes on the night of the party, their perfect island weekend is ripped apart. Even paradise harbours murky secrets… Has he been taken? Has he drowned? In the panic to find any trace, Penny casts about for someone to blame—even if that person is her own daughter, Rosie. Even clear waters descend to pitch black.
-
-
Intriguing, Engaging, AND BEST NARATORS EVER
- By Hadassah on 03-12-24
By: Holly Craig
-
48 Laws of Power
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills 3,000 years of the history of power into 48 well-explicated laws. This bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other infamous strategists. The 48 Laws of Power will fascinate any listener interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.
-
-
You don't have to be a psychopath to like this.
- By Gaggleframpf on 02-25-16
By: Robert Greene
-
The Justice
- By: James Patterson, Aaron Cooley
- Narrated by: Sanaa Lathan, David Rasche, Susan Kelechi Watson, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Justice Beth Garner (Sanaa Lathan) just landed the appointment of a lifetime—a seat on the Supreme Court. Now a mysterious company is blackmailing her for her vote on a landmark case. Caught up in the checkered past of her hero and mentor, Chief Justice Clayton Erlenborn, Beth must cunningly maneuver through a dangerous web of secrets, deception, and cold-blooded murder. Armed with only her moral compass and unflinching nerve, she’s up against a sinister world full of undercover agents, domestic terrorists, and black ops assassins—all of whom want her to comply or die.
-
-
So good!
- By Rachel Johnson on 02-24-24
By: James Patterson, and others
-
The Psychology of Money
- Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
- By: Morgan Housel
- Narrated by: Chris Hill
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Money - investing, personal finance, and business decisions - is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.
-
-
Could be summarized in one sentence
- By Alex on 05-30-21
By: Morgan Housel
-
Listen for the Lie
- A Novel
- By: Amy Tintera
- Narrated by: January LaVoy, Will Damron
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
-
-
Entertaining and keeps you guessing
- By Amazon Customer on 03-11-24
By: Amy Tintera
-
The Teacher
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Leslie Howard, Danny Montooth
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eve has a good life. She wakes up each day, kisses her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except… Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye. Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says. But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet…
-
-
One of my favorites
- By Turtle and Elfie on 02-07-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
- A Novel
- By: James McBride
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows.
-
-
Multiple Stories Obfuscate Narrative
- By Stephnsea on 08-12-23
By: James McBride
What listeners say about Ep. 1: I've Had Better
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ashley
- 06-15-17
Response to the bitter comments...
Any additional comments?
I have to be honest, many of the comments on here are really frustrating. These are two people who wish to repair their marriage. They aren't there to play a game of who gets the blame. The counselor is not there to tell either party that they did something wrong in the past, she is there to help them be able to communicate honestly and to help them each be receptive to that honesty. When the husband tells how he was feeling, the wife constantly wants to argue against that as if his feeling aren't valid. The point the counselor is making is that he had those feelings and they were real. She isn't telling the woman that she was at fault nor is she taking "the husband's side", she is simply saying that the wife needs to listen without immediate judgement. The wife if very defensive and that is totally understandable, but the counselor's job is to help her be less defensive so that they can communicate openly and in a safe place. If the wife never truly forgives her husband than they will never move past their problems. Once she is able to forgive and let her guard down, then they can work on building something worth saving. BOTH PARTIES in this episode were responsible for not communicating, despite that the man did something completely stupid as a result of it. The counselor has to fix the communication problem first!
As a side note about her being like a dead person: sometimes feelings aren't kind or pleasant and sometimes they are downright rude and inappropriate. But, it seems like many of the listeners wanted the counselor to scold him for that comment. Although maybe not pleasant, he was trying to convey that he didn't want it to be another chore for her. That is a big problem in many relationships, he should have said it a LONG time ago rather than cheating. Then, she could have said how she felt, etc. Relationships take work and HONESTY.
I am 32 years old and I have been with my husband for 12 years. I can tell you that the biggest reason why we work is because we are honest despite how that honesty will make the other feel at that moment. I love that we have that because, if we didn't, who knows where we would be. We definitely aren't perfect people, but our willingness to communicate when something doesn't feel right makes us happy in our relationship 99% of the time. We both feel heard and we both make an effort to make adjustments when we need to. If you don't grow together you will grow apart and that is what happened with these two people, but they can recover it if the learn how to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
56 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matthew
- 05-24-17
Omg!
I am so shocked that this therapist is continually giving the woman the short end of the stick in this discussion. One year is not demarcation that suddenly the wife should be over the the affair. Ugh, I'm so annoyed
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
45 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert
- 05-30-17
She's kidding, right?
Any additional comments?
The guy says, "Well, we were kind of in the same place, the only difference is I acted on it."
Wait, what?
Simply can't believe the counselor let him get away with that comment.
On top of which he said he'd been unfaithful to other women several times before.
The woman seems to be OK with the way their relationship is now.
Why push her to let that scumbag in again?
I won't be listening to any more of this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J and M
- 05-19-17
Stuck on this from the first episode.
I have listened to Esther Perel before and I really like her. She is so good at really getting to the heart of communication and the problems with communication. This episode is a couple in the extremes. I mean, personally, I think she's done. And, I completely get it. Relationships can be hard. It's not all smiles and roses. So, when one uses that as an excuse to bail and leave the other in the trenches alone because life got real, well,that's hard to come back from. BUT, to not judge the actual couple and their situation. If you can strip away all that, and focus on where these people aren't communicating or hearing each other and how well Perel points it out. It is so good. At the heart of most conflicts and misunderstandings, someone is usually not really hearing the meaning behind someone else's words. Or, someone isn't saying what they should. And, then feelings get acted upon and someone gets blindsided. I realized during my masters program with all of the counseling hours that are required, that I'd been mediating conflict all of my life. And, I knew I didn't want to do it as a career. To create the mental space for others to explore, understand, etc, their emotions is not an easy job, even if you're good at it. And, this in particular is where I think even a lot of therapists fail. Helping someone work through addiction, a painful past, etc, is very hard, but very different. There is a specific outcome you are guiding towards. However, with relationships, good therapy has to give each person enough space to determine what that outcome will eventually be. Those emotions have to be worked through before knowing what the outcome will be in many cases. And, I think Perel deals with that very well. Much better and fascinating being an observer than the actual therapist.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Liv
- 06-10-17
This was the longest 46-min. listen of my life!
What disappointed you about Ep. 1: I've Had Better?
I found it difficult to have any sympathy for the cheating husband what so ever. He seemed very much okay with leaving all the heavy lifting parenting of their 3 kids to his stay-at-home wife. And then he had the nerve to be freaking surprised when they had perfunctory sex. Maybe if he'd been more involved with his kids, she would have had more energy than to just lie there like a dead fish. His straying because his wife wasn't giving him enough attention was classic, lame and anger inducing. This is the 21st century and relationship help is accessible and readily available. He should've made use of that. Yes, the wife was guilty of not vocalizing more that she was also dissatisfied with their sex life, too. But any partner in a committed relationship should offer to get counseling BEFORE deciding to cheat. At the very least, as the potential cheater, he could've asked for a separation so his wife would've been alerted that all was not right in Denmark.
What do you think your next listen will be?
I may try one of the other topics and try to avoid any more cheating ones. Cheating is a real life trigger for me as a victim of it. I'm one of those kids who was impacted by it greatly, so I never can take in this topic lightly.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Esther was good at being neutral and getting the couple to actually TALK about what each was feeling before, during and after the cheating ended. They were able to see their issues in a more objective manner thanks to her.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Terra Hansen
- 06-06-17
You can get over an affair in less than an hour!
This basically just shows that women need to be more attentive to husband's needs and fake orgasms to keep him happy. He isn't sorry he did it. He just shows remorse his wife isn't what he wants.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- William Nowicki
- 05-24-17
Terrific series
This is what couples need to hear! Enjoyed it, even though it hits a little close to home.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christella
- 05-22-17
Vicarious Relationship Counseling
Would you listen to Ep. 1: I've Had Better again? Why?
I would listen to this again simply because there are nuances to the problem-solving that Esther makes that you will only catch the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th, or the 5th time. There's always a chance to learn and grow in a relationship. Because there are different seasons to when a certain piece of advice pertains to you or someone else.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Ep. 1: I've Had Better?
I honestly enjoyed listening to Esther's commentary. Particularly on how she felt she gained the trust of the wife in order to better provide counsel that would be well received. It was a surprising turn, but her input on how the turn happened was very very interesting.
What insight do you think you’ll apply from Ep. 1: I've Had Better?
Definitely on how to better receive what is being given. How to be mindful of that. And also, to be aware of the changes in myself that I choose to make as a result of negative feedback. I don't always have to take in wrong feedback. I can choose to correct any situation through communication so that it doesn't have to get to a point of bitterness and anger due to a lack of communication.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 06-14-17
Horribly one-sided
An episode berating the woman for not being fully there for her husband. Really sad, she obviously was suffering deeply from the beginning and was alone. Double hit to her when her husband left to have an affair. The doctor did nothing to recognize the complete imbalance and rationalized the deepest violation of a marriage.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 05-24-17
Excellent
I learned a lot about myself and my marriage. The author takes you through the common that leads to the destruction of marriage.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful