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Inside Voice
A humorous, insightful, and personal deep dive into our most outward-facing, least-appreciated trait: our voice.
Raise your hand if you cringe at the sound of your own voice, worry that you actually do sound like your mother, or have spent a sleepless night wondering if your inner and outer voices are in sync.
Now, hands down, headphones on. Lake Bell is going to tell you why you’re not alone and why your voice matters in the most deeply personal ways.
Inside Voice unpacks the writer-director-producer-actor’s obsession with voice and all its permutations. It takes us on a journey to discover how this vital piece of our identity serves as an x-ray of our personal histories. Bell explored the power of voice in her critically-acclaimed and award-winning film, In a World, which she wrote, directed, and starred in. With this audiobook, she dives back into the rabbit hole to deliver a fun, whip-smart exploration of the psychology, social science, cultural constructs, and mechanics of our voices.
When you hear the iconic voices of Drew Barrymore, Susie Essman, Tracey Ullman, Jeff Goldblum, or Pam Grier (all contributors to the book), you know right away who they are. Interviews with these legends as well as poets, doctors, linguists, voice coaches and conversations with pedestrians on the street get to the heart of why the way we sound matters so much. Voice can be why you laugh at a certain joke or decide to trust someone or even fall in love.
Uniquely suited to audio, Inside Voice is symphonic; complete with interactive games and exercises, and an original score by Chris Bear (Grizzly Bear). You might want to buckle up. This listen is a ride.
Raise your hand if you cringe at the sound of your own voice, worry that you actually do sound like your mother, or have spent a sleepless night wondering if your inner and outer voices are in sync.
Now, hands down, headphones on. Lake Bell is going to tell you why you’re not alone and why your voice matters in the most deeply personal ways.
Inside Voice unpacks the writer-director-producer-actor’s obsession with voice and all its permutations. It takes us on a journey to discover how this vital piece of our identity serves as an x-ray of our personal histories. Bell explored the power of voice in her critically-acclaimed and award-winning film, In a World, which she wrote, directed, and starred in. With this audiobook, she dives back into the rabbit hole to deliver a fun, whip-smart exploration of the psychology, social science, cultural constructs, and mechanics of our voices.
When you hear the iconic voices of Drew Barrymore, Susie Essman, Tracey Ullman, Jeff Goldblum, or Pam Grier (all contributors to the book), you know right away who they are. Interviews with these legends as well as poets, doctors, linguists, voice coaches and conversations with pedestrians on the street get to the heart of why the way we sound matters so much. Voice can be why you laugh at a certain joke or decide to trust someone or even fall in love.
Uniquely suited to audio, Inside Voice is symphonic; complete with interactive games and exercises, and an original score by Chris Bear (Grizzly Bear). You might want to buckle up. This listen is a ride.
14 pages, Audiobook
Published November 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 5, 2022
“Why do so many of us loathe the sound of our own voices?” Lake Bell asks that question at the start of her clever new audiobook, “Inside Voice.”
Most actors are attentive to how they sound; Bell is obsessed. Partly, that’s a reflection of her success doing voice-overs on “BoJack Horseman,” “Harley Quinn” and other shows, but her interest runs deeper. For years she’s been collecting dialects “out in their natural habitat.” She once got expelled from the Bulgarian embassy for trying to make a secret recording.
Bell understands that how we sound is a complicated production involving accent, enunciation, pitch and more. “Our voice is our most outward facing trait,” she says. “It’s the muscle we unconsciously flex every hour of the day. It can cloak our truths, put off airs, provide a calling card or a ticket to a coveted community. But ultimately, the voice is imbued with cues and characteristics that we cannot hide.”
Using her own experience as a guide and her own sonorous voice as an example, Bell explores the physical, psychological and social elements that shape how we sound. Taking full advantage of the audiobook format, “Inside Voice” includes interviews with linguists, dialect coaches (remember “Fargo”?), writers and other famous actors whose voices you’ll recognize, such as Drew Barrymore, Tracey Ullman and Jeff Goldblum.
Bell is particularly illuminating about the way sexist attitudes affect how women speak, how they’re heard and how they’re judged. She does a deep dive on the creepy “sexy baby” voice that’s become so popular. And she examines how politicians’ voices affect our responses to them.
Who do we think sounds trustworthy, intelligent, sophisticated? Why is Morgan Freeman the voice of God instead of Oprah?
One particularly moving chapter with Pam Grier explores the devastating effects of sexual abuse on a young girl’s voice. There’s a fascinating interview with Samantha Leigh Allen about the voice implications of being transgender. And there’s lots of comedy along the way, too, with impressionists and cartoon voice actors.
I wondered, at first, if “Inside Voice” would feel relevant only to actors, podcasters and other professional talkers. But Bell’s scope is so eclectic and her approach so engaging that this tour of voiceland will catch the ear of anyone who’s interested in the way we etch meaning on the wind.
This review first appeared in The Washington Post's free weekly Book Club newsletter, which you can read here.
Most actors are attentive to how they sound; Bell is obsessed. Partly, that’s a reflection of her success doing voice-overs on “BoJack Horseman,” “Harley Quinn” and other shows, but her interest runs deeper. For years she’s been collecting dialects “out in their natural habitat.” She once got expelled from the Bulgarian embassy for trying to make a secret recording.
Bell understands that how we sound is a complicated production involving accent, enunciation, pitch and more. “Our voice is our most outward facing trait,” she says. “It’s the muscle we unconsciously flex every hour of the day. It can cloak our truths, put off airs, provide a calling card or a ticket to a coveted community. But ultimately, the voice is imbued with cues and characteristics that we cannot hide.”
Using her own experience as a guide and her own sonorous voice as an example, Bell explores the physical, psychological and social elements that shape how we sound. Taking full advantage of the audiobook format, “Inside Voice” includes interviews with linguists, dialect coaches (remember “Fargo”?), writers and other famous actors whose voices you’ll recognize, such as Drew Barrymore, Tracey Ullman and Jeff Goldblum.
Bell is particularly illuminating about the way sexist attitudes affect how women speak, how they’re heard and how they’re judged. She does a deep dive on the creepy “sexy baby” voice that’s become so popular. And she examines how politicians’ voices affect our responses to them.
Who do we think sounds trustworthy, intelligent, sophisticated? Why is Morgan Freeman the voice of God instead of Oprah?
One particularly moving chapter with Pam Grier explores the devastating effects of sexual abuse on a young girl’s voice. There’s a fascinating interview with Samantha Leigh Allen about the voice implications of being transgender. And there’s lots of comedy along the way, too, with impressionists and cartoon voice actors.
I wondered, at first, if “Inside Voice” would feel relevant only to actors, podcasters and other professional talkers. But Bell’s scope is so eclectic and her approach so engaging that this tour of voiceland will catch the ear of anyone who’s interested in the way we etch meaning on the wind.
This review first appeared in The Washington Post's free weekly Book Club newsletter, which you can read here.
November 27, 2022
This *book* should have been a podcast. It *reads* like a podcast and is episodic/thematic like a podcast. To encapsulate the main idea: Each individual has a unique voice worthy of respect, a voice the world needs to hear. To support this thesis the author explains various aspects of vocal training and interviews individuals with unique perspectives, such as linguists, and famous voices, such as Drew Barrymore. It’s an informative, fun exploration of topics, most important among these: language profiling and linguistic hierarchies. One section bothered me: an interview w/ a poet who characterized his speech therapy for a lisp as *violence.* He has a point about the marginalizing of voices among the LGBTQI+ community, but the idea training a child to control their tongue muscle and lips to control a lisp is violence is absurd.
October 12, 2023
“Voice is both story and back story. Voice is the entry point for narrative.”
4.5 - listened to this on Audible (I think that’s the only format for this one) and it was really interesting! It felt like I was listening to a podcast as she had many different guests throughout and I really enjoyed learning about the nuances of voice. Definitely worth the listen, Lake Bell is really great at what she does!
4.5 - listened to this on Audible (I think that’s the only format for this one) and it was really interesting! It felt like I was listening to a podcast as she had many different guests throughout and I really enjoyed learning about the nuances of voice. Definitely worth the listen, Lake Bell is really great at what she does!
November 27, 2023
Great audiobook, thought provoking, entertaining, and poignant. Lake Bell has a wonderful voice, a great book for driving!
May 8, 2023
This book was an interesting exploration of how the way we speak impacts our lives and relationships. I am a Speech/Language Pathologist and I expected it to be more about the actual voice and what can go wrong, etc. It was actually more focused on the way our environment and life experiences shape the way we speak. This book is available via audio format only. It is narrated by the author, Lake Bell who is quite entertaining and a good interviewer. She interviews many interesting people for the book and I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book!
December 1, 2022
4.5. This is only on audio, which makes sense. Inside Voice feels more like a great podcast; it may not be for every taste but I really loved it. The author covers subjects such as: what voices are trusted, what voices sound powerful, what stereotypes do we attach to different voices..: etc. It is literally about what sounds come out of our mouths and was so interesting to me!
November 14, 2022
I couldn’t devour this audiobook quickly enough, and now that I’ve finished, I wish I could savor it a little longer. I felt SEEN by @lakebell in the way she described her obsession with the human voice. If you’re a linguist, language nerd, or lover of the human voice, do yourself a favor and download this book. I’ve read a lot of wonderful books this year, audiobooks included, but this one is by far, my favorite. I guess you could say it’s… authoritative marzipan.
March 30, 2023
The second chapter, which talks about sexual assault was difficult to listen to. The rest of the audiobook was amazing. Since I work with language most of the academic information was known to me, but I loved listening to the various conversations. I did learn some new tidbits which was quite exciting. The guest speakers were all spectacular. I’m left with lots of thoughts to mull over. This audiobook made me look forward to my commute!
December 16, 2022
It felt like a really long podcast but that’s not a bad thing. There’s no way this would’ve worked as anything other than an audiobook honestly. But it was a fascinating “read” and has me rethinking everything about the way I use or don’t use my voice as a tool.
November 14, 2022
It’s really hard to describe this book and I didn’t even expect to like it, but Lake Bell does a great job catching my attention and keeping it. Bell has one question.
How does your use of language make your life better or worse?
What she does is actually make you think about how language and dialects can be used to discriminate.
Very interesting look at language with great poise and humor. I highly recommend the audiobook because you really need to hear the voices and examples. Lake Bell has created a very interesting book. I’m used to thinking of her as an actor, but now I see her as a linguist
How does your use of language make your life better or worse?
What she does is actually make you think about how language and dialects can be used to discriminate.
Very interesting look at language with great poise and humor. I highly recommend the audiobook because you really need to hear the voices and examples. Lake Bell has created a very interesting book. I’m used to thinking of her as an actor, but now I see her as a linguist
Read
January 12, 2023Essentially a podcast about voice. Some of the interviews were thought provoking. Others not so much. Found myself thinking about my voice in new ways. Overall it's worth a listen.
December 5, 2022
CW: There is graphic discussion of CSA. She said a warning beforehand but I still wasn't prepared.
This was a podcast, and a very slick one at that. There are some very interesting things in there, but I could have done without the "person on the street" commentary. It was infotainment: interviews with celebrities (and Malcolm Gladwell?!), and ENT to the stars, a Hollywood dialect coach, et al. Sorry to be harsh, but it wasn't what I was expecting and I would have DNF'd if it didn't count towards my goodreads challenge. haha.
This was a podcast, and a very slick one at that. There are some very interesting things in there, but I could have done without the "person on the street" commentary. It was infotainment: interviews with celebrities (and Malcolm Gladwell?!), and ENT to the stars, a Hollywood dialect coach, et al. Sorry to be harsh, but it wasn't what I was expecting and I would have DNF'd if it didn't count towards my goodreads challenge. haha.
November 8, 2022
Voice acting is beginning to become a lost art as more and more roles are being given to big Hollywood names instead of professional voice artists. This was an awesome exploration into the science and art of the voice. Love these Pushkin audiobooks.
February 9, 2023
This book was an enjoyable look at voices...how they are perceived based on mainly sex and dialect, but also other factors. The author narrated it and she did a great job. She interviewed many guests, including Malcolm Gladwell.
December 1, 2022
I listened to this as an Audiobook and I don't know how it could be read or if it is even available as a book. Ms. Bell discusses her own personal fascination with voice, how it shapes are personalities and how it shapes how other people see us. Ms. Bell refers a lot to the movie she wrote and starred in called In a World (I highly recommend the movie) and I did not realize how much of that movie was autobiographical.
I am a big fan of Ms. Bell's movie career and she comes shining through in this book. She also interviews many famous people and not-so-famous people about voice and how it helps construct our social realities. Ms. Bell does it with humor, sensitivity and passion. The book is even more interesting because of how Ms. Bell weaves her own biography into the work.
I do have one criticism. Ms. Bell contends that our voice both helps construct our own identity and expresses to the world a lot about who we are. I don't disagree. However, Ms. Bell also suggest that we should not make judgments about people based on the social cues they send with their voice. While the spirit is noble, I just don't think its human. We make all kinds of judgments about people based on many social cues: some fair, some unjust and some downright evil. Nevertheless, we cannot stop making these judgments as long as culture and society have meaning. Particularly contradictory, Ms. Bell notes how voice can be a conscious affectation to convey social meaning, but simultaneously should not be used by the listener to make judgments. Seems paradoxical to me.
I am a big fan of Ms. Bell's movie career and she comes shining through in this book. She also interviews many famous people and not-so-famous people about voice and how it helps construct our social realities. Ms. Bell does it with humor, sensitivity and passion. The book is even more interesting because of how Ms. Bell weaves her own biography into the work.
I do have one criticism. Ms. Bell contends that our voice both helps construct our own identity and expresses to the world a lot about who we are. I don't disagree. However, Ms. Bell also suggest that we should not make judgments about people based on the social cues they send with their voice. While the spirit is noble, I just don't think its human. We make all kinds of judgments about people based on many social cues: some fair, some unjust and some downright evil. Nevertheless, we cannot stop making these judgments as long as culture and society have meaning. Particularly contradictory, Ms. Bell notes how voice can be a conscious affectation to convey social meaning, but simultaneously should not be used by the listener to make judgments. Seems paradoxical to me.
January 12, 2023
Interesting book, and I did love some of the appearances in this, but I felt like the thesis/premise of it was just a little too unchallenging. I liked hearing about the different ways people exercise and craft their voices, and biases based on voices was definitely an interesting idea to explore, but at the end all I felt like I learned was “vocal biases exist and your voice is shaped by a lot of social factors”, which seems a little obvious. Had this book gotten more into theories of vocalization and how we can stop creating vocal biases within ourselves and how the future might look, that would have been more compelling to me. Like a whole chapter was just on “would you trust this sweet little girl’s voice over a rich southern gentleman’s voice”? Obviously yes. It’s a fun topic to explore… but what of it? Where are you getting at with this? I’m being critical, but that’s partially because this book has gotten such high reviews, and I feel like it’s not totally deserved. You can’t just shove celebrity voices over a mediocre premise and expect me to love it. Again though, I didn’t hate it, it was actually enjoyable to listen to; I just don’t think I gained much insight from listening to it.
March 26, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. In it, author Lake Bell explores why we hate the sound of our own voices, the way our voices affect perceptions of us, and her own journey to becoming a "star" voice actor. After reading this, I'm more tuned in to the way people talk and the conclusions I draw from the way they talk. I've always been fascinated with accents and impressions, and I confess that as a kid I practiced doing accents and imitating singers and actors. So, this book is about a topic I was already interested in, and I think Bell struck a great balance between playfulness and thoughtfulness. For instance, she played a game with a group of people, asking them to rate how trustworthy various people were, based only on their voices. It was enlightening to hear the responses and the reasons people gave. I was touched by a story told by someone who had forsaken their original accent for the sake of being taken more seriously--the psychological impact of it, and her regrets about it. And Bell's breakdown of the mechanics of "sexy baby voice" was informative, along with the discussion of why it's become popular. The book was both informative and fun, full of interviews with voice coaches, people famous for their voices, and other experts. I recommend it!
January 6, 2023
Several reviews mention that this book “should have been a podcast”. I’m glad it wasn’t, because I never would have stumbled upon it if it had been. (Shout out to Ron Charles, whose Book Chat e-newsletter is where I stumbled.)
This was a fun exploration of dialects, accents, impressions, and pretty much anything else you could name connected with one’s voice. Did I agree with everything said in it? No. Was it entertaining and worthwhile nonetheless? Yes.
I particularly enjoyed the discussion on animation voice-overs, and the mentions of Mel Blanc, June Foray, and Rob Paulsen. Any audiobook that lets me hear the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, and Foghorn Leghorn has earned 4 stars right there. Throw in a chat with Tracy Ullman, and I’m a completely satisfied customer.
This was a fun exploration of dialects, accents, impressions, and pretty much anything else you could name connected with one’s voice. Did I agree with everything said in it? No. Was it entertaining and worthwhile nonetheless? Yes.
I particularly enjoyed the discussion on animation voice-overs, and the mentions of Mel Blanc, June Foray, and Rob Paulsen. Any audiobook that lets me hear the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, and Foghorn Leghorn has earned 4 stars right there. Throw in a chat with Tracy Ullman, and I’m a completely satisfied customer.
March 6, 2023
I loved listening to this audiobook and was excited to think about voices differently than I ever have. I was getting ready to recommend it to others who I think might enjoy it. Towards the end of the book, a poem was recited with heavy use of the /s/ phoneme and I thought, this is going to be a story about how much speech therapy helped this man learn to produce /s/ and that he was grateful for his speech-language pathologist. Unfortunately, the author of the poem said the exact opposite. He was a gay man who felt that his identity was stolen from him by his SLP who corrected his lisp and took away part of his gay identity. By the way, he still sounded gay! I was so angry by this part of the book and almost didn't finish it. If it wasn't for that ridiculous opinion, which Lake Bell seemed to agree with, I would have added a star.
February 21, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this and may just turn around and listen to it again! Many years ago I studied linguistics in college but haven't revisited the topic much in the years since.
This was a wonderful and accessible way to revisit some of those academic concepts from my student days. Plus Lake has included a more modern take on some of the areas of sociolinguistics that weren't discussed much 20 years ago, particularly the chapters on speech in the LGBTQ community.
All the guest contributors were a wonderful addition, and I love that it was a mix of academics, voice coaches, and performers.
In addition to excellent content, it was a delight to *listen* to. Lake Bell's voice is so warm and soothing, I could just listen to her all day.
This was a wonderful and accessible way to revisit some of those academic concepts from my student days. Plus Lake has included a more modern take on some of the areas of sociolinguistics that weren't discussed much 20 years ago, particularly the chapters on speech in the LGBTQ community.
All the guest contributors were a wonderful addition, and I love that it was a mix of academics, voice coaches, and performers.
In addition to excellent content, it was a delight to *listen* to. Lake Bell's voice is so warm and soothing, I could just listen to her all day.
December 5, 2022
Super fun and interesting journey through the human voice. It covers a touch of physiology, a bit of personal history, and plenty of cultural context.
I found the larger cultural stuff most interesting. Especially the Tracey Ullman section, so good!
I suspect that folks who are into this might also dig How You Say It (which has the benefit of not being audio -only, where Inside Voice really wouldn't work as text). How You Say It has a great dive into the idea of "accent attitudes" which I think ties nicely into some of the themes in this book.
I found the larger cultural stuff most interesting. Especially the Tracey Ullman section, so good!
I suspect that folks who are into this might also dig How You Say It (which has the benefit of not being audio -only, where Inside Voice really wouldn't work as text). How You Say It has a great dive into the idea of "accent attitudes" which I think ties nicely into some of the themes in this book.
March 24, 2023
Closer to a 4.5 for me, really enjoyed this book, and the fact that it's literally made for audio made listening to it even more enjoyable. Got me thinking about how people use their voices and how voice is an area where power dynamics exist in ways I hadn't considered. My only small complaint was I was expecting and wanted a little more discussion and examples about how people use their voice in everyday situations, like breaking down conversations etc. But on the other hand there were plenty of fascinating topics that I hadn't expected, like immigrant accents, "sounding black" or "sounding gay".
November 24, 2022
A delightful non-fiction book that beautifully expresses how important our voice is in defining who we are. It is an instrument we unknowingly use to fit a situation.
As a grandmother, I used a different tone than I did as a presenter to Corporate Executives. When visiting the South, I can easily slip into my Southern Belle accent.
This Audible book is delightful because Lake is a master of many voices and she also interviews others in the field of voice acting.
It is a short listen… well worth my time.
As a grandmother, I used a different tone than I did as a presenter to Corporate Executives. When visiting the South, I can easily slip into my Southern Belle accent.
This Audible book is delightful because Lake is a master of many voices and she also interviews others in the field of voice acting.
It is a short listen… well worth my time.
December 9, 2022
What a fun, insightful book about our voices…the linguistics into how voices connect to many different social aspects of the world: profiling, politics, gender, socioeconomics, spirituality, strength, and much more!
This book is strictly an audiobook, and even though I thought it would have been better as a 6-8 episode podcast, I loved listening to a book that was purely created to be listened to. Also, who doesn’t love Lake Bell?! My favorite chapters were the ones about “Sexy Baby Voice” and “Finding the Voice of God.”
This book is strictly an audiobook, and even though I thought it would have been better as a 6-8 episode podcast, I loved listening to a book that was purely created to be listened to. Also, who doesn’t love Lake Bell?! My favorite chapters were the ones about “Sexy Baby Voice” and “Finding the Voice of God.”
December 12, 2022
I loved it. It was an interesting investigation into something that is an ever present part of our daily lives but which we don’t often evaluate in depth. The pacing was excellent and the guest voices added interesting perspective and information. Lake Bell did a great job of being both story teller and interviewer. And of course, her voice was a delight to listen to. I would def recommend this to anyone who wants to spend some time investigating their own perceptions of others voices and also who has ever thought to themselves “omg I hate the way my voice sounds”
April 10, 2023
This a Pushkin audiobook that I listened to via Audible over a three week period. It is narrated by the author (Lake Bell - worth looking at her Wikipedia page) but employs several other speakers throughout the book. Overall, the author makes some interesting but not compelling points. She does an effective job of bringing experts to bear to discuss the topics that she has chosen, which heavily toward liberal causes. Perhaps the best episode involves a women who rues her decision to lose her southern accent in order to be taken more seriously.
May 3, 2023
“Inside Voices: My Obsession with How We Sound” is a book by Lake Bell that explores the writer-director-producer-actor’s obsession with voice and all its permutations. It takes us on a journey to discover how this vital piece of our identity serves as an x-ray of our personal histories. Bell explored the power of voice in her critically-acclaimed and award-winning film, “In a World,” which she wrote, directed, and starred in.
As one review says, “Inside Voice” is "a humorous, insightful, and personal deep dive into our most outward-facing, least-appreciated trait—our voice."
As one review says, “Inside Voice” is "a humorous, insightful, and personal deep dive into our most outward-facing, least-appreciated trait—our voice."
December 9, 2022
What a topic. So interesting. I've always been interested in not only my voice but others voices. Why are some deeper and others higher pitched? What does this mean in how you perceive this person? She talks about all these things and more! I just really enjoyed this! (I always thought I was a weirdo for this, but I'm obviously not alone! ha)
Also was a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell, but now I am in love with Lake Bell.
Also was a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell, but now I am in love with Lake Bell.
January 7, 2024
Finished this after starting it over a year ago. I paused it December 2022, and never went back. I decided to try it again, I went back to the beginning and I am so glad I did!
What a great listen, really felt like a documentary without the visuals and taught me so much.
I have a harsh romance with my voice and the way I speak, I don’t know that I’ll ever love it, I do know it will probably never change. I will spend my life hoping my tone and volume aren’t widely misinterpreted.
What a great listen, really felt like a documentary without the visuals and taught me so much.
I have a harsh romance with my voice and the way I speak, I don’t know that I’ll ever love it, I do know it will probably never change. I will spend my life hoping my tone and volume aren’t widely misinterpreted.
December 9, 2022
Okay. So. This came recommended by Jeff from the Book Riot podcast. And, like, knocked it out the damn park. This audio experience is incredibly interesting and highly entertaining.
In chapter 4, Lake Bell teaches Malcolm Gladwell how to vocal fry. And it's just as beautiful as you'd think it should be.
In chapter 4, Lake Bell teaches Malcolm Gladwell how to vocal fry. And it's just as beautiful as you'd think it should be.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews