When Paul Auster was asked to join NPRs Weekend All Things Considered program to tell stories, he turned the proposition on its head: he would let the stories come to him. He invited listeners to submit brief, truelife anecdotes about events that touched their lives.And so the National Story Project was born. just over a year old, its one of NPRs most popular features. The response has been so overwhelming, with more than 4,000 stories submitted so far, that Auster decided to cull the top works andmake them available in a book and now this audio tape. His selections hilarious blunders, wrenching coincidences, brushes with death, miraculous encounters, improbable ironies come from people of all ages and walks of life.This oneofakind collection is a testament to the power of storytelling that offers a glimpse into the American soul. By turns poignant, nostalgic, funny and strange, it is an audiobook to be treasured and shared for years to come.