All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me

Bringley grew up near Chicago but fell in love with the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art at age 11. When the untimely death of his beloved brother Tom prompted him to leave his promising but unfulfilling job at the New Yorker, he became a guard at the museum and stayed for a decade. During those 10 years, Bringley worked his way through the museum’s masterpieces, immersing himself in the art and the history surrounding him. His debut memoir focuses on art, his fellow guards (an incredibly diverse and interesting workforce), and the myriad of visitors he connected with along the way. Unfortunately, while Bringley is a beautiful writer, his narration skills are not as developed. Listeners will likely be moved by his occasionally passionate delivery but could be taken aback by his clipped and over-enunciated pronunciations. Even so, he ably reminds listeners of the wonders of art, history, and humanity.