Born to Be Mild cover art

Born to Be Mild

Adventures for the Anxious

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 31 July, 2025 23:59 BST.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Born to Be Mild

By: Rob Temple
Narrated by: Mathew Baynton
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July, 2025 23:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A handful of years ago I moved with my wife to a house on a quiet street in a quiet town and lay quietly in a room for a long time.

I used to love an adventure and I had jobs on magazines (remember magazines?) which provided the opportunity for plenty of them, but when I hit my 30s I started to become increasingly afraid of the world, until I was too frightened to even go outside at all....it was just me, my phone and my social media feeds. Doesn't sound too healthy, does it? It wasn't.

Rob Temple runs a social-media empire from the comfort of his sofa. Living the dream! But what happens when a lack of colleagues, bosses and alarm clocks means that your sofa and the four walls of your very quiet living room become your whole world?

In this hilarious and life-affirming memoir, Rob explores what it will take for him to become a little less Bear (Pooh) and a little bit more Bear (Grylls) and how mild-mannered, anxious rule-followers can get their own share of (gentle) adventure from time to time.

©2020 Rob Temple (P)2020 Hachette Audio UK Anxiety Disorders Mental Health Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Health Funny Witty Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Annie Stanley, All at Sea cover art
Red Dwarf cover art
Fight! cover art
That Mitchell and Webb Sound: The Complete Series 1-5 cover art
A Class Act cover art
Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans cover art
Pardon My French cover art
The Art of Failing cover art
The Asparagus Bunch cover art
The Therapy Crouch cover art
Too Much cover art
Went to London, Took the Dog cover art
The Satsuma Complex cover art
The Marmalade Diaries cover art
Grumpy Old Women: The Official Handbook cover art
Free Country cover art

Critic reviews

"Temple is a humourist in the classic British mode...he has a genuine comic gift." (Daily Mail)

"A refreshingly unpolished memoir that reads like somebody talking to you with an unfiltered voice."(Sunday Express, S Magazine)

"If you're looking for an inspiring read to ease yourself back into normality after lockdown, Born to be Mild should be top of your reading list." (Mail Online)
All stars
Most relevant  
I love this. Made me laugh out loud many times.
An endearing and funny book.

So relatable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Easy to listen and relate to! Good narration and nicely split into tidy chapters. No less than I would expect from VBPs!! :-)

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Love this book! Funny, true, and very British! Well read, and a very enjoyable listen.

Brilliant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Funny, honest and so relatable for those of us not born for the fast lane.

So relatable and laugh out loud funny

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Just brilliant. A refreshing book, full of relatable mild adventures. Humourously written and beautifully narrated. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you for writing it.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I admittedly downloaded this for the 'ear candy' provided by the lovely Mat Baynton (I won't be alone in this). I wouldn't describe myself as anxious but could relate to the cringing moments of social awkwardness, perpetual procrastination and chronic introspection that Rob Temple describes with just enough humour to keep them enjoyable and not banal. Not a laugh out loud book for me but a very human journey which, refreshingly, begins and ends in pretty much the same place. This has been a steady companion to me as I work from home. No harrowing drama and a pleasing number of references to familiar East of England (mildest of regions) locations. I disembark from this book (yes at the end) feeling pleasantly entertained and also wondering how Rob is getting on with lockdown. Note to self: I must open a Twitter account.

Strap in for a mild ride

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Gently comforting, reassuring, amusing, insightful and surprisingly familiar. The perfect way to escape from the causes of stress and anxiety that seem to dominate the modern 'bucket list' world of perpetual achievement.

A sausage sandwich of a book..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a great easy listening book. I think most people could relate to Rob’s experiences and anecdotes. Highly recommended to lower the blood pressure whilst driving or walking the dog.

A good cup of tea for the ears and soul

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
So beautifully written, very relatable and funny. Have already recommended to many friends. Also a perfect choice of narrator.

Lovely writing, witty and full of heart

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration was perfection and it had me laughing out loud in public! Just brilliant!

Loved it!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews