From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,400 years of deep thinking from around the world.
Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.
Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. OK, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.
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How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
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How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
Review topics: ["title of the book","place","dilemmas","topics","book"].
Review highlights
Reviews
Funny & enlightening
"Funny, entertaining, and good, light coverage of the topic"
— Mike (4/5)
Philosophy really can be an everyday, approachable topic. Mike Schur proves it.
"Fantastic, funny, well-written, and authentically educational. Highly recommend it. My son and I are reading it and we’re often laughing out loud, as we learn about moral philosophy. If you liked the show The Good Place, you’ll love this."
— J. P. (5/5)
A must read!
"A great book by a talented author! A must read for fans of the show!"
— JB79 (5/5)
The title of the book is perfect itself-funny and intriguing.
"I picked up this book because I absolutely loved “The Good Place” TV series. Michael Schnur is hilarious and he has a really upbeat outlook. The book is thought-provoking, educational and extremely readable. I feel it is almost a reference book, as the reader needs some time to mull over the concepts before moving on to take in the ideas of the next chapter. The moral dilemmas are all really intriguing and applicable to daily life."
— Allenla (5/5)
Philosophy with a twist!
"Heard this author being interviewed on CBC and was curious to read the book. This is a fun overview of various philosophies and the practical application to real life situations. The examples are entertaining and the book provides a refreshing approach to what can sometimes seem so theoretical."
— Niche O. (4/5)
For the philosopher in all of us.
"As a fan of The Good Place, Brooklyn nine-nine, The Office (US), and Parks and Recreation; I was compelled to read what Schur had to say about being a good person. He basically takes all of the knowledge he accumulated for The Good Place and lays it out in an informative, funny, and thought provoking book. A really good and enjoyable read for someone wanting to dabble in philosophy but not be too serious about how you dab."
— Darlene (5/5)
easy going philosophy
"Here is a literary spin off from a television show called The Good Place. It is written by creator, Michael Schur, and contains the same elements of humour and wisdom. For someone like me who prefers the ideas of philosophy over religious dogma this book is a treat. No one can be perfect but thats no reason to stop trying eh?"
— Whnz (5/5)
Philosophy for nerds and funny too.
"Smart millennial who really explained to me why they are so anguished and confused and really funny and instructive about philosophy. Well worth it."
— Val H. (4/5)
How to be Perfect
"I still have not received this book. Very disappointing."
— Sharon (1/5)
Q&A
Published date: Apr 18, 2023
Language: English
No. of Pages: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781982159320
Dimensions:
5.5" W x
0.9" L x
8.375" H
“Schur distills what he has learned about ethics into How to Be Perfect, an enjoyable next step for anyone who watched the series and for anyone else who wants to learn about moral philosophy while avoiding the usual dry earnestness…The narrative voice is not that of a gentle professor but of a slightly manic bar-room joker who is actually funny and genuinely excited to share his passion with anyone who will listen...one of the most accessible entry points to philosophical ethics available—in short, a very good place to start.” —The Wall Street Journal
“[H]eartfelt and funny…a relatable and consistently amusing introduction to practical philosophy. Like The Good Place, this is a humorous and thought-provoking journey into some of life’s hardest questions.” —Kirkus (starred review)
“As someone who worries that a deep dive into morality will ruin my fun and problematic life, I was certain this book wouldn't be for me. Boy, was I wrong! It's so brilliant and funny and warmly written you don’t realize you’re becoming a better person just by reading it.” —Mindy Kaling
“Hilarious, thought-provoking, and ridiculously silly, How to be Perfect is a great read for anyone who loved The Good Place — or anyone who wants to be a good person. And as a bonus, once you've read the book, you become perfect.”—Jake Tapper
“When I was asked to write a blurb about Mike Schur’s book on ethics, I thought: no sweat, I’ll just skim a few chapters, make something up, and then lie about having read it. After reading a chapter or two, I realized I had missed the point of the book. So I read the whole thing, and I can honestly say it's brilliant. How to be Perfect takes the delightful, funny lessons of The Good Place, and applies them to everyday life.” —Ted Danson
“An enjoyably boisterous guide to the moral life. If you want to become morally better and don’t mind being entertained in the process, you’ve picked up the right book.”—Jeff McMahan, Philosophy Professor, Oxford
“How to be Perfect is a kind, thoughtful, incredibly funny reflection on what it is to be a good human being. As a human being myself, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am certain that other human beings will enjoy it as well.” —Steve Carell
“Have you ever wanted a friend to explain ethics so that you could understand the subject completely with minimal effort on your part? Well, meet your friend Mike Schur. This book will help guide you through the thorniest moral conundrums with clarity and hilarity, and it will greatly up your chances of ending up in…the Good Place.” —Kristen Bell
“[A] zippy guide to achieving moral perfection… His chatty, informal, and often irreverent style does well to balance the serious inquiries. This smart romp is sure to pique those who tend to wonder about the right way to be.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Read How to Be Perfect and laugh while you learn how to be a better person. And imagine what a great passive-aggressive gift this book would make! Hand it to someone and say ‘I saw this and thought of you.’ Then they say ‘Oh, did you read this?’ and you smile and say ‘I don’t need to.’” —Amy Poehler
Michael Schur is a television writer and producer who has worked on shows like The Office, Master of None, The Comeback, and Hacks, and created or cocreated Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer, and their two kids, William and Ivy.
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