How to Be Perfect
The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
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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. Okay, not quite. Instead, we'll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.
How to Be Perfect is narrated by Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D'Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May!
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 25, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797135250
- File size: 265806 KB
- Duration: 09:13:45
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Michael Schur and the cast of "The Good Place" once again collaborate, this time to ponder today's toughest moral questions using philosophical views from the East and West. Schur delivers hilarious sarcasm as he tackles ethics and explains how to balance morality and achieve virtue. Friendly and inviting sounding, he is able to take the difficult, oftentimes dry topic of philosophy and make it engaging and entertaining. Using a simple and steady pace, Schur's narration is coupled with signature voices from the show, including Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. The entire cast makes this production an intriguing and funny way to introduce or reintroduce oneself to philosophy and achieve goodness. D.Z. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine -
June 1, 2022
This book explains the philosophical underpinnings of The Good Place, a sitcom created by the author. With musical interludes and narration by the show's cast and Todd May, the show's philosophical adviser, this primer is a serious study of moral philosophy and ethics. The pop culture references are rewarding as well. Narration by this lofty group of performers makes it a lot of fun to listen to. While the content requires focus by the listener, it's an enjoyable way to study how to be a better person. VERDICT Those looking for a humorous jaunt may be disappointed by the heft of Schur's subject. For anyone looking to learn more about philosophy, this is an excellent place to start.--Christa Van Herreweghe
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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November 15, 2021
Schur, an Emmy Award–winning television producer and a writer for TV shows including The Office and Parks and Recreation, debuts with a zippy guide to achieving moral perfection. While writing for The Good Place, Schur pored over 2,500 years’ worth of philosophy to learn about human behavior and what it means to be good. Here, he lays out his findings, covering Aristotle’s notion of happiness as the ultimate goal, Kant’s deontology that considers happiness irrelevant, and the anguished existentialism of Sartre and Camus. Along the way, he presents questions and answers: “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (he advises against it), “Should I lie and tell my friend I like her ugly shirt?” (best to find a way to be honest but soften the blow), and how to separate the art from the artist (it’s possible to hold two things as true at once, that their art is good and they are “troubling”). Schur concludes that goodness comes down to what’s inscribed on the temple at Delphi: “Know thyself.” 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.
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