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How to Be Perfect
- The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
- Narrated by: Michael Schur
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
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Buy for $24.00
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Publisher's Summary
From the writer and executive producer of the award-winning Netflix series The Good Place that made moral philosophy fun: a fool-proof guide to making the correct moral decision in every situation you ever encounter, anywhere on earth, forever.
How can we live a more ethical life?
This question has plagued people for thousands of years, but it's never been tougher to answer than it is now, thanks to challenges great and small that flood our day-to-day lives and threaten to overwhelm us with impossible decisions and complicated results with unintended consequences.
Plus, being anything close to an 'ethical person' requires daily thought and introspection and hard work; we have to think about how we can be good not, you know, once a month, but literally all the time.
To make it a little less overwhelming, this fascinating, accessible and funny book by one of our generation's best writers and adept minds in television comedy, Michael Schur, boils down the whole confusing morass with real life dilemmas (from 'should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?' to 'can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people?'), so that we know how to deal with ethical dilemmas. Much as Chidi used humour and philosophy to make Eleanor a less selfish person, Schur takes us on a journey through the 2,500-year discussion of ethics, sketching a road map for how we ought to act along the way.
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
With contributions from Professor Todd May of Clemson University, who served as an advisor on The Good Place, this is a brilliant, clever and hugely entertaining book about one of the most important topics in the world.
'The problem is, if all you care about in the world is the velvet rope, you will always be unhappy, no matter which side you're on.' (Tahani Al-Jamil, The Good Place)
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What listeners say about How to Be Perfect
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Glen Saunders
- 03-26-22
How philosophy should be written
Excellent, laugh out loud read which remains serious and true to its sources and forebears. Highly recommended.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Dave
- 03-31-22
Not good
I must say, in the author’s defence, the footnotes were hilarious*
*no they were not
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Brookmill
- 07-03-22
Everyone should read this
I constantly wonder whether I’m doing the right thing. Not in a productive way, more of an overthinking way. This book not only guides you through moral philosophy in a fun. light and memorable way, but it also enables you to forgive those little moments that wake you up in the middle of the night, like: ‘I didn’t offer so and so a second cup of tea!’ And remember that you are still a good person as long as you’re trying.
Everyone should read this book, and everyone should watch The Good Place
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-06-22
A fascinating beginners guide to moral philosophy
A great starting point for anyone vaguely interested in moral philosophy. Even if it’s just puzzling through some of the anecdotes, you will finish enriched in some way.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- calum kelly bain
- 03-14-22
More good place points
I absolutely loved this. As I've hit 30 and about to become a father for the first time, I've found myself looking at how I can be better for my son compared to what I look back on with my parents. I've read the stoics and looked at the works of the old schools of thought, this brings these thoughts and ideas bang up to date with some really helpful scenarios and great modern examples. Michael Schur is truly a great a writer and I bow to him and will revisit this book now and then. as long as it doesn't class as excess in what will be my moral exhaustion.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Erwin
- 03-10-22
Perfect combination between textbook entertainment
I love how entertaining the book is while it still does a good job in explaining some advanced moral philosophy topics.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- old man and the sea
- 02-20-22
Perfec T
The narration, and the occasional guest voices from that Good Place, are pitch perfect. And read with good humour. Even the footnotes. If you enjoyed the show, or even if you’ve never heard of the show but maybe wish you could be a better person, you should love this audiobook. Really. If you ever wondered why philosophy is important just give this a listen. Oh and absolutely, I’m with Michael on the Hawaiian pizza thing. Good call.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- James
- 02-09-22
As interesting and funny as you'd hope
A book on philosophy inspired by writing that show you liked.
Both quite niche and what I needed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Neil EJ
- 01-27-22
The pineapple on top a moral philosophical pizza
A great follow up extension from The Good Place.
Aware, open, and exploring in sufficient detail to provide listeners with several "hmm" moments that make you consider your place in this world. Despite the author's clear bias towards delicious pineapple on pizza, he doesn't belittle anyone who takes the small but important step to consider life from different viewpoints.
While other philosophical discussions can leave one with "moral exhaustion" (Schur, 2022), this one is interesting and light enough to navigate you through the various concepts, like a competent trolley driver who is fastidious about brake maintenance.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Aida
- 06-24-22
Food for Thoughts!
The book has been narrated perfectly. Michael Schur did a great job in narrating a philosophical book in a way that sometimes it's funny! and easy to listen to.
The book is eye opening and make you think twice about the choices you make.
I really liked it!
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-24-22
I need an apology…
A pity as the book did not deliver to this listener.
The use of a page when a sentence will do is annoying; as are analogies of varying worth and benefit to the thesis.
Footnotes are a constant interruption to listening and are both aggravating and unfunny.
Perhaps, the Reformation is ample evidence that philosophy should be for the theorists to argue and pontificate upon in the hallowed halls of academia; whilst they are supported by practical people getting on with the business of life, plying their trade and paying their taxes.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Nate
- 05-01-22
Not for me
Not for me... read of that what you will 🤷♂️
Big fan of Mike Schur's work but too much philosophy really turns me off. I'll still try to be a better human but I won't over think it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 04-30-22
Easy. Funny. Relatable.
So easy to kick back and listen to. Constantly laughing about references and side notes, and reminiscing stories everyone can relate to. 1000% first book anyone should read if they’re curious about philosophy. 1000% first book to recommend for anyone you’re trying to get interested in philosophy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- neko_cam
- 04-03-22
A perfect introduction to moral philosophy
An incredibly approachable and entertaining introduction to moral philosophical. I cannot possibly recommend this book more readily.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 03-29-22
The Good Book
A good book, by a good guy, who created The Good Place, to teach us how to be good people - loved it
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Nic
- 03-12-22
I'm now clearly perfect
Thanks to Michawl Schur, I am now an entirely perfect person on this planet.
Thank you Mr. Schur
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-05-22
Good concepts lost amongst average humour
There’s so much good content in here but the author often gets in the road trying to be funny. If you’re into American sit com gags then you’ll probably enjoy all of it. But if your sense of humour is a bit more subtle then this could be a tough listen.
It’s a shame because the theory and ideas are great but they get swamped with an overwritten script.
