benjfleck's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question: Or, a Book Everyone Should Read
I'm a HUGE fan of Michael Schur. I love his shows (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation). I want to write like him and with him. He has my dream career! Hey Mike, give me a call, plz.
Okay, enough begging, let me get to the point: this book is EVERYTHING. Every single thought, question, worry, or hypothetical debate I've had with myself (and others) is brought up here. I often worry about how to be a good person and how to leave the world a better place. It's HARD AF. It really is hard, especially when everything is trash and the world is literally burning and no one else seems to care. Well, Schur has thought the same things and he spells them out over the course of many parts and chapters. Each one carefully delves into issues we human beings face in the real world.
I couldn't put this book down and I finished feeling like I had a better understanding of myself and the world around me. Hard work is important. Luck counts for A LOT. Life generally sucks. All of these points are also discussed in his show, The Good Place, too. Everyone needs to watch. It's the best.
End of day... just be a good person. Be kind. Be nice. Be selfless. Don't be an asshole. It's not that hard. I wish more people cared. But letting go of control is important too.
EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK!
I'm a HUGE fan of Michael Schur. I love his shows (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation). I want to write like him and with him. He has my dream career! Hey Mike, give me a call, plz.
Okay, enough begging, let me get to the point: this book is EVERYTHING. Every single thought, question, worry, or hypothetical debate I've had with myself (and others) is brought up here. I often worry about how to be a good person and how to leave the world a better place. It's HARD AF. It really is hard, especially when everything is trash and the world is literally burning and no one else seems to care. Well, Schur has thought the same things and he spells them out over the course of many parts and chapters. Each one carefully delves into issues we human beings face in the real world.
I couldn't put this book down and I finished feeling like I had a better understanding of myself and the world around me. Hard work is important. Luck counts for A LOT. Life generally sucks. All of these points are also discussed in his show, The Good Place, too. Everyone needs to watch. It's the best.
End of day... just be a good person. Be kind. Be nice. Be selfless. Don't be an asshole. It's not that hard. I wish more people cared. But letting go of control is important too.
EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK!
hulttio's review
4.0
What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there something I could be doing that’s better? Why is it better?
Mike Schur is most famous for his work on several modern television sitcoms, of which I have seen The Office and The Good Place. The latter is what made me come to appreciate his philosophically-inclined attitude towards life, and I approached this book hoping to see more of that at play. This book is not exactly related to the show, though Schur does sprinkle in moments here and there for those who are familiar with it; so you can read this without having seen it. But I recommend watching it anyway, because it is one of those rare masterpieces of television which manages to be both entertaining and insightful… not to mention it doesn’t drag on for too many seasons like most American television. This book is a great accompaniment to the show and provides a decent philosophical introduction for both fans and non-fans alike; it promises not to be overly-expansive nor thorough, but it does manage to touch on a little bit of everything.
In this book, Schur takes the reader through a somewhat chronological but mostly thematic journey through various philosophical schools that are relevant to how he developed his own understanding. Thus, this is different from your standard history of philosophy or intro philosophy text because what Schur deems highlight-worthy may not necessarily reflect the standard; for instance, T. M. Scanlon is a figure which looms heavy in this book and in Schur’s reading of moral philosophy, but he never once came up in my undergraduate courses. I have read (some) of Mill, Kant, Nietzsche, and other western canon greats before, so it was largely a rehashing and review of material for me. But I also appreciated seeing Schur’s take on these age-old questions and ideas. I also did learn things, such as the philosophical analysis of the traditional idea of ‘ubuntu’, a South African concept which relates to how an individual is part of a community. Schur clearly isn’t satisfied with staying rooted in the western canon, and though he could have broadened his scope further, I do recognize his efforts.
Perhaps the biggest issue with this book is its anticipated audience—it is ostensibly preaching to the choir and assumes from the outset that you largely sympathize with Schur’s worldview and optimistic desire to be a ‘good’ person. Schur’s definition of ‘good’ includes things like being a humanitarian, being sensitive to the needs of others, holding generally positive opinions about marginalized peoples. These are apparently things that not everyone can agree on, and thus you see a lot of negative reviews of the book—particularly of its last third, where Schur really leans heavy on his politics and ideologies. If entertaining ideas different to your own and weighing what it means to be ‘good’ in a different ideology entails is a repugnant idea to you, then this book may not be suitable. On the other hand, if you hold (mostly American) liberal views and are sympathetic to the notion of humanity sticking together and prevailing over our individual selfishness in a desire to become better people, then you will find Schur’s arguments very palatable.
Though this book is not a dense philosophy text, it is eminently readable and engaging, and thus I appreciate that it may broaden someone’s philosophical inclinations who may otherwise have not dared to explore these questions and themes. Schur’s philosophical bent and attitudes are sympathetic to my own, and though we only sometimes see eye-to-eye, I enjoyed how his search for being a good human being is the central tenet of his worldview. I also enjoyed his simplified and jovial rehashing of major philosophical thought, especially the more modern ones such as the French existentialists, whom I may never get around to actually reading… he deserves credit for finally helping me understanding some of their main principles. At times, his writing can be a bit cringeworthy, with awkward humor that may feel dated in a few years, but Schur’s comedic genius ultimately blends well with philosophical musings in this amateur book of moral philosophy.
midnightcharcuterie's review
5.0
I hang with a bunch of dudes with Philosophy degrees (it's as exciting as it sounds) and often felt like I couldn't hang in discussions with them. This book was a great primer of foundational Philosophical thinkers, written in an engaging and entertaining way. Thanks to Michael Schur I can pop into the occasional conversation with understanding- or, at the very least, I can ask a question that sounds really smart to take the attention of me.
I also appreciated that Schur highlighted some non-male, non-white thinkers. Obviously Philosophy is entrenched in white male thought and you can't really get away from that if you're discussing the major schools of thought, but I thought it was great that he pulled in those examples when he could. I'll definitely be rereading this one.
I also appreciated that Schur highlighted some non-male, non-white thinkers. Obviously Philosophy is entrenched in white male thought and you can't really get away from that if you're discussing the major schools of thought, but I thought it was great that he pulled in those examples when he could. I'll definitely be rereading this one.
professoremdash's review
5.0
I LOVED this book (particularly the audiobook version). It’s a perfect blend of educational, entertaining, insightful, and thought-provoking. As someone who’s been wanting to learn about philosophy but gets confused when things get too theoretical too quickly, this book was a perfect introduction to moral philosophy. It used a great variety of examples to help illustrate the main schools of thought and often brought different schools back in different contexts to further those examples. The humor was dry and witty, and I really enjoyed it all.
For the audio aspect, the author was a delight to listen to (especially with the inventive system for reading footnotes, which is so great it should be used in any audiobook that has them). I loved the inclusion of the cast of The Good Place for certain moments as well.
Highly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about moral philosophy in a way that doesn’t feel like learning.
For the audio aspect, the author was a delight to listen to (especially with the inventive system for reading footnotes, which is so great it should be used in any audiobook that has them). I loved the inclusion of the cast of The Good Place for certain moments as well.
Highly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about moral philosophy in a way that doesn’t feel like learning.
nd2712's review
4.0
Did I ever think I'd read a book on philosophy? No.
Did I ever think said book would be written by the creator of Parks & Recreation / The Good Place / aka Moses the beet farmer on The Office? Also no.
Luckily - it's very, very good. Highly recommend the audiobook as the cast of 'The Good Place' do some of the voiceover work (mainly the most complicated bits) and really help you get to the bottom of deep philosophical questions like 'can I eat this chicken sandwich and still go to heaven' (I paraphrase).
Did I ever think said book would be written by the creator of Parks & Recreation / The Good Place / aka Moses the beet farmer on The Office? Also no.
Luckily - it's very, very good. Highly recommend the audiobook as the cast of 'The Good Place' do some of the voiceover work (mainly the most complicated bits) and really help you get to the bottom of deep philosophical questions like 'can I eat this chicken sandwich and still go to heaven' (I paraphrase).
zapheer's review
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Excellent introduction and analysis of several schools of moral philosophy and thinking. Goes on to use pertinent examples of how to apply these to actual life and be mindful of one's moral place in the world.