Reviews

Statusangst by Alain de Botton

ashklaass's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

jedwards97's review against another edition

5.0

Illuminating read on anxieties we may possess without ever truly knowing and the ways to alleviate some of these feelings. With philosophical thought from Socrates to Rousseau I loved every page of this.

slop_queen's review against another edition

challenging informative lighthearted reflective

4.0

fgr's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

jcampbell's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

3.0

Some of the introduction is very interesting and worth reading however the second section and the vast majority of the book felt over explored and therefore came across as whishy washy. the 2nd portion felt like someone trying to meet a word count for an idea they hadn't finished think about. 

mmardybum's review against another edition

surprisingly, even though this isnt my usual cup of tea

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given that im a beer person

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and even though it wasnt at all what i thought it would be, because i am, after all, famous in three countries for my aversion to reading the synopsis

, i found this book to be quite readable, and dare i say, enjoyable even

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especially when i committed to the audio. changed my life

.

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im not a podcast person, but the structure of this book is what i imagine a podcast might sound like -- the chapters are short, to the point, and in tiny, bite-size portions.

unsurprisingly, the chapter about art was my favourite one. i also found the death part in religion to be quite to my taste.

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now i know why self-help doesnt work on me. i am, it appears, a philosophy kinda girl. talk to me about the inevitable end of all things and how nothing really matters, and youve got my full attention.

anyway. quite the adventure, this status anxiety is. not exactly what i expected, but interesting nonetheless. i am curious as to what mr botton has to say about love and its course.

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ill surely dive into that one next time im feeling adventurous.

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but as they say, curiosity killed the cat.

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panicked longing for signs of love might be my new favourite phrase.

and also

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cynics are, in the end, only idealists with awkwardly high standards.

hagbard_celine's review against another edition

4.0

Ya know what you're getting with one of his book. It delivers to goods. Waffly finish though.

maxstone98's review against another edition

3.0

First section, on definition of and causes of status anxiety, was quite interesting and was worth 4 stars. The second section (65% of the book) and the alternatives or antidotes (philosophy, art, religion, politics, and Bohemia) was less so. Would have been a great 30 page essay.

Also felt a little foreign, but I think that is part of the point, how ingrained and natural the present system feels, even though quite different systems and values have been dominant in other times and places.

emmadmazhari's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

_bookmoth's review against another edition

4.0

Don’t have high expectations of Alain de Botton’s Status Anxiety, it is not a self-help book, it doesn’t deliver extraordinary new insights and it doesn’t leave you with a satisfied answer to the question how to deal with the everyday anxiety of our status in society. However, walking on well-trodden paths, Status Anxiety offers a brief summary of what we actually already know and puts it into order and perspective. It is a humble attempt to place a footnote on contemporary success, how we are deceived by our own society. Where Alain de Botton could have focused more is the role of advertisements in modern society and the need of anxiety in society to keep consumer’s buying their fears away.

[review continued on my blog: http://gladeofblades.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/493/]