A review by bootman
Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. I think how the roles of the social hierarchy play into our lives each day is really interesting, and when we recognize it, it helps us view the world in a different way. I’ve only read one other book by Alain De Botton, and I loved it, so when I saw he had one on this subject, I had to check it out. This is a great book that helps us put our social status into perspective while it also covers social issues such as the long history of capitalism and wealth equality. The author discusses how we started equating wealth and poverty with morality, and why many of us are so anxious about our social status and experiences that may affect our status. I also really enjoyed the parts when he discussed the myth of meritocracy and how the privileged often neglect the role that luck played in their lives. Although I don’t believe the author referenced Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance thought experiment, the book helps us remember the importance of it.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t think I was going to like the book because in my opinion, the first few chapters seemed like Alain De Botton was trying to be way too profoundly philosophical, and it was hard to keep up with. He does it again towards the conclusion, but if you can get passed that, this is a fantastic book on social status and social hierarchies.