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  • How to Be Perfect

  • The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
  • By: Michael Schur
  • Narrated by: Michael Schur
  • Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (122 ratings)

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How to Be Perfect

By: Michael Schur
Narrated by: Michael Schur
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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)

©2022 Michael Schur (P)2022 Simon & Schuster Audio

What listeners say about How to Be Perfect

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  • Nic
  • 12-03-2022

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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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.

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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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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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A perfect introduction to moral philosophy

An incredibly approachable and entertaining introduction to moral philosophy. I cannot possibly recommend this book more readily.

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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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Incredible book

Mike Schur can do no wrong. This book was incredible. Made me actually think about things.

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Forking brilliant.

This book is an absolute winner. Schur presents a millennia of philosophy with balance, insight and humour. A genuinely captivating book that cuts through complexity and offers a very human perspective on ethics.

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Philosophy with Humour

Inspiring, comforting and entertaining, with excellent anecdotes from Mike Schur’s life and career.
Highly recommend!

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  • Rob
  • 28-01-2024

Entertaining and eduction narration.

Great introduction to ethics philosophy. Loved the Good Place cameos. Sometimes too many footnotes but in the audiobook they work.

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