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The Antidote
- Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking
- Narrated by: Oliver Burkeman
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
What if ‘positive thinking’ and relentless optimism aren’t the solution to the happiness dilemma, but part of the problem?
Oliver Burkeman turns decades of self-help advice on its head and paradoxically forces us to rethink our attitudes towards failure, uncertainty and death. It’s our constant efforts to avoid negative thinking that cause us to feel anxious, insecure and unhappy. What if happiness can be found embracing the things we spend our lives trying to escape? Wise, practical and funny, The Antidote is a thought-provoking, counter-intuitive and ultimately uplifting read, celebrating the power of negative thinking.
Critic Reviews
"Burkeman has written some of the most truthful and useful words on happiness to be published in recent years." (Guardian)
What listeners say about The Antidote
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 17-09-2022
Changed the way I see myself and the world
One of the very few books I can honestly say did this for me. It's not a thriller, but like a plant you nurture, if you invest the time into it (relisten where necessary) the rewards can be both great and rather beautiful.
The author narrates his own work and has a rather soothing voice. So if forced to pick a fault, it would be that this book oscillated between keeping me awake with fascination, and putting me to sleep with his relaxing and paradoxically life affirming tale.
Cannot recommend enough.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-05-2020
Stoicism, Buddhism and death
A well written and page turning adventure through discovering something better than the pursuit of happiness and positive thinking. Exactly what I needed to read, thanks Oliver, would recommend to all
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3 people found this helpful
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- Stacey Brown
- 04-01-2023
Thoroughly enjoyable
I enjoyed every minute of this book. As a recent philosophy student, and a recovering self-help positivity addict, this book helped me understand many of the concepts that have been on the fringe of my consciousness for a while. I find Burkeman’s style both engaging and soothing, and I’m left wanting to listen to The Antidote again and again so I can wipe away some of the happiness ideals that have left me feeling miserable about my life for so long.
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- Estefania Londono
- 10-06-2021
Amazing topics and well researched.
I struggled with the narrator's voice, very boring, at the end I seemed to not have a clear conclusion.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 27-12-2022
One of the best
This is an excellent book that both clearly and entertainingly walks through the key tenants of this approach. And this approach is … spot on!
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- Shay
- 12-10-2019
This book came highly recommend
This book came highly recommend and it certainly lived up to it! Very well written piece and very thought provoking.
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1 person found this helpful
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- IanA
- 20-07-2022
Concise and insightful
Good collection of an eclectic range of insights and studies on the topic of accepting and embracing reality over false hype and ra-ra nonesesnse and psuedo science. Well worth the time. Narration isn't awesome but not terrible either.
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- Mark White
- 01-03-2023
Pairs well with 4000 weeks
As someone who enjoyed 4000 weeks, the Antidote was a treat with a vaguely similar theme, and tons more interesting references and stories to help make the underlying points stick.
Particularly outstanding in this title is the theme of how goals and ruthless confidence in achieving them can be far more detrimental than creating poor outcomes... it can, as Oliver relates, go as far as being deadly.
If you like having your views on the world and your own existence stirred, then this book is for you.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-08-2023
Entertaining and well-reasoned
Oliver Burkeman writes compellingly and humorously about the human experience. An enjoyable and thought-provoking audiobook to listen to!
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- Anonymous User
- 06-12-2023
Awe inspiring
This book takes you on a journey through a unique perspective of happiness in life. It’s entertaining and and informative. I loved it!
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