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Sign up todayHow to Be Perfect
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“A funny book about ethics and morality? Yep! I love it.”
— Mike • A Great Good Place for Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Accessible, funny, and fascinating, much like the author's famed television show, The Good Place. This is a great primer on moral philosophy, targeted at the layperson. A quick read that will have you chuckling at times and grappling with the great questions of right and wrong at others. Highly recommended, even more so as an audio book since you get cameos by the cast of The Good Place sprinkled throughout!”
— Murray • Trail's End Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“Curiosity to Hilarity to Thoughtfulness and all around. Michael Schur's How to Be Perfect as read by himself was fascinating and laugh inducing. I appreciate his due diligence to be real in creating the absurd world of a tv show. The 'notes' Michael offers are like sprinkles on ice cream, thoughts made even more memorable with humor. And some 'hard' interpretative info on philosophers including Aristotle, Neitzche, Wittgenstein, T.M. Scanlon, Kant and others. Brilliant for me! Oh, and the author's voice is just fine as reader.”
— Kathleen • Roundabout Books
Bookseller recommendation
“This is the kind of book that has you taking notes and trying to find ways to recall all the concepts when you'll certainly need them in the future. Invitingly straightforward and charmingly relatable, Schur navigates big ethics questions and players. He delivers hilarious conversational sidebars about how to pronounce words that had me in stitches. A wonderful 'how to lead a moral life 101' guide, he answers questions with insightful humor, wit and delightful engagement that prompts judgment-free introspection. For anyone interested in philosophy and contemplating how they fit in the world while connecting to other folks.”
— Keithe • The Snail on the Wall
Bookseller recommendation
“Tempting title, right? If you’re like me and you loved the series The Good Place and want to deep dive into moral philosophy except the actual texts are incredibly difficult to go through and you don’t care that much about trying to read such boring texts, then this is the perfect book for you! It’s informative, accessible and relatable. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Michael Schur and the cast of The Good Place!”
— Sofia • Phoenix Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Who doesn’t need a little guidance on this topic, right? Michael Schur discusses what can be a weighty topic (that is often presented somewhat dryly) with wit and humor. I have to say, I prefer the audio version of this book. The tone and style are so engaging, and that aforementioned humor is highlighted in a way that I sometimes missed reading in my own voice. And, my 12- and 16-year-olds gathered around to listen as well. A true endorsement.”
— Tina • Powell's Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Michael Schur (The Office, The Good Place) narrates his funny and heartfelt book of casual philosophy. And the cast of The Good Place helps out! ”
— Molly • Maria's Bookshop
From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world. Read by the author, this one-of-a-kind audio production features guest appearances by members of the cast of The Good Place.
Most people think of themselves as “good", but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more, so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.
Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. 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.
How to Be Perfect is narrated by Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May!
Michael Schur is a television writer and producer who has worked on shows like The Office, Master of None, The Comeback, and Hacks, and created or cocreated Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer, and their two kids, William and Ivy.
Michael Schur is a television writer and producer who has worked on shows like The Office, Master of None, The Comeback, and Hacks, and created or cocreated Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer, and their two kids, William and Ivy.