Philosophy

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read Year: 2007 Author: Pierre Bayard Length: 269 minutes / 4.48 hours The title of the book, How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read was intriguing to me because there’s a huge litany of creative works out there that I haven’t experienced yet, and I was curious how Pierre Bayard would address this challenge. Of course, the wit and humor that I’m sure was present in the French version doesn’t really come across in the translation, and the whole thing feels judgmental of those who can’t improv their way through a conversation about a classic piece of art. If anything, the premise that people would feel guilty about not having consumed some piece of popular culture or classic literature is probably more indicative of the high society or intellectual circles that would shame someone for this gap in their knowledge. I’d much rather be in a world that’s like the XKCD comic that’s about sharing these moments...

How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral QuestionYear: 2022Author: Michael SchurLength: 553 minutes / 9.21 hours The Good Place is one of the best television shows of the last decade. Its approach to morality and ethics may have been more "pop psychology" than anything else, but it presented these questions in a way that was relatable and legitimately funny. Of course, if you have seen this show, may I suggest also reading the companion book written by its creator, Michael Schur? How to Be Perfect is basically the behind-the-scenes notes on how the show obtained its morality subtext. I appreciate how this book uses humor to soften incredibly difficult concepts but still presents them in a way that's understandable to the average person. Of course, one of its flaws is that the topic of moral philosophy has been discussed in such depth for so long that there really isn't a satisfying "conclusion" at the end of it other than...

Tag: Philosophy

BOOK: How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read (2007)

BOOK: How to Be Perfect (2022)