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Is How To Be Perfect worth reading?Marie Dubuque

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How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question Kindle Edition

by Michael Schur (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

2,315 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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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 2,400 years of deep thinking from around the world.

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. OK, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.

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Editorial Reviews

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“Schur distills what he has learned about ethics into How to Be Perfect, an enjoyable next step for anyone who watched the series and for anyone else who wants to learn about moral philosophy while avoiding the usual dry earnestness…The narrative voice is not that of a gentle professor but of a slightly manic bar-room joker who is actually funny and genuinely excited to share his passion with anyone who will listen...one of the most accessible entry points to philosophical ethics available—in short, a very good place to start.” —The Wall Street Journal

“[H]eartfelt and funny…a relatable and consistently amusing introduction to practical philosophy. Like The Good Place, this is a humorous and thought-provoking journey into some of life’s hardest questions.” —Kirkus (starred review)

“As someone who worries that a deep dive into morality will ruin my fun and problematic life, I was certain this book wouldn't be for me. Boy, was I wrong! It's so brilliant and funny and warmly written you don’t realize you’re becoming a better person just by reading it.” —Mindy Kaling

“Hilarious, thought-provoking, and ridiculously silly, How to be Perfect is a great read for anyone who loved The Good Place — or anyone who wants to be a good person. And as a bonus, once you've read the book, you become perfect.”—Jake Tapper

“When I was asked to write a blurb about Mike Schur’s book on ethics, I thought: no sweat, I’ll just skim a few chapters, make something up, and then lie about having read it. After reading a chapter or two, I realized I had missed the point of the book. So I read the whole thing, and I can honestly say it's brilliant. How to be Perfect takes the delightful, funny lessons of The Good Place, and applies them to everyday life.” —Ted Danson

“An enjoyably boisterous guide to the moral life. If you want to become morally better and don’t mind being entertained in the process, you’ve picked up the right book.”—Jeff McMahan, Philosophy Professor, Oxford

“How to be Perfect is a kind, thoughtful, incredibly funny reflection on what it is to be a good human being. As a human being myself, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am certain that other human beings will enjoy it as well.” —Steve Carell

“Have you ever wanted a friend to explain ethics so that you could understand the subject completely with minimal effort on your part? Well, meet your friend Mike Schur. This book will help guide you through the thorniest moral conundrums with clarity and hilarity, and it will greatly up your chances of ending up in…the Good Place.” —Kristen Bell

“[A] zippy guide to achieving moral perfection… His chatty, informal, and often irreverent style does well to balance the serious inquiries. This smart romp is sure to pique those who tend to wonder about the right way to be.” —Publisher’s Weekly

“Read How to Be Perfect and laugh while you learn how to be a better person. And imagine what a great passive-aggressive gift this book would make! Hand it to someone and say ‘I saw this and thought of you.’ Then they say ‘Oh, did you read this?’ and you smile and say ‘I don’t need to.’” —Amy Poehler

About the Author

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.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098PGY72Q
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 25, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982159337
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #134,701 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #48 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality
- #60 in Celebrity & Popular Culture Humor (Kindle Store)
- #67 in Love, Sex & Marriage Humor

Customer Reviews:
2,315 ratings

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2,315 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and thought-provoking, with one review noting how it weaves comedy and philosophy together. Moreover, the book serves as a great summary of philosophy, helping readers understand complex concepts in a basic way. Additionally, they appreciate its easy readability and serious pacing. However, some customers find the book boring.

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Humor Ease of reading Readability Pacing Thought provoking Boredom

56 customers mention "Humor"50 positive6 negative

Customers find the book humorous, particularly enjoying the fun reading about various philosophies, with one customer noting that the footnotes are often amusing.

"...This book has been fantastic...." Read more

"...It’s a great introduction to moral philosophy. The author is very funny and that helped lighten some heavy philosophical topics in the book...." Read more

"...Michael Schur has an engaging, conversational tone, so the recording sounds more like a conversation than someone reading a book...." Read more

"Simple yet effective; humorous and quick...." Read more

16 customers mention "Ease of reading"13 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand.

"Simple yet effective; humorous and quick...." Read more

"...And it really does give you some easy to understand (but hard to follow in some cases...that's the nature of being better, it's hard) guidelines for..." Read more

"The largest virtue of this book is that it's written super clearly and easily given the complexity of the subject...." Read more

"...It's laid out decently. But what made it difficult for me was all the footnotes. SO MANY FOOTNOTES!!..." Read more

13 customers mention "Readability"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read, with one customer noting how it keeps readers engaged throughout.

"...of The Good Place (and a surprise guest, as it turns out) participated in the reading...." Read more

"Great read for any fan of The Good Place or philosophy." Read more

"...various disciplines of ethics, while making each understandable and relatable. Michael world class humor and point of view keeps the reader engaged...." Read more

"...Michael Schur, creator of The Good Place provides that. He writes compelling chapters that provide digestible philosophy that anyone can understand,..." Read more

7 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, finding it serious and well-structured.

"I liked, no, I loved The Good Place, and while I watched it the first time because of the story and actors, my many subsequent viewings were because..." Read more

"...to the world of moral philosophy -- light, funny, irreverent, but entirely serious. I’m glad I read it...." Read more

"...author's reading, and his ability to explain what he has read, is amazing. I footnotes are often amusing, but sometimes a little too inside...." Read more

"This book was an ideal place for me to revisit and reconnect with the challenges of the moral mindscape. Clever, witty, and well-researched...." Read more

5 customers mention "Thought provoking"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one describing it as very unique.

"...some of the writing which, while not super clever or truly witty, was cute and funny enough here and there, like a text from a buddy...." Read more

"...He is able to simplify and contextualize difficult concepts in a thoughtful, logical, and nonintimidating way...." Read more

"...Clever, witty, and well-researched. I kinda want to use it in my HS philosophy class. Cheers!" Read more

"This book is so funny but so thoughtful" Read more

4 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book boring.

"...Here, I think, the book falls short. But I honor and appreciate Michael Schur’s sincere effort. He cares deeply. He’s trying...." Read more

"...quickly shift from being funny to repetitive, annoying, boring and unimpressive, as they did in his show The Good Place soon after the first..." Read more

"...- I enjoy all of his TVs and interviews, but this book seemed slow and boring...." Read more

"This book was a big disappointment. It was boring and I didn't find it funny at all. I couldn't finish it. I actually want my money back!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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Gabe
A wonderful crash course into ethics and moral philosophy
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I liked, no, I loved The Good Place, and while I watched it the first time because of the story and actors, my many subsequent viewings were because I wanted to dive into the ethics more.

I never thought I’d be that guy, but here we are.

Turns out, the same is true for Michael Schur, and I’m so happy he wrote this book about his journey and how that translated into the show.

This book has been fantastic. It’s helped me put some names and descriptions on to gut feelings I already had, and it’s introduced me to concepts that I can use to continue my own personal growth.

Actually, that’s my review right there: I feel like a better, more well-rounded person after reading this.

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4 people found this helpful

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Mike KK
Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s a great introduction to moral philosophy. The author is very funny and that helped lighten some heavy philosophical topics in the book. I would certainly recommend it for anyone interested in learning about moral philosophy from the ground up.

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Kevin J. O'Conner
This is the Good Place
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2022
Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Good Place, I knew I was going to want to read this book.

Though I bought both print and audiobook (CD) versions, I chose to start with the audiobook, not least of all because the cast of The Good Place (and a surprise guest, as it turns out) participated in the reading. I listened to the whole thing (yes, all 9 hours) in basically one sitting, while I worked.

Michael Schur has an engaging, conversational tone, so the recording sounds more like a conversation than someone reading a book. Each chapter is introduced by Ted Danson, who you can't help but picture in his Good Place Michael suit. For the most part, it's easy to pick out the Good Place cast members where they appear, though I think there are a few parts where D'Arcy Carden was reading when I thought it was Kristen Bell (she apparently sounds much different when she's not in Janet mode).

If you're at all familiar with The Good Place, you'll recognize some of the subjects covered in this book, particularly the Trolley Problem, Kant, and the irrational hatred of Hawaiian pizza. The section on existentialism is great; not only does he nail Sartre, he also manages to refer to Camus as a "stone cold hottie". (You probably won't see that in any other philosophy books!)

Of particular note is the way footnotes are handled. Each shift from narrative to footnote is signalled by a tone; a slightly lower tone signals the return back to the text. I found that this actually added to the sense of the audiobook being more like a conversation, since conversations are frequently filled with asides, explanations, and the occasional smart-alecky remark.

Overall, it's probably helpful to think of this book—particularly in its audiobook format—as an extension of The Good Place. Schur started working on the book during the show's run, and it basically expands on many of the themes explored on the show. Like The Good Place, this book will get you thinking about Stuff, but not so that your eyes will glaze over or your head will explode—even when you get to the thorny bits.

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69 people found this helpful

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Cara
It's sooo Derek!
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Great read for any fan of The Good Place or philosophy.

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B. Yen
an excellent Beginner’s guide to morality; with laughs!
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Simple yet effective; humorous and quick. If you wanted to be guided through the basics of western moral philosophy while getting a few laughs in, I heartily recommend this book. Not a deep analysis of anything, but now I understand the difference between virtue ethics and deontology, why we (maybe!) should put shopping carts back, and Moral Exhaustion!

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2 people found this helpful

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David Ellis
That time Mose Schrute helped teach me to be a better person...
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2022
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
(That headline is a light-hearted dig because I know Mike Schur kinda hated playing Mose on The Office. In the spirit of the book: Mike, I apologize. :-) )

I heard about this book on the Office Ladies podcast when they interviewed Mike. They mentioned the title of the chapter about whether you really HAVE to return your shopping cart and I was sold--bought it the next day. I've always seen that as the lowest bar, minimum possible thing that humans can do to make the lives of other humans better--and I'm constantly shaking my head at the fact that so many people have such disregard for others that they don't return their damned carts! It's frustrating!

Anyway...this book does not disappoint. Think of it as a humorous Cliffs Notes distillation of the many philosophies of morality. It's a book that makes you laugh and makes you think. And it really does give you some easy to understand (but hard to follow in some cases...that's the nature of being better, it's hard) guidelines for the things one can do to be a better person. It's so worth the read.

Great stuff, Mike. I'm gonna go stream The Good Place now.

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14 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Luvela
Meh
Reviewed in Mexico on April 26, 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Meh

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Théodore
Wonderful !
Reviewed in France on February 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great book, highly recommend it !

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Vania L.
Libro ideal para filosofía ligera
Reviewed in Spain on May 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
El libro está súper genial y muy bien escrito. Quería leer cosas de filosofía luego de ver The Good Place, pero no quería nada pesado ni complicado de leer. Cuando vi que el creador de la serie tiene un libro de eso mismo, no me resistí. Está súper bien como explica diferentes corrientes filosóficas. Justo lo que quería y buscaba.

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Late night Reader
I'd read it again and again
Reviewed in Canada on July 13, 2024
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Who doesn't want to be perfect? I'd also certainly like to be able to answer every moral question with certainty and grace. As a fan of the show that inspired the book, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the information presented in the book. There is a lot to learn about philosophy and life and it is presented in a humourous, joy-filled way. I think it's a great read and I will probably end up reading it a few times for all of the well-researched philosophy to sink in.

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Green900
Loved it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
Thoroughly enjoyable book. To give you a bit of a background about myself, I'm not someone who's that much into philosophy but nonetheless, it has been a topic that I had been curious to explore. As a major fan of Micheal Shur's work from the office, good place and parks & rec I was very curious to give this book a try. Especially after watching the good place which explores a lot of interesting philosophy concepts, I was keen to understand Schur's outlook.

I can safely say that this book did not disappoint and was a delightful read. Books regarding philosophy can be a chore to read however Schur's narrative makes the novel very compelling and at no time did I ever feel like the book was ever too dense or dry. The structure of the novel flows very nicely from one chapter to another and the concepts are really built on nicely on top of one another. Coming from someone who has no context to any real philosophy as such, I found everything very easy to follow. On top of the content and the themes explored, Schur has great humor and his style just makes the book such an enjoyable read. One of the funniest side editions is how he uses footnotes in the book. Usually, footnotes are just for additional context which one tends to pass over but in this case, they're filled with such funny insights and comments that you can't help but read all of them. What's more is that he relates each concept very nicely with personal examples which helps add to the overall engagement when reading.

Overall excellent book. Of course if you're looking for a hardcore philosophy read then this is probably not the novel for you, but for most of you who are just looking for something light and have an interest in the subject matter - I cannot recommend this book enough. An extremely interesting book along with Schur's own personal insights and life experiences makes this a very worthwhile read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful crash course into ethics and moral philosophy

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!

4.0 out of 5 stars This is the Good Place

5.0 out of 5 stars It's sooo Derek!

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent Beginner’s guide to morality; with laughs!

5.0 out of 5 stars That time Mose Schrute helped teach me to be a better person...

Top reviews from other countries

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful !

5.0 out of 5 stars Libro ideal para filosofía ligera

5.0 out of 5 stars I'd read it again and again

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it

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A wonderful crash course into ethics and moral philosophy

Great book!

This is the Good Place

It's sooo Derek!

an excellent Beginner’s guide to morality; with laughs!

That time Mose Schrute helped teach me to be a better person...

Meh

Wonderful !

Libro ideal para filosofía ligera

I'd read it again and again

Loved it