Everything Is F*cked: A Book about Hope

by Mark Manson

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the author of the international mega-bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck comes a counterintuitive guide to the problems of hope.

We live in an interesting time. Materially, everything is the best it’s ever been—we are freer, healthier and wealthier than any people in human history. Yet, somehow everything seems to be irreparably and horribly f*cked—the planet is warming, governments are failing, economies are collapsing, and everyone is perpetually offended on Twitter. At this moment in history, when we have access to technology, education and communication our ancestors couldn’t even dream of, so many of us come back to an overriding feeling of hopelessness.

What’s going on? If anyone can put a name to our current malaise and help fix it, it’s Mark Manson. In 2016, Manson published The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, a book that brilliantly gave shape to the ever-present, low-level hum of anxiety that permeates modern living. He showed us that technology had made it too easy to care about the wrong things, that our culture had convinced us that the world owed us something when it didn’t—and worst of all, that our modern and maddening urge to always find happiness only served to make us unhappier. Instead, the “subtle art” of that title turned out to be a bold challenge: to choose your struggle; to narrow and focus and find the pain you want to sustain. The result was a book that became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies worldwide while becoming the #1 bestseller in 13 different countries.

Now, in Everthing Is F*cked, Manson turns his gaze from the inevitable flaws within each individual self to the endless calamities taking place in the world around us. Drawing from the pool of psychological research on these topics, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Tom Waits, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another. He looks at our relationships with money, entertainment and the internet, and how too much of a good thing can psychologically eat us alive. He openly defies our definitions of faith, happiness, freedom—and even of hope itself.

With his usual mix of erudition and where-the-f*ck-did-that-come-from humor, Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven’t considered before. It’s another counterintuitive romp through the pain in our hearts and the stress of our soul. One of the great modern writers has produced another book that will set the agenda for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062956569
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/24/2020
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	15,034
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 5.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Mark Manson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (more than ten million copies sold worldwide) and a star blogger. Manson sold more than 250,000 copies of his self-published book, Models: Attract Women Through Honesty. Before long, his off-the-cuff voice was resonating with a much broader audience via his brilliantly counterintuitive essays on happiness. With titles like “The Most Important Question of Your Life,” “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” and “No, You Can’t Have It All,” his work was reposted by Elizabeth Gilbert, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, and Chelsea Handler. His site—markmanson.net—is read by two million people each month. Manson lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Part I Hope

Chapter 1 The Uncomfortable Truth 3

Chapter 2 Self-Control Is an Illusion 20

Chapter 3 Newton's Laws of Emotion 47

Chapter 4 How to Make All Your Dreams Come True 75

Chapter 5 Hope Is Fucked 111

Part II Everything Is Fucked

Chapter 6 The Formula of Humanity 137

Chapter 7 Pain Is the Universal Constant 162

Chapter 8 The Feelings Economy 192

Chapter 9 The Final Religion 215

Acknowledgments 235

Notes 237

Editorial Reviews

Just because everything appears to be a mess doesn’t mean you have to be one. Mark Manson’s book is a call to arms for a better life and better world and could not be more needed right now.” — Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy

“Mark Manson continues to break down questions about human happiness and well-being in creative and unexpected ways. The result is a wonderfully accessible book that tackles some of the deeper questions about where our world is headed, as well as how to take better care of ourselves (and each other) until we get there.” — Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and Host of The Psychology Podcast

“Mark Manson has succeeded in explaining a crazy world to an entire generation by invoking hard science, moral philosophy, and gobs of hilarious wit. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh, question your beliefs, and (hopefully) change your life.” — Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable

“Mark provides an antidote to our era of spiritual malaise with a much-needed tincture of laughter, practical advice and philosophical wisdom. His counterintuitive insight will keep a three-bourbon smile on your face the whole time you’re reading it.” — Eric Barker, bestselling author of Barking Up the Wrong Tree

“While we’re all afraid of the evils in the world, Mark Manson shows us how to avoid the dark side in ourselves. A witty and enlightening book that we all need to read before throwing in the towel.” — Shane Parrish, founder of Farnam Street and host of The Knowledge Project Podcast

“Mark Manson is a master of thought-provoking and counterintuitive insights. His easy-to-read style will have you turning pages for hours.” — James Clear, New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits

“Entertaining and thought-provoking . . . [Manson’s] dark-humored wit and blunt prose are both informative and engaging . . . Clever and accessibly conversational, Manson reminds us to chill out, not sweat the small stuff, and keep hope for a better world alive.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Mark Manson has succeeded in explaining a crazy world to an entire generation by invoking hard science, moral philosophy, and gobs of hilarious wit. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh, question your beliefs, and (hopefully) change your life.

bestselling author of Hooked and In Nir Eyal

Mark provides an antidote to our era of spiritual malaise with a much-needed tincture of laughter, practical advice and philosophical wisdom. His counterintuitive insight will keep a three-bourbon smile on your face the whole time you’re reading it.

bestselling author of Barking Up the Wrong Tree Eric Barker

Mark Manson is a master of thought-provoking and counterintuitive insights. His easy-to-read style will have you turning pages for hours.

James Clear

Mark Manson continues to break down questions about human happiness and well-being in creative and unexpected ways. The result is a wonderfully accessible book that tackles some of the deeper questions about where our world is headed, as well as how to take better care of ourselves (and each other) until we get there.

PhD Scott Barry Kaufman

While we’re all afraid of the evils in the world, Mark Manson shows us how to avoid the dark side in ourselves. A witty and enlightening book that we all need to read before throwing in the towel.

Shane Parrish

Just because everything appears to be a mess doesn’t mean you have to be one. Mark Manson’s book is a call to arms for a better life and better world and could not be more needed right now.

Ryan Holiday

Mark Manson has succeeded in explaining a crazy world to an entire generation by invoking hard science, moral philosophy, and gobs of hilarious wit. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh, question your beliefs, and (hopefully) change your life.” %COMM_CONTRIB%Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable

05/27/2019

Manson follows up his bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck with this equally irreverent and inspiring work on hopefulness. “Our psyche needs hope the way a fish needs water,” he opines, adding that “hopelessness is the root of all anxiety, mental illness and depression.” In order to build and maintain hope, he writes, three things are required: a sense of control, belief in the value of something, and community. Manson argues that each person has a thinking brain (one that is conscientious, accurate, and impartial), as well as a feeling brain (one based on emotion), and that one’s emotions are truly in control of everything. Learning how to navigate the relationship between emotional response and action, he says, is the key. He believes that people have been conditioned to feel anxious by the pace of progress, but that if a sense of control can be re-formed, then hope will come. As a (rather tongue-in-cheek) example, he suggests that readers start their own religion, a practice involving large amounts of control, strong values, and a community. After spending the first half of his book explaining the importance of hope, Manson uses the second half to explore the horror of a world without hope, where people feel disconnected and undervalued, and terror attacks and the threat of climate change are but two worrisome global trends. This smart work should appeal to any anxious reader looking to cultivate strategies for optimism. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Mark Manson has succeeded in explaining a crazy world to an entire generation by invoking hard science, moral philosophy, and gobs of hilarious wit. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh, question your beliefs, and (hopefully) change your life.

bestselling author of Hooked and& Nir Eyal

Mark provides an antidote to our era of spiritual malaise with a much-needed tincture of laughter, practical advice and philosophical wisdom. His counterintuitive insight will keep a three-bourbon smile on your face the whole time you’re reading it.

bestselling author of Barking Up the Wrong Tree Eric Barker