From the Publisher
"That’s the dilemma that will almost surely keep Oliver Burkeman busy: His counsel that life’s problems can’t really be solved only primes his audience to want more advice . . . As Burkeman’s ideas seep into my bones, so—slowly—does the reality that I’m going to be bumping up against the rough edges of life every day, even every hour, until I die. The nubbiness, the initial recoil followed by a kick of recognition—yes, I’m off-balance: This is the point." —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic
"The kind of pep talk I can get on board with . . . Burkeman’s insight—always clear-eyed and jargon-free—backs up, in a reassuring and constructive way, the other sense I have on more forgiving days . . . that it’s better for you and everyone around you to work with, rather than fight against, who you are now." —Simon Usborne, The Guardian
"Meditations for Mortals provides useful answers to the questions of when and why you should give up: you should do it when your optimized, productivity-hacked life starts to feel constricting, deadening, or unrealistic, so that you can get more value out of your all-too-brief existence." —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker
"Thoughtful, level-headed and useful . . . Burkeman doesn’t offer life hacks. He offers thoughts that might nudge us towards changing our underlying attitudes." —James McConnachie, The Times
"A bracing read . . . Burkeman is a friendly presence on the page . . . Stop denying the reality of whatever predicament you are in, he writes. Learn how to play in the ruins of your life." —Elaine Moore, Financial Times
"Liberating and humane." —Kirkus Reviews
“Meditations for Mortals offers a bracing and refreshing antidote for what ails high achievers. With crackling wit and counterintuitive wisdom, Burkeman shows that it’s okay—and often smarter—to do less, let some goals slide, and embrace our imperfections. This book is both a comfort and a challenge—exactly what our trying times demand.”
—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret
“More than a book of ideas, Meditation for Mortals offers a practical path toward personal transformation—one that helps you sidestep the shallow allure of frenetic busyness and find a liberating joy in the limits and imperfections of life. A must-read.”
—Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work
"Full of wisdom and comfort. I enjoyed every page and read it in a single sitting. This is a really important book about embracing truth and reality." —Chris van Tulleken, New York Times bestselling author of Ultra-Processed People
“I follow Oliver Burkeman's personal, literary, and journalistic adventures into wisdom with admiration and exhilaration. Now he brings us a ‘retreat of the mind’ in a very special book. We should all read this, preferably in the company of others—for the sake of our aching world as well as the state of our souls.”
—Krista Tippett, host of On Being
“Oliver Burkeman has a way of giving you the most unexpected productivity advice exactly when you need it.”
—Mark Manson, bestselling author of Everything is F*cked and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Kirkus Reviews
2024-08-02
An exploration of ways to escape the trap of perfectionism and step into a happier, more productive life.
Much in the modern world, from climate change to global social and political upheaval, is beyond human control, yet people continue to live according to the “fatally misguided idea that reality can and should be made ever more controllable,” writes British journalist and nonfiction author Burkeman. The resulting malaise has contributed to widespread feelings of burnout and anxiety. He posits that the way forward lies in accepting what he calls imperfectionism, the idea that humans are finite creatures with limited agency. To work toward that end, Burkeman offers 28 Zen-inflected essays on the art of living and staying sane in a messy world; he suggests reading them one at a time over four weeks. He begins by offering liberating insights into letting go of to-do lists and the exhaustion that comes from trying to absorb too much information and care about everything that happens in the world. Only then can individuals finally begin to focus on not only navigating the inevitable problems and distractions of everyday life but also making time for the self-enlarging “life task” that brings satisfaction rather than immediate gratification. In taking action, however, people must beware of “making things happen, through willpower or effort,” which adds unnecessary complications or “feelings of unpleasant exertion.” Ambition has its place, but, Burkeman observes, that too must be balanced so that the present—and all the potential it offers for satisfaction—does not get sacrificed to the unknowns of the future: “We have to show up as fully as possible here, in the swim of things as they are.”
Liberating and humane.
