Description

Meditations for Mortals takes us on a liberating journey towards a more meaningful life – one that begins not with fantasies of the ideal existence, but with the reality in which we actually find ourselves.

Addressing the fundamental questions about how to live, it offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life Oliver Burkeman calls ‘imperfectionism’. How can we embrace our non-negotiable limitations? Or make good decisions when there’s always too much to do? What if purposeful productivity were often about letting things happen, not making them happen?

Reflecting on ideas drawn from philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, and self-help, Burkeman explores practical tools and shifts in perspective. The result is a bracing challenge to much familiar advice, and a profound yet entertaining crash course in living more fully.

To be read either as a four-week ‘retreat of the mind’ or devoured in one or two sittings, Meditations for Mortals will be a source of solace and inspiration, and an aid to a saner, freer, and more enchantment-filled life. In anxiety-inducing times, it is rich in truths we have never needed more.

Publisher Review

Oliver Burkeman has a way of giving you the most unexpected productivity advice exactly when you need it — Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck 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, author of Ultra-Processed People A very special book. We should all read this – for the sake of our aching world as well as the state of our souls — Krista Tippett, author of Becoming Wise A practical path towards personal transformation. A must-read — Cal Newport, author of Slow Productivity Bracing and refreshing … This book is both a comfort and a challenge – exactly what our trying times demand — Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret