How to Be Perfect

I was already a big fan of Michael Schur and his work. Everything from The Office, to Parks and Recreations, but most of all The Good Place. If you enjoyed the philosophy from the latter show, as I did, you'll eat this book up. I can especially recommend the audiobook version since it's narrated by the author and the cast of The Good Place. Yes, that includes Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.

In the book, Michael tries to explain the most important moral philosophies in his view: virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism, contractualism, ubuntu, and existentialism. And if your eyes glazed over just now, this book is for you. Because he does it in such an entertaining way that you'll almost forget you're reading about moral philosophy. And that's the highest praise anyone can give.

And don't be deceived by the title. There's a whole chapter on making a case for why “moral perfection” is both impossible to attain and a bad idea to even attempt. This book simply tries to convey ideas by which you could live your life in ways that'll make you a better person. Or, to paraphrase Samuel Beckett: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

So (re)watch The Good Place and then tackle this book. Again, I strongly recommend the audio version.