Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope

I don't understand why someone could felt “tricked” and why people are finding such and odd review helpful: it isn't. You can dislike this book (like some of my friends) and argue with a simple and irrefutable argument: it's not my style. But this whole "trick" thing... that's just not the case. There's no trick here and I believe that's part of the whole point thru both this book and the previous one and that's one of the main the reason I engaged with the ideas shared on both Subtle Art and EiF. Keep in mind can have a “test drive” of Manson's prose on his website where you can easily find out if his style appeals to you or not since there's enough free (and very useful) content. That's it, is that simple. That's how I discovered the author and that's why I preordered TSA and EiF: his reasoning resonated with me and I felt it was practical, helpful and clear. So... either you like it (flexible, dynamic, witty, grounded, funny, accesible, current, relevant, easy to understand) or you don't because you are looking for, let's say, a more serious or academic approach (fair enough). Keep in mind: Mark is clearly not pretending to be anything else than "a random guy writing his own thoughts", that's the whole point because... must of us are, precisely, random girls and random guys trying to sort out our own thoughts in the middle of what we can agree to call “the digital crisis” (yes the world is overall better as stated by lots of respected authors with clear data but at the same time people are lonelier and sadder than ever, also verifiable with serious research). So, he might be a random guy but he finds a way to clearly sort out this mess (book one focused on how working in our values can change our perception of life and our relationship with others, book two explaining the relevance of hope in order to find meaning and drive for our life and for the future of humanity) by using clear examples that are easy to follow regardless of how complex the matter is. Because it is a complex matter. I understand quoting Bukowski might give you a wrong impression but I have always loved this line: “An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.” Artist might sound as a pretentious word and I'm pretty sure Manson won't feel comfortable with it but he does manage to explain hard things on a simple way going from down to earth examples like the story of Dave Mustaine and Metallica (book 1) to complex and beautiful stories like the one of Meta von Salis and Nietzsche (book 2). He keeps you engaged and entertained while you are thinking on some heavy stuff. Take for example Mr. PeanutButter in Bojack Horseman, famous for his quote: "The universe is a cruel, uncaring void. The key to being happy isn't a search for meaning; it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually, you'll be dead". If you find that phrase both funny and unsettling you are going to really, really enjoy both books. Regarding this book in particular I do feel that it is important to state that it is more “complex“ and less immediate than The Subtle Art. This is not to say that it's a hard read, it isn't. Its just that it does take matters to a next logical follow-up step, going from how to improve our own life (book 1) to how to try and help improve our species (book 2). Again, not in a pretentious way. And again, if your approach to life is cynicism or nihilism you might find a hard time enjoying the ride because it does suggest you to change for the better. For you. For your people. And yes, for our future. And that takes some healing, and healing is not easy. So you'll rather “just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually, you'll be dead“. But, If you do decide to take responsibility you'll come to accept (it won't be smooth) that change (inside and outside) also takes a leap of faith, it takes... hope. ;) That's the point of this second book. In order to improve/heal/ we must understand how "hope" and the use of that word has been really relevant thru the whole history of humanity. Where do we take it from there and how can we have a better, more compassionate and productive conversation with each other? Well... that's that's the point of EIF. And yes, it has a lot to do with coming to terms with death, with maturity (oh, the challenge), and again, values. And Kant. “Instead, he decided that the only logical way to improve the world is through improving ourselves—by growing up and becoming more virtuous—by making the simple decision, in each moment, to treat ourselves and others as ends, and never merely as means”. Like hell he did. And you can find out how to follow his steps in this pertinent relevant urgent and much appreciated book. But as always, it's up to you, cause “we don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond”. Manson channeling the great Frankl. Oh, I love it, never felt less tricked in my life. ;)

Amazing book – I loved every minute. Mark takes the toughest topics out there today and dives deep. He questions everything that we think we know about hope and turns it on its head, drawing on philosophical concepts as challenging as Nietzsche, Kant and Plato. He tackles the future of AI head-on, and comes up with some interesting (and reassuring) ideas. Most of all, he encourages all of us to become comfortable with uncertainty. This is a challenging book to read if one is not already open to some hard truths about the reality of life and death and hope. If you are looking for a traditionally uplifting narrative about the future, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for the kind of book that is needed in today’s crush for MORE – power, money, comfort, happiness, hope, etc. then this is what you’ve been searching for. I found it refreshing, and felt like I was finally talking to someone who had followed a similar search for meaning, purpose, hope and happiness. I thoroughly enjoyed how he broke down Nietzsche and Kant into relatable and understandable concepts (He has encouraged me – finally! – to attempt reading Kant. Thank you, Mark.) And then connected those ideas to many (very similar) Buddhist ideas. Ha! Who would have thought you could put Nietzsche and the Buddha together in the same sentence? There are moments where Mark generalizes a bit too much. He talks about people being nostalgic for different things and times. The historian in me wondered WHO was really nostalgic for different times. As a woman, I am certainly not nostalgic for the 1950s, 1880s or pretty much any other period in which I would have been forced to marry for financial security or simply bought and sold like property. And while I usually prefer NOT to speak for other groups of people, in the spirit of the author, f*ck it, I doubt African-Americans are nostalgic for the 1950s, 1870s or any period prior to 1865. I highly doubt Native Americans are nostalgic for any period after 1492. I also doubt that the LGBTQ community is nostalgic for the 1950s, 1910s or any other time in recorded history. And I know Mark knows this – as he has continuously demonstrated this in his other writings. He also talks about much of history being a miserable slog - for everyone (and specifically addresses women, etc. in various instances). I think he’s just trying to cover all of HUMANITY, across all of TIME, IN ONE BOOK, and that kind of gets challenging at certain moments. Largely, he does a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to re-reading the sections on AI, and revisiting the sections on Kant to see if my own reading complements or contradicts his. Many thanks for a fantastic book. I can only imagine how much it took to write this.

While I didn't agree with his stance on religion, I still found some good stuff in this book worth reading

As I read this and its predecessor, I saw the similarities of what I saw growing up from the mid 1950s till now, more so the recent now. Insightful, unapologetic, and unadorned examples and explanations given by the author as he sees them. A great book in which to use to form your own opinions about life’s happenings. And, as a footnote, don’t let these be the only references points to use to better understand your place in the world.

Articolo arrivato in tempo, la qualità della copertina è super (come del resto quella del libro che avevo acquistato in precedenza: The Suble Art of not Giving a F**k)

Es un gran libro. Una forma diferente de de la problemática de la esperanza en nuestros días y consejos sobre cómo vivir mejor en un mondo lleno de caos

Ohhhhh how I love this book! Thank goodness I found it here on amazon! Read this. So many life lessons. Or maybe we can switch/exchange books? DM me!

Absolutely amazed by this books content. It outlines the importance of the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, Rene Descartes, and Nietzsche among others. But it's not a book for the masses. It is for those who have at least already secured them self in the past in the financial domain. Because if you don't have money to take care of your daily life, it is but hopeless to talk about philosophy. However, how to live an ideal life through moral and personal ethics is excellently explained in the book, and the fact that it can and will lead to personal fulfillment and satisfaction at a very deep level is beyond doubt. As rightly pointed out in the book, if you want to compare Kant's thinking brain with ours, his thinking brain must have had biceps. Most of us (if not all) are guided by our feeling brain. And that's where the author has successfully driven his point. Most of our problems are emotional (feeling brain is in the driver's seat, while the thinking brain is in the passenger seat), and we take decisions in life based on the emotions that the situations in life generates. Kant was the exception. The author has succeeded in outlining his own personal philosophy of life, a large share of which are a mix of Kant's philosophy and those of others (Nietzsche etc). I enjoyed the book from the beginning till the end. The best part is that the author is not dictating what the reader should do. He has let it for the reader to decide. Mark has on the other hand described in detail the importance of values and how it maneuvers the dynamics of the society and people in the world in general. It is a book about psychology and a lot of research has gone into the writing of it. The last portion of the book is about artificial intelligence (AI) and the proclamation that it is going to be the final religion. This book is highly recommended to all avid readers with an exploring mind, who really wants to go deep down the rabbit hole to seek out the fundamentals that govern the dynamics of life we are living at present. Lot of humour fill the book, the writer never stops entertaining even when the issue is deeply philosophical. Lot of love and respect to M. Manson for taking this bold step with writing EiF.

Once again Mark manages to take a series of complex ideas about religion, meaning, and philosophy and meld them into a highly readable format which does not patronise the reader. He has a knack for making complex philosophical points understandable, without dumbing them down such that meaning is lost. He then gets you to reflect, and if you’re paying attention you will be on a wonderful voyage of self discovery. This is not a book which thinks for you. If you read it cover to cover assuming it is all someone else’s problem, and you gain no person insight you’ve just wasted your time. If you pause every few pages, reflect on the statements made, and then use this to go on an inner journey to examine and revise your own thinking… Well you’re going to love this book. Highly recommended as a wonderfully thought-provoking piece of writing well grounded in the considerable philosophical efforts of the past five thousand years.