Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope

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(as of Sep 17, 2024 10:21:25 UTC – Details)

From the author of the international mega-best-seller 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 number-one best seller 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

4.5
Reviewer: Diego Delfino Machin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: There is no trick: what you see is what you get
Review: 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. 😉

Reviewer: Vit
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Raw and Refreshing Take on Hope
Review: “Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope” by Mark Manson delivers a bold and unfiltered look at the concept of hope in a world that often feels chaotic. Manson blends humor, philosophy, and a no-nonsense approach to explore how we find meaning in the face of life’s challenges. It’s a thought-provoking read that challenges conventional wisdom while offering a unique perspective on what it means to have hope in today’s world. If you’re looking for a book that’s both brutally honest and strangely uplifting, this one is worth a read.

Reviewer: Irakli T.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Navigating Hope in a Complex World
Review: Mark Manson embarks on a deep exploration of the contrasts between despair and hope in our contemporary lives. Through a blend of philosophical inquiry and psychological insights, Manson sheds light on how our perceptions of the world can profoundly impact our sense of hope. While the book challenges readers with its unflinching examination of the human condition, it also offers a unique perspective on finding resilience and meaning amidst chaos. Manson’s engaging narrative and thought-provoking arguments make this a valuable read for anyone looking to understand the complexities of hope in today’s world.

Reviewer: Beth M Wolny
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A hard look at hope, reality, and the future
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Dawn Kotiuk
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book, really helps you see life as it is and how to look at yourself to improve yourself.

Reviewer: Douglas
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This book presents in a simple way to understand how our mind works. And it’s fun to read, with interesting historic facts. A book for everyone to read.

Reviewer: frederick e payne
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: One day, a nameless online entity recommended buying this book. Here’s the thing, I’m impulsive and enjoy leaning into this emotion just so I can say “Well, you did recommend X and I bought the X and it was ….(my opinion)”It’s been a long while since I read a book about the psyche of the human brain. Wait, I’ve never read a book that had a smidgen of psychology contained in the pages. I refuse to count my Sociology O level grade A. This is proper easy to understand, it’s funny, a third of the book consists of study citations, research papers, the editors own thoughts and a whale sized portion of humour.This book is so funny, it cleverly wraps intrinsic brain theories with a pithy commentary. The writing style creates eye and brain hunger for just one .. more .. chapter.My tip to you is have 2 bookmarks, one for the last page you read, and the other for the references and source material in the back of the book.Always re-read the last couple of pages to refresh your memory before you pick up reading the next new page. Buy two copies. Start one yourself and then give one to a friend so you can share the mirth and the uncovered, unlocked knowledge about your trains of thought with someone *who understands* what direction your brain is heading.Are you having an off day and need a genuine smile? Grieving the loss of a friendship? Leaving a beloved team, or retiring from a job after a long career spanning decades? Feeling lost? Missing a lost item? Suffered a significant personal loss?I’m on page 78 and I’ll update this review when I’m done.Because I never cheat and read the last page. I like surprises a lot.Nina Payne, Fred’s wife.

Reviewer: Yuv
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I really recommend it to everyone I know, easy to read but packed with important understandings of human psychology

Reviewer: Vivek Antonio
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I didn’t read any of Mark’s books for the longest time – no specific reason why.However I bought this immediately after reading The Subtle Art… And glad I did.A very counterintuitive perspective on hope and does make a lot of sense. Another review said the content about AI towards the end didn’t make sense, however I see the context and understand (…hopefully) what the author was trying to say.A lot of uncomfortable truths delivered in a 21st century way – honest, clear, and precise. Some could take offence at the style, but don’t let that distract you from the content.This book isn’t for the fainthearted so come prepared. It is heavy reading and needs time to process.I definitely recommend!