I think it would have been awesome if I’d had time to finish listening before it was taken away. These audio books need to be able to be somewhere with more time to access them. I do not like the NetGalley app.

This is such an insightful read or listen (audible).
I listened on audible first and then I got a copy on Kindle to read.

Very good for anyone who has low confidence, it will give you a new way of looking at confidence and yourself.

I absolutely adored the authors voice for narration, it was so soothing and calming. The content of the book was nice but nothing of note unfortunately for me. I felt i would have liked a lot of different points expanded on but if your looking for a short read that broadly covers the topics then this might be for you.

Delightfully Different Book on Confidence

Audiobook Review:
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this audiobook. I had listened to one other book by this publisher and had enjoyed it. But this one actually made me laugh out loud in places early on, particularly in the first chapters on idiocy/folly and imposter syndrome. Words and phrases like “confidence” and “imposter syndrome” are thrown around quite a bit these days, having even become a buzzword and a buzz phrase. But this book takes several different tacks. The publisher manages to incorporate references to what we might consider erudite writing, like by long ago non-English authors like Erasmus and Montaigne. But the writer artfully weaves in the discussion of them to make a key point in their respective chapters so that it doesn't feel too intellectual or snobbish. The first part of the book is meant to put you at ease. We can all be ridiculous at times; imposter syndrome has deep roots in childhood. So, neither of these should be impediments to confidence. The later parts of the book didn't connect with me as much as the first few chapters did as I had a hard time drawing the parallels between their topics and confidence. Still, this audiobook has much to recommend it. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. If you are interested in reading or listening to a book on confidence, this one does take some surprising turns that you don't see a lot in books on confidence currently on the market.

A deceptively short listen, Alain de Botton's narration of The School Of Life "On Confidence" is heartening and unifying. The book examines confidence through the lens of humanity and history. It touches on themes such as nature and nurture, parental expectation and our sense of otherness. Concepts are illuminated with examples from Art, Literature and Philosophy. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Impostor Syndrome and Self Sabotage. The audiobook lasts just over an hour making it a perfect morning listen before you venture out to take on the world. I will doubtless revisit this book many times in future. I wasn't previously aware of the work of The School Of Life so will be looking into that more and visiting the YouTube channel.

Even if you are not familiar with The School of Life's youtube channel I would recommend this! Depending on where you are at with your mental health, motivation or self image this could really be a much needed pick me up. The message is beautiful and the narrator (same as in the youtube videos if you're familiar) is intoxicating! This is a gentle but blunt reminder that confidence is a skill and therefore something we have to TRY to get better at. It was a short but sweet book that leaves you inspired and pondering your potential. Also an easy read or listen before bed.

Listened to this during one of my daily walks. I found the narrator's voice informative and I was able to focus more due to it's gentle and informative tone. At no point did I find either the narrator's voice or content patronising, which I think in another's hands it could easily have become, instead the content covered a variety of unexpected topic areas combining references to classic philosophical and artistic works, with in-depth ideas and explanations alongside contemporary anecdotes.. I found myself smiling knowingly and chuckling a few times. This is easy to digest and left me in a relaxed and contemplative mood - well worth a second listen.

A thoughtful, thought-provoking book that examines the art of confidence, considering it a skill rather than something inherent. It examines how and why we often doubt ourselves and offers philosophical advice on how to overcome it. A chapter on the imposter syndrome is particularly insightful. Alain de Botton's reading of this audiobook enhanced the experience.

A quick easy listen with some good life tips. Things I'd heard before but nicely presented. Its short nature means it could be used as a pick me up on days where you need a lift.

Quick easy read on confidence. Good narration. Amazing tips of to follow to set yourself up for success in live. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was expecting this to be much more of a self-help book, maybe giving examples or exercises. It was in fact, an essay which the narrator read perfectly, in an eminently easy to listen to voice. The essay was the perfect length, with no meaningless repetition. It seemed to go against absolutely everything I believe to be true but left a few little nuggets of food for thought.

I've enjoyed the author/narrator's TED talks, but am not too familiar with his work otherwise. I'm also not a big audiobook person yet, so I thought this would be a nice way to expand horizons in a few ways.

This book is relatively short: it is an "essay" on confidence, both the history and preconceived notions we may harbor about it. It was inspiring and will require each person to do further reflection. I was a bit sad when it was over.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Good, short, blunt audiobook. The School of Life provides philosophical and practical explanations for the challenge of confidence in modern-day society.

A short, inspirational Audiobook serving as a lovely pep talk and a reminder that we can all have confidence in ourselves. Loved the narrator too.

I liked the fact that this book was short so could be listened to all in one go. The narrator's voice was very good - perfect for an audiobook. I was however disappointed with the content, I felt like it was more a 'history of confidence', from it's title I was expecting to find more practical tips to help improve my confidence.

The School on Confidence is a short audiobook by Alain de Botton that discusses how confidence is a skill that can be acquired, and people should perceive it as a catalyst that supports life goals and missions.
The British author, who also narrates the book, refers to classism and informs people that those impressive individuals you look up to who seem confident are inherently flawed and have days of uncertainty. In other words, they are human, just like you. He supports this narrative by encouraging readers to learn about the struggles successful people encountered to reach their achievements and their level of confidence so they can see themselves in others. Botton also talks about how confident people view themselves as contributors to history.
I like that Botton's audiobook is short and that he drives home the negative perception of failure. We should see our failures as stages on our path toward mastery, Botton advises.
However, as a reader, I didn't feel that the book met my expectations. I thought it would offer more insights and examples. I don't necessarily believe that I've walked away with an education in confidence. I agree that it provides a guide on confidence, but I think the title misleads people into thinking that the book will offer much more. I also believe that you may listen to the book more than once and walk away with a new perspective each time.

After I finished the audiobook from The School of Life On Self-Knowledge (5 stars!), I dove right into this one. The School of Life just has something in it that I love - the narrator, the pace, the vibe, the content.

As I wrote in my review of On Self-Knowledge, I was beyond happy to listen to my favorite narrator for longer than a few minutes, speaking about life. However, as opposed to that one, On Confidence seemed more brief and insufficiently deep. Even though I like that their book's small size, I really wanted to hear some tips on how to gain more confidence instead of just theory. It was by no means boring or impractical theory, but I wanted to hear more of what I can do to become more confident.

I still loved this little book read straight to my earbuds, but I could have used more content.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.