Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this title.

This is a fantastic intro guide to ethics, from the person who probably got you interested in reading about that after you liked _The Good Place_ so much, Mike Schur. This manages to have a great blend of heart, clear prose explaining various ethical schools of thought and how they all sort of braid together, and humor - this has some of the funniest footnotes I've read in ages.

Will it teach you to be perfect? No, but I think it at least deserves a perfect score here.

This book was just fun. I loved the good place and was super excited to read this book. I like how it discussed heavy issues but in a fun way, and I loved all the footnotes. It was a great book and I will be recommending it to a lot of people.

One of the best books I’ve read in a while, that provides ample opportunities for learning important life lessons throughout a variety of lenses while still engaging the reader throughout. And all without a trace of the condescension of a textbook that would usually provide this type of well-researched moral philosophy discussion. Well done!

I requested this book from NetGalley solely because of Michael Schur's name. I'm a big sitcom fan and Schur's been a part of some of my favorite shows, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Rec. Funnily enough, I haven't seen The Good Place yet (I know, I know, I'll get to it eventually) and I also realized during this book that I'm not particularly interested in the philosophy of ethics. Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a good moral debate between friends and I like watching characters grapple with moral questions in the context of the story, but it turns out I'm just not that into ethics in this medium.

That being said, I thought this book was well-written and clear. Schur obviously did quite a bit of research on the topic, and his application of these ideas is relevant and accessible. I appreciated the humor throughout and I thought the letter to his kids at the end was sweet. Even though I wasn't necessarily interested in the topics, it was still entertaining enough. Still, I'm not expecting to retain much information from this book.

If you don't have a basic understanding of ethics and you're interested in learning about it, this is a pretty good place to start (pun intended). It wasn't my cup of tea, but I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who can get something out of it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For those who enjoyed the Good Place, this book is a condensed version (obvi because he is the creator), where each chapter feels like an amble through philosophical questions where you end the journey with a ‘good job’ balloon and a fuzzy feeling that you are more confused, and more enlightened, than when you started. This leaves you with the ultimate feeling of, ”okay, I know better, but how will I carry and enact this new knowledge I have?”

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. Note that quotes within my review may be changed in the final edition.

Michael Schur is the creator behind the brilliant TV series The Good Place, the rare show that put philosophy and the afterlife in a whimsical yet educational light. He does much the same with <i>How to Be Perfect.</i> He readily admits he's no expert, but has gone to the pros for help. The book explores philosophy and what it means to be human among other humans, and does so in a way that is accessible, funny, and also incredibly deep.

This is by no means an exhaustive overview of philosophers across the ages, but he discusses several major voices and brings in modern, personal dilemmas. The Trolley Problem is a subject, of course (as it was on The Good Place) but he also brings up things like putting away the shopping cart at a grocery store. Through the perspective of Ubuntu, the answer for this is simple: putting the cart away helps other people, as we are only people through other people.

This is very much a book of 2022 as it discusses the pandemic and masking. As the book notes, the pandemic is "an ideal scenario to illustrate contractualism--what we owe to each other in this case is both easy to identify and infinitesimally small, and the benefits are astronomically huge."

Some of the funniest bits in the book are the footnotes. Later in the book, one observes, "Bet you didn't think when you bought this book on philosophy and got to the chapter on existentialism you were gonna get a Rush lyric thrown at you, huh? Well, too bad. It happened." There's also a chapter that bears the incredibly long title of, "I Gave a Twenty-Seven Cent Tip to My Barista, and Now Everyone's Yelling at Me on Twitter, Just Because I'm a Billionaire! I Can't Even Enjoy the Soft-Shell Crab Rolls That My Sushi Chef Made for My Private Dirigible Trip to the Dutch Antilles! How Is That Fair?!"

Really, nothing about life is fair, and this book makes that grim injustice something amusing. I laughed aloud a few times, but the read made me smile throughout, plus I learned something in the process.

An enjoyable read that delves into the world of ethics in an introductory manner. Schur covers a broad range of ideologies such as Kant and utilitarianism and makes an effort to answer some of life's everyday ethics-- when to say sorry and when to stop supporting businesses with questionable morals. I particularly loved the coda to his children and thought that it added a nice sentimental touch to an otherwise humorous and serious book.

4.5 Stars

’How to Be Perfect takes the delightful, funny lessons of The Good Place, and applies them to everyday life.’ - Ted Danson

’Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ - Samuel Beckett

’Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ - Maya Angelou

I’ve never contemplated whether either philosophy or ethics could be considered entertaining, at least not in and of themselves, but in Michael Schur’s hands it is very entertaining, while at the same time sneaking in some very thought-provoking moments. Why? He addresses that on the first page in his dedication, in the second sentence of the second paragraph in this book. Because morality matters.

Schur, for those who don’t know, is the creator of The Good Place, co-creator of Parks and Recreation, television writer, producer, creator and co-creator, the shows he’s worked on in one capacity or another, also include The Office, Hacks, and Rutherford Falls, and others.

This is, more or less, a guide to living ethically, sharing the thoughts of many of the world’s more scholarly deep thinkers over more time, which sounds as though it would be terribly unfunny, but while there are ‘scholarly thoughts’ included, he manages to translate these excavations into something which is easily understandable, relatable, heartfelt and very often humorous. There are occasional delves into more serious concepts including moral obligations (deontology), utilitarianism, existentialism, and the ubuntu philosophy - a belief in the universal bond of sharing that connects us all.

The perfect blend of humour alongside a serious exploration into how to live a more ethical and considered - and considerate - life while offering entertainment at the same time.


Pub Date: 25 Jan 2022

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

This is the book form of what you hope your Philosophy 101 professor will be like - taking complex and often boring ideas from 2000 years ago and making them accessible, applicable to modern day living and throwing in humor when appropriate. It’s a deeper dive than I expected, but it’s well-crafted and approachable. Topics that can often feel intimidating are broken down into easier bite-size pieces. From wondering if you’re able to still enjoy art from problematic people to just wearing a damn mask, Schur succeeds in making us stop to think of the reasons behind our choices while pointing out the different schools of thought and approaches to ethical behavior. If you’re looking for a light fun read, this isn’t it. It doesn’t claim to be, but don’t go in thinking “ah it’s that funny tv guy! This is going to quick and easy!” It *is* fun, but it’s not a humor-based book like you might expect if you only knew the author and didn’t read the description.

Thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review published on Goodreads, StoryGraph and Instagram.

How to Be Perfect
by Michael Schur
Pub Date: January 25, 2022
Simon & Schuster

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I don't typically read philosophy but since it was written by the creator of The Good Place I thought I would give it a try.

Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.
Good book!

I don’t care for philosophy and regularly make fun of it as a college degree, but this book was enjoyable.

One of my favorite parts of The Good Place is the realization it’s very hard to be a good person, no matter how hard we try, because of how far-reaching our decisions are (and how so much is out of our control). This book is an engaging and fun discourse on that idea, even though reading about philosophy and ethics was a bit slow — but I learned things!

LOVE this!!! This is one of the best types of books--it's fun and it made me smarter! This breaks down thousands of years of thinking about ethics into easy to understand, enjoyable to read explanations. Esoteric concepts are related to common, modern issues in.a way that makes them accessible and relevant. I never thought I'd laugh so much reading about moral philosophy!

This is quite information-dense and thought provoking, so I would recommend savoring no more than one chapter at a time. Obviously fans of The Good Place and anyone interested in ethics should definitely pick this up, but I really can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this and learn a little something from it. Definitely a must-read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This is a delightfully engaging book. The target audience is likely to be those of us who are interested in moral philosophy but at the same time would prefer to learn about it in a more lighthearted / satirical way. It got a lot deeper into philosophy than I expected initially, but the real-world examples kept it relevant and definitely gave me a lot to think about. Don’t skip over the footnotes - they are hilarious. And, really, why ARE there things? Thank you to Michael Schur, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for thé opportunity to read this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

How to Be Perfect
The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
by Michael Schur
I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an eARC of How to Be Perfect: I always as always thank NetGalley for the advance copy.
The satirical book with a spin on philosophy, humanity, and loving your fellow man. It just stretches the good into better. I am NOT Perfect it seems. But, you will enjoy the book.

I was so excited to read this book by Michael Schur. He created two of my all time favorite TV shows, "The Good Place" and "Parks and Recreation," and I would basically read the phone book if he wrote and sold it.

Though this dove a lot deeper into ethics and morality than I expected, I was still so delighted by this book. It was the first book of 2022 for me, and it has started off my year of reading in the perfect way. Schur explains ethics to us normal human beings as plainly (and hilariously) as possible, and then attacks some major moral dilemmas we have in our every day lives on this planet. I learned a lot, laughed along the way, and am inspired to be better person and always return my grocery cart when I'm done using it. 5/5, will recommend to everyone.

I’m … not quite sure who the audience is for this one. I was excited to read it because I’m a Mike Schur superfan, but it was wildly different from what I expected. The deep dive into deep philosophy made for some sloooow reading, but overall, it was very well done. Lots of real world examples and anecdotes. “Should I return the shopping cart when I’m done with it?” “If a billionaire donates millions of dollars, but is still a billionaire, are they doing enough?” “Should I quit listening to my favorite album because I found out the lead singer is a terrible person?”

Four stars because I think Mike accomplished his end goal — making philosophy accessible to everyone. I just would’ve personally preferred a memoir. 🤷🏻‍♀️ if that’s what you’re also looking for, don’t read this. But if you want to channel your inner Chidi, this is a fun(?) read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for selecting me to read an advance copy!

You need this book in your life! A fresh and funny take on moral ethics, this book reads like your comedic friend giving you the cliff notes version of Ethics 101 and moral philosophy. There are many laugh-out-loud moments but also many moments in which you’re tasked to contemplate. Such a great read! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title before publication.

Relax, you're in the Good Place. Or at least you're in an overview off the philosophers whose work inspired the piece of shirt show. Taking a cue from the fender bender that led to author Michael Schur's philosophical journey, "How To Be Perfect" reads as a humorous Philosophy 101 text that actually dives deeper into the works in a way that's applicable for most readers. And it spends a healthy amount of time bashing Ayn Rand and why that school of thought flies in the face of everything that came before it, so that's always a plus too. Additionally, as someone who also has issues dealing with the fact that a good chunk of his humor is Woody Allen based, the art/artist chapter was helpful.

Pros: When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately wanted to read it for two reasons: I loved the tv series The Good Place (and recognized the author’s name from his work on the show) and I want to be perfect. As an Enneagram One, I very much related to and was interested in the discussions of wanting to be good . . . and wanting gold stars for being good. Although there is no simple way to be perfect, I appreciated the author’s emphasis on trying and caring.

This book does a wonderful job giving a survey of theories of moral philosophy and ethics. I think this book paired with The Good Place could make for a fantastic college-level course. Although this book examines big ideas, I appreciated the author’s humor throughout . . . and his fantastic use of footnotes.

I also appreciate the timeliness of this book and how the author incorporated ethical and moral questions that have come up during the Covid-19 pandemic, including his comparison of mask wearing being as easy as returning a shopping cart.

One of the most challenging chapters to me was the examination of how to separate art from the artist or how to separate something we like from its creator/owner when the creator/owner is problematic. I think questions like this would make this book a great book club book.

Cons: None that I can think of.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Oh how I miss The Good Place! This book has the show’s humor and sensibility and gives insight to what was in the minds of the creators as they put it together. But, also … we’ll, I learned some stuff, too.