How to Be Perfect

The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question

By: Michael Schur

Narrated by: Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D'Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, Todd May

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world. Read by the author, this one-of-a-kind audio production features guest appearances by members of the cast of The Good Place.

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.

Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. Okay, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.

How to Be Perfect is narrated by Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May!

©2022 Michael Schur. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Michael Schur and the cast of "The Good Place" once again collaborate, this time to ponder today’s toughest moral questions using philosophical views from the East and West. Schur delivers hilarious sarcasm as he tackles ethics and explains how to balance morality and achieve virtue. Friendly and inviting sounding, he is able to take the difficult, oftentimes dry topic of philosophy and make it engaging and entertaining. Using a simple and steady pace, Schur's narration is coupled with signature voices from the show, including Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. The entire cast makes this production an intriguing and funny way to introduce or reintroduce oneself to philosophy and achieve goodness." (AudioFile Magazine)

Loved it

Admittedly I am an ethics nerd. This is a fun fun fun education in lots of philosophical theories. Michael Schur sums everything up nicely at the end in a letter to his kids. Based on my experience of having been a kid and having my own kids and grandkids I’d like to compliment him on a good job there with that. If you chose to give this book a listen I think there’s a good chance you’ll like it. Stick around for the acknowledgments they are good too.

Wonderful

Michael Schur has written a brilliant book that addresses ethics and moral philosophy in an approachable way. Everyone hates moral philosophy professors- that’s just the way it is. This book says what they try to convey in a way that is so endearing and practical. The bonus: he enlisted his talented and lovely actor friends to dub some of the dialogue along the way- and Todd May. :) May your ink well never run dry!

Now I need to rewatch The Good Place

This book about moral philosophy is interesting and entertaining which is no surprise since the writer/narrator wrote the shows The Good Place and Parks And Rec. Although I enjoyed listening, I wished I had followed along with a hard copy and highlighter.

Loved it

Substantive discussion of ethics, existentialism, and how to love a moral life. But it was also funny. I’m going to start my second listen right now.

Great Message Taught with Humor and Love

I enjoyed the messages in this book as well as the smooth, funny delivery.

Making a complex subject enjoyable

Schur takes a difficult subject like philosophy and make it not only understandable, but a fun listening experience. Having cast members from The Good Place read certain parts was a lol so a treat. Highly recommend b

Well researched and readable!

I loved the amount of research involved in this book. Even with the fantastic amount of detail and thoughtfulness provided, it is still highly readable.

Outstanding, witty, comforting read

This book is Mike Schur at his best yet. The narration and guest appearances will delight any fellow fans of The Good Place. Highly recommend.

This book will make you a better person.

This book will make you a better person. And it will make you smarter. And it will make you laugh! The audio performances are great!

I need comedians to teach me all of life's lessons

One of the funniest and best books I've ever listened to. Frequently found myself laughing out loud to his excerpts and thought process and I rarely do that when I'm alone. It's enjoyable whether you want to learn ethics or just be entertained.